The "Founders Day Ride" recap

When I first joined the Club, the Founders Day Ride was the one ride where we had a line of bikes, it was the ride which was considered mandatory to be on out of respect for the Clubs origin/. In 2008 we rolled into Easthampton with 42 bikes. People in the street stopped what they were doing to watch, last years ride was pitiful in comparison. This years ride had members meeting at Dunkin for the 10am A.O.B., we had members from New London, Windham, Middlesex, and New Haven counties in attendance. While this sounds impressive it was only a total of 23 people...five of which followed the group in a cage (kids). Enough of that though.

The ride left shortly after 10 with Tom taking us onto 163 to 395 north. As we turned off 32 onto 163 the tail-gunner called the Road Captain to let him know we had a late arrival and he would need fuel. We headed up 395 to 2, then 32 to 87. The air was crisp yet comfortable the skies blue with fluffy clouds, in word the ride promised to be perfect, one of those Fall days you just have to be on a bike to appreciate. We took 87 to the Beaumont highway and dropped into Willimantic to pick up 32 north. Sandwich (the late arrival) pulled in for fuel up by route 6 as the rest of us pulled over up ahead and waited, the tail-gunner (Natale) kept him company. Back together, we headed north on 32 through Eagleville, Mansfield, and the Willingtons. We made another stop at the fuel plaza at route 84 for one of our members to do a Craig impersonation, again the Tail Gunner stayed with him as two other bikes joined in. We rolled into Stafford Springs then took route 190 west through Somers, Scitico, Hazardville, and Thompson across the Connecticut River to route 159. Here we deviated from the planned ride of 513 to 75 to 168 over to Southwick Mass. and decided to head up 159 into Agawam Mass. OK we made a wrong turn and it was decided for us. In Agawam we turned right at route 75, crossed the Westfield River into West Springfield  and followed that to Southern blvd and route 20 which took us to Westfiled and route 10. Route 10 took us straight up the line to Easthampton. We had a short meeting Graveside, Replaced the old bent up plaque with a new one made by Vinny Pons, then topped off the bikes and headed to the Easthampton Diner for Lunch at around 1:30.

The food was actually really good but there were complaints about the menu taking too long to read. Members ate foods ranging from Pizza and burgers, to Irish Wraps, whole belly clams and Seafood Marinara. Back on the roads the weather, roads and traffic were excellent, the bright sun and puffy clouds over the hills added to late fall foliage almost making it feel like a road trip through New Hampshire or Vermont. Sort of an any-town New England Fall kind of day.

 We took the straight route home down 91 to Hartford and route 2 with members dropping off along the way. By the time we pulled into the Dunkin at Salem Four Corners we were down to four bikes and four members. We sat around having coffee and receiving some Club history about early Club finances, the Connecticut Super Ride and such before splitting off for home. Back in my driveway at end of day, the trip meter read 199.4 miles from fill up to home. So add the ride for fuel in the morning and it was a two hundred mile day in great weather, on great roads, with great riders.