Ride Report 01/12/14 – Guida’s Restaurant

My neighbor generously allows me to keep my bike in her detached, one-car garage. Unfortunately it is at the base of a hill and collects a lot of moisture. Last Summer she added a small gutter around the back and side of the garage; but after the rain we had yesterday, I still found a small puddle in one corner of the garage this morning. More importantly the lower half of my bike was covered in heavy condensation. With the later A.O.B. (11 AM), I took the opportunity to wipe down the bike and give it a quick going over with a plastic cleaner and polish.

 I arrived at our starting point (Dunkin Donuts, Rt. 32, Uncasville) 10 minutes ahead of the A.O.B.. Dana had pulled in just ahead of me and Joe, Jim and Lane were chatting in the parking lot, while the others were inside finishing their beverages. It was nice to see Lane back in the saddle. In all we had 9 bikes, not too shabby for a January ride.

We headed up Rt. 32 to Raymond Hill Road where Dave and Joe blocked while we made the turn. I could see an emergency vehicle at the top of the hill, lights lit and siren sounding as we turned. Our group was long gone by the time the emergency vehicle reached the intersection.

Raymond Hill Road was a treat; covered side to side with sand, it made for some fun fishtailing. There were a few other sandy spots along the route, but they were minor and the only other road hazards were a few fallen branches along the side of the road.

At the end of Raymond Hill we took 163 North to 82 South West to the bridge by the Goodspeed Opera House where Randy was waiting for us and joined the ride. I immediately recognized him on his bright orange bike, but I didn’t remember it having a windshield. He later told me that it came with the bike, but he had immediately taken it off and only put it back on yesterday.

We picked up 154 South on the other side of the river and took 148 West through Chester and Killingworth. In Madison we made a right onto 79 North which merges with 17 North. Riding into Durham we pulled off at the local Fire Dept. while Dave & Margo, our Tail Gunner, pulled into the Dunkin Donuts across the street to link up with more NLMC members.

The crushed stone at the Fire Dept. was a bit deep and loose and there was some pooling at the lower end, behind the firehouse. We all pulled to the side of the driveway and up to the road to avoid putting a foot down in a puddle while we waited to link up with the other group. Fortunately it was only a few minutes before we were riding again. Our group had grown to 17 bikes as we turned left onto 147 West.

It’s always a pleasure riding in a nice, tight staggered formation with fellow club members who ride well. Some of the roads were quite narrow and twisty for this style of riding but not for this group.

We merged with 157 North and continued straight onto Jackson Hill Road which intersected Rt. 66. A short jog West on 66 and we were at our destination on the right.

Tom lead us in a loop around the restaurant and back to the front parking lot where we circled around and backed up to park along the road. They had "almost" enough room for all of us to line up.

Making our way into the restaurant we quickly took over the place grabbing seats at the counter and booths wherever we could. Fortunately they were not too busy and quickly started taking our orders.  

I found the food to be very good. This is not a fancy restaurant, but what they do, they do right. I had a chili-cheese dog, a cheeseburger and fries. They layer the hot dog with cheese on the bottom and chili on the top allowing you to taste each flavor distinctly as you bite into it. 

If you want a good, old fashioned, greasy burger, this is the place. It was delicious and the bun was perfectly toasted. The fries rounded out the meal and they too, were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Dave found someplace to keep his "Horns" while he ate.
Leaving his "balls" right in Betty Boop's Face!

Remember to bring cash the next time you visit.

The chili was so good that Dana tried to get the recipe. He was pretty persistent about it, but I don’t think he was successful. 

Tom held a rider’s meeting in which he outlined the route home which was basically back the way we came until we hit Rt. 9 where we would turn South and split up from there.

 

I heard Dave and Margo mention something about returning to a winery on Rt. 66 in Portland where we enjoyed their patio and outdoor fireplace one fall afternoon. I don’t know if they stuck with that plan.

Joe and I, living a bit North of the coast opted to go our own way taking 66 to 16 into Colchester where Joe headed towards Rt. 207 and I for Rt. 354 and some backroads home. Our return trip was uneventful, but we moved at a nice pace for an enjoyable ride.

I checked three weather websites before leaving this morning. They all indicated SUNNY SKIES. They were all WRONG as the majority of the day was MOSTLY CLOUDY, but at least there was no rain and the temperature held in the upper 40’s. Overall it was quite pleasant riding and even better when the sun did show itself from time to time. I had most of my layers on, but never really felt cold. Heated gear may have been overkill on a day like today.

Hopefully we will have more days like this before the arrival of Spring.