Visit to Antietam Battlefield and Cemetery

After arriving from the Day 4 of the MA BDR, we went for lunch and during the free afternoon went to visit Antietam Battle Field.
“Dawn approached slowly through the fog on September 17, 1862. As soldiers tried to wipe away the dampness, cannons began to roar and sheets of flame burst forth from hundreds of rifles, opening a twelve hour tempest that swept across the rolling farm fields in western Maryland. A clash between North and South that changed the course of the Civil War, helped free over four million Americans, devastated Sharpsburg, and still ranks as the bloodiest one-day battle in American history.”
There is so much to speak about this battle but for me the most interesting stories are how defending a bridge made all the difference even though later the Union soldiers found that they could have crossed directly over the creek somewhere else but by then it was too late.
The other is that even though a cemetery was approved for both Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the battle to lay side by side, today you see that the cemetery only has Union soldiers as Confederate soldiers were not allowed. They are buried in a different place.l and n the area.
I stopped at the Visitor Centre, got a map and then rode the motorcycle around the battlefield reading the material they gave me so I would understand better the battle.
It was a very well spent afternoon where I learned a lot and felt a lot.

Make a Life a Ride !

Facebook post with some photos of the day

Randy Gilbert view of Antietam


Click HERE for all the photos and videos of Day 4

Day 4 - Mt Holy Springs, PA to Sheperdstown, WV

Day 4 of our Middle Atlantic Backroad Discovery Route (MABDR).
The weather was the coolest today and we did get our first rain of the trip. Nothing too heavy and we stopped to put our rain gear on. The tracks were mainly forest roads and the rain ensured that there was no dust so we were able to ride closer together and make good time.
We stopped for ice cream at South Mountain Creamery.
Today we crossed the Appalachia Trail, the Potomac River and the Shenandoah river.
We still arrived early enough and had a very good German lunch (with great beer) at the Bavaria Inn in Shepherdstown, WV.
For dinner we had Mexican food.
As we had the afternoon free and the next day I would not be in the area, went to see the Antietam Battlefield (see other post) and ride the area.
Could not pass up the opportunity to take a picture of the bike by the Potomac River.
Finished up the day visiting a pretty advanced laundromat where you can pay and turn machines one and off using an app.

Make Life a Ride !

Facebook post with some photos of the day

Andy Jones view Day 4

Randy Gilbert view of Day 4


Click HERE for all the photos and videos of Day 4

Day 3 - Milroy, PA to Mt Holy Springs, PA

Day 3 of our Middle Atlantic Backroad Discovery Route (MABDR).
Started in Milroy, PA and finished in Mt Holy Springs, PA.
Today we rode through Mennonite country and had lunch in Kountry Kitchen which was outstanding. Lunch portions were extremely generous and you could taste the good quality ingredients they used to prepare it.
The farmlands of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country are supposed to be among the most productive in the nation and it shows. Everywhere you look there is a farm house as the Mennonites have long preferred farming as a way of life. They feel their lifestyle and their families can best be maintained in a rural environment.
Today must have been washing day as we saw lots of full clotheslines.
Today our ride was mainly on forest roads and small asphalt roads. There was not a lot of wind and when it was dusty, the dust did not blow away so we had to keep some distance from each other.
One of the highlights of the ride was a visit to the Greenwood Furnace State Park and look at the iron furnaces, which went into blast on June 5, 1834.
“However, changing economics, newer and more efficient fuels and processes, and the shifting of industry to larger urban-centered complexes coupled with the depletion of local natural resources led to the closing of Greenwood Furnace in December of 1904. The village and the way of life it represented became a mere curiosity, a fading memory of a time when charcoal iron reigned supreme. Greenwood Furnace soon became a ghost town. The workers moved away as the village and furnace were torn down.”
Another highlight was a visit and a ride through the New Germantown Covered Bridge which is “a historic wooden covered bridge located at Jackson Township, near New Germantown in Perry County, Pennsylvania. It is a 74-foot-long (23 m) King post bridge, constructed in 1891. It crosses Sherman Creek.”
Tonight we are staying in an Inn that is nearly 250 years old (since 1772) and decided to have dinner in the Inn’s restaurant and enjoyed the common balcony.

Make Life a Ride !

Facebook post with some photos of the day

Andy Jones view of Day 3

Randy Gilbert view of Day 3


Click HERE for all the photos and videos of Day 3

Day 2 - Lock Haven, PA to Milroy, PA

Day 2 of our Middle Atlantic Backroad Discovery Route (MABDR).
Started in Lock Haven, PA and finished in Milroy, PA.
We spent most of the day in the Bald Eagle State Forest.
We stopped at Penns View Overlook to see the bridge over Penns Creek far in the distance.
The early morning part of the ride just out of Lock Haven was very beautiful at perfect temperatures around 68-70F (20-21C).
One of the most interesting things we saw was a small town that had the Main Street lined up with the Red, White and Blue. Underneath each flag they had a picture and a name of a young person that lived in the area and had joined the armed forces. They called them Home Town Heroes.
Although temperatures were high, maximum of 91F (33C) as we spent most of the time inside the forest under shade, we found it easier to cope than yesterday.
Riding was in general quite easy but we did get a couple of gnarly sections to keep us awake.
Had lunch in Harvey’s Food Mart outside of Hartleton, PA and we had a “dumpster”. Not as smelly and much tastier though.
As we arrived early there was time to do a machine full of washing.
For dinner we went to the Bel-Vue Inn which was very good.

Make Life a Ride !

Facebook post with some photos of the day

Andy Jones view of Day 2

Drone Video


Click HERE for all the photos and videos of Day 2

Day 1 - Lawrenceville, PA to Lock Haven, PA

Day 1 of our Middle Atlantic Backroad Discovery Route (MABDR).
We are doing it North to South so we started in Lawrenceville, PA on the Pennsylvania/New York border.
We made our way South-East and past the Cowanesque Lake, with 1,085 acres (4 square kms) of water surrounded by forested ridges.
Our first stop was in Colton Point State Park to see the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. The Canyon is 800 feet (240m) deep and 4,000 feet (1,200 m) across at this location.
Our pace was not fast but steady and gave us the opportunity to enjoy the “pretty country out here”.
The Canyon is nice but a bit small compared to the most well known Grand Canyon. The rugged overlooks offer good views of the Canyon.
We mounted our steeds and veered South past Little Pine State Park.
We also passed Woolrich, PA home to the original Outdoor Clothing Company. Inventors of the Buffalo Check Shirt and makers of the wool blankets that Union soldiers used in the Civil War and later for the Armed forces in the First World War, Woolrich has invested in this little town which is very beautiful.
Unfortunately there were no open restaurants on the way so we just stopped in a clearing and had our bars.
For the evening we are staying in a very nice Best Western in the town of LockHaven.
We did about 130 miles (210 kms) of pretty easy terrain.
It was a good day yo start the Route, to test our electronics, see how each one rides and take the cobwebs from the bikes.
In the evening we went to a local brew house and tasted the goods.

Make Life a Ride !

Facebook post with some photos of the day

Andy Jones view of Day 1

Randy Gilbert view of Day 1


Click HERE for all the photos and videos of Day 1

Start of the MABDR

Today we start our Mid Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route (MABDR) which is is a scenic ride for dual-sport and adventure motorcycles that uses dirt, gravel and paved roads to wind through remote parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

We will be riding over 1,200 miles (nearly 2,000 kms) primarily on forest roads and rural country lanes. We will ride through the Appalachian mountains, majestic forests, bucolic farming landscapes, Amish country, and locations that played pivotal roles in early American history.

As our ride starts in Erwin, NY we will be traveling over 1,500 miles ( nearly 2,500 kms) in two vans pulling 14 bikes on trailers and it will take us 3 days to do this.

Here is a bit more of information on the MABDR:

https://ridebdr.com/MABDR

Make Life a Ride !

Facebook post with some photos of the day