Motorcycle Picnic: Ride to Eat, Eat to Ride
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008
Okay, so the above map is incomplete, but I wanted to display the best part of the ride. The only part that is missing is the early morning part I rode to get from my house to Kasey's. I told you this would be a routine trip, and it might be until I find another way of getting there. For information, I rode west on Washington Street to Raceway Road or SR-267, then west again on US-36 into Danville, Indiana.
Kasey and I suited up, put a couple coolers in the bike's trunk, and then headed out. We made our way south out of town to one of our favorites way to escape Danville, Cartersburg Road. At US-40, The National Road, we jogged over to SR-39 and continued south.
A brief stint on the four lane divided SR-67 and we veered off on one of my favorite little stretches, Shelton Road. It gives you that out in the country feeling almost right away, and features what I have called Shelton's Switch, a vicious uphill right hander with a lovely little dip about two thirds of the way through. I have taken this corner at least 30 times, but it still commands my attention, and respect. In that honor, I have left a large amount of the right floorboard there, scraped into the pavement. This time would be no exception, and Kasey enjoyed it!
Shelton is just small portion of this path, which is probably my favorite route in Central Indiana. Shelton pours into Wilbur Road, which twists around until we veer off left to Upper Patton Woods Road. This road forks, one way into a dead end, the other to Berean Road.
Berean winds through lowering and raising. With the rainy season, ponds pop up, and by this time of year nearly evaporate The best part of Berean Road was behind us, so I turn off onto Little Hurricane Road. This is the horse and tree farm section of the route. I usually see more than a few horses in the pasture along this section of pavement. In fact this time, two very proud looking steeds were nibbling on grass right up against a fence. Not even flinching when we rode by on our steel horse.
Little Hurricane winds up at Big Hurricane, which we turn right onto, and follow. Big Hurricane starts with a path through cornfields, but gives away to nature. At one point you ride through a secluded section of road that feel like driving through a large cavern, made mostly of leaves. In the fall, with the colors, it is one of the most beautiful places in the world, I am sure of that!
We arrived back out into the open country, and then took a short break at Mount Olive Christian Church. We headed back out hitting Turkey Neck Road, then continued west to Cataract Falls State Park.
The creek that falls and flows through this park has a Covered Bridge over it. It is just a pedestrian bridge at this point. After taking a walk across the bridge, and hiking around the upper falls, we hope don the bike, and maneuvered through the park to lower falls. This area was obviously ravaged by the floods of the past year. There was nothing on the trees about 6 to 8 feet up. You could see the water line.
We parked the bike, unloaded the coolers, and walked over to the shelter at the lower falls. We began unpacking the picnic materials, I took care of the napkins and plates, Kasey took care of the food. And it was great food! She made some awesome sandwiches! She also made way too much, I think she is trying to kill my motorcycle's gas mileage by making me fat. I was told once that for every eight pounds you are overweight, you rob your bike of one horsepower. I think I might be heading back with a few less horsepower!
To help horsepower, we hiked around the lower falls, watching a couple of guys fishing. We also visited the Sister Falls, which had been flooded recently, but was nearly dry, with very little water flowing today.
We were ready to hit the saddle again, and we pulled out of the park, took the county road back to US-231. We rode that north, across SR-42 and I-70. We arrived in Greencastle, Indiana. We continued north to US-36.
Along this stretch back to Danville, Indiana, we had to stop and fix Kasey's microphone. I was trying to waste a little bit of time, as we were going to arrive back at her house before her kids got home. She really liked it when we pulled up on the bike and they could see that.
Well, thanks to the GPS and Bus Driver that is very predictable, we pulled up to the driveway at the same time the bus pulled up in front of the house. I paused in the street, and waited until her son and daughter got off the bus. Then I pulled into the driveway.
I have certainly carried food on the bike before, and this won't be the last time. Besides being cheaper than buying a meal on the road, I know have a great cook and riding partner, so I have lot of reasons to do this Picnic Ride again.
Okay, so the above map is incomplete, but I wanted to display the best part of the ride. The only part that is missing is the early morning part I rode to get from my house to Kasey's. I told you this would be a routine trip, and it might be until I find another way of getting there. For information, I rode west on Washington Street to Raceway Road or SR-267, then west again on US-36 into Danville, Indiana.
Kasey and I suited up, put a couple coolers in the bike's trunk, and then headed out. We made our way south out of town to one of our favorites way to escape Danville, Cartersburg Road. At US-40, The National Road, we jogged over to SR-39 and continued south.
A brief stint on the four lane divided SR-67 and we veered off on one of my favorite little stretches, Shelton Road. It gives you that out in the country feeling almost right away, and features what I have called Shelton's Switch, a vicious uphill right hander with a lovely little dip about two thirds of the way through. I have taken this corner at least 30 times, but it still commands my attention, and respect. In that honor, I have left a large amount of the right floorboard there, scraped into the pavement. This time would be no exception, and Kasey enjoyed it!
Shelton is just small portion of this path, which is probably my favorite route in Central Indiana. Shelton pours into Wilbur Road, which twists around until we veer off left to Upper Patton Woods Road. This road forks, one way into a dead end, the other to Berean Road.
Berean winds through lowering and raising. With the rainy season, ponds pop up, and by this time of year nearly evaporate The best part of Berean Road was behind us, so I turn off onto Little Hurricane Road. This is the horse and tree farm section of the route. I usually see more than a few horses in the pasture along this section of pavement. In fact this time, two very proud looking steeds were nibbling on grass right up against a fence. Not even flinching when we rode by on our steel horse.
Little Hurricane winds up at Big Hurricane, which we turn right onto, and follow. Big Hurricane starts with a path through cornfields, but gives away to nature. At one point you ride through a secluded section of road that feel like driving through a large cavern, made mostly of leaves. In the fall, with the colors, it is one of the most beautiful places in the world, I am sure of that!
We arrived back out into the open country, and then took a short break at Mount Olive Christian Church. We headed back out hitting Turkey Neck Road, then continued west to Cataract Falls State Park.
The creek that falls and flows through this park has a Covered Bridge over it. It is just a pedestrian bridge at this point. After taking a walk across the bridge, and hiking around the upper falls, we hope don the bike, and maneuvered through the park to lower falls. This area was obviously ravaged by the floods of the past year. There was nothing on the trees about 6 to 8 feet up. You could see the water line.
We parked the bike, unloaded the coolers, and walked over to the shelter at the lower falls. We began unpacking the picnic materials, I took care of the napkins and plates, Kasey took care of the food. And it was great food! She made some awesome sandwiches! She also made way too much, I think she is trying to kill my motorcycle's gas mileage by making me fat. I was told once that for every eight pounds you are overweight, you rob your bike of one horsepower. I think I might be heading back with a few less horsepower!
To help horsepower, we hiked around the lower falls, watching a couple of guys fishing. We also visited the Sister Falls, which had been flooded recently, but was nearly dry, with very little water flowing today.
We were ready to hit the saddle again, and we pulled out of the park, took the county road back to US-231. We rode that north, across SR-42 and I-70. We arrived in Greencastle, Indiana. We continued north to US-36.
Along this stretch back to Danville, Indiana, we had to stop and fix Kasey's microphone. I was trying to waste a little bit of time, as we were going to arrive back at her house before her kids got home. She really liked it when we pulled up on the bike and they could see that.
Well, thanks to the GPS and Bus Driver that is very predictable, we pulled up to the driveway at the same time the bus pulled up in front of the house. I paused in the street, and waited until her son and daughter got off the bus. Then I pulled into the driveway.
I have certainly carried food on the bike before, and this won't be the last time. Besides being cheaper than buying a meal on the road, I know have a great cook and riding partner, so I have lot of reasons to do this Picnic Ride again.
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