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SE Ohio and other ride reports


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I live in NE Ohio, and while there are some decent twisty roads about an hour away, really good roads are two hours away in SE Ohio.  I try to get down there 2-3 times a year for long one-day rides.  Yesterday I covered 477 miles, very little of it freeway, so mostly 2-lane state highways, and some of it very twisty and even technical.  Highlights (in order) were Ohio Routes 800, 255, 536, 26, and 555 (aka the triple nickel).  There is road construction on some 2-lanes in this region, meaning there is a stoplight on the road because a short section is down to one lane.  I encountered several of these yesterday.  A couple times I was stopped behind a pickup truck, and the drivers very graciously waved me around when the light turned green.  I yelled "Thanks!" both times.  Very nice of those guys.  Anyway, the roads down there used to be mostly good, but have deteriorated in recent years, in part due to fracking tanker trucks navigating roads which were not built to handle such weight.

 

I wasn't at my very best yesterday, and almost got bit by a couple very tight right-handers.  I did cross one double yellow by a couple feet on 536 when the road suddenly changed direction at the top of a short hill and there was no sign indicating a curve.  Damn.  I was kicking myself afterward.  Thank God there was nothing oncoming.  It's been too long since I've ridden these roads, and I've forgotten much of them.  Except for one curve in particular on 536.  Heading east, it's a blind decreasing-radius right-hander.  Even headed west it's tight, but heading east it's brutal.  Anyway, I know exactly where it is in both directions, so it never surprises me.

 

About OH 536...I wouldn't offer this up for the general public, but just here on VFRD:  If you live anywhere near SE Ohio and ride there, you have to ride 536.  It's an amazing road.  While it doesn't have the elevation changes of a NC Route 28, there are corners that rival that road.  It's about 12 miles in length, most of it has pretty good pavement, little traffic, and very few intersecting roads.  I usually ride 536 up and back, and while didn't do the whole thing twice yesterday, but did double-back when I got to 78, turned around before the stoplight/road construction, and went back to 78 and headed west.  Also, I'm happy to say I didn't get caught out on that one double yellow the second time I did that section of 536 West.

 

That being said, all these roads have some issues.  If you don't ride them, you wouldn't know.  555 is just over 60 miles from Zanesville to OH Route 7, and it's a great road, but there are many places where the road changes direction at the top of a hill.  Most 2-lanes in this region are filled with farms, which means gravel and dirt driveways just off the road.  Unfortunately, that gravel spills out onto the road, and many times those drives are situated in the middle of a turn.  There is also gravel just off the side of most roads, and because there are frequently trailers being pulled, gravel gets pulled up onto the road on most right-handers, and sometimes it's hard to see, especially went you're cooking along.  Not to mention live and dead critters, plus the occasional oncoming vehicle a little over the line in the middle of a corner.  There are also some breaks in the pavement and undulations where bumps can be hard to spot.  I very rarely ride at more than 7/10ths, but in this region it's more like 6/10ths, as I feel like I have to leave plenty in reserve to deal with road conditions and the unexpected.  So there are definitely challenges to SE Ohio riding, but it's worth it for a glorious day of twisties!

I was a very long day; I was on the bike for 11-12 hours.  I took a few short breaks, in addition to four gas stops.  I only started to 'zone out' once, and that was on 26 South, 10-20 miles out from Marietta, as I was following two couples on trikes and another bike in front of them.  They weren't going too slow, but there was really nowhere to pass.  Do you ever get behind traffic and you're not going at a pace fast enough to really need to concentrate, and you start to lose focus?  That's what happened to me.  (It's happened before, most recently coming back from a tour last fall.)  Of course, it doesn't help that I didn't get a lot of sleep Friday night, and that I'd had little to eat or drink up to that point yesterday.  Or that I didn't take more than one decent break before then.  I'd already planned to take a good break in Marietta, which was sorely needed.

On days like this, I tend to ride more miles and take fewer breaks, as I want to get as much in as possible.  And I definitely did.  It's rare that I get to ride all those roads in just one day.  But while it's great to say I got to all my favorite roads in just one afternoon, it's also kind of a problem.  I left early enough, around 8:30, that I didn't need to push that hard.  Next time I'll ride a little less and break a little more.  As it is, I'm happy to report that even though I'm not in good shape, the only parts of me that hurt last night were my neck (kind of stiff and sore) and my rear end (from sitting on the bike that many hours).  Today, thankfully, I'm feeling okay, and even thinking about going for another, albeit shorter, ride!

 

Humorously, if you take the cost of the bike and riding gear out of the equation, my full day of riding was amazingly cheap entertainment.  Gas and snacks totaled $28.11 for the whole day.  (I didn't stop for a meal, as I didn't want to spend the time eating, plus most restaurants' dining rooms are still closed in Ohio.)

With yesterday's long ride, I'm over 1,400 miles for the year, and it's only late May.  I didn't ride much or do any good trips in 2016 to 2018, averaging only about 1,500 miles per year.  I used to ride much, much more, and did 1-2 decent trips annually.  I got back into it more last year and topped 5,000 miles, including a long weekend trip to the Skyline Drive (which I'd also done several years earlier).  It feels good to have this many miles in already for 2020.  I've looked at new bikes off and on over the years, thinking about getting another great all-arounder but with more relaxed ergonomics, specifically a BWM R1200R.  I told myself last year that if I rode more in 2019 I'd consider finally replacing my VFR.  I almost pulled the trigger on a used R early this year, and really should have, but I didn't.  (I'm still kind of bummed months later, because that particular bike was pretty much ideal and a very good deal.)  But here's the thing:  I still love my VFR.  Other than a stiff neck and balky knees - especially the right one for some reason - during long rides, I'm still pretty comfortable on my VFR with stock bars and footpegs.  If I were in better physical condition I'd be that much more comfortable.  So I'm content to wait for the right deal to come along for my next bike.

 

One other note:  I saw two other VFRs yesterday, both 6th gens.  The first was, I think, a RWB anniversary bike, headed in the other direction, though I don't remember which highway it was.  The other was a red VFR with an aftermarket exhaust, and part of a trio of riders I was following on 555 North.  I think the lead rider was an an Aprilia Tuono V4, and the last was on a Gixxer.  As for other bikes, as usual I saw mostly Harley-Davidsons, some metric cruisers, and a couple Indians, but I spotted maybe 10-20 sportbikes and a few BMW touring bikes.

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Tim, thanks for the Ohio riding report, great stuff. Jeez, I havent been out that way in way too long,

my mileage is way down, seems like I do more wrenching vs riding. 

SE Ohio is indeed motorcycle playground, all that area from 555 to Marieta, I used to love hauling ass on 26S to Marieta. 

Gotta get back in the groove. 

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For grins posting one of many head spinning twisty maps. Better have your head in the game.

2010Rambleroutemap-350miles-L.jpg

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9 hours ago, mello dude said:

For grins posting one of many head spinning twisty maps. Better have your head in the game.

Great map!  I've been on many of those roads, too.  There are definitely some entertaining routes down there, but they're somewhat treacherous, too.

One area I've never done is the Hocking Hills region.  I've heard there are some great roads down there, but I've just never been down there.  It's too far for a single day ride to go down, hit the twisties, and get back.  Maybe this year I'll finally ride down there, but make it an overnight trip.  I'm a musician on the side, and since all my gigs have been canceled for at least another month, I have way more free time than usual.

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Your map captures much of the good stuff.... I hear they are paving half of 555 this year.  Our FJR group has an annual spring ramble, but it wasn't held this  year... I always go, then go later to an ST event usually in Hocking Hills area in June.... ain't happening this year for me.... Spend a few days there, you'll love it, and yes watch for those go up a little hill that drops off on the other side and makes a sharp turn with no warning sign.... helps to be a local or have ridden that a few times.

That said, I could easily spend a week in NC, N. GA, TN, SC area and leave a lot for the next time.

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Tim,  keep in mind, Hocking Hills is a touristy destination.... if you go, early Tuesday or Wednesday is best.

Weekend? Too many cages.....

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1 hour ago, raYzerman said:

Your map captures much of the good stuff.... I hear they are paving half of 555 this year.  Our FJR group has an annual spring ramble, but it wasn't held this  year... I always go, then go later to an ST event usually in Hocking Hills area in June.... ain't happening this year for me.... Spend a few days there, you'll love it, and yes watch for those go up a little hill that drops off on the other side and makes a sharp turn with no warning sign.... helps to be a local or have ridden that a few times.

That said, I could easily spend a week in NC, N. GA, TN, SC area and leave a lot for the next time.

Before my number one riding buddy, up and moved out of state, we would hit 555 North to South 7 or 8 times a season. He's on a ZX9 and I 'm on my 4th gen, and I would lead. Come in from I70 to Zanesville and head south. We would do the whole thing in about 90 minutes.

 

After the run we would have to stop a convenients store..... we were always wiped out because the level of focus needed to pull off the blasting stunt we just did, a good break was a must.

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On 5/25/2020 at 11:08 AM, mello dude said:

Tim,  keep in mind, Hocking Hills is a touristy destination.... if you go, early Tuesday or Wednesday is best.

Weekend? Too many cages.....

Thanks for the advice!  I will definitely keep that in mind.  The last thing I want is to be stuck behind people pulling campers, ATVs, etc.

 

On 5/25/2020 at 11:30 AM, mello dude said:

Before my number one riding buddy, up and moved out of state, we would hit 555 North to South 7 or 8 times a season. He's on a ZX9 and I 'm on my 4th gen, and I would lead. Come in from I70 to Zanesville and head south. We would do the whole thing in about 90 minutes.

 

After the run we would have to stop a convenients store..... we were always wiped out because the level of focus needed to pull off the blasting stunt we just did, a good break was a must.

Yes, I usually do 555 South out of Zanesville, too.  But last Saturday I started at OH 7 and rode north to Zanesville.  I think I've done that once before, but it is a whole different road going north.  I don't know about you, but when I'm less familiar with a road going the other way, I'm much more on guard.

And I know the exact gas station/store you're talking about.  Thankfully, at least in the past, they had a couple small tables with stools where I could relax a bit and cool off in the A/C on a hot day.  Like you, I prefer not to stop during the 555 run, so you definitely need a break after it.

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Another post for the just for phun column... Favorite road signs. 

 

Which way are you going?  - "Gotta go south, no north, no south"

Road%20signs-L.jpg

 

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Lol.  Some of the roads in that region say one direction, but they're really going a different one for miles at a time.  I learned long ago even numbered highways are east-west roads, and odd numbered are north-south.  But in SE Ohio that doesn't always hold true!

 

Trying to decide now where I'm going this Saturday.  I don't know that I want to do another SE Ohio day this soon, but I'm going somewhere.  😉

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Nice ride report TimC. Makes me wish I still had some distance-miles in this old bod. Best to get one's fill with high-performance riding (7/10s and up) while young or middle aged while the body is still capable.

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Great ride report! Makes me want to re-visit Ohio.

I went about 8 years ago for a 2 day trip after hearing about the 555/Triple Nickle. I took my ol' trusty 4th gen with a top box and a tank bag. Started bright and early in Toronto, hit the border in Buffalo into the US and slabbed it to Zanesville. Then I took the 555 south till it ended at the Ohio river, and spent the night in Marietta.

 

In the morning I took the 26 east. I don't recall what others roads I took but I do remember I took the 536 up to 78 (because I have a picture) 

 

I do recall the Ohio roads being a mix of "Wheee!" and "Whoa!". Gravel and dirty at times as you mentioned TimC. Also the 536 when I road it 8 years ago was real bumpy and broken up in places. I can totally feel you when you say these roads can be a 6/10ths riding pace. 
I very specifically remember one corner somewhere had signs showing that a hard right turn was coming, with arrows and caution signs pointing right....but the road went left. I though I had imagined it but when I went back through my GoPro footage I confirmed it. lol 😄 Very strange place Ohio. 

 

Thanks again for the report TimC 👍

vfr750.jpg

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Just to follow up on that SE Ohio ride report...

 

I did a ride to the Allegheny National Forest last Saturday.  Temps were a little cool in the morning, and while I was wearing a couple layers, I wished I'd brought my winter riding gloves.  I planned to hit PA Route 666, and any other decent twisities I could find in that region.  666 is just okay.  Pavement is decent, but the road gets kind of narrow at points, and much of it lacks painted lines.  Scenery is nice, but 666 is not technical at all.  It's also not that long, I think 30-35 miles tops.  The only really good thing is there isn't much traffic on that road.  I also hit PA Routes 948 and 949, but again, they were just okay.  I'll have to find some better roads ahead of time for my next trip to that area.

 

Anyway, I managed to stick just with state route and 2-lanes almost the whole day, and totaled 376 miles for the day.  At the moment the weather is looking good again for this weekend, so I'm sure I'll be off somewhere, but I don't know where yet.  It's nice to have options!  🙂 

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I enjoyed your Report. Back in the fall of 2012 I took my SV650S up I77 from my North Carolina home stayed in Marietta for 3 nights

 

and tore up as many Southern Ohio back roads as I could including 83 78 and 555. Really itching to do it on my 8th Gen VFR.

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Adding another ride report here, because I don't want to start another thread.

 

Today I aimed my VFR toward West Virginia.  I had planned to take US 250 well into the state, as I know from experience it's a pretty fun road.  But instead I found a couple state routes on the map that looked good - 20E (or S) out of New Martinsville, and 23W (or N) out of Salem, headed back toward Ohio.  Neither road ended up being great.  Parts of Route 20 were good, but several miles were nerve-racking, as there was broken pavement, gravel roadway, and just a generally messy road.  That section was made harder by the fact much of it is in the shadow of roadside trees, so sometimes you can't see the danger until you're almost right up on it.  Fracking tanker trucks have wreaked havoc on many roads in this region, and I'd say Route 20 has been hit particularly hard.

Route 23 was decent, but narrow.  What made the road more difficult was, despite it already being narrow, it had the widest painted road edges and double-yellows I think I've ever seen.  I try to stay off those of course, but it was harder today because the lines are ridiculously wide.  Honestly, I wouldn't recommend either of these roads.  Next time maybe I'll just stick with US 250.

 

On my way back I hit a few nice SE Ohio roads again.  I did Route 536 from Route 7 to 78, and back again to Route 7.  Then I headed north on 7 to Route 78 and took that to Woodsfield for a break and a fill-up.  I took 800N for a while, then diverted to some other 2-lanes and even a couple marked county routes.  I felt pretty good on 536 this time.  I went probably my quickest yet in the twisties this year.

 

All told, I was out 12 hours today, probably more than 10 hours on the bike in all, and I rode 454 miles.  My next hurts, and I had to keep straightening out my legs and popping my right knee (as usual) the last couple hours today.  I'm going to sleep very well tonight!  🙂 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I did an overnight ride this weekend to Indiana to see my cousin and his family.  (Not just any cousin though.  We're more like brothers.)  I left nearly an hour later than I'd planned, and I wanted to be there by mid-afternoon, so I ended up slabbing two-thirds of the way there, despite having planned to take mostly two-lane highways.  Boring, but I got there in time.  Had a wonderful visit.  It's been a few years since we've seen each other.  Can't let that happen again.

 

The trip back yesterday was mostly two-lane roads, but still pretty boring.  I took US 36 East about halfway across the state before heading north on OH Route 3.  I had initially planned to roll through Amish country, but by yesterday afternoon I just wanted to get home.  Tons of small towns slow you down, especially when it seems like you hit every red light.  Still, it's better than mind-numbing freeway riding IMHO.  Anyway, I had good weather, a great visit, a nice ride, and 572 miles for the weekend!  🙂 

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Rode to central Pennsylvania last weekend, with the goal of taking a route I'd mapped out last winter to a BMW dealer shop in Tyrone.  The route was okay, but the roads weren't that great.  They looked better on paper.  Did see some very nice scenery among the rolling hills, and rode through Punxsutawney, home of the famous groundhog.  🙂 

 

The dealer has a nice inventory, and I wanted to check out (again) the R1200R and RS, both of which I've seriously considered to replace my VFR.  I keep leaning toward the R, but I'm worried I'll miss the wind and weather protection of a fairing and larger windshield.  I almost bought a 2016 R with bags and an Arrow exhaust at this dealership last winter, and I really wish I would have.  Oh well.

 

But the main thing I went to look at was a mint used MV Augusta F3 800.  What a sweet machine.  Unfortunately, even though it's almost affordable (asking price $13K) it's a pure sportbike.  The footpegs are impossibly high, and it's a bike I could ride maybe up to 30 minutes at a time, between trips to a massage therapist - or a chiropractor.  Still, it was worth checking out, just for fun.

 

Hit a little bit of rain on US 422W, and ducked under an overpass 'til the worst of it passed.  I didn't pack rain gear, as I thought I'd be well west of the where the rain was going to hit that afternoon.  Anyway, no damage done, and I was dry within 15 minutes.  Temps in the afternoon swelled to the mid-80s, which made stopping anywhere miserable.  Thankfully I was able to keep moving most of the time.

 

I got a little over 400 miles in for the day, and the VFR was flawless as usual.

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Another weekend, another long ride.  Actually, my longest of the year so far.

 

Yesterday morning, I set off for Zanesville, OH, where Ohio Route 555 begins.  I decided to slab it most of the way down, just to make time, so I've have more time to ride the good roads in SE Ohio.  I did 555 South to Ohio Route 7, and while taking a break decided where to go next.  It had been several years, maybe 10, since I'd done the western portion of Ohio Route 78, so I headed west, again slabbing it to make time.  When I got to 78, I took it east all the way to Woodsfield, where 78 intersects with Ohio Routes 800 and 26.  BTW, 78 east of Woodsfield is boring.  Some nice scenery, but not a challenging road at all.

 

From Woodsfield, I took 800 South to Route 7.  The last few miles of 800 are really terrific.  I stopped on 7 for a few minutes to contemplate what to do next.  I thought about heading east and hitting a few more fun roads, but decided instead to start heading home, as it was already 4 pm and I wanted to get home before dusk.  (Deer and rural highways, ya know?)  I headed back up 800, and took it well past I-70 before riding some more 2-lanes all the way home.  A great day.  Felt really good, hitting some nice apexes, and generally riding a little faster than I have been.  Not actually fast, of course, but quick for me.  One or two "oh crap" moments, but really only one, and that was when the rear tire stepped out an inch on some fine gravel I couldn't see.  (It gets really old looking for gravel all the time, especially on right-handers.  Such is riding in SE Ohio.)

 

485 miles for the day, and now I'm over 4,000 for the season so far.  I'm a bit over halfway to my goal of 8,000 for 2020.  I don't usually set mileage goals, but I really want to see 100,000 on the VFR's odometer this year, as I believe it will be my last with this bike, and 8,000 miles will get me there.  It's just about time to move to something with more relaxed ergonomics, but I'm enjoying this one last season with 'Veronica' very much!

 

One other benefit to a good SE Ohio day is the profile of my tires.  After my weekend trip to Indiana a couple weekends ago, I noticed my rear tire already starting to square off a bit due to all the straight miles, plus extra weight of the hardbags and their contents.  Checked that tire after this latest ride and it's back to being a nice "U" shape!

 

Edited to add:

A couple other members have messaged me recently to talk about doing some rides together.  I'm up for it, but maybe not an all-day ride.  Like many people, riding is partly therapy for me.  It's how I get away from it all, and from everyone else.  I'm not anti-social, but I really value my 'alone time' sometimes.  Of course, we're also in the COVID era, and while I'm not paranoid, hanging out with other people (other than family members) makes me a little nervous.  So if you hit me up for a ride and I didn't respond asking if you wanted to go this past weekend (or any other time), please don't be offended or take it personally.  As people sometimes say when they end a romantic relationship, it's not you, it's me.  😉 

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I was fortunate to be off last Friday, which was my birthday, and I rode all three days this past holiday weekend.  Friday and Sunday were kind of sightseeing days, with Saturday being the serious ride day.

 

Friday I rode up to Presque Isle State Park in Erie, PA.  I'd been there once several years ago, I think around September.  It wasn't very busy, and I spent the night in a nearby hotel.  This trip, however, was just a day ride, and I'm betting most hotels were sold out for the holiday weekend, because the park was packed.  The park is a beautiful place, and definitely worth a visit if you're within a few hours of it.  Makes for a nice daytrip with your family.  There are a couple notable historical markers there, as well as the Presque Isle Light (lighthouse).  The beaches are sandier than you might expect for Lake Erie, and the weather was gorgeous.  And hot.  I totaled 254 miles for the round-trip.

 

Saturday I rode to West Virginia.  I'd been there just a couple weekends ago and had been disappointed by roads that looked better on paper.  This time my plan to take US 250E to Fairmont.  I've been on this stretch of road before, so I knew it was pretty good.  From Fairmont I took US 19N into Pennsylvania, then made my way west and north toward home.  Most of the roads I hit weren't all that technical, but there were some really good curves here and there.  I thought about keeping the bike pointed west to hit a few favorite twisty roads in SE Ohio, but at that point just wanted to get home.  The weather was gorgeous.  And hot.  I did 414 miles that day.

 

Sunday I headed west and north toward Sandusky, OH, with the goal of visiting Marblehead State Park, home of the Marblehead Lighthouse.  I'd last been there maybe 8-9 years ago.  I stopped in Sandusky to see a couple sights, including the amusement park Cedar Point, where I worked as a musician a few seasons when I was in college.  It was so strange to see an empty parking lot on July 5.  It normally would have been full.  COVID-19 has really done a number on our society.  Anyway, I continued on to Marblehead, where I got a few nice photos, hung out for a little while, then headed home.  The weather was gorgeous.  And hot.  This round trip was also 254 miles.

 

While I had taken state highways most of the way to my destination yesterday, I couldn't bear the thought of stopping 10-12 times in small towns in my riding gear under a blazing sun and in 90 degree temperatures.  I decided I'd be better off slabbing it most of the way home, but honestly it wasn't much better.  The heat coming off the paved 3-lane Ohio Turnpike was intense.  Even moving at 70 mph, with my textile riding jacket partially unzipped and my helmet's visor partially open it was nasty.  I stopped at one of the turnpike plazas to go inside and get a break in the A/C.  I was so wiped out at that point I fell asleep for a short time in a nice cushy chair.  When I woke up I headed back out and finished the ride home.

 

I rode over 900 miles for the 3-day weekend, had a terrific ride each day, and spent each evening rehydrating.  I'm now over 5,000 miles for the season, mostly due to this series of long day rides and one overnight trip.  I'm less than 3,000 miles away from my goal of seeing six digits on my VFR's odometer.  I've kind of run out of destinations for single day rides, and with my weekends still wide open due to having zero gigs scheduled most of the rest of the summer (I'm a musician on the side.), I should have the time and opportunity to do at least a couple more overnight rides, so maybe I can widen my scope a little and visit NY, KY, or visit family again, this time up in MI.  It's nice to have options.

 

The first five photos here are from Presque Isle State Park: the bay, my VFR under a tree, the Perry Monument, one of the beaches, and the Presque Isle Light.  The other two photos are of the empty lot at Cedar Point and of Marblehead Lighthouse.

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Wow, TimC's National Lampoon Vacation! You even made it to Wally World by the looks of things, hope it was open!!:laughing6-hehe:

Great write up Tim. Man you guys are so spoilt with such a huge array of places to go and things to see and do. Safe riding.

Cheers:fing02:

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8 hours ago, Grum said:

Wow, TimC's National Lampoon Vacation! You even made it to Wally World by the looks of things, hope it was open!!:laughing6-hehe:

Great write up Tim. Man you guys are so spoilt with such a huge array of places to go and things to see and do. Safe riding.

Cheers:fing02:

"Sorry, folks!  The park's closed.  The moose shoulda told ya."  🙂  

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