Post date: May 20, 2016 4:48:50 PM
Mileage: 179
I feel like I'm beginning to divest myself of work, at least for a time. That was partially the reason for this trip. There are no emails to read and perhaps respond. My phone isn't ringing, unless it's family calling to check on me. The only meeting on my schedule is a recurring event with my motorcycle at 0700, location TBD. Onward!
Traffic to NOB and through the Hampton Tunnel can get quite messy in Virginia Beach, VA. Years ago, it was downright horrendous. I remember my step-dad leaving the house extremely early before he had to report to work just so he didn't have to deal with traffic. I ended up leaving my Aunt's house at 0730 with the hopes of missing the traffic completely. It turned out to be a mute point really as there was hardly any traffic.
The route today took me north up US 17 past Yorktown, a significant area in Revolutionary America. In fact, this entire area is historically significant and is known as The Historic Triangle. In the vacinity, one can also visit Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. This area makes for a great family vacation spot.
US 17 is pretty commercialized until you cross the York River Bridge and pay the troll, I mean toll. It was only $0.85 USD for motorcycles, but still a toll nonetheless. From there, it thins out into mostly farmland until Tappahannock where you encounter some hills and woods. It's a really nice alternative to the dreaded I-95 slab of despair, plus it allows you to skip Richmond altogether. At Port Royal, US 17 turns into a two lane road until just outside of Fredericksburg. It has some nice curves and some sections where trees canopy the road. It's quaint in some places. VA 218 east of Falmouth is a superb motorcycling road in the area, and if you have time, I recommend riding it. Ride to Owens, turn around, and ride it in reverse.
I stopped at Morton's BMW in Fredericksburg, VA to get my tires balanced. They scheduled me in immediately since I'm on the road, so +1 to them for their accommodation. Stuart, the Service Manager, commented, "The only people who recommend balancing beads are the people who sell them." I'm not arguing his point since I invested so much time istalling the beads three times, only to remain dissatisfied with their performance.
I chilled out in a fast food place nearby so I could suck up some free Wi-fi, grab an iced tea, and eat the leftover pork chop that my Aunt packed for me. It was delicious.
About an hour later, I trekked back to Morton's. They almost had the bike finished, so I chatted with a service tech who elaborated on his many exploits in South Africa while I waited. He talked about how lawless the country was before Mandela was elected, and how criminals changed motives afterwards to more nefarious acts. After a bit, the bike was completed.
Loaded up again, I hit the road. It was a short jaunt to my friend's house in Goldvein, VA. No one was home when I arrived so I leisurely unloaded the bike and began investigating my comm system issue.