The Big Ride – Roads Sweeter than Honey! (Pennsylvania / West Virginia)

After arriving in Harrisburg late Saturday afternoon on May 16, 2015, I took a pleasant walk along the waterfront which was across the street from my hotel.  To my delight I found a series of beautiful bridges running across the Susquehanna River.  Each of the structures was unique and quite incredible!

The following morning, my plan was to take the I-81 from Harrisburg towards Hagerstown and onward to Hancock, Maryland.  However, I inadvertently took the wrong freeway and ended up on the I-83 which took me in a totally different direction…despite having asked a service station attendant if the road I was on went to Hagerstown…apparently she thought all roads led to Rome 🙂

I managed to find myself in York Pennsylvania, where Harley Davidson manufactures motorcycles.  Although the plant was closed for the day, I managed to meet a very nice man who works at the HD plant.  He was kind enough to help me sort out the route and get me back on track by recommending Route 30 which ran through Gettysburg, PA and turned out to be an incredibly enjoyable ride.

From there I continued south west and ended up on Highway 219 heading to Elkins, West Virginia.  OMG…it was 80 miles (or for my Canadian friends – 130 Kilometers) of the finest road I have ever ridden.  I’ve ridden a number of exceptional roads in the past, including the Tail of the Dragon, The Snake and more, but this road was totally exhilarating and far superior to the others.  The road consisted of one sweeping curve after another and seemed to go on forever!  It ran through farmlands, a state park, as well as a forest preserve.  It was well maintained and with very little traffic.

Here’s a clip of what ended up being an awesome ride:

Despite initially heading off in the wrong direction this morning, I’m grateful that the Universe had other plans in mind for me today.  Today’s experience was an amazing contribution towards the unfolding of my dream!

Tomorrow I’m off to discover more awesome roads in West Virginia!