Riding 'round the country side. This is why you should.

You see things and after a while you get to understand things a little bit, or at least you try. It is not possible to know anything about the people below you when traveling by plane. You can not see much from the driver's seat of a car, there are too many distractions - the radio, the air conditioning, the brats in the back seat. From the bike its different. You have to breath the air, know every up and down of the hills, feel how able the people were to keep their roads up. You see it all and you are a part of it all. There is no better way to travel.

I have been riding all over northern West Virginia. We are a state that has stood at the side of much history, we've had a little bit of our own too. I have been fortunate enough to ride over the roads that brought half of our nation to the promise of the west. I have seen the mountains through which the first roads had to be cut and the rivers that had to be crossed. My respect grows as rapidly as my wonder.

A year ago I set myself the goal of circumnavigating this state while staying within its borders. I have finished about a third of that ride. I keep an eye out to try to understand each town and region; how did it get there, why, who inhabited it, what is its story? I stop at all historical markers, I read at home in preparation for each leg of the trip and this makes it ever so much more enjoyable. I do not hurry and I do not go slow; I will not be held to a schedule or route. You should see some of the fishing spots I've 'discovered'.

Great wealth has been taken from this state, and I've seen it. There is astounding poverty in this state, I've seen some of it too. I have, within 1 hour, passed by Amish farmers working in their fields and then needle-scared prostitutes trying to make enough money for more white powder. Did you know the Mason Dixon Line is not straight? As far as I have been able to determine George Washington simply refused to climb a hill if flat land could be found to walk on. You'd never notice that traveling by any means but motorcycle. See ya on the road.

I know, it's only gonna be a day but I want to go at least 500 miles (round trip) and will bring the camera. Not sure where I'm going yet but it will be a solo "tour" and my first real test.

I can't wait. I know I'm starting with baby steps but I think it will be so cool to be one with a new road.

I'll keep you posted.

Seriously, a nice day trip with plenty of stops is less miles than that. If I take a 'day trip' and put more than 200 miles on the bike I'm about beat. In all of my day trips around the state the longest was just over 300 miles and I sould have made that a 2-day ride. I missed too much and didn't take the time to look at everything that caught my interest. On an Interstate you can do the miles easily, but if you care to see any of the world you're zipping past you really need to bring it down a bit.

200 miles is a pleasant day. 300 is tiresome. 500 is an ordeal.