Day 1 of the Upper Midwest Ride

June 8, 2015

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The Silver Streak, loaded and ready for the road, 6:00 a.m., June 8, 2015, Reston, VA

 

Day 1 of the upper Midwest ride didn’t offer any exciting vistas, encounters, or interesting food. This was a 350 miles slog from Reston via Route 9 (the commuter route for West Virginians to Northern Virginia…an unending line of cars and pickups traveling east) up to 81, then to 70, PA Turnpike, Ohio Turnpike.

You get the picture. The Interstate Drill. Dull as dishwater. Hit some rain about 50 miles from my destination, the unremarkable Streetsboro, OH which I picked out simply because it was within my riding range for a day.

Except for one bout of really intense rainfall, it wasn’t terribly butt clenching and my new Michelin Pilot GTs held the road without a hiccup. Even with a steady splattering of rain hitting me, I was maintaining the 70 mph posted limit with confidence; the Pilots held steady despite wind and buffeting from the semis. Of course, it’s only a tale of any interest to me simply because I survived the sometimes unsettling conditions.

Tomorrow, I’ll cross into Michigan with the intention of making it to Budd Lake near Harrison, MI. Again, a location just randomly picked off the map because the riding range was about right. There may be opportunities for better photos than the strip malls and food chains along Rte. 14 that Streetsboro is offering.

And, in the photo department: I was certain I took a picture using my phone at the Ohio Welcome Center on the Ohio Turnpike to prove I was in Ohio. Now, it’s vanished from my “Gallery.” Another Samsung mystery.

 

The Silver Streak in Streetsboro, OH, without all the gear

 

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