Falls Church Finale, July 19th
Day 4 in Falls Church and guess where I am…the last picture should be a dead give away, yep, Gordon Biersch, but what was I saying, they have good beer and high speed internet…oh yea, and great scenery. Well, Kat and Sarah aren’t here, but have Lori for the third night in a row and this has been my most visited bar along the way, four nights. Ok, really liked McSorley’s and had I been there my first night in New York and spent any more nights, would’ve made the trip, but found this place in Falls Church right away…thanks to Andrew and Mary Ellen.
Today was gonna be a day to check out Monticello and go to Baltimore for steamed crab, but couldn’t find a place that rented helmets…was gonna take Mary Ellen on her first Harley ride and you know what happens then, they’re hooked. Was surprised to find out that places that rent bikes and include the helmet for free, won’t just rent out a helmet - oh, well, will do my own thing so might as well head toward Monticello and then to the Shenandoah National Park, you know the northern half of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Well, on the way down toward Monticello stopped for gas and like the name of the restaurant next door that might as well check it out, Pig and Steak…ok, which to have today, but after beef yesterday, you know a hotdog and steak dinner…wait, not sure it was a beef frank, decided on pork today – at least I think it’s pork. It was a good sandwich and asked for directions where the waitress told me I should check out the mountain in their back yard, Graves Lodge and sent some guy over to give me directions to Monticello. Not sure if he was calling me sir because of being older than him, but it’s probably that southern nice thing that they’ll call everyone sir. Well, when he found out I was on a bike, told me about his 64 Harley Sportster…wonder if that’s anything like the one the Washington cop had yesterday, but I’ll bet not. Anyway made the trip to Graves lodge and kept going on the road cuz it looked like it was going to lead me into the mountains which is just where it was going…that is until I hit gravel and started remembering what someone said about getting into the back mountains of the south…remember Deliverance? hell I’m turning around and getting outta here as quick as I can and noticed people popping out the houses I passed on the way up checking me out on the way down…ok, just some old lady, but ya never know what her boys look like.
Out of the mountains back on my way toward Monticello that decided I’ve seen enough history for a few days that today should just be a day for riding…I could use to blow the cobwebs out of my head and think about what I should be on this trip – what a great adventure it is and how I’m getting to see the beauty this country has to offer as well as the goodness in people…most people. On the way down stopped to find out what the name of the road going thru Shenandoah park was and some guy gave me great directions to take the scenic route there, and what’dya know, it took me past the Monticello visitors center that stopped in there and at least caught the movie about Jefferson...and for those who don’t know, Monticello was the home of Thomas Jefferson, yep, our third president and that’s why the Monticello visitors center showing a movie on Jefferson. Hey, that reminds me of a couple of things, no one has named the tune and artist from a few days ago and no one said they knew the story behind bar and grille, finally found something that’s new to you. Well, the ranger at the visitors center gave me a map of the Shenandoah Park and said it’s a 3 ½ hour trip thru the park, but he’s never seem me drive. Anyway, since still want to do the steamed crab thing, hit some freeway to the park and guess what, hit the middle of the mountains, you know where south meets north, the Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs down thru North Carolina (south) and the Shenandoah Skyline drive (north). If you remember, close to the beginning of this trip, hit some of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.
Since this is another National Park have a fee to pay, but guess what, that $50 park pass that I got for less than $50 will do the trick…yea, have paid more than 50 bucks for National Parks, but if someone would’ve told me there’s a fee at each, I might’ve gotten wise to the scandal earlier. Anyway, the ranger told me it’s 105 miles to the other end and’ll take 3 ½ hours, like I said how fast is the fastest anyone has made it…well, maybe 3 hours, but that’s because it’s 35 mph all the way…well, you haven’t seen me drive, but she did warn me that there are police patrolling the speed, ok, let’s see what we can do. It was a great ride and had a lot more of the ‘curving road’, remember the official term from Oregon, that haven’t ridden much since the parks out west, but did make it in less than 3 hours and only saw two cops along the way…to my luck, while I was following someone slow before hitting a passing lane – works for me. Almost hit a guard rail again, and this was probably the closest I’ve gotten to doing that, and it wasn’t because I was messing around trying to take a picture. It came up on me fast that downshifted and hit the brakes, remember, rear brake only in the corner, but it wouldn’t catch, kept going into a skid that finally had to do what they teach you in safety class, but I’m sure most don’t do, went straight for the guard rail and hit all the brakes…and fortunately for me, it works. Stopped just before reaching the gravel which was about 2 feet from the guard rail…man if that don’t get the adrenaline goin, but even though it might not sound right, what they teach you in motorcycle safety works. That reminds me of something they do teach you in case you need to put a bike down…as I’m knocking on wood, hit the rear brake and lean to get it to do what happened to me in the curve, that’ll be better sliding than loosing control and going into a tumble…hope I never have to experience that. Oh, and the guard rail had nothing to do with me trying to take a picture, but if you have noticed, have been free handing it at times. Am normally stopping to take a picture, but also have been pulling the camera out of my pocket driving with one hand while taking a picture. I know, not very safe, but it works much better when I have the cruise control set. What a difference between the pictures I was able to take the first 20 days before having camera problems.
Made it back to Falls Church, later than expected, but time to head to Baltimore for steamed crabs that is until we find out that the place I had been to years ago closes in 5 minutes, 8:30. Ok, now what’do we do? well, ME remembers a place in Bethesda which is open until midnight and it’s only 15 minutes away, much closer than the hour drive to Baltimore…map quest time, not mine. You can see by the pictures it’s the way I remember if from Baltimore, the paper on the table with a tray full of crab that you crack, make a mess and eat…man is it ever good and had to have a pound and a half of the shrimp…haven’t had as much shrimp since the gulf, but this is much larger. All in all a great meal and they even took me into the kitchen to show me the live crab and how they steam’em which was new to me. For those who know, when you boil or steam a lobster you just throw them into the hot pot and’ll hear a hiss from them, maybe more like a scream, lobster scream that is, but the crab they have to stab to paralyze them otherwise they’d tear each other apart in the pot…not a deadly stab, just a paralyzing stab. Reminds me of that Poboy I had in Florida. That’s how I ended up here; Gordon’s and had to track down a drunk that left without paying. Had no idea he dined, I mean ‘drank and dashed’ but tried to track him down with no luck. The last night in Falls Church that time to head north young man…that’s me and gonna hit Niagara Falls on my way to the O’Canada connections. Shenandoah Park Pictures.
Today was gonna be a day to check out Monticello and go to Baltimore for steamed crab, but couldn’t find a place that rented helmets…was gonna take Mary Ellen on her first Harley ride and you know what happens then, they’re hooked. Was surprised to find out that places that rent bikes and include the helmet for free, won’t just rent out a helmet - oh, well, will do my own thing so might as well head toward Monticello and then to the Shenandoah National Park, you know the northern half of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Well, on the way down toward Monticello stopped for gas and like the name of the restaurant next door that might as well check it out, Pig and Steak…ok, which to have today, but after beef yesterday, you know a hotdog and steak dinner…wait, not sure it was a beef frank, decided on pork today – at least I think it’s pork. It was a good sandwich and asked for directions where the waitress told me I should check out the mountain in their back yard, Graves Lodge and sent some guy over to give me directions to Monticello. Not sure if he was calling me sir because of being older than him, but it’s probably that southern nice thing that they’ll call everyone sir. Well, when he found out I was on a bike, told me about his 64 Harley Sportster…wonder if that’s anything like the one the Washington cop had yesterday, but I’ll bet not. Anyway made the trip to Graves lodge and kept going on the road cuz it looked like it was going to lead me into the mountains which is just where it was going…that is until I hit gravel and started remembering what someone said about getting into the back mountains of the south…remember Deliverance? hell I’m turning around and getting outta here as quick as I can and noticed people popping out the houses I passed on the way up checking me out on the way down…ok, just some old lady, but ya never know what her boys look like.
Out of the mountains back on my way toward Monticello that decided I’ve seen enough history for a few days that today should just be a day for riding…I could use to blow the cobwebs out of my head and think about what I should be on this trip – what a great adventure it is and how I’m getting to see the beauty this country has to offer as well as the goodness in people…most people. On the way down stopped to find out what the name of the road going thru Shenandoah park was and some guy gave me great directions to take the scenic route there, and what’dya know, it took me past the Monticello visitors center that stopped in there and at least caught the movie about Jefferson...and for those who don’t know, Monticello was the home of Thomas Jefferson, yep, our third president and that’s why the Monticello visitors center showing a movie on Jefferson. Hey, that reminds me of a couple of things, no one has named the tune and artist from a few days ago and no one said they knew the story behind bar and grille, finally found something that’s new to you. Well, the ranger at the visitors center gave me a map of the Shenandoah Park and said it’s a 3 ½ hour trip thru the park, but he’s never seem me drive. Anyway, since still want to do the steamed crab thing, hit some freeway to the park and guess what, hit the middle of the mountains, you know where south meets north, the Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs down thru North Carolina (south) and the Shenandoah Skyline drive (north). If you remember, close to the beginning of this trip, hit some of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.
Since this is another National Park have a fee to pay, but guess what, that $50 park pass that I got for less than $50 will do the trick…yea, have paid more than 50 bucks for National Parks, but if someone would’ve told me there’s a fee at each, I might’ve gotten wise to the scandal earlier. Anyway, the ranger told me it’s 105 miles to the other end and’ll take 3 ½ hours, like I said how fast is the fastest anyone has made it…well, maybe 3 hours, but that’s because it’s 35 mph all the way…well, you haven’t seen me drive, but she did warn me that there are police patrolling the speed, ok, let’s see what we can do. It was a great ride and had a lot more of the ‘curving road’, remember the official term from Oregon, that haven’t ridden much since the parks out west, but did make it in less than 3 hours and only saw two cops along the way…to my luck, while I was following someone slow before hitting a passing lane – works for me. Almost hit a guard rail again, and this was probably the closest I’ve gotten to doing that, and it wasn’t because I was messing around trying to take a picture. It came up on me fast that downshifted and hit the brakes, remember, rear brake only in the corner, but it wouldn’t catch, kept going into a skid that finally had to do what they teach you in safety class, but I’m sure most don’t do, went straight for the guard rail and hit all the brakes…and fortunately for me, it works. Stopped just before reaching the gravel which was about 2 feet from the guard rail…man if that don’t get the adrenaline goin, but even though it might not sound right, what they teach you in motorcycle safety works. That reminds me of something they do teach you in case you need to put a bike down…as I’m knocking on wood, hit the rear brake and lean to get it to do what happened to me in the curve, that’ll be better sliding than loosing control and going into a tumble…hope I never have to experience that. Oh, and the guard rail had nothing to do with me trying to take a picture, but if you have noticed, have been free handing it at times. Am normally stopping to take a picture, but also have been pulling the camera out of my pocket driving with one hand while taking a picture. I know, not very safe, but it works much better when I have the cruise control set. What a difference between the pictures I was able to take the first 20 days before having camera problems.
Made it back to Falls Church, later than expected, but time to head to Baltimore for steamed crabs that is until we find out that the place I had been to years ago closes in 5 minutes, 8:30. Ok, now what’do we do? well, ME remembers a place in Bethesda which is open until midnight and it’s only 15 minutes away, much closer than the hour drive to Baltimore…map quest time, not mine. You can see by the pictures it’s the way I remember if from Baltimore, the paper on the table with a tray full of crab that you crack, make a mess and eat…man is it ever good and had to have a pound and a half of the shrimp…haven’t had as much shrimp since the gulf, but this is much larger. All in all a great meal and they even took me into the kitchen to show me the live crab and how they steam’em which was new to me. For those who know, when you boil or steam a lobster you just throw them into the hot pot and’ll hear a hiss from them, maybe more like a scream, lobster scream that is, but the crab they have to stab to paralyze them otherwise they’d tear each other apart in the pot…not a deadly stab, just a paralyzing stab. Reminds me of that Poboy I had in Florida. That’s how I ended up here; Gordon’s and had to track down a drunk that left without paying. Had no idea he dined, I mean ‘drank and dashed’ but tried to track him down with no luck. The last night in Falls Church that time to head north young man…that’s me and gonna hit Niagara Falls on my way to the O’Canada connections. Shenandoah Park Pictures.
posted by Dalej Webb at 1:46 AM
1 Comments:
Webb,
Spent my lunch hour getting caught up on your blog today. Okay, it was a very long lunch hour cause you write a lot! It's great...keep it up! Claire and I were talking about it this morning. He's keeping up on it too. I think a lot of people are, so keep it going! BTW, the song you referenced in NY was "Reminiscing" by the Little River Band!
Be safe!
Peterson
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