As all my fellow Mid-Atlantic riders are well aware, today was an absolutely glorious spring day here in the Maryland-Virginia-West Virginia region. I managed to get out for a roughly 200-mile outing that took me from Frederick Country west to Cumberland, and then south into West Virginia, before I finally turned east and homeward. I took a few pictures which I thought I would share. As always, I found that the best views did not come with a pull-over, but you all know how that is. Nevertheless, I managed to get one or two snaps that show the beauty of the original American heartland.

My ride started with a quick sprint out US 340; just before I left Maryland, I turned north on MD 67 and shot up the Pleasant Valley. MD 67 does not offer much in the way of curves or twists, but it's a lovely road nonetheless. I turned off on one of the farm roads to take a few snaps:








Next, I putted through Boonsboro, MD and got onto MD 68 heading west. My goal was LaVale, MD and the Harley Davidson dealership there, but first my route led through the Hagerstown Valley, which is an extension of the Valley of Virginia here in Maryland, and part of the Great Appalachian Valley which extends the length of the range. Antietam Creek (namesake of the famous Civil War battle) runs through this area, and there is a nice park (Devil's Backbone County Park) where one can stop to admire the woods and waters:





Riding on, one comes to some of the the nicest farmland Maryland has to offer, though some of the Eastern Shore countryside is equally rural and almost as lovely. Here, we have almost reached the mountainous region of Western Maryland proper:

 

From the Hagerstown Valley, I-70 and I-68 head west into the heart of Appalachia. The boundary is marked but the cut at Sideling Hill, west of Hancock, MD.




If you are riding far, this is a good place to stop and rest. It affords lovely views of the Hagerstown Valley to the east, and there are a visitor center and facilities one can take advantage of. Mostly, I stop for the view:










As I was kicking back, drinking a bottle of water, an elderly gentleman came up and engaged me in conversation. He was very interested in my bike, and asked a number of questions about it: cost, how one learns to ride, and so forth. I really don't imagine he'll act on my information, but I did sense a longing in him. He looked like he really wanted to just mount up and ride!

I-68 is one of the nicest interstates in the region. Yes, it's an interstate, but the ride affords better scenery than one might expect, and because most of the traffic heading for the midwest goes via I-70, I-68 is a bit less crowded. I'm sorry to say I did not get any pictures of Cumberland, MD, as it's a very picturesque town. You get a good view from I-68, but you cannot really stop.

Eventually, I reached my goal of Highland H-D, where I bought the obligatory T-shirt. (I play what I am sure is a very unoriginal game: I only buy t-shirts if I ride my bike to the dealership.)

 

From LaVale, I went south on route 220, which eventually put me on US-50 west of Romney, WV. I did not get many more photos, but here are a few from the roadside:







I like the look of this farmhouse...very idyllic:




At this point, I was starting to get a bit tired. I think Tropical Storm Anna stirred up some wind...at any rate, it was blowing a near gale as I rode east along 50, and my Dyna Superglide, though performing nicely, was getting kicked around a bit. One last picture and then I pointed the front wheel homeward:





All in all, another fine day on two wheels!

 

goin from va to md over the Potomac bridge is a free toll but from md to va a big fee is charged per axle--like $12