Old Dogs Motorcycle trip: Skyline Drive

I was contacted by a couple of my old cronies (We weren't old when we first met in the early 80's), about a possible trip down skyline drive on the second weekend of September 2012. I wasn't sure I could be ready to do the trip as Kari and I will be in Florida the previous weekend and I don't get home until the 6th, my birthday. As well I'd planned an extended photo trip for those weeks in September.

I've been wanting to get out to Montana, don't ask me why, it calls to me. I would love to do it on the bike, but being a responsible, sensible adult, I knew I'd have a hard time making that work. I have to face facts, when I drive to Florida, 1100 miles; I split the trip into 600 and 500 mile days, and I'm still beat after two days. The trip to Montana, for arguments sake is twice that. Even if I was able to make the same mileage, I would be almost five days out. Then I would have to shoot some pictures and turn around and come back. In a car, I thought I might be able to do at least 1000 miles the first day, leaving very early in the morning and driving at least 12 hours. Cooler heads have prevailed and for now an extended bike trip is on the shelf.

Even this trip through Skyline Drive can be a little daunting for me on my bike. The problem is I have a cruiser. Apparently in motorcycle manufacturing terms that means "cruise around the gas station and fill the tanks up again"! My fuel tank is only 4.1 gallons. My best consumption has been 44mpg. I like to calculate on 40mpg. I go on reserve at about 3 gallons, making my cruising distance about 120 miles.

Kurt has a Goldwing, I know the tank is larger. Kurt said he went to his house in Cape May non-stop; google says it's about 3.5 hours, 168 miles (pretty good moving). Chris, I believe, still has a beemer, which is known to have a large tank. The key is that both their bikes are alot more touring than mine. I know I'll have to stop for gas every two hours.

The trip to skyline drive, actually Front Royal Va, from Annapolis is 134 miles using route 70 to Frederick and then down 340. This is actually about 30 miles longer than if I cut through DC. I hate driving DC anytime, so that's out. From front Royal to Skyland is another 36 miles. For a total of 170 miles. Actually, that's not too bad. That's close to the mileage from the Autotrain station in Sanford Fl to our house in Juno Beach. This actually comes as a surprise to me. I thought Chris posted that it was another 1.5 hours from Front Royal to Skyland, about 100 miles. It's only 36 miles of easy slow riding.

Annapolis to Skyland Virginia

Driving directions to Skyland Resort

Via Reichs Ford Rd - remove

910 Monroe St Annapolis, MD 21403

	1. Head east on Monroe St toward Bay Ridge Ave
		207 ft
	2. Turn right onto Bay Ridge Ave
		0.3 mi
	3. Take the 3rd right onto Tyler Ave
		0.3 mi
	4. Continue onto Hilltop Ln
		1.3 mi
	5. Turn right onto Forest Dr
		0.6 mi
	6. Continue onto MD-665 W/Aris T Allen Blvd Continue to follow MD-665 W
		1.8 mi
	7. Keep left at the fork, follow signs for I-97 N/U.A. 50 W/US-301 S/Washington/Baltimore
		1.1 mi
	8. Keep right at the fork and merge onto I-97 N
		13.5 mi
	9. Take exit 14B to merge onto MD-100 W toward Ellicott City
		14.0 mi
	10. Take the exit onto US-29 N toward I-70
		3.3 mi
	11. Take exit 25B to merge onto I-70 W toward Frederick
		32.2 mi
	12. Take the exit toward Monocacy Blvd
		0.1 mi
	13. Turn left onto Monocacy Blvd
		0.2 mi
	14. Turn left onto E South St
		0.1 mi
	15. Continue onto Reichs Ford Rd
		0.5 mi
	16. Turn left onto Ray Smith Rd
		161 ft
	17. Take the 1st right toward Reichs Ford Rd
		217 ft
	18. Turn right onto Reichs Ford Rd
		0.5 mi
	19. Continue onto E South St
		0.1 mi
	20. Turn right onto Monocacy Blvd
		0.2 mi
	21. Merge onto I-70 W/US-40 W via the ramp to I-270 Continue to follow I-70 W
		2.4 mi
	22. Take exit 52 to merge onto US-15 S/US-340 W Continue to follow US-340 W Passing through Virginia Entering West Virginia
		24.4 mi
	23. Merge onto US-340 S/W Virginia 9 E via the ramp to Berryville/Leesburg Continue to follow US-340 S Entering Virginia
		25.8 mi
	24. Turn left onto US-340 S/US-522 S/Stonewall Jackson Hwy Continue to follow US-340 S/US-522 S
		9.4 mi
	25. Turn left onto W 14th St
		0.2 mi
	26. Continue onto N Royal Ave
		1.2 mi
	27. Turn right onto W Main St
		249 ft

134 mi – about 2 hours 37 mins

Front Royal, VA

	28. Head east on W Main St toward N Royal Ave
		249 ft
	29. Take the 1st right onto S Royal Ave
		0.4 mi
	30. Turn left onto South St
		0.5 mi
	31. Turn right onto US-522 S/Remount Rd Continue to follow US-522 S
		14.8 mi
	32. Turn right onto US-211 W/US-522 S/Lee Hwy Continue to follow US-211 W/Lee Hwy
		15.1 mi
	33. Take the exit toward Skyline Dr
		0.2 mi
	34. Keep left at the fork and merge onto Skyline Dr This road may be seasonally closed Destination will be on the left
		5.4 mi

36.5 mi – about 48 mins