Vermont Covered Bridges

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="0cbfd5a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="7" COLOR="#CC0000" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><B>Motorides</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" "><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Motorcycle Trips"><U>Motorcycle Trips</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Street Tracker Project"><U>Street Tracker Project</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Daily Rider Bike Reviews "><U>Daily Rider Bike Reviews </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Motocross "><U>Motocross </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U>Links</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id44.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pictures Funny stuff"><U>Pictures Funny stuff</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id49.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sooper Yooper Trip"><U>Sooper Yooper Trip</U></A>   |   <B>Vermont Covered Bridges</B>   |   <A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tiger vs. Bear"><U>Tiger vs. Bear</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC33" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>CHARLEMONT INN</B></div> <div> <B>RTE 2 ,MOHAWK TRAIL</B></div> <div> <B>CHARLEMONT, MA</B></div> <div> <I><B>GREAT BREAKFAST</B></I></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="339b2850.jpg" border=0 width="178" height="133" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="33bb7890.jpg" border=0 width="183" height="137" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>SLACK'S MAPLE FARM</B></div> <div> <B> 904 Goose Green Rd.</B></div> <div> <B> Bradford, VT. 05033</B><B> </B></div> <div> <I><B>GREAT SYRUP</B></I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Abadi MT Condensed Light" ><B> </B></FONT></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="331b3860.jpg" border=0 width="179" height="134" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <B> DERBY COW PALACE</B></div> <div> <B> Main Street Derby VT.</B></div> <div> <B> </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#336633" FACE="Abadi MT Condensed Light" ><I><B>GREAT ATMOSPHERE</B></I></FONT></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="335b1840.jpg" border=0 width="177" height="132" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="337b1ec0.jpg" border=0 width="177" height="236" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>       Ali's OUTBACK</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>      RESTAURANT & </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>          LOUNGE </B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="408ae820.jpg" border=0 width="174" height="130" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>       Main St.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B> Island Pond Vt.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>  Excellent Breakfast</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFCC33" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Vermont Covered Bridges</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>V</B></I><FONT SIZE="7" COLOR="#006633" FACE="BoyzRGrossNF" ><I><B>ermont's  covered bridges and sinking floating bridge</B></I></FONT></div> <div> <B> </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#006666" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#009933" FACE="BoyzRGrossNF" ><I><B>Chris  shows us a RIDER magazine article about a floating bridge . His FZ1 proves to be the best bike for the trip.</B></I></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>completed Jan 2008</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>   Trip : Sept. 2006</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>  <IMG SRC="3152e940.jpg" border=0 width="302" height="404" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">      <IMG SRC="317701b0.jpg" border=0 width="368" height="283" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <I><B>Robert's springer with the new</B></I><FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#009900" FACE="BoyzRGrossNF" ><I><B>       </B></I></FONT><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#009900" FACE="BoyzRGrossNF" ><I><B>A parked Vermont Beamer while </B></I></FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#006633" FACE="BoyzRGrossNF" ><I><B>back shock. No more back pain</B></I></FONT><I><B>.</B></I><FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#009900" FACE="BoyzRGrossNF" ><I><B>        </B></I></FONT><I><B>the engine is being overhauled.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="33d5bc30.jpg" border=0 width="603" height="451" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </B></I><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial Black" ><I>A rude halloween gesture from a native Vermont scarecrow.</I></FONT></div> <div> <I>  We started our </I><I>2  </I><I>day trip in Westfield ,Ma. through Wyben ,Montgomery, traveling RTE </I><I>112 </I><I>through Cummington on RTE </I><I>116  </I><I>for a short bit ON RTE. </I><I>8a </I></div> <div> <I>  turning on RTE </I><I>2 </I><I>to Charlemont . If in the area during breakfast have breakfast  at the Charlemont Inn . </I></div> <div> <I><B>  </B></I><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Coolvetica" ><I><B>Riding in Northwest Massachusetts is some of the </B></I></FONT></div> <div> <I><B>  best back road riding anywhere. </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>   <IMG SRC="357d2190.jpg" border=0 width="210" height="281" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">             <IMG SRC="35970130.jpg" border=0 width="368" height="275" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="35d42f10.jpg" border=0 width="322" height="241" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <IMG SRC="35fb3ef0.jpg" border=0 width="179" height="239" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="373b3ef0.jpg" border=0 width="179" height="239" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>  </B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Coolvetica" ><I><B>Early into the ride Robert and I get separated from Chris and Danny. I wanted a few pictures for my website. Chris and Danny brought their cameras along for the trip. Cameras like to go for bike rides too. They don't take pictures they just like to ride.</B></I></FONT></div> <div> <I><B>  We rode from Charlemont up into Vermont via  rte 2 and then rte 100. The Green Mountain National Forest is great for riding. Leaf Peepers in Volvos abound. They have a right to block the road just like the next guy. </B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000CC" FACE="Coolvetica" ><I><B>//Pete's Theory : Volvo drivers are bikers that can only balance a bike with four wheels. They lack motor skills but still really enjoy the outdoors and want to live a really long time with all of their limbs in tact. </B></I></FONT></div> <div> <I><B>   </B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Coolvetica" ><I><B>They were there first so we followed. Ok there were a few Beemer SUVs. Strangely I didn't see one Subaru while in the mountains. Luckily the roads are tight and riding is still fun. We stayed the night in Derby Line at a motel. We drank beer straight from the bottle at a local bar.  </B></I></FONT></div> <div> <I><B>  <IMG SRC="375e96f0.jpg" border=0 width="489" height="367" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B> No seriously ,where did Pete go?   </B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#336600" FACE="Coolvetica" ><I><B>Really , he drove back 20 miles to get his rain gear at the hotel in Derby!  </B></I></FONT><I><B>Really now ,what is he doing ? Is he in the bathroom or buying a souvenir somewhere?</B></I></div> <div> <I><B> <IMG SRC="37733e60.jpg" border=0 width="307" height="230" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> I managed to catch the FZ1 with the YZF  on this section road.  My spent shock felt good at high speeds , for safety sake I kept the Arse at high speeds for a while. </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Covered bridges are all the rage. We rode through but did not spin our tires at all as covered bridges are great structures as well as tourist attractions.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>  Covered bridges sometimes are impassable but still worth 'a butcher's'. </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B> <IMG SRC="3794ffb0.jpg" border=0 width="335" height="251" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <IMG SRC="37b4dfa0.jpg" border=0 width="333" height="250" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="37d52fe0.jpg" border=0 width="338" height="254" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <IMG SRC="37f55ff0.jpg" border=0 width="341" height="255" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="383690e0.jpg" border=0 width="361" height="270" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  So ,now , let me get this straight that lady came out yelling at us because you started up your bike with the choke on and the exhaust pipe was blowing straight into her open motel room window.  Some people need to lighten up. Doesn't anybody sniff raw ,fuel rich exhaust anymore? She must be some kind of tree hugger.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>                           <IMG SRC="385de660.jpg" border=0 width="478" height="358" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="3877c1c0.jpg" border=0 width="380" height="284" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  Very good breakfast.<IMG SRC="38971140.jpg" border=0 width="369" height="276" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <IMG SRC="38b70130.jpg" border=0 width="368" height="275" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="38d7d1d0.jpg" border=0 width="381" height="285" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  Where did I put those lobster traps?</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>We continued  in the rain on 114 South . Continuing South on roads only known to my brother a few miles here a few miles of there. We found ourselves in Haverhill/Bath ,New Hampshire. We checked out a defuncty town covered bridge. Cabled together to prevent it from collapsing. It still brings in we tourists.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>  </B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#333399" FACE="Coolvetica" ><I><B>Now we were off to "The Floating Bridge"  . Again following the human GPS my brother. We wound through dirt roads and what seemed like country driveways. You know the kind of road that when you go down it it just doesn't seem right. "This can't be it" "This goes toward that old house" </B></I></FONT></div> <div> <I><B>" This is some  Mennonite community or something"  Sure enough we pass a cupcake shop of some sort and there it was.</B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Coolvetica" ><I><B>  </B></I></FONT></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="38fd05b0.jpg" border=0 width="464" height="347" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  The floating bridge ,slippery with algae. </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>   </B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="3c79bf40.jpg" border=0 width="667" height="500" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </B></I></div> <div> <I><B> Vermont  Maple Syrup Hound. Warning flat landers bewow bewow.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Robert showed he had the brass in his chaps. Actually he pulled up not realizing how slpippery the ramp was. As his 800 lbs of Milwaukee steel slid down the ramp he was committed. So that is 800lbs. Milwaukee steel and 1/2 lb of brass.  The bridge had sunk somewhat making everything more fun. Somebody would go under. Maybe even get trapped under their bike. They would blow bubbles gasping for their last breath. Like that Paul Newman movie about that family of lumber Jacks. You don't see that one often.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>  Robert went across doing his best impression of a jetski. Being of Polish decent ( actually Polish) the </B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#333300" FACE="Coolvetica" ><I><B>SKI</B></I></FONT><I><B> part was easy.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>  Chris and I rode our rice bikes over. Robert caught a picture that is definitely one of my all time favorite pictures of my bike.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>           <IMG SRC="40a136f0.jpg" border=0 width="275" height="367" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  In the back you can see my brother a Gorton's fisherman watching. Also that is the cupcake house or maybe like muffins. Mennonite muffins.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>  Chris' turn,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>                  <IMG SRC="40cac410.jpg" border=0 width="428" height="321" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  </B></I><I><B>When Danny Gorton realized we were serious we weren't coming back over the bridge. He fired his Road King and floated over the floating sunkin bridge.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="40e8a270.jpg" border=0 width="394" height="295" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  </B></I><I><B><IMG SRC="41239ea0.jpg" border=0 width="313" height="234" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>  </B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Coolvetica" ><I><B>Several miles of dirt roads and trying to catch Chris on the FZ  we found ourselves at the junction of 89 and 91 . We enjoyed a junk food feast. Fritos Mountain Dew Jerky Three Musketeers. That Gas station up there had all of the junk food. Just before the on ramp. Fully sugared and phull uph phosphates . We rode a hundred plus all the way home.</B></I></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Sights along the way</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="414b5470.jpg" border=0 width="437" height="327" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#663399" FACE="Coolvetica" ><I><B>a place to buy Dasani</B></I></FONT></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="4186e120.jpg" border=0 width="366" height="274" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> a cobweb covered  broken light</B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="41aaee00.jpg" border=0 width="430" height="224" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <IMG SRC="42049f60.jpg" border=0 width="329" height="246" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <I><B>  bridge in Haverhill</B></I></div> </td> </tr></table></body>