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TOURING INFORMATIONVT 100, also known as the 43rd lnfantry DrvisionMemorial Highway or Grand Army of the RepublicHighway, cleaves a path through the center of the GreenMountains and into the heart of Vermont.

This run is considered one ofthe longest and most scenicrides you're likely to find. From Stamford, VT 1O0begins a northward path and bisects the state from theMassachusetts state line to just a bit short of theCanadian border. The two-lane road meandersthrough pastoral countryside with plenty of reasons tostop-such as the viltage of Weston (poputation 600),home to the Vermont Country Store, known as a ,,pur-

veyor of the practic€l and hard to find."

TAKE A SIDE TRIPRide VT 108 from Stowe to Smugglers Notch, or as thelocals call it, "Smu€lgs." Smugglers Notch Scenic Highwayis a tight, twisty mountain pass with 1-,O00-foot cliffs andlarge boulders protruding into the narrow passageway.

With no smog and no pollution, the notch is home tomany endangered species of plants found nowhere elsein Vermont. It also features some of the state's mostpopular hiking trails, easily accessibte from SmugglersNotch state Park.

VISITOR INFORMATIONwwwtravel-vermont.corn l 8O0.837.6668

CAMPING INFOBMATIONwww.vtstateparks.com/htm/i nfo.cf m4O2.241.3655 (information)888.409.7579 (reservations)

ROUTE LENGTH - About 220 miles, a day or longer with stops

3e51 3*.1esn to !.:ds: Fall color is splendid.Gsrsiir"]sevailabiiity: Plentiful

Absiili th* i'**d: Both scenic and twisty, low traffic densjty, good roadconditions

lnsid*r tip: A 40-50 mph speed limit is there for a reason and is enforcedWatch for wildlife.

For a ride that is both exhilarating andrelaxing, this twisty, turning road has allthe ingredients for motorcycle motoringmemories. Long climlrs up forested hills,rushing descents into scenic valleys,boulder-filled waterways, white steepledchurches, family farms with weatheredred barns, small towns with friendlyfolks, and only three stop lights on thewhole route make this a joy. Be on thelookout for a church supper.

So many places deserve a stop that it'shard to pass them by. Near Stowe, inWaterbury, visit Ben & Jerry's lce CreamFactory, the number one tourist attrac-tion in the state. The factory offers atour with samples, playground, souvenirshop, ice cream store, and a "graveyard"of retired flavors that seemed Iike agood idea but bombed with ice creamIovers.

Watch for Gold Brook Road as you enterStowe. Emily's Bridge is a few miles upthe road on the left. Built in 1844, Emily'sBridge has a serene beauty by day. Atnight the so-foot-long covered bridgetakes on a dramatically spooky appearance. Legend has it that the bridge hasbeen haunted ever since Emlly took herlife there after losing her one true love.On windy nights it's said that you canhear her crying on the bridge.

With a population of only 4,400, Stowehas a surprising 70 shops, 50 restau-rants, bungee trampolines, alpine slide,the Trapp Family Lodge (the singingfamily in The Sound of Music), and agondola ride to the top of Vermont'stallest peak-4,393-foot Mt. Mansfield.

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TOURING INFORMATIONThis road hugs the Goast of Maine:and follows US 1-, alsoknown as the Blue Star Memorial Highway, most of theway.. US 1- used to be the main.thofoughfare from Maineto Florida and was called the Main Street of Arnerica-

TAKE A SIDE TRIPBe sure to visit. Fort,Knox. Fort Knox in Prospec.t, Maine,that is. lt waF built in the mid-1800s to ,rotectthePenobscot River Valley from British haval attaoks. Thefort was named for Major General Henry l'(nox, America'sfirsl Secretary of War. America'$ other Fort Knox, theone located in Kentucky and famous for its gold buuiondepository, also was named after him.

From Belfast, proceed north on US 1. ihrpugh Searspoi.tand Stoekton Springs, and immediately before crossingthe suspenslon bridge, take a left onto ME J.74. FortKnox is about a quarter mile on the right.

VISITOR INFOEMATIOI{www.visitmaine.com | 888.624.6345

CAMPING INFORMATIONwww.maine.gov/doclparks ) 207.287.3821

ROUTE LENGTH - About 165 miles or a leisurely day

,3**t *€a$s!} ts r!.:o: Late spring through autumn6s$*lin* *vail**ility: Plentiful

Abo*i ihs ron*: Well-maintained two-lane road used by folks who want to enjoythe scenery from Portland to Acadia National Park

:rsrr':cr:'p' Dress in layers and carry rain gear. Be prepared for changes inweather and occasional morning fog.

Start your motor running and head "down East"-Maine lingo for in the direction of theCanadian l\4aritimes. Picture-perfect images of coastal lviaine are alive and vibrant on thisride: rocky coastlines, lighthouses on distant promontories, marinas packed with fishingboats, seaside villages, fresh lobster. Everywhere the ocean makes its presence known,whether by sight, sound, or smell.

The charming old port city of Portland crowns a hilly peninsula surrounded by rivers andharbors. Cobbled streets lined with shops and restaurants, vintage redbrick warehousesringed by wharves, and grand sea captains' mansions are beautifully preserved.

Less than 20 miles north of Portland, Freeport is the home of upscale shopping and historichomes and churches. Stop byworld-famous L.L. Bean, which is open 24 hours a day" Lessthan three miles outside of Freeport is a famed oddity, the Desert of Maine. Geologistsbelieve that 11,000 years ago a melting glacier left behind this 4o-acre sand dune.

Connected to the mainland by a causeway, Mount Desert lsland and Acadia National Parkoffer 26 mountains, 22 lakes and ponds, 120 miles of hikingtrails, beaches, and naturalwonders galore. A 27-mile loop takes in the major attractions, including the pink granitesummit of 1,528-foot lvt. Cadillac.

Facing Frenchman Bay, the island's biggest town of Bar Harbor has narrow streets filledwith boutiques, restaurants, and resting places.

ADD ON: Podland Head Light

Start this ride on Broadway at "Bug" Light on Casco Bay, in South Portland. Head southon Madison Street, then east on Breakwater Drive, continuing onto Benjamin Pickett Street.After a left on Fort Road, you'll see Spring Point Light at the end of a breakwater, thePortland Harbor museum, and the clipper ship Snow Squa//. Take Fort Road back south,turning left onto Preble Street, which becomes Shore Road.

The roadway straightens and glides past waterfront mansions in Cape Elizabeth.

At the sign for Fort Williams Park, turn left and anticipate the first glimpse of Portland HeadLight, Maine's most celebrated lighthouse.

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RIDT ATLAS OF NORTH AMERICA" 2E

MARYLAND TO DELAWARE

landmark -archi-:ais, and Colonial

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historic countrysideMake frequent stops to see historic sites; watch for crowds in June

when NASCAR races run in Dover.

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From Ocean City, Md., head north, passing the 1859 Fenwick lslandLighthouse on the state line. DE l links coastal wildlife refuges like PrimeHook and Bombay Hook with Cape Henlopen. Henlopen's 8O-foot sanddune is crowned by a WWll watchtower. Lewes Beach survived pirateraids and German U-boat surveillance. Today, ships offshore take visitorsto whale watch and sport fish.

lnland, DE 9 North passes state capital Dover, where Delaware represen-tatives were the first to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Dover lnternationalSpeedway's NASCAR season revs up in June, The countryside's historic townsinclude Odessa, prized for its 30 landmark homes.

MD 213 rides through Eastern Shore farmlands and maritime towns settledalong Chesapeake Bay tributaries. Chestertown's elegant brick homes lookmuch the same as when George Washington and Thomas Jefferson traveledKent County. Follow US 301 as it crosses Chesapeake Bay to Maryland'sWestern Shore and state capital Annapolis. Local bikers fill their tanks andtummies at "gourmet gas station" Kent lsland Depot at the Stevensville exit.French family-owned, the station dishes delish eats.

Annapolis's architecture spans three centuries. Capital highlights include theCity Dock where African slave Kunta Kinte, author Alex Haley's ancestor,arrived. Patriot sites include homes of I\/larylanders who signed theDeclaration of lndependence, early settlement London Town, St. John'sCollege, and the wood-domed State House. At the U.S. Naval Academy,tour the museum and see John Paul Jones crypt.

ADD ON: Assateaque lsland

Famous for its herds of wild ponies, Assateague lsland stretches for 37 wind-raked miles between the Atlantic Ocean and Maryland's and Virginia'sEastern Shore. Native Americans first populated this 6,000-year old ever-shifting sand island. After European settlers wrested the land away fromthe Algonquins, they used it as a livestock grazing ground. Legend says thewild ponies swam onto the island from a sinking Spanish galleon, but theymost likely were the property of English settlers.

Despite the island's popularity, it remains a valuable ecosystem preservingthe habitats of many species. On your way over to the island, stop at theBarrier lsland Visitor Center where you can walk through exhibits and seean audiovisual program about the island.

Exploring is encouraged, butthe dunes are clearly marked as off limits.Dunes are extremely fragile, and even one person can unwittingly destroyyears of natural work. As you ride or hike around the island, you'll not missthe famous ponies. Rangers strongly urge visitors not to go near the poniesor tempt them with food. They may appear friendly and tame, but they arestill sometimes-dangerous wild animals.

Two campgrounds, one oceanside and one bayside, invite overnight stays.On your second day, you could consider riding south on the mainland tothe Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on the other end of the island.There you'll get a chance to observe nature along several longer self-guidednature trails.

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RI*E ATLE$ *F NORTH AMERICA' 2E

VIRGINIA$ff &ft",,l$ fAfi[$ ii.]J ;il** ?1.{. ROUTE LENGTH - 106 miles or 4-5 hours

TOURING INFORMATIONShenandoah's.Skyline Drive (US 340) travels the heart ofShenandoah National Park et 35 mph. lt has 75 scenicturn-outs. lt's slow, but the view is worth the pace.

TAKE A SIDE TRIPTake your time atong the Blue Ridge Parkway, ihesouthern extension of Skyline Drive that leads to the GreatSmoky Mou,ntains National Fark. Drive the abov.e routein reverse order, beginning in Front Royal. After a brief butsteep ascent just south of Rockfish Gap, the Btue Ridge

Farkway rises and fallg gracefully over some of the mo€tspectacular mountain scenery in the Mid-Atlantic states.

Skyline Drive follows the spine of the Blue RidgeMountains. The route takes in views of the fertileShenandoah Valley to the west and the Blue Ridge foot:hills to the east. Dickey Ridge Visitor Center (Mile 4.6)and Byrd Visitor Center (Mile 51) both offer informationaldisplays and maps.

Skyline Drive bursts into color in the spring as it wendsthrough Shenandoah National Park. ln autumn, thewoods glow red and yellow, the hues of the Blue RidgeMountains in the distance. Around every bend, over everypeak, there's another camera-ready vlew along this route.

VISITOR INFORMATIONwww.visitshenandoah.com | 800.778.2851

CAMPING INFORMATIONwww.nps.gov,/shen/planyourvisit/ca mpgrounds.htm800.365.2267

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Sr$: $enein i{r .i**r Spring and autumn.i}:rl1ir'll: ::r;ii;briri,r' Plan ahead

i.l1i*i tl:* rr,r*: winding with many pull offs!l'r*iC*r li1:r $10 fee to enter the park, whlch is valid for one week; lots of auto-

mobile traffic. Watch for cars as well as deer, bear, wolves, and snakes.

Begin your northerly tour of US 340 lnRockfish Gap, the southern nationalpark entrance. (The town's lnformationCenter has local information andbrochures.) You'll be tempted to stopat dozens of scenic turn-outs. Maketime for Big Run overlook (l\/ile 81),with a sweeping view of the BlueRidge Mountains. 0r park your bikeand stretch your legs at Swift Run Gap(Mile 65.5), one of a dozen pointswhere the Appalachian Trail crossesSkyline Drive. A more strenuous traildeparts from Bearfence MountainParking. The one-mile circuit leadsover a rock scramble to a rare 360-degree vista.

Near the midpoint of Skyline Drive arelodging choices for riders who wantto prolong their stay: Lewis MountainCabins; Bi€ Meadows Lodge, a

restored 1939 inn; and SkylandResort, set at Skyline Drive's highestpoint, with cabins, rooms, and accessto riding stables.

As Skyline Drive continues north, itrises and twists past well-knownrock formations, the Pinnacles andStony Man Peak, as it rounds HazelMountain. Tunnel Parking Overlook(Mile 33) offers a preview of 600-foot-long Mary's Rock Tunnel beforeyou experience it first-hand. Justnorth of here, Hogback Overlook(Mile 21) takes in views of theShenandoah River snaking throughthe Shenandoah Valley.

Skyline Drive concludes in Front Royal,

a canoeing and kayaking hub in thisregion. Outfitters are located in thePage Valley, just south of town on theSouth Fork of the Shenandoah River.Pick up directions and brochures atthe Front Royal Visitor's Center.

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\RIEE ATLAS fiF NORThI AMERIEA- 2E

WESTVIRGINIA

TOURING INFORMATIONThe Midland Trail ride begins in the state capital ofCharleston and follows US 6O through some of the mostrugged terrain in West Virginia. The ride passes throughboth the Kanawha River Valley and the plateau highabove.

TAKE A SIDE TRIPRide through parts of the New River Gorge NationalRiver area honoring one of the oldest rivers in the worldand one of the few on Earth that flows north. The areais a mecia for rafting. Once a year, on the thirdSaturday oJ October, the New River Gorge Bridge isclosed to vehiculartraffic and open for pedestrians.Watch base jumpers and bungeed folks leap off theside of the longest arch bridge in North America.

A National Scenic Byway, the Midland Trail along US 60was ori$nally carved into the mountains by buffalo andNative Americans. Prior to 1988. the Midland Trail washeavily traveled, particularly by commercial vehicles.Traffic was significantly redueed in 1988 when the finaltouches of l-64 were completed. Now the trail is mostlyfor those who want to get away from interstates and enjoyan Qutstanding ride.

VISITOR }NFORMATIONwww.wvtourism.com I 800.225.5982

CAMPING INFORMATIONw!wv.wvstateparks.com I 800.225.5982

ROUTE LENGTH - 120 winding miles or one-day trip with plenty of stops

liirii rd;?si)11 iit fir*: Late spring through late autumn[*t*]ir;: ;rvL:ilcbiliir: Plentiful

Ailsut thr riad Generally good shape; road has segments where ride can getathletic with switchbacks and twisties.Watch for wildlife.

Travel the Midland Trail and enter a land of challenging white-water rafting, Civil War history,stunning scenery, and small towns full of country charm. The byway will carry you over hillsand through valleys, and finally out lnto rolling farmland settled during the colonial era.

The Great Kanawha River provides a wonderful backdrop fortravel as it hugs US 60 from itsheadwaters at Gauley Bridge to south of Charleston. BeginningJUSt west of Kanawha Fallsand continuing to Cathedral Falls near Gauley Bridge, there are more than a dozen seasonalwaterfalls in fewer than five miles, all visible from the trail.

Hawks Nest State Park sprawls across the top of Gauley Mountain to the base of NewRiver Gorge. Called the "Grand Canyon of the East," New River Gorge is best seen fromHawks Nest Park in Ansted. Take a short walk at Hawks Nest Roadside Park to the over-look or stop at the lodge and enjoy dinner while perched above the gorge.

East of Hico, the Midland Trail curves through top-notch scenery as it crosses the highest polnton the trail-Big Sewell lvlountain at 3,170 feet. At Gauley Mountain, the twisty turns nearChimney Corner are so sharp that travelers joke you can see your taillights in the rear view mir-ror as you round the bends.

Since the 18th century, the wealthy have flocked to White Sulphur Springs for the leg-endary curative powers of the area's springs. Visit The Greenbrier, a five-star resort andhome of the nation's oldest golf course. To the east, mountains melt into GreenbrierValley's rolling pastures, covered bridge, beautiful farms, and white steepled churches.The trip ends 72 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

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