The joy of Sachs

Took out the Supercycle Traveller for proper test run, five miles round the neighbourhood. What fun! There is a buzz to be had from putting an old bicycle back on the road, especially when it features the iconic Sachs three-speed gear. This particular bike is an unlovely specimen from Canadian Tire which just happens to feature this gem - a bit like fitting a Volkswagen with a Porsche gearbox. Ideally the Sachs needs stripping and regreasing but for now it will have to make do with a few squirts of oil down the hollow rear axle.
I gave the bike another thorough clean, including 'flossing' with a length of woolen yarn. I coated the Swallow tyres, pre Schwalbe from 1977, with Meguiar's Hot Shine Tire Spray:
"Water resistant polymers combined with patent antizonant technology keeps your tires looking blacker longer while preventing cracking, browning and premature aging. Gives tires deep, black wet look for weeks."
I would add saves old tyres from giving up the ghost.

Technical description: Supercycle Traveller folding bicycle, circa 1977, distributed by Canadian Tire Corporation, Toronto. The bike features a maple leaf sticker. The frame is chromoly steel almost identical to the Austrian-made Auto-Mini, but with proper butted bottom bracket. 44-tooth chainwheel, 18-tooth sprocket. No-name pedals with reflectors. 3-speed Sachs Torpedo Dreigang gears with coaster brake and Torpedo shifter. 36-spoke wheels by Sun Metal Products Inc. Shimano 535 front hub. Pletscher rat-trap type rack (made in Switzerland) and stand. Mattress-type sprung saddle.

Bicycle design

This rather uninspiring headline is in fact the name of a book - Bicycle Design, an illustrated history by Tony Hadland and Hans-Erhard Lessing. If you want to know about the history of the development of the bicycle this is the book for you. The authors make a good case for the bicycle originating from 1817, with the bicentennial coming up in 2017.
Which leads me to the picture of my latest restoration. Hadland and Lessing say on Page 226: "Coaster brakes became popular in North America (where they had been invented) and in Germany, whereas rim brakes were preferred in the United Kingdom and in France."
This Supercycle Traveller bicycle from Montreal is a mishmash of parts, but features the German Sachs dreigang (three-speed) gearbox with rear coaster brake, neatly illustrating the quote from the book. These bikes were supplied with rear brake only. I have fitted a front brake because I value my personal safety.

Before the Falls

The story of our Niagara Falls trip by Brompton bicycle was that, unlike elsewhere, we were plagued by punctures. We set off from Toronto just after nine o'clock on 30 June heading through High Park for the Lakeshore trail. The plan was to take two days and cover approximately 100 miles.
The party consisted of Chaplain Clive (Garneau sports bike) and Jack and I aboard the twin year-2000 Brompton 'L' type five-speeds. Jack had fitted an extended seat post, brought from the UK, and was squeezed aboard the short-wheelbase machine. As we reached Clarkson there was the first sign of trouble. Oddly Jack's rear tyre lost about half the normal pressure of 80 PSI - the tyre was neither flat nor inflated. We borrowed a compressor from a friendly resident and were on our way. Was there dirt in the valve? A pit stop at Tim Horton's and the party was much cheered.
At Fourth Line and Lakeshore, west of Oakville, the rear tyre went completely flat. There was no option but to strip the bike down and change it. At this point the dogbone wrench broke in half! Fortunately the Chaplain was able to borrow an adjustable wrench from a work crew building a house opposite. The teamwork to change the inner tube was a sight to behold, and after turning the air blue we were on our way.
We reached Burlington mid-afternoon in hot weather. A stop at the delightful Lakeshore Coffee House, 2007 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, L7R 1A1, for ice cream set us up for the final leg of the day. We shortly entered the secret world beneath the Burlington Skyway in a resort area, taking the Lift Bridge across the Burlington Bay Canal. A fellow cyclist guided us across the Red Bridge which crosses the Queenie and connects Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail with the Red Hill Valley Trail. If this wasn't the shortest route to our hotel it was certainly the safest. We slightly overshot the Comfort Inn at 183 Centennial Parkway. A quick shower and we repaired to Jack Astor's, 75 Centennial Parkway North. The beer was cold and the service was attentive and appreciative. Better than expected.
I was up early and lingered over breakfast, chatting to the friendly staff at the hotel. We departed in good order, choosing a middle way to St Catharines, not on the Lakeshore with noisy traffic nor climbing the escarpment. We took King Street to Highway 8 which turns into 81, pausing at Tim Horton's, then through Beamsville, stopping at Schrier Family Farm for cherries. A pitstop at Vineland provided a delicious drinkable yogurt.
We reached St Catharines across the Welland Canal, but after lunch at Subway we lost the bike trail and some height, so we had to climb Taylor Road to reach Thorold Stone Road. Here Jack punctured again. No mystery this time with a nail through the face of the tyre. We walked to a cross roads where we found a Tim Horton's and a Canadian Tire. While Jack bought snacks and blagged some disposable gloves, I raided CT for an adjustable wrench and a valve tool. We put the old tube in the bike, with known good valve, hoping it would hold. A navigational snafu took us to the Niagara gorge and while backtracking the tyre gave out again. Jack walked about two miles to reach the Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel, 6400 Lundy's Lane, Niagara Falls.
We had lost Clive on the road but we were all reunited in Doc Magilligan's Irish pub and restaurant. We returned to Toronto next day by bus to Burlington, then train to Mimico.

Total: 100 miles approx.
Plus Points: Great scenery, achievable distances, comfy hotels, great 'bush' mechanics.
Downsides: Punctures, poor signposting, lack of detailed map.
Learning points: This was a wake-up call to take reliable tools and spares (including valve tool and two inner tubes). Our previous good fortune had led to complacency. Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres a future option.
Overall: Generally well organised, good company, health benefits.

Aston in the mix

After an hour and a half the #007 Vantage is in fourth place overall at Ring 24 (Turner, Mucke, Simonsen, Lamy). Pic by RLT.

The lull before the storm

Matthew Marsh, centre left, confers with Aston Martin team-mates prior to the start of the Nurburgring 24 Hours. The cars are currently on the installation lap. Pic by Colin Marsh.

Start the car

Wolfgang Schuhbauer, from Brilon, Germany, will take the first shift in the #100 Aston Martin Rapide S in the Nürburgring 24 hour race, due to start here at 17:00 local time (CET). Pic by RLT.

High style and low rent

Jan 24: Walk to Downtown Crossing and take the Red Line across the river, to Harvard Square, Cambridge, $2.50 per head single trip. Breakfast at COOP bookshop, walk on to Harvard Bookshop, where Annette scored The Sugar Barons, by Matthew Parker, $20. Back to Boston for early lunch at Wong's of Boston in The Corner Food Court, off Washington Street. Singapore noodles, vast portions, recommended. Quiet afternoon back at the hotel, where we split $16 pizza for supper in the hotel bar. Suitable.
Jan 25: Walk to South Station where we breakfast at Cosi, on the concourse: sandwich, oatmeal, two coffees, $9.50. We ride the 9:55 'T' train to Providence, Rhode Island, $20 round trip each. The ride takes just over an hour with numerous stops en route. We walk via the shopping mall, next to the station, across the river and climb up to the Brown House, 52 Power Street, for a tour of John Brown's House. This is not the home of the famous abolitionist, but a slave-trader responsible for the Sally slave-ship debacle and a friend of George Washington. After viewing his house I'd say his epitaph should be: "He lived well." Lunch at Cafe la France, 1 Citizens Plaza, Red Chowder and half sandwich. Walk on to Cafe Choklad, 2 Thomas Street, for coffee and cakes, $10.32.
Providence is a pleasant contrast to Boston, with many interesting old buildings, and an ideal distance for a day trip. We would have returned by Amtrak but delays meant we opted for MBTA. We bought some foot-longs at Subway for supper in our hotel room - menu fatigue is setting in.
Jan 26: Walk to Quincy Market. On the way we lament the loss of Filene's, the famed department store and former Boston flagship, which has been half-redeveloped and left to rot. We were planning to breakfast in Quincy Market, but there is a dreadful racket created by a keep-fit class. We resort to Cheers, a tired reminder of an aging TV show. The waiters are anything but cheerful. Scrambled egg, cheese omelet (not the veggie omelet ordered), plus coffee with refill, $26.94, $31 with tip. Pretty average. We walk to Christopher Columbus Park on the waterfront. It is too cold to linger so we backtrack to The Boston Athenæum which is a membership library and museum, founded in 1807. From there we walk across Boston Common to Boston Public Library, where I do some research into the history of The Sports Car Club of America, founded in this city circa 1944. We take a late lunch at Maggiano's, 4 Columbus Ave, $33.71, $41 with tip. Quite the best service since we arrived.
Jan 27: A quick breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts, where an old man is eating sardines from a can. By subway to the Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue, to see the splendid exhibition The Postcard Age, Selections from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection. Time also for a quick look at Art in the Street, European Posters. Then back on the Green Line to Boston Public Library for more research. Walking home we stop at Pho Pasteur, 682 Washington Street, where the noodles are cheap and cheerful.
Jan 28: Up early and after 08:00 visit to Post Office to send a post card, we walk to South Station for the SL1 airport bus, $2.50 per head. Logan airport is pleasantly quiet, if airports can be pleasant this gets close. We take the 11:20 Porter Airlines flight to Toronto City Centre Airport. The pedestrian tunnel to the island is progressing nicely, only spoiled by noisy strikers picketing outside. (If I was an investor I'd get straight back on the plane.) Like Toronto, Boston is showing signs of decline, with plenty of empty shops and offices. Parts of the public transit system are neglected and lack investment. Having said that there is much of interest to occupy a week in Beantown.
Pic by Annette.

Bookshops of Beantown

Jan 21: We flew down to Boston on Porter Airlines from Billy Bishop Airport, Toronto. Arriving at Logan we caught the free hybrid bendy-bus, Silver Line 1, to the South Station in Boston. After going through the 'Big Dig' the bus halts and switches to overhead catenary electric-power for the undergound ride to our destination. We walk a few blocks to the Hyatt, refurbished since our last stay in 2004.
We then walk to Max and Dylans Restaurant Bar, 15 West Street, for supper. I try the onion rings starter followed by Clam Chowder. $39.06 plus tip for two, rated 75%; came highly recommended by the hotel, but only so, so. Served Heineken beer in a bottle, had to wait too long for a glass. Team service always difficult to do well.
John Lennon's "Instant Karma" is playing in the hotel lobby. The only worse fate is your music isn't played at all.
Jan 22: Walk to Black Seed Cafe, 131 Tremont Street, fronting onto Boston Common, for breakfast. Veggie omelet, fry-up and two large coffees $16.32. Cheap and cheerful. We walk on to the Commonwealth Bookstores (2 Milk Street, 9 Spring Lane), which specialise in used books. I purchase: Unlocking The Sky, Glenn Hammond Curtiss and the Race to Invent the Airplane, By Seth Shulman, $15. We note the large Borders bookshop is closed up. The little guys have outlasted the big guns in this case.
We lunch at Bruegger's Authentic Bagels. On to Brattle Bookshop, 9 West Street, which has a large outdoor selection. I picture some bibliophile being found frozen to death at the racks. I go indoors before it happens to me. We walk to Salvatore's, 545 Washington Street, for supper at the bar. I try the Chicken, Wild Mushroom and Squash Risotto special and Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Dinner for two $52.38 plus tip, total $61. Service OK but not particularly engaging. I recommend booking a table in advance.
Jan 23: 08:00 walk to Boston Common for Green Line light rail to Boston College. There are no trains due to an electrical fire. We take stock in Starbucks, then managing to catch a crowded bus to Kenmore, where we switched to the streetcar. Some of the rolling stock looks like it came from a badly run museum. We arrive at the Burns Library at 10:45. Annette gets down to some serious research re Mad Jack Fuller. It is perishing cold. Back home on the Green Line we hop off at Boylston and take supper at Boston Common Coffee Company, 515 Washington Street. Veggie soup, quiche and cookies, $23.75.
Pic by RLT.

That was the year that was....

I've been having a rest from blogging while writing much other material.
This last year I have been travelling to many different places. January in Philadelphia for the 112th edition of the New Year’s Day Mummers Parade – a distant cousin to bonfire. Spring break in Louisville, Kentucky. May in California for the car racing at Laguna Seca. June riding through France on my Brompton bicycle, from Le Havre to St Nazaire, via Le Mans – 600 kilometres. July touring the southern states by smart car, including Nashville and a visit to see Elvis in Tupelo, Mississippi. September on the train from Toronto to Vancouver, returning via Sacramento to Denver on the California Zephyr train. October in Watkins Glen, New York doing some research. October/November in England on Rocket FM for Lewes Bonfire.
When the double-decker California Zephyr pulled into Sacramento Amtrak station I said: "Now that is a train!" We soon reached the massive Union Pacific yard at Roseville, CA, and climbed to Cape Horn with its view 1500 foot straight down to the American River. Through the snow sheds to Donner Lake and Truckee, California. Riding into Reno, NV, where the station is buried in a huge concrete trench and the view between there and Sparks does not suggest a tourist destination. More trailer park than tinsel town. Elko, NV, where we stopped on the Bonneville trip, is followed in the middle of the night by a stop in Salt Lake City. Bearded Amish folk in straw hats are waiting to board the train. You feel like you've gone back in time at least a century. After some 36-hours you arrive in Denver, after endless mountains and desert

After the Goldrush

We flew into Sacramento on Air Alaska and took a van downtown to the Best Western Sutter House. After Victoria, Sacramento was looking distinctly sorry for itself. Nearby Stockton has declared bankruptcy and there was evidence that the Golden State has been living beyond its means. But who could resist the old town, by the Sacramento River, with its glittering railroad heritage waiting to be explored. Our first evening we strolled to McCormick & Schmick's for supper in the bar at the Elk Building. The downtown looks quite sorry for itself with its share of boarded up shops and the usual racetrack one-way streets. Sacrificed to the motor car the place is largely deserted at night. The light rail cars connect to the suburbs.

Next morning we sample a Jim Denny's breakfast in an old diner adjacent to our hotel. This is the authentic experience. A mountain of home fries keeps us going all day. Other customers are faced with gigantic pancakes. We walk a few blocks to the old town and the California State Railroad Museum. We split our visit in two in order to take the short excursion train ride. Coffee at Steamer's Coffee & Tea Exchange prior to departure. The museum tells the tale of the Central Pacific which built east from here to join up with Union Pacific in Utah, the first transcontinental railroad - a trip we will be taking shortly. I buy a copy of the book "Stealing the General" by Russell S. Bonds, which tells the story of railroad shenanigans during the American Civil War. We also visit the Huntington & Hopkins Hardware store, reconstructed on a new site, brick by brick, and the Wells Fargo Museum. Supper at the Capitol Garage, 1500 K Street. "You were hungry" says the waiter. Breakfast at the Ambrosia Cafe, 1030 K Street, sunday morning and walk to the Capitol Building, with its marvelous arboretum. 
We walk on to the California Automobile Museum where we are shown round by docent Jim Whent. A Rambler convertible in the parking lot catches my eye. A special exhibition featuring vehicles from 1968 is well done with familiar auto magazine covers round the walls and an Austin America front and centre. We walk back to the Crocker Museum of art, an air-conditioned legacy of California railroad riches. Supper at Bangkok at 12, a Thai restaurant at 900, 12th Street, curry special.

By bicycle to Blighty-on-sea

After breakfast at the Bearpaw Bakery, "Get your Buns Down Here!, we take a final stroll around Jasper, including the railyards and the industrial estate, where we spot a red Rambler 2-door in need of TLC. One more coffee and it is time to board the train for the 14:30 VIA departure to Vancouver. We pass Mount Rogers in clear weather, an unusual occurrence, and Pyramid Falls, before bunking down for the night. Next morning we are at Chilliwack and up for 06:30 breakfast. We arrive in Vancouver at 08:45, ahead of schedule, and queue for the 09:45 Pacific Coach to Tsawwassen. All we see of Vancouver is the view from the bus.
A calm crossing on the "Spirit of British Columbia" ferry in blazing sunshine leads us to Swartz Bay, and another coach hop to Victoria bus station. The city creates a great first impression with a pleasant lack of graffiti. We take tea at Starbucks on Blanshard Street. We breakfast at Caffé Teatro, on Blanshard. The owner says tourism is 50% down, the increased currency allowance for visiting the U.S. has meant tourists going south for cheap gas and milk. We walk out to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria where we score half price entry - the Emily Carr exhibits are what we have come to see and they are still on show. We walk through Beacon Hill Park, taking lunch at the Beacon Hill Drive-In, and continue on to the Emily Carr house where we take tea. Reb and Billy meet us at our hotel and we walk out to the lighthouse at Ogden Point breakwater. I need a beer after that.
On the Wednesday we rent some bikes and cycle out to Oak Bay, by reputation the most English settlement on the Island. We shop at a bookstore and stop for coffee on the way at the Moka House on Cook Street. Victoria has many splendid bookshops. A stop at the Emily Carr grave and we push on to the marina in Oak Bay for lunch. We hand the bikes back mid-afternoon for time out. We head for the Spaghetti House for supper, an uninspired choice as they are wait-listing customers while they have many empty tables, an obvious sign of incompetence. We bolt for it and find the Sticky Wicket pub more to our liking, where sixties covers band "Younger than Yesterday" are entertaining the punters.

Thursday we make a quick visit to the BC Archives, then walk out to Fishermen's Wharf, where we sample the fish and chips at Barb's Place. A $5 water taxi across the harbour gives us a close-up of the float plane passenger service. We stop at The Bay and I manage to buy a leather belt "Made in Canada." Early evening we grab a cab to the Pancake Manor Studios for a tour. After a delightful dinner in the garden we are shown backstage at the Manor - the charming secrets of the cartoon puppets Zach and Reggie. 
We are up early for 08:00 departure to Victoria Airport (YYJ) and flight to Sacramento (SMF). The light bus goes past the old railway bridge and we see where a revived railroad may run in the near future and the site of the 'new' terminus. A great visit to Victoria, B.C.

Checker survivor out west

Spotted this old Checker in the suburbs of Victoria, B.C. 
Pic by RLT.

Searching for Lake Annette

Jasper, Alberta, turns out to be a top place. After much needed freshening up we stroll around this mountain tourist town. Supper at the Jasper Pizza Place, next door to the Hotel Astoria, on the rooftop patio, in the company of a bunch of boisterous Aussies, turning the air blue. This town is not cheap but suffering somewhat in the recession. A shop assistant, where Annette bought some sunglasses, said: "last year was the worst ever." Apparently the high-rolling Yanks on $5,000 fishing trips aren't showing up and the Europeans are also staying home.
It was freezing overnight so we breakfast at Papa George's, next to the Hotel - special $6.95. We rent some cheap 'Suede' bicycles, at Jasper Source for Sports, $20 each for 4 hours, helmet, lock, map, provided. I also buy some new cycling gloves.
We set off down Highway 16 to find Lake Annette, across the Athabasca River. Superb scenery on quiet backroads in the company of elk and friendly Gray Jay or Whiskey Jack birds. We are constantly consulting the map, which also takes us to Lake Edith. While returning cars parked on the highway prove an obstacle as gawkers stop to stare at the wildlife. The trip of about twelve miles was glorious and seemed to be downhill all the way. Back for a snack lunch outdoors at the train station. An afternoon visit to the museum reveals that the Yellowhead Pass was named for a person.
While searching for a restaurant we see the Rocky Mountaineer train arriving from the west. We eventually take supper at Cassio's, 602 Connaught Drive, good Italian food, not cheap ($84 incl tip for two), but the wait staff are overwhelmed by the arrival of a grupo. An ordered coffee never materialises. We beat the retreat.
P.S. Jasper is at 3,800 feet, but we didn't experience any difficulty cycling.
Pic by Annette.

Not quite full of prairie promise

Winnipeg has seen better days, about a century ago when the sky was the limit. We head up the Broadway, where the street cars used to run, and work our way over to Portage and Main, in the city centre. We are offered a free donut by some insurance folk in a random act of diet madness. We take coffee and WiFi at the library.
The Peg, like many other North American cities, has been ruined by one-way streets, four-lane race tracks designed to scare the bejesus out of pedestrians. Many historic buildings have met the wrecking ball and the town has a broken-toothed appearance. We just have time to duck into the streetcar museum, in a replica car, where we learn that the only survivor #396 is being restored. We return to the magnificent 1911 station on Main in time for free coffee and biscuits.

We head out west past Rivers, MB, and into the Qu'Appelle Valley. Soon we are passing the potash mines, a source of prosperity in Saskatchewan. We stop in Melville, SK, and I photograph an old Pontiac up a gantry at a bodyshop. Past endless sloughs we reach the CN Walker yard at Edmonton, AB, via Saskatoon and Ardrossan. We eventually reverse through this massive rail yard arriving at Edmonton VIA station at 05:17, followed by frühstück at 06:00. A large party of Germans is leaving the train here.
Edmonton has a miserable modern station in the suburbs, stuck between the City Centre airport and a grotty trading estate. Train travellers get no taste of the city, like in Ottawa. We depart not having spent a cent.
We repair to the dome car, heading west past numerous container trains with their Hanjin, Evergreen and Italia signs. We spot nodding donkeys pumping oil in the fields. The Grey Cup Special train, vinyl wrapped, is heading towards us. Our train now has a special observation car spliced in, not elevated but with a glass roof. We stick to the 1950s version. We reach the Pembina River gorge where the train pauses on the bridge. Passing large lakes to left and right we reach Edson, AB, a hardscrabble town with railyards, timber and fracking supplies for gas. Another whistle stop at Hinton and we reach Jasper, AB, in the Rockies shortly after 1:00 p.m. We are glad to detrain after three days of rock 'n roll.

Dream combination for a great day out

Can you fit two Brompton bicycles in the early version of the smart car? Answer: yes! We drove to the Caledon Trailway for a 12-mile round trip cycle ride, proving that minimal motoring and folding bicycles make for a great day out.

After a thorough clean the new, old, red 2000 Brompton was ready for a first proper excursion in Canada. We started by taking coffee and fried egg sandwich at the Trailside Bistro, Caledon East. We then headed west towards Inglewood, along the old railroad bed. Parts of the trail reminded me of the Cuckoo Trail in Sussex - there can't be many Brompton bicycles that have been on both trails. This was ideal cycling on a hot day as much of the trail is shaded by woods. The surface is dressed with crushed limestone - just about good enough for the Bromptons to cope.

We bought an ice cream at the General Store in Inglewood, our turning point. We had visited here before when riding the Forks of the Credit railroad. The more sporty cyclists were missing out on the wildlife. I stopped quietly to observe some birdlets, which I think were kinglets. We were back home by 14:00 after a pitstop at Bulk Barn for trail mix and Garibaldi biscuits.
More tours are in prospect as the potential of the smart/Brompton combo dawns.
Pics by RLT.

Brompton unboxed

I unpacked the red 2000 Brompton 5-spd for a short run with Annette this morning. I brought the bike back with me from the UK after the recent ride in France. Annette is pleased that we are now a two-Brompton family. We ride up to Creme Fraiche, a new neighbourhood coffee shop and treateria, appropriately on Annette Street.

The bike only needs some TLC. I am pleased to note there are Schwalbe tubes in the Brompton-brand tyres – I think fitted for my less than 100-mile tour in France in 2008 which took us to Gacé. See PunchBuggy Passim.

Over the last two days I have ridden 12 miles on my normal run to Queens Quay and back (hot), 8 miles back from smart dealer service on Dundas St East (damn hot), on the yellow Brompton.
I think the two Bromptons will go in the back of the smart car.
Pics by RLT.

Elvis and Tammy

July 21: Up early Saturday morning to Tunnel Hill, GA, which featured in the Great Locomotive Chase. The hooter of a northbound freight is heard long before the CSX double-header comes into view. We head into Chattanooga to ride the Tennessee Valley Railroad through Missionary Ridge Tunnel, quite the best short rail excursion anywhere. The new VW factory is nearby and the Passat is being shipped by rail.
Heading west from Tennessee and Georgia into Alabama we stop at the Fame recording studios in Muscle Shoals. Unfortunately, tours can only be arranged in advance and there's nobody there to help. After a quick stop at a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Florence, we dip south and travel the Tammy Wynette Highway into Mississippi, to Tupelo, the birth place of Elvis Presley. Evidence of his (former) presence is everywhere from a lake named after him to a cardboard cut-out in the hotel lobby.
Sunday morning and it is very quiet at the Presley birthplace. The family's two-room home, with front-porch-swing, remains original (but is it on the original site?). A $4 million museum/auditorium complex is under construction just behind. It is slated to open in August to commemorate the 35th anniversary of his death. On display is a 1939 Plymouth, similar to that which took the Presley family to Memphis.

We meet a friendly couple from Wales - turns out he is a teacher and she comes from the same part of the country as my late father. They join us in a visit to the Tupelo Car Museum, which boasts a complete set of Elvis movie posters and a car that he gave as a present to the Denver, CO, Chief of Police. This 1949 Allard caught my eye. Recommended.

We head northeast on the Natchez Trace, a tourist highway devoid of trucks, but with precious little of interest along the way. We stop at the gravesite of Meriwether Lewis, with its ongoing mystery as to cause of death.
Pics by RLT.

Backroads and Blue Highways

July 16: The Deep South tour rolls on, leaving Pennsylvania behind and heading down the Delmarva peninsular, passing close to Wilmington, DE, an Amtrak stop at New Year. We are making for Georgetown, DE, an overnighter away from the coast, which saves dollars. We lodge at the Comfort Inn & Suites, 20530 DuPont Blvd, $105.95 incl tax. We find some bagels for supper in a strip mall at J&J Bagels, 28 Georgetown Plaza, Georgetown, DE.
In the morning we head for Lewes, DE, twinned with Lewes, East Sussex, England. It is a wonder anybody visits as there are no signs off the highway and, like its counterpart in England, the place is plagued with parking meters. Founded in 1631 by Dutchmen, and shortly after named Lewes, the town is a relative newcomer, but claims to be the first town in the first state of the US.
Friendly folk greeted us at the Chamber of Commerce and the Historical Society, who both do a fine job of promoting the town, once you find it and a place to park. We find some postcards at the latter, hard to come by in Lewes. I guess folk are sending less cards.
Next we hug the coast, driving through endless beach resorts crowded with holiday makers. It's hard to imagine a sharper contrast to the Amish farmland we left yesterday. We turn inland and off the highway to Pocomoke City, MD, which turns out to be a rewarding lunch spot by the Pocomoke River. The newly-opened Riverside Grill, 2 Riverside Drive, sells hamburger lunches at popular prices. I was amused by the nearby MAR-VA cinema.

We take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, an engineering marvel and an attraction all by itself. Opened in 1965, the toll costs $12 to cross the 20 mile stretch of bridges, man-made islands and two 1-mile tunnels. We detour via Elizabeth City where we fill up with diesel at $3.58 per gallon, rightly fearing worse on the Outer Banks. We learn that diesel will be cheaper in South Carolina where there is less tax. An overnight stop at The Travelodge, Kill Devil Hills, is a bit spendy at $160.88 incl tax. We meet up with Tracy next morning, a friend for over forty years, and go out for brunch. She has lived in KDH for many years and has many tales to tell about the local scene.
We leave the Outer Banks, spotting our first Piggly Wiggly at Plymouth, NC. We take diesel at Pinetops, NC, where I spot this Winnebago for sale. A snip at $2,000!

Avoiding the interstate we pass fields of tobacco, cotton, peanuts and other crops. A heavy driving day in the over 90 F heat we cover 260 miles before checking in to the Comfort Inn, 1957 Cedar Creek Road, Fayetteville, still in NC. This is the cheapest yet at $67.66 incl tax.

Next morning we stop to photograph a Renault Dauphine, atop a defunct gas station on Hwy 301. There was a time when Renault gave VW a run for their money in the US, but those days are long gone.
"South of the Border" billboards proliferate beside the highway as you drive towards South Carolina. A phoney Mexican attraction, right in the middle of nowhere, it has got more kitsch than Route 66. At Darlington Raceway we visit the small NASCAR musuem which has an impressive collection of stock car racing exhibits. This is stock car country as she used to be, a world away from the slick-suited businessmen of Daytona. The Darlington track, "Too tough to tame," is a holdout from the days of Rockingham and North Wilkesboro. We reach Augusta, GA, and crash out with takeout.
The highlight of the tour goes pear-shaped at Madison, GA, - see Punchbuggy Passim.
Skirting Atlanta we stop at Kennesaw, GA, to visit the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, which features the story of the "General" locomotive. During the Civil War, "Andrews' Raiders" stole the General and a chase ensued north through the mountains toward Chattanooga. A different perspective is given here than that at the museum in Strasburg, PA, on the "Great Locomotive Chase." Another exhibit contains the only fully restored belt-driven locomotive assembly line in the US, which was rescued when the Glover Machine Works in Marietta, GA, was demolished.
We ride on to Dalton, GA, for a stop at the Holiday Inn Express, with supper next door at the Holiday Inn.
Pics by RLT.

Steaming in Lancaster County

We overnight at Hershey Farm Restaurant and Motor Inn in Ronks, PA. After a splendid breakfast, with grits, we head for the Strasburg Rail Road and The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. These separate establishments are opposite each other. We ride the 09:30 Susquehanna behind Baldwin #90 for a 45 minute trip in Amish country.

Pics by RLT.

Hillclimbing in the Keystone state

A day in Corning, NY, with the smart car parked for the day. Cooked breakfast at Donna's on Market Street, with Pyrex collection and 95 cent coffee. We take the shuttle bus to the Corning Museum of Glass. We took in the Frank Carder collection, missed on a previous visit, plus the exhibition re the 1972 flood in the Rakow Research Library. Combination tickets $36.50 for two, includes art museum.
Hot Dog lunch at Jim's Texas Hot, followed by watching the Elmer Darling Duo singing country tunes in Centerway Square - "Happy Trails to You." Annette buys some Snickerdoodle cookies from an Amish gentleman at the Farmer's Market.
To the Rockwell Museum of Western Art:
"There was no where to go but everywhere, keep rolling under the western stars." - Jack Kerouac.
I never saw a backroad that I didn't want to go down.
In the evening we planned a quiet snack in the Steuben Bar at the Radisson. First the fire alarm went off and wouldn't stop, so the fire brigade turned out. Then a tiddly grandma to be, tipped gin and tonic all down herself and insisted on demonstrating how it was done. We retreated upstairs and a large dog started barking outside our door. Never go back.
Next morning depart 07:53 on Hwy 17 for Elmira, NY. Great road breakfast up at the counter at Lights Bakery & Coffee Shop, 211 West 2nd Street, $12.64 for two incl tax with bottomless coffee. South on Hwy 14 towards Canton crossing into Pennsylvania. Hwy 154 to Laporte, then via Nordmount and Sonestown. Take diesel at Endless Mountain Market, Muncy Valley - $3.79.9 per gallon. They have Goldenberg's peanut chews!

Arrive Wilkes-Barre at 12:50, after checking into the Comfort Inn we divert to Wegman's for grocery. They have grits, the shape of things to come. Reading The Times Leader, the local paper trailing Giants Despair hillclimb this weekend. Speed Channel is also advertising the hillclimb, admission free.
More here. Pic by Annette.