Right Half Roundup – Staunton, VA

June 04-11, 2008
Annual Gathering of the ACE 750 ~ Rat Bastard Pack.
3,636 total miles

The annual “Right-Half Roundup” was held in Staunton, Virginia this year. This location is close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, and many historical attractions such a Monticello.

I left Houston around noon on Wednesday, after working half the day. I made it to Tuscaloosa before stopping for the night. This was about 660 miles. I’d be taking Interstate the entire way, so I could arrive by Thursday evening.

Thursday, more interstate, arrived around 7PM. Uneventful, and boring. This was another 650 miles or so. One of the fun things about road trips is the people you meet and strike up a conversation with, about 100 miles out of Staunton I stopped at a rest area for a butt break. Finding the only shady parking spot, I pulled in and stuck up a conversation with a grizzled old biker. He looked like Santa Claus after lap-band surgery. He was on his way back to Ohio after a two-week trip to Florida. He left so his “old Lady” could study in peace and take her finals, she went back to college using his GI Bill. I don’t know how old she was, but he had to be in his 60s. We chatted for 20 minutes or so, then he took off. I had yet another bottled water, then did the same.

Many of pack arrived on Thursday this year which was nice. We all walked up the hill to The Texas Steakhouse next door for dinner. Then back to the hotel, where we enjoyed some adult beverages, and caught up. I stayed up much too late.

Friday morning some of us headed out for a ride to Monticello. We stopped at the the gift shop/museum – saw lots of interesting stuff. On over to Monticello, there was a 2 1/2 hour wait to take the tour. Some stayed, some went to hotel, I decided to explore. I started out from Monticello, and found myself on several nice twisty roads including 6 and 56. I took about 4 hours to get back to the hotel, this was actually the highlight of the entire trip, riding-wise. Back to the hotel for dinner at Mrs. Rowe’s next door, great home-style cooking, and the waitress was a hoot, even showing us a photo of her “retarded” cat. Ended the night with more drinking and telling lies…

On Saturday, a fairly large group of us went to ride Skyline Drive. It was very nice, and almost no traffic. Maybe the high gas prices are keeping people home? We then headed to explore some caverns in the area. Some folks decided to head back to the hotel instead, I was undecided and let everyone go their separate ways thinking I might explore some more roads before heading back. About a 1/4 mile down the road I found Art and Linda and their Venture on the side of the road. The bike had just died, and would not do anything. I waited while they called for service. A wrecker made it in about two hours, they towed it back to the hotel since all the area shops were already closed for the weekend.

Back at the hotel, Boyd and Brett (with help from a large audience) were able to rig up a bypass to the ignition so they could get home. It’s great to know that these guys can fix most anything! I was just sure to keep my bike parked far away, in case they started looking for spare parts! LOL

Dinner again at the Texas Steakhouse, and more hanging out at the hotel. Entertainment provided by Boydster and Rev Jim in the form of (cheap-ass) fireworks picked up at Walmart.

Sunday, we start saying our good-byes and prepare to head out our separate ways. These roundups always end too quickly. I was taking a “long-cut” to get home, heading east towards Virginia Beach. I left Staunton and picked up the Blue Ridge Parkway and headed south. I was cool, almost no traffic, and of course awesome scenery. I stopped at a restaurant at the Peaks of Otter before exiting BRP and going east. I took all day on the back roads, and other than being right in the middle of heat wave (over 100) it was nice and uneventful, with lots of stops for water and Gatorade. I made it VA beach, and then went south into NC and stopped for the night in Elizabeth City. (I asked for a room with good cold AC – cranked it on, I think it was about 50 in the room when I woke up the next morning!)

Monday is my day to explore the Outer Banks. With the exception of a few New England states, I’ve been in all the states east of the Mississippi, but I’ve never really been on the coast, other than Florida and NJ, so this was a nice treat. I started out early, hoping to beat some of the heat, but thankfully it never got as hot on the coast as it was Sunday in Virginia. Very Nice! I started at Kitty Hawk, stopped to take a couple beach shots, then onward, through Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head. I kept hoping to find a place beach-side with a view to get a cup of coffee and/or breakfast. I lucked and found a place with great views of the ocean and pier, and excellent food to boot.

I really like this area, I can envision renting a place for a week and having a family vacation here. There sure are plenty of beach houses and condos, but it’s not too touristy. I visited the Bodie Island lighthouse. On down the coast to the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, then a short ferry ride and south through the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Then another ferry ride, this one long, about 2 1/2 hours. Waiting for the ferry I met a couple of guys on bikes. One had left Louisiana for New York, then over to Atlantic City and was following the Coast all the way to Key West. He expected to take about 4 weeks, but was in between jobs and not on a schedule. Bastard. The other guy left Pennsylvania for a similar ride along the coast. Both nice guys, we traveled together after the ferry ride, at least to near Wilmington where I broke off and headed west. I was determined to make the interstate before stopping, which took until almost 10pm. Long day, but an awesome day.

Tuesday, I got up early again and hit the road. I was making good time, but at some point around noon or so, I made a decision to quit pushing so hard, call work and take an extra day off. I have had very little down-time on this trip. I’ll be sure to schedule more of that in, next time. So I stopped early, again in Tuscaloosa, and was checked in and relaxing by the pool by 4PM. Took it easy, had dinner at Outback (walking distance) and crashed around 10PM.

Wednesday I woke up early as usual, and hit the road around 5AM. It was cool, and I was really able to chew up the miles, hitting the Texas border around noon. From here on, it was off the Interstate taking back rounds again all the way home.

Due to more important life happenings, It’s been two years since I’ve taken a long trip like this. Man, I needed it. Also, the time alone was great, it’s fun travelling with a friend or two, but alone is nice. This was also the first long trip on this bike, and it performed flawlessly. That’s why I ride Honda
Not sure where next year’s get-together will be, but I sure hope to be there.

LINK to all the photos from this trip