This morning I packed up and headed to the nearest Dunkin Donuts. I was surprised to see one here in Pennsylvania. My morning coffee was 20 cents cheaper than at home. The gas right next door was 3.59 a gallon so I filled up. At these prices I can't afford to stay home.
Last night I noticed the Harley Davidson Assembly plant was only a half hour ride from Lancaster. So I decided to stay to the south and head to York. I set the GPS and rolled in just before 8:00.
I took this picture on the main road out in front of the Harley Factory. A York, PA, officer drove by. I thought he was going to tell me to move. He didn't, but he didn't look too impressed either.
While waiting for the 8:30 factory tour to start, I noticed I was the only non-Harley rider in the group of a dozen. To a Harley guy, seeing this factory is a big deal. Two of them had riden up from Knoxville, TN. Another mentioned he was from Fairhaven, Mass. Talking to him I found he knew my Mom's cousin Paul, who lives in Fairhaven. Crazy...
No pictures were allowed in the plant so I took this one in the display area. It gives an idea how the bikes are built. A cradle on a moving track keep them going down the assembly line.
The tour guides were very strict about keeping us on the painted yellow lines on the factory floor. The place was buzzing with swinging bikes and forklifts delivering parts to the line. The engines and transmissions are assembled in Wisconsin then delivered here. The plant can built a bike in two hours. It looked like most fun is hopping on and testing the finished product on the dyno. What a job that would be, riding new Harleys all day long and getting paid for the pleasure.
As I left York, I looked at the map and decided to head to Gettysburg. I have never been so I thought it would make an interesting afternoon. Traveling along Route 30 I saw a Lincoln Highway marker.
The Lincoln Highway was originally laid out in 1915 linking New York City with San Francisco. It was paved in the '30's and served as a main link across the US. Markers like the one above were placed by Boy Scouts every mile or so for the 3000 miles of the road. The Lincoln Highway was Route 30 until it hit what is now Route 50 in Nevada, The Loneliest Road in America. Connor and I traveled the Loneliest Road on our trip in 2009.
The Lincoln Highway was later replaced by interstates but lots of reminders like this one I passed today still exist.
"Wind In Your Hair, Feeling Alive. A Great Institution, The Sunday Drive."
I had to make one of my famous U Turns to get the shot...
"Wind In Your Hair, Feeling Alive. A Great Institution, The Sunday Drive."
I had to make one of my famous U Turns to get the shot...
The ride to Gettysburg was only a short one and I pulled into the visitor center just before noon. I bought a ticket for admission to an interesting movie depicting the history and facts of the battle. Afterward, I took a ride across the street and parked, then began a long walk through the main section of the battle field.
Before reinforcements arrived, the South initially outnumbered the North. But as you see can see from the position of this Union cannon, the North occupied the high ground.
I was really surprised at the size of the battlefield. It is difficult to see clearly all the way across. Monuments and statues mark the heroism and give credit to Artillery and Battery Groups that held their positions and performed acts of heroism. It is an impressive sight.
One of the largest structures is the monument built by the State of Pennsylvania noting and paying tribute to those residents who served at Gettysburg. If you look closely, you can see people standing at the top. I took the walk up the windy narrow stairs. It is quite a sight from up there.
I walked across the street into the cemetery where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg address. There is a large monument there with the text of his speech. I am sure this is a place where I could spend a lot more time, it would be interesting to come back.
I hopped onto Route 30 again and headed West. Parts of Route 30 climbed and dropped and twisted and turned. There were a few tough spots for a 57 year old truck. Route 30 dumped me on to Interstate 76 then 70 and into Somerset, PA , my landing spot for tonight. My route today is right here...
I only drove about 190 miles today but the Route 30 section was slow going. Lots of it, through places like Gettysburg and Chambersburg were worth the extra time. There is a lot to see when you get off the Interstates...
Tonight I was wearing a T shirt I got from the San Francisco Fire Boat crew. A man in the lobby asked me about it. As we talked I found he used to be on the Concord Fire Dept, the next town to where I work. He now has a job in the fire protection division of the National Park Service in Boston. He is doing advance work for the tenth anniversary of 911 at the Flight 93 Memorial site here in PA...
Tomorrow the goal is just to get to Dayton, OH, it will be a 300 mile poke. On Wednesday I will spend the day at the Dayton Air Force Museum...
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