11/08/07
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
"Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this
"But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate -- we cannot consecrate -- we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
As we all know the above is the Gettysburg address given by President Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, during the American Civil War, four and a half months after the Union armies defeated the Confederates at the decisive Battle of Gettysburg.
For me it has a bit more meaning because it was the first time I ever made a speech in front of a audience. In ninth grade history class I was given the assignment of learning and giving Lincoln’s Gettysburg address to the class. Now, I know that doesn’t seem like a big deal, but for a ninth grader who had been teased about his speech and the way he talked from what seemed like forever, it was huge. This may have been the teachers way of getting me over my fear of speaking in public. I tried to get out of it, but she wasn’t hearing that. Well, as one might imagine, I survived and the speech went off without a hitch. While I don’t run out to find speaking opportunities, I can and have spoke in front of groups since and that first time was the start of it all with Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
I have ridden through the Gettysburg Battlefield Monument site a few times on bicycle rides, but never had time to stop and really check it out, so, when the group planned a ride to Gettysburg I thought it was time to go and really check out the place where the speech that got me over my public speaking phobia was given by President Lincoln from the great state of Illinois, my home state.
This ride was a joint ride with the Maryland and DC Motorcycle Touring and Sport Bike groups and started out on a very brisk Sunday morning. It was thirty six degrees as I left home for the meet-up location at the Starbucks in Chantilly, VA. I was dressed for the weather, with 3 layers for my lower body, 4 layers for upper body, 2 layer for my hands and a neck warmer. The only part of me that got a little chilly was my hands and I think that is because the two layers of gloves together were too tight and prevented circulation. I removed the wool inserts and the rest of the ride my hands were just fine.
Fourteen brave souls showed up at the Starbucks, which was a surprise, but a nice surprise nonetheless; as we all know misery loves company.
Chas give the normal safety briefing and proposed route information and we all saddled up and headed for White’s Ferry to meet up with riders from the other two groups from Maryland and DC. The ride started out on the normal route to get out of town down highway 50, a few cross streets to pickup route 15 north to the Leesburg area and heading north to White’s Ferry crossing for a short ferry ride across the Potomac River to get to White’s Ferry landing. The ferry ride was only about 10 minutes or so, but was nice and provided a nice view of the Potomac River.
At White’s Ferry Landing group introductions were made before heading to Gettysburg which was about a seventy mile ride away. We road along the river on the very scenic River Road and headed to Frederick, MD before heading into Pennsylvania and on to Gettysburg, PA. There was a gas stop in Maryland before we crossed over into Pennsylvania where all the 3+ gallon tank bikes had to get get gas. Someone stiffed the the 7-11 attendant for $5+ in gas. As we were getting ready to head off, the attendant came running out saying that someone hadn’t paid for the gas. Of course no-one fessed up to it and he had no way of knowing who it was. A prime example of why they ask you to pay first and this incident could lead to motorcycle group having a bad rep, especially at that station.
With such a large group, twenty four bikes, the ride to Gettysburg took longer than I expected for the seventy mile trip. We left White’s Ferry at about 10:45 and didn’t get to Gettysburg until approximately 1:30pm. But with twenty four bikes, a gas stop and stop and go traffic in Frederick and Gettysburg we made decent time.
No real incidents on the roads, but we did have Scooter along on this ride. Scooter is a tall guy who rides a little 250cc scooter, hence the name Scooter. Scooter, being a tall guy, can’t sit on the bike normally and so he tends to sat far back on the passenger section of the scooter which makes the bike back heavy and when he takes off the front leaves the ground and he tends to cross back and forth across the lanes with his feet flying in the wind, which is scary for the riders behind him since it appears he doesn’t have control of the bike. I know at one point he was riding behind me and he was riding uncomfortably close to me, to the point where I just let him get in front, at least that way I knew where he was at. (smile)
Even with Scooter antics and know matter how long it always a good time on the bike, checking out the scenery and now the fall color change was in full effect, so it was a very nice ride.
In Gettysburg, with such a big group on a nice Sunday afternoon, finding a place to eat for all twenty-four riders was near impossible, so we all split up into smaller groups to find places to eat. The group I was with choose the Lincoln Diner, appropriate choice. The Lincoln Diner was a quaint place in what appeared to be an old railway station. The food was nothing to write home about, but the service was good and we had our food quickly and the prices were reasonable.
Now the end of daylight was only a couple hours away and so was the ride for the Virginia group. To get back to our starting location we started plotting out a plan for the return ride.
The plan was to take route 15; with the DC group leaving at the I-270 split and going to DC and Prince Georges County. The Maryland and Virginia group stayed together until route 28 where the Maryland group headed to destinations east, Rockville, Silver Spring, Bethesda, etc and the Virginia riders kept on the south route to Chantilly. Sarge and Janet took route 621 and headed to Manasass and the rest headed back to the Starbuck where we started, had something warm to drink and some good conversation before heading home. We made it to Starbucks a little before five o’clock with a tad of daylight left.
After Starbucks we said our so longs and all headed home. I had a thirty mile ride to get home and for me that was going to be a new experience; riding at night. With the cagers not paying much attention to motorcyclist in the day how do they act to us at night. Of course, I have lights on the bike and have reflective material on my clothing so off I went. It was a new experience but the cagers did nothing they don’t do in the light at least at night you can see their turn signal that is when and if they use them. The temperature was beginning to drop, but the 45 minute ride was a nice ride and my riding experience is expanding.
The Gettysburg, PA loop was a total of two hundred and fifty (250) miles garage to garage and as always meeting new folks, renewing old friendships and riding the motorcycle is a good thing, a very good thing.
