VA State Hog Rally - 2011

We left the house at 9:00 am on Thursday morning and headed up 460 to Petersburg. It was a gorgeous morning, the weather could not have been better. After a couple of stops in Petersburg city limits to ask directions we found our hotel and got checked in. Registration for the rally was quick and simple.








Back in the room we reviewed the registration material and decided we would go on the observation ride. This is a 50 mile ride in and around the Petersburg area. Well, after riding to the rally we got tired and decided not to finish the observation ride. Of course trying to get back to the hotel we got lost again. Fortunately the Petersburg police are awesome and were very helpful getting us back to our hotel.

Thursday nights dinner was Arbys. However, I have never been in an Arbys like this one. First off, it was huge, it had an inside and an outside dining area. When we ordered they gave us a pager so we could get our drinks and find a seat instead of standing there like an idiot waiting for our food. Oh, and did I mention there were four restaurants counting Arbys and an ice cream shop. For an Arbys it was pretty cool.

Back to the hotel, hit the hot tub and the pool. Back to the room and good nights sleep.

Friday was a very busy day there were a ton of events with the rally and we didn't do any of them. We wanted to do the poker run and they also had guided rides to the Petersbug national battlefield. Never made it, instead we hopped on the bike and visited the hosting dealer which was Colonial HD. That's where all of the vendors were along with different events throughout the weekend including Harley demo rides and a NASCAR simulator. After wandering around, buying sunglasses for myself and the wife and a new POW head rag for me we got back on the bike for some more riding. Friday night was the parade of flags in Old town and the lighted bike show. Being one who always worries about everything I wanted to visit old town to get the lay-of-the-land before the evening festivities. Well, when we got to old town Debbie decided she wanted to tour Blandford church and cemetery.

To be honest being a bit of a history buff I didn't put up much of a fight. This church was built in 1735 and has a very unique history. The main attraction are the 15 widows designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany of New York, yeah, that Tiffany. Anyway, this tour led to several more tours. If you enjoy history and you have never visited Petersburg before your missing a lot.

After the church and several museums it was time to get something to eat, well actually it was past time to get something to eat. Since we knew we were returning for the parade and we would probably be eating junk food we decided to hit Denny's on the way back to the hotel. After a big lunch we returned to the hotel and relaxed for a while before heading back to old town for the evening festivities.

To be honest I was a little disappointed in the parade. They were expecting about 2000 bikes and my guess was they didn't get half that many. I guess I can't complain too much, if I didn't ride in the parade why should expect others to do so. Anyway, They had at least 2000 bikes in old town on Friday night. There were bikes everywhere. Okay, so it wasn't Sturgis or Daytona, but the locals seemed to be impressed and everyone really seemed to be having a good time. There were food vendors set up in several different locations and many of them had live music. It was basically a block party that covered several blocks.








At 9:00 it was dark enough to start the lighted bike show. This was pretty hard to capture on film but it is really pretty impressive. Folks who participate in this event spend a lot of money for different color lights on their bikes to highlight the engine and the chrome. They drive by one at a time and the spectators vote on there favorite with applause.

After the lighted bike show we headed back to the hotel and lights out.

Saturday morning we headed back to Colonial HD to watch the field events and take another walk around the vendors. After a while it started getting pretty warm so we decided we had had enough. We packed the bike that morning and had checked out of the hotel so we were ready to go and we left the dealership and headed home to Virginia Beach. Oh, did I mention I got lost again, a couple of times. But once out of Petersburg we were good to go.

This was a very good event and if you have never been to a state HOG rally I highly recommend you attend at least once, you don't know what your missing

Around the Sound

What a great day!!!!

Left home on Saturday morning at 7:45. As the title says this ride goes around the Albemarle sound. You cross Four long bridges and you get to open up the bike on route 64 where the speed limit hits 70.

I took North landing road/mount Pleasant road to Centerville. Left on Centerville to Battlefield Blvd left on Battlefiled and head south to Moyock. Continued south to Nags Head. stopped at the outlet stores for a pit stop and to apply another coat of sun screen.

Continued to Manteo, picked up route 64 West and took the bypass around Manteo and enjoyed the open road of route 64 (watch out for alligators - I guess they call it alligator alley for a reason) for approximately 40 miles. Just east of Plymouth NC (about 10 miles east) I picked up route 32 North. Stay on 32 North and watch the signs. There are several options on this road. You can follow the signs to Edenton, or as I did, just head North until you hit route 17. A quick right and you take 17 to Elizabeth City.

I stopped at a sandwich shop in Elizabeth City, I can't remember the name but they are on Seldon street off of Enrinhausen. Anyway I had a delicious roast beef sub and a huge sweet tea, and applied another coat of sun screen. Gassed up at a shell station and continued north on 17. There are a couple of ways you can go at this point, the choice is up to you. I followed 17 to South Mills and then took Ketter Barn, old swamp road and several others to get to Balahak. From Balahak I headed up 168 and home.

271 miles total and I was home by 2:00.

Ok, so there are no pictures from this ride and there are two reasons for that. First is that I forgot the camera. The second reason is there really is nothing to see. This is a great ride to do nothing except ride. As I said the roads are all pretty good and at times on 64 the speed limit is 70, it is all just open country roads. If you do this ride early enough you will miss most of the traffic in Nags Head and once through Nags Head you should be good to go.