Three star hotels in Tirupati are very common and you’ll have a wide range of options to choose from. Tirupati is a popular pilgrim town that gets many visitors throughout the year. During the peak season it can be difficult to find a good place to stay. Most hotels get booked out two or three months in advance. If you want to be assured of a reservation, you have to make sure that you book your rooms in advance. The three star hotels in this town provide a reasonable option for the tourists as they are relatively cheap. The hotels are also well equipped with many modern facilities. The three star hotels of the town provide good value for money.

Some of the different three star options include Sindhuri Park Hotel, Grand World Hotel, and Hotel Bliss, Sindhu International, Kalyan Residency, Ramee Hotel and a few others. There is nothing extra ordinary about these hotels but they provide solid comforts for a low price.

Sindhuri Park Hotel is one of the Tirupati Hotels that are always in demand. This hotel is located in a good location and it is easily accessible. The hotel is relatively new and it has received good reviews so far. The hotel has an imposing structure and it is well known for being one of the premier three star hotels. The railway station is located around 15 kilometers away and the hotel offers pickup and drop services as well.

The rooms are well furnished and decorated. The rooms have wardrobes, dressing tables and an attached bathroom. The hotel has around 54 rooms in total. Some of the other facilities provided include doctor on call services, secretarial services, safe deposit lockers, and travel desk services. The hotel also accepts all credit and debit cards.

The Vrinda restaurant is a pure vegetarian option and it can seat a maximum of around 90 people. The restaurant serves both South Indian and North Indian dishes. The Mathura Conference Center can hold up to 250 people and it is ideal for wedding receptions and banquets.

The Grand World Hotel is another excellent option. It is located just five minutes from the railway station and it has a host of well furnished and beautifully decorated rooms. This is one of the few Tirupati hotels that offer pick and drop services as well as banquet related facilities. The banquet halls can hold up to 5000 people.

Looking for a hotel anywhere in the world? Try the recently revamped Hotel Search feature at NewYork.com! If you ask someone about their recent travels, most people will talk about where they stayed. Accommodations, good or bad, play a big part in how much you ultimately enjoy your trip away from home. Finding and booking the right accommodations in the most-visited city in the U.S. can be particularly daunting. The cost, quality and locale of New York hotels vary widely. The good news is, whatever your style there’s certainly plenty to choose from, with NYC lodging ranging from hostels to high-end hotels. Remember to sign up for the NewYork.com newsletter which contains special discounts on New York Hotels!

To help you find comfort on the road, NewYork.com just revamped our Hotel Search with lots of new search features. In addition to the standard selections by date, location, price and quality, the added capabilities let you target your search to find lodging tailored to your lifestyle. With NewYork.com advanced Hotel Search options you can specify amenities that are important to you. View photos, virtual tours and maps, and read a quick description about the hotel and its policies.

Vacationing families can search for children’s activities, swimming pool and pets allowed. Businesses can save time by narrowing the search to hotels with meeting rooms and services. Travelers trying to stay in shape can look for fitness facilities. If food is a factor, search for complimentary breakfast, in-room kitchen or hotel restaurant. Or if you already know the hotel you want, just look for the name.

As an extra perk, the NewYork.com staff has highlighted several hotels with added New York City hotel reviews and ratings by customers. For the ultimate in luxury, try the famed Plaza overlooking Central Park, and step out the door for some world-class New York shopping on Fifth Avenue. If you’re looking for hip and affordable, check out the Pod Hotel in Manhattan’s Midtown East, an invigorating walk away from the Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, the United Nations, and Grand Central Station. Or overlook Times Square from the Edison Towers, just a stroll to the Broadway theaters.

Hotel Search on NewYork.com realizes that everyone has different needs. Once you decide what is important to you, the advanced search can help you look for options that suit your lifestyle, schedule and budget. When you find a place you like, you can check availability by dates for a number of guests and rooms. Finally, you can make your reservations.

You can also use Hotel Search on NewYork.com or call 1-800-611-7485 to find accommodations in destinations around the world. And soon to come, NewYork.com is renovating its Restaurant Search to include more searchable dining options!

Sweet dreams from New York City Hotel Search at NewYork.com!

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England is one of the Europe countries which emerge as most deserving tourist destination in the world. England has unique, vibrant, attractive, and colorful culture those make the country one of the best tourist destinations in Europe Continent. The country provides world class attractions, shopping, restaurants, and accommodation facilities to their guests. The capital city London is one of the Best tourist destinations of the England.

The London city provides world class accommodation facilities from discount hotels to luxurious 5 Star Hotels in London. If money don’t matter for you and you are willing to pay any amount for your comfort the great number of luxury hotels are available. These 5 Star hotels in London count amongst the most affordable in the world.

Apart from these luxuries accommodation options London also provide Budget hotels. These two or 3 Star hotels in London offer all premium facilities in very affordable price. The list of some quality Three Star hotels in London

Looking for discount hotels or 5 Star hotels in London? We have best hotel room rates for London hotel reservations. Select from thousand of hotels available to book online. Pay less for more comfort from Luxury Hotels to Budget hotels in London.

Select the best London City hotels, and family friendly accommodation, your hotel rooms can be booked online for cheap rates. We offer great savings & discounts on wide range of hotels from 5 star Luxury Hotels, to mid range 4 star Hotels, 3 star, 2 star Budget accommodations, apartments, hostels, Conference hotel, family hotel & Bed and Breakfasts. We offer Safe & Secure Online Hotel reservations & bookings service for your travel savings. Information about hotels, reviews and room rate comparison and shows the cheapest rates can be found at allhoteldeals.net/uk/london-hotels.aspx

If you wish to make your trip to Rome, the city of lights, memorable and affordable, you can opt for cheap hotels in Rome. Hotels in Rome are well equipped to cater to the requirements of all classes of travellers.

Travellers can find discount hotels in Rome that offer facilities, such as colour TV, tea and coffee making facilities, hair dryer, swimming pool and many others to their holidaying guests. On the other hand, there are various hotels in Rome that offer conferencing facilities, facilities of fax and photocopy to their business guests.

Rome hotels also offer hot hotel deals that are a combination of accommodation and other facilities at a reasonable cost to their travellers in order to make their stay even more economical.

Booking hotels in Rome is no longer a Herculean task. All a traveller has to do is enter his travel details and click the mouse. The Internet will display over hundreds of options for the travellers to choose from. One site which facilitates the travellers to book hotels in Rome or worldwide from the comfort of their homes and that too free of cost is Hotels Online. Hotels Online provides an easy booking process for hotels all over the world. One search on this site will give travellers the access to both star rated and cheap hotels and deals around the world.

Hotels Online uses only premium hotel suppliers and also does not charge any fees for its services.

Hotels Online ensures that it not only provides its travellers with cheap discount rates, but also provides them with lucrative hotel deals at major luxury branded hotels.

Hotels Online does not promote guest reviews and neither does it boasts of its hotels being the best. It aims at assisting its users in finding the best deals for themselves. If you want to know more about hotels in Rome, discount hotels, hotel deals, or hotels anywhere in the world, log on to www.hotelsonline.com.

Related World Hotel Reviews Articles

On the search to your budget hotel, the first thing to consider is that the star ratings for a Hotel given to a hotel are not an international standard and are often based on facilities and not overall quality. The stars could have been awarded by the local government or hotel review organization or maybe even the hotel itself! So checking out some online reviews for a hotel is just as important as its star rating.

Online travel bookers such as expedia and ebookers have greatly increased the possibilities when looking for a hotel. They will have many of the latest special offers and late deals that your local travel agent may not know about. However it is also worthwhile checking out all of the online booking services as they do not all have the same deals, some may have exclusive contracts with resorts which allow them to get better offers.

It is worth taking note when booking in a foreign country if they apply room tax to the overall price as this may not be included when you book. Many people have turned up at their hotel only to find they have to pay an extra 10% for their stay.

A unique idea currently gaining a lot of popularity in the United States is room biding. The idea is quite simple. You go to s a site like Price line and select the grade of hotel that you want. You then bid on a room not knowing what hotel the room is for and agree to take it if you win. Hotels use this service to sell unsold rooms and there are great deals available all year round. It is a risk but many people have found some luxury hotels rooms at incredible rates. If you smart though it is possible to work out what hotel the room you’re bidding on is for. ie if you paste the description of the hotel in to google you may find it has been copied from the original hotel website! You can also try to work out which hotel it is by comparing the distance of the hotel from the city centre to hotels on google maps.

It is advisable to avoid on-request bookings when making a decision on a hotel. These offers often appear when the comparison site doesn’t have direct access to the hotel and has to check if the room is available. This has led to many people passing on cheaper offers as they think they already have a reservation, only to find that they don’t have a booking at all!

Many hotels when first opening offer special rates to their first customers. Some people have found discounts of up to 50% in the first opening weeks of a new hotel. Sites like Hotel news resource offer news on latest hotel openings from all over the world; it’s also worth checking out some of the big news sites like google news for new hotel openings.

Give yourself the vacation you deserve with all the comforts you will want when you are away from home. A luxury hotel will help you do just that. With the best in ratings, the best in perks, and the amenities offered that mean a lot to you as you relax and enjoy yourself, a luxury hotel will make your time away even better than it would have been

For more information on What is budget hotel? you can visit http://www.orangetreeresidency.com/

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Image by burtonwood + holmes
Translations is a collaborative work by Tom Burtonwood and Jacob C. Hammes. It has been selected for the inaugural Art Loop Open an art competition in Chicago. Translations is exhibited in the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel located at 230 N. Michigan. Members of the public are invited to view the piece from October 15th – 29th and vote on it. Translations was first presented at Three Walls as part of their “Chasing Two Rabbits” program in Winter 2010.

Art Loop Open: www.artloopopen.com/artists/tom-burtonwood-jacob-c-hammes
Translations on Vimeo: vimeo.com/10750465

About the video:

Contained within our unique animal identity is a strong desire to witness and experience symmetry, a desire informed by an overwhelming lack of its immediate presence in our waking lives. Symmetry and uniformity are present in the video collaboration between Burtonwood and Hammes, abstracted in terms of geometry and pure tones. Folding cubes and squares are accompanied by modulated, warbling sine waves and occasional bursts of distorted guttural voices, suggesting a human presence in a world of pure geometric and sonic abstraction.

Tom Burtonwood is an artist originally from the UK living and working in Oak Park, IL. He is interested in an array of subjects and issues relating to image making, ubiquitous technology and interactive objects. Currently he is working on a series of modular color studies relating to the video game Tetris. Recent exhibitions include The Center for Book and Paper Arts, Columbia College, Chicago; Three Walls, Chicago; Fountain, Brooklyn; Apex Art, New York. Burtonwood teaches at Columbia College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Jacob C Hammes is a Chicago based interdisciplinary artist whose range of projects investigate the strained relationships and sites of interaction between humans and the natural world. Hammes is primarily interested in emphasizing the disconnection between the desire to emulate nature and our ability to understand it. Primarily using sculpture, digital media, and hypnosis, Hammes attempts to reveal the struggle to connect with our own animal identity.
Hammes has exhibited and performed extensively throughout the midwest and internationally. Hammes’ work and various projects have been reviewed in publications such as Art Papers, Proximity Magazine, and the Leonardo Music journal.

Getting discount hotel reservations when you travel is not really that hard when you know how.
Booking early is one of the best ways to get a discount hotel reservation. And the earlier you book you hotel room the more discount you may receive. Hotels manage their reservations to ensure that the hotel books the maximum number of rooms at the maximum room rate possible. And the hotel will certainly make sure that the number of bookings exceeds the hotel’s break even point so that it is profitable. Hotels regularly release blocks of low cost rooms to the market to encourage people to make a reservation. These rooms will only available several months into the future. The hotel will have blocks of medium priced rooms and blocks of high priced rooms. As the demand for rooms increases the hotel “sells” the cheapest rooms first leaving the blocks of higher priced rooms. Also as the demand for rooms increases the hotel will increase their room rates to match the demand.
Booking at the last minute can sometimes result in a significant discount for customers. When a hotel has not received enough bookings to be profitable, then the hotel may release a number of rooms to the market at a discount. However, customers may not be able to book the hotel of their choice. If you are not too fussy about where you stay booking a hotel at the last minute can sometimes work in your favour.
Avoid travel on religious, public or school holidays. There will be increased demand for hotel accommodation which leads to higher room rates. Hotels tend to receive bookings many months in advance giving hotels the chance to maximise their room rates to ensure the hotel is fully booked well before the holiday period.
Avoid travel in Peak Periods such as the middle of summer when visiting a beach resort or island. Likewise, avoiding the middle of winter if going on a skiing holiday. The Greek Islands are a very popular destination during the summer months with the peak during August when the Greeks are on holiday. I visited the Greek Islands during June; there was plenty of affordable accommodation and the weather was beautiful.
Avoid travel during a major event such as The Olympics. For example, when the Sydney 2000 Olympics were being staged I travelled to New Zealand. The number of tourists visiting New Zealand was at a low point and I booked some very good bargains and had the pick of hotels. Also there were no queues at any tourist attractions which makes your holiday so much more enjoyable.
Booking multiple nights at the same hotel often results in a discount for customers. I cannot count the number of times I have booked 3 or 4 nights and received a free night or some other benefit such as a free breakfast every day. Hotels offer this to encourage customers to stay longer as it saves the hotel money. A hotel would rather check-in one customer for five nights than check-in five customers one for each night. The hotel would save substantial check in and out costs, administration costs, cleaning costs advertising and agent booking fees.
Stay during the week and not on weekends can result in a significant discount for customers. This is very evident at entertainment hot-spots such as Las Vegas and Macau where gamblers fly in for the weekend. The hotel rate on Friday and Saturday nights is often double the Sunday to Thursday night rate. Many other international locations also have this weekend premium where travellers arrive for a weekend escape from the city. For example many Londoners travel to Paris for the weekend and many Greeks visit the Greek Islands on the weekends.
Stay a little further away from the centre of the action. When travelling to major cities and attractions, the nearer the hotel to the city or attraction the more you should expect to pay. If booking a hotel in a major city consider staying in the suburb just outside the central business district. If visiting a major tourist attraction, such as Disneyland, consider staying in the next suburb. The down-side, of course, is the extra travel cost but a taxi fare may be a lot cheaper than the extra cost of the hotel room.
Booking on the Internet is the best way for customers to compare and shop for a hotel in any location in the world. There is huge choice for customers meaning huge competition for the hotels which keeps prices low. Also many of the best hotel deals are only released on the internet and are often only available until sold out. The internet allows you to enter your travel dates, check availability, compare prices, view photos of the hotel exterior and interior and read reviews hotel reviews from other travellers.
The booking is made in real-time so you know that once it has been confirmed the booking is complete. Most importantly, making a prepaid reservation will get you the cheapest hotel rates available. As your credit card is charged at the moment you make the booking everything is confirmed and arranged for you immediately.
And once the booking is complete the hotel check-in voucher is sent to your email address and can be printed out for presentation to the hotel on check-in. If you lose your voucher, don’t worry, simply go to your email and print another one. Bookings can be altered or cancelled at any time however if the booking is changed within 72 hours before the check-in date there may be an administration fee charged by the hotel and this will vary from hotel to hotel.

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_MG_2195


Image by burtonwood + holmes
Translations is a collaborative work by Tom Burtonwood and Jacob C. Hammes. It has been selected for the inaugural Art Loop Open an art competition in Chicago. Translations is exhibited in the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel located at 230 N. Michigan. Members of the public are invited to view the piece from October 15th – 29th and vote on it. Translations was first presented at Three Walls as part of their “Chasing Two Rabbits” program in Winter 2010.

Art Loop Open: www.artloopopen.com/artists/tom-burtonwood-jacob-c-hammes
Translations on Vimeo: vimeo.com/10750465

About the video:

Contained within our unique animal identity is a strong desire to witness and experience symmetry, a desire informed by an overwhelming lack of its immediate presence in our waking lives. Symmetry and uniformity are present in the video collaboration between Burtonwood and Hammes, abstracted in terms of geometry and pure tones. Folding cubes and squares are accompanied by modulated, warbling sine waves and occasional bursts of distorted guttural voices, suggesting a human presence in a world of pure geometric and sonic abstraction.

Tom Burtonwood is an artist originally from the UK living and working in Oak Park, IL. He is interested in an array of subjects and issues relating to image making, ubiquitous technology and interactive objects. Currently he is working on a series of modular color studies relating to the video game Tetris. Recent exhibitions include The Center for Book and Paper Arts, Columbia College, Chicago; Three Walls, Chicago; Fountain, Brooklyn; Apex Art, New York. Burtonwood teaches at Columbia College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Jacob C Hammes is a Chicago based interdisciplinary artist whose range of projects investigate the strained relationships and sites of interaction between humans and the natural world. Hammes is primarily interested in emphasizing the disconnection between the desire to emulate nature and our ability to understand it. Primarily using sculpture, digital media, and hypnosis, Hammes attempts to reveal the struggle to connect with our own animal identity.
Hammes has exhibited and performed extensively throughout the midwest and internationally. Hammes’ work and various projects have been reviewed in publications such as Art Papers, Proximity Magazine, and the Leonardo Music journal.

Bangalore hotels

Bangalore is one of the largest city in India, has been known as the lucky city for long; as it is the largest exporter of IT products. So it is called as IT Hub. It has also the other remarkable features that have attracted large number of tourists from all around the world. Though the Bangalore experience cool climate, the temperature of the country is influenced by oceanic currents. Transportation system is very well developed. The country is not lagging behind in any of the ways in making the mainland as tourists’ attractions spot. Some of the factors to be considered while choosing Bangalore hotels are

The Word on the Street is…

Many people enjoy sharing their travel experiences by writing reviews or testimonials. These testimonials can be found on hotel review sites they will give you some insight to the state of the hotel. If the hotel you are considering has a bad reputation then there will be a lot of bad reviews. These Bangalore hotels are just not worth keeping on the list.

Star Ratings

Last but certainly not least, it is worth looking at star ratings. Ranging from 1 to 5, these internationally recognized ratings tell guests how good or bad a hotel is. Generally, the more stars a hotel has, the more it will cost to stay there.

Bangalore hotels can be booked online through several agencies that make pre-arrangements for the accommodation of tourists while they might be busy in exploring the sightseeing of the city. Thus, avoiding them from hustle and adding excitement to their trip. One can easily find suitable accommodation around particular tourists’ attraction depending on his need. Bangalore hosts many festivals and some of Asia’s largest social and cultural events. Its vibrant lifestyle and rocking performances during the celebration of events is the other cause of increasing tourists to the Country of India.

Transithotels.in is the one of the pioneers in this segment offering some of the finest service apartments in Bangalore, India. We offer safe, secure and economical Serviced apartments / accommodations in Garden city, Bangalore India, be it for work or for pleasure.

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_MG_2241


Image by burtonwood + holmes
Translations is a collaborative work by Tom Burtonwood and Jacob C. Hammes. It has been selected for the inaugural Art Loop Open an art competition in Chicago. Translations is exhibited in the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel located at 230 N. Michigan. Members of the public are invited to view the piece from October 15th – 29th and vote on it. Translations was first presented at Three Walls as part of their “Chasing Two Rabbits” program in Winter 2010.

Art Loop Open: www.artloopopen.com/artists/tom-burtonwood-jacob-c-hammes
Translations on Vimeo: vimeo.com/10750465

About the video:

Contained within our unique animal identity is a strong desire to witness and experience symmetry, a desire informed by an overwhelming lack of its immediate presence in our waking lives. Symmetry and uniformity are present in the video collaboration between Burtonwood and Hammes, abstracted in terms of geometry and pure tones. Folding cubes and squares are accompanied by modulated, warbling sine waves and occasional bursts of distorted guttural voices, suggesting a human presence in a world of pure geometric and sonic abstraction.

Tom Burtonwood is an artist originally from the UK living and working in Oak Park, IL. He is interested in an array of subjects and issues relating to image making, ubiquitous technology and interactive objects. Currently he is working on a series of modular color studies relating to the video game Tetris. Recent exhibitions include The Center for Book and Paper Arts, Columbia College, Chicago; Three Walls, Chicago; Fountain, Brooklyn; Apex Art, New York. Burtonwood teaches at Columbia College and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Jacob C Hammes is a Chicago based interdisciplinary artist whose range of projects investigate the strained relationships and sites of interaction between humans and the natural world. Hammes is primarily interested in emphasizing the disconnection between the desire to emulate nature and our ability to understand it. Primarily using sculpture, digital media, and hypnosis, Hammes attempts to reveal the struggle to connect with our own animal identity.
Hammes has exhibited and performed extensively throughout the midwest and internationally. Hammes’ work and various projects have been reviewed in publications such as Art Papers, Proximity Magazine, and the Leonardo Music journal.
Proximity Magazine, and the Leonardo Music journal.

It has become increasingly hard to find good quality cheap hotels these days. Because of the situation of the world economy, it is now possible to find hotels that have marked down their rates without reducing or sacrificing the quality of their services. Here we will show you how to look for these hotels and how to select the best one in a specific area.

The best way to gauge and select cheap hotels is being there personally. Allotting an appropriate amount of time and energy in your hotels search will yield great benefits that you will reap during your stay. However, if visiting the hotels yourself will not be possible you should have a reliable source of information about the hotels you will be visiting.

It is always best to check on the marketing material of the cheap hotels you are considering, this is because they often highlight the best features in their hotel on these materials. But these materials should not be your primary source of information. The best sources of advice on these matters are friends or acquaintances who have nothing to gain from fabricating any false information about their experiences in the hotels.

Next are reviews from reputable hotel review associations like magazines or travel guides as they bet their reputations on the line when they make their review. Another good resource that has been newly introduced are internet forums where people from all around can share their experiences with other cheap hotels seekers out there.

Another thing to consider is what you expect from the cheap hotels you will be staying in. Depending on the location and the budget for your stay you should have a good expectation of the amenities you would like to be able to access during your stay. For example, the size and quality of the rooms, their bathrooms, the beds, and complimentary services such as meals should be considered. Amenities like pools, health spas, restaurants, coffee shops, and bars add to the value of a hotel.

Not all amenities and services are equal so a keen and observant eye can help ensure that you get the best value from your money when choosing in between cheap hotels.

Looking for cheap hotels in specific location can be a big task but the benefits are truly worth it. By canvassing all available options you can ensure that your next hotel stay will be a good experience.

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Viajante, Bethnal Green, E2


Image by Ewan-M
A very fine restaurant doing high-quality and technically superb cooking courtesy of Nuno Mendes, in the unlikely setting of Bethnal Green. It also has a fairly large bar that serves excellent cocktails and has its own bar menu. (It is also a hotel called the Town Hall Hotel.) (Photos of menu, first page of wine menu and tasting menu.) (Photos of cocktail, amuse bouche, bread, squid starter, salsify, crab, duck, lamb, pre-dessert, dessert and petit fours.)

Address: 8 Patriot Square.
Owner: (Viajante website and Town Hall Hotel website).
Links:
Randomness Guide to London
London Eating
—
The Evening Standard [Fay Maschler]
The Guardian [Matthew Norman]
Metro [Marina O'Loughlin]
The Sunday Times [AA Gill]
—
Cheese and Biscuits [Chris Pople]
London Eater [Kang Leong]
A Rather Unusual Chinaman [EuWen Teh]
Tamarind and Thyme [Su-Lin]

Quickly becoming one of the world’s top holiday destinations, Dubai has built a reputation from its real estate and incredible tourist industry. Because of this unprecedented success, there is a growing demand for cheap hotels. Dubai already has a high calibre of world renowned top quality hotels which need no introduction, however, those which are low cost like any other holiday destination are also required. If you have the budget to stay in luxury accommodation then great, but in general, most people will tend to stay somewhere less plush. Dubai has many affordable hotels that also have fantastic service at a fraction of the cost. Generally, if you want to find cheap hotels, places to avoid are the New Dubai areas such as Jumeirah where prices are always high as this is the business district. The sheikh Zayed Road area near the marina are also discouraged as this is prime real estate.

Low cost hotels can be found in areas such as; Deira, Bur Dubai and Al Satwa. Deira is home to a large population of migrant workers but this is a strategically good location as this is a short walk to the gold souk and Dubai Creek. Because Dubai is virtually crime free, it is relatively safe to travel at any time of the day or night although one must exercise caution as you would anywhere in the world. If you want to stay in Dubai then definitely check out Deira as a {[low cost| cheaper]} option. Hotels to check out are the Le Meridien in Deira which aren’t to dear. It may be a good idea to stay in the vicinity of Bani Yas square region. Most of these hotels will be very basic accommodation but it is a lively place day and night. If you want something an echelon higher then the Creek is where you will get a better quality and standard of accommodation. An example is the Hilton on Dubai Creek which is a 5 star outfit or the Grand Hyatt. If you are a fan of fine dining then you will also find Chef Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant here.

Bur Dubai is slightly different to Deira, it is a buzzing little area which is home to a large Indian migrant population (mostly from Karela). It is close to shopping malls such as Ibn Batuta Mall, and is about a 10 minute drive to Jumeirah. It has a fantastic market called ‘Mina Bazaar’ which specialises in clothing that you can get at good prices with many cheap hotels in Bur Dubai that you will be able to find. The include places like the Le Meridien Sandos and also Golden Sands apartments.

Hotels in Al Satwa should really be on the bottom of the list unless you are on a very tight budget. Although the area runs parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road, it is the area which is considered to be the main place where migrant workers stay. There are many good places to eat in Al Satwa although tourists very rarely stay here as it deemed to be quite rough.

Before you book any cheap hotels in Dubai do your research. It is advised to read hotel reviews where you may potentially be staying just to ensure there are no surprises when you arrive. Because nightclubs are not really allowed in Dubai since it is a Muslim country, you may find that there are bars or discos integrated within the hotels so be sure to check out the reviews before making a decision.

Wherever you stay in the Emirate, you will be pleased to know that there are many cheap hotels to be found. The best deals are in the off-peak season which is in the summer, between April and September where you will be able to get some bargains on flights and accommodation. If you do decide on going in these months then be prepared to hit soaring temperatures in their 40s.

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Sleepy Hollow Hotel


Image by D.Clow – Maryland
Room 102 in the no-tell motel

Friday
Entry One

Flew out of work, the fleet flight of Friday before a holiday weekend. Everyone cracks a smile upon stepping out of the concrete and glass coffin of the corporate work week. The motorcycle is quickly gassed and loaded, I leave Washington DC at three-thirty, vowing not to check the time for the rest of the adventure. Adventure, the American adventure of the open road is what I seek. The road, my cameras, and escape.

Right turn off of 15th St. NW and I’m motoring past the Washington Monument and the White House. Harleys and clones are already lining the Mall for the annual Memorial remembrance that is Rolling Thunder. I’m soon over the bridge and on I-66 west. I plan on avoiding major highways when at all possible. Preferring scenic byways to drab highways. 66 is a necessary evil to flee the DC metro area as quickly as possible. At the start, 66 is a good quick run, for awhile anyway. Loads of Rolling Thunder riders are heading in 66 eastbound.

I keep the ubiquitous two fingers down to the side salute to fellow bikers out for extended stretches of time. In my experience, HD guys return the acknowledgement about 30-40% of the time. No big deal, some animosity exist though between different bike cultures. Motor-ism two-wheel stereotypes. However with the Rolling Thunder guys there is a noticeable increase in response, perhaps due to no longer just one biker acknowledging another, but a patriotic sharing of support and remembrance for those left behind, POW-MIA.

Traffic worsens further out 66 and I come up on a full HD dresser. Screaming Eagle back patch worked in with POW-MIA covers his vest and is topped by a “Run for the Wall” patch. I keep back a pace and we adopt the natural offset positioning of multiple riders.

After some 66 backup, stop-and-go, we strike up a staccato conversation in the pauses of the traffic flow. Where you been, where you going, see the rain coming? I tell him I’m headed out to the mountains, Skyline Drive and West Virginia. He says he’s just in from there recently, was in DC for Rolling Thunder for the day and will be coming back in on Sunday again. His license plate is obscured by luggage, so I’m unsure of his port of origin.

Later on we part ways and my thoughts turn. Of my parents friends only my step-dad was drafted for Vietnam. Luckily, for us, he only went as far as Ft. Hood, TX, and came back with some good stories about army life and venturing into Mexico (at least the ones he’s shared with me). I think about all the life he’s lived since then, all his experiences and joys. Thinking about what all those who didn’t return gave up, lost, when they didn’t come home. The loss felt by those who loved them, families that have a name on the Wall.

Rain is sprinkling before Manassas. Enough to cool you off but not enough to get you worried yet, at least for a bit. Whooooo. Then come the big drops. I head off the ramp to gear up with the rain paraphernalia under the gas station pavilion. Finally get it all on and get strapped back up and out pops the sun and the rain stops. Too funny. Now I have wet clothes on under the raingear. Rain gear now keeping the wind out that would dry me. I motor on as more rain is promised on the horizon.

This brings up a point about rain. People always ask, “What do you do when it rains and your on the motorcycle”. I reply simply, “I get wet”. Duh. Rain riding has never bothered me. On the straight highways it’s no big deal. Just give more cushion to the cars in front of you. Drive like grandma on the exit ramps.

My turning point is finally reached. Off of 66 west and onto 647, Crest Hill Rd. at The Plains, VA. Crest Hill Road is my first slice of motorcycle heaven to be had this weekend. I’m delighted to find that the squiggly line I traced out on the map when planning this trip has translated so well in reality. The road is still wet from the passing rain clouds, and I give a small rabbit and then a chipmunk a near death experience. My first of many animal crossings this weekend. The road is fantastic. A mixture of hilltop road and tree lined canopies that create forest tunnels. Speed limit is 45mph, 55-60 feels comfortable on most parts. Keeping an eye out for a hilltop barn to photograph that I’ve seen in my minds eye, lit by the sun breaking through the clouds and backed by the mountain vista. No luck on any of the barns actual placement to fit the mental picture I have framed.

Crest Hill Road and Fodderstack Rd is a long stretch. I take shots of a church and other buildings along Zachary Taylor Highway. Fodderstack gives more of the same as Crest Hill, just a narrower road. The asphalt is of my favorite variety, freshly laid. Washington, VA is a tiny town of historic bed and breakfasts. Local wineries appear to be an attraction here too. Right after Washington the rain returns while I’m in route to Sperryville. Then it really starts to come down, a full on summer thunderstorm. Visibility is down. Road and parking lots soon resemble rivers. Rain drops of the monster variety explode on the pavement, and you know it hurts when they hit you.

I quick soaking circuit of Sperryville confirms there are no local hotels. I duck into a barn shaped restaurant to wait it out. My drenched gear takes on bar stool and I occupy another. There’s a few flying pigs about. The bartender get me a hefeweizen, and recommends the angus burger. Locally raised and grass fed, we exchange jokes about my passing the burgers relatives on the way in.

Don’t freak about the beer. I have a one only rule when riding. It was followed by a meal (best burger of the weekend!), several coffees, and this bar top journal entry.

Somewhere along Crest Hill road I decided to keep the cell off for the weekend. In addition no tv, newspapers, internet, or e-mail sound like a good idea. Of course I now am studiously avoid eye contact with the two beautiful plasma’s above the bar.

Entry Two

Hazel River Inn, Culpepper, VA, has the coolest street side seating in town.

The downpour let up at the Shady Farms bar in Sperryville and due to the deficiency in local lodging I quiz the bartender for options. Over the other side of the mountain, the opposite side of Skyline Dr via 211 is Luray with lots of motels, but I want to save the mountain for the morning. The waitress suggest Culpepper, there being a Holiday Inn etc.

Stepping outside the sun has broke through the clouds again. Enough for some shots of Shady Farms Restaurant and a bridge. Heading down 522, the Sperryville Pike, I keep an eye out for photo ops to catch the next morning as I’ll be rerouting back through. Following the mantra of Dale Borgeson about tour riding in the US, I aim to avoid large chain establishments, whether they are restaurants or hotels, and explore the mom-and-pop local variety businesses. I have a dive-ish roadside motel in mind, Culpepper comes through with the Sleepy Hollow Hotel.

Before check in I ride through downtown historic Culpepper. It’s a cool place. The Shady Farm bartender had recommended the Culpepper Thai restaurant. I see it but don’t visit, still full from the meal earlier. Cameron Street Coffee looks like a great place, located in an old warehouse. Unfortunately their closed for the night.

Shower and changed, room 102 at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel. I hop back on the bike, refreshed and dry and ride through the warm night air back downtown. The coffee at the Hazel River Inn comes with a sweet fudge confection on the side. The peach and blackberry cobbler with vanilla sauce is divine.

The reconfigured plan for this getaway is to shed. Shed worries about the job, career, housing, and relationships. My motorcycle is therapeutic. It’s 600cc’s of Zoloft on two wheels. The road lifts my spirits. This wasn’t supposed to be a solo run, and there are stretches of road where I feel the emptiness behind me.

The cobbler is finished and I can hear the sound of a band doing their sound check. The banging of the drum requires investigation.

Entry Three

I found Brown Bag Special in the cellar pub of the same restaurant I was in. On my way to the door the noise of the sound check floated up the stairs and directed my feet downward. Brown Bag Special opened the set, appropriately enough, with “I drink alone”. The ol’ man, Big Money, would have loved it. Drink alone started off a Big Money Blues trifecta to include “The Breeze” and “Mustang Sally”. Then they made the mistake a lot of bands make that have a great lead guitar player. They let him sing. The lead guitarist karaoke sucked his way through a Tom Petty hit. He was so off key in his singing it made you appreciate the guitar solo’s all the more for the relief they provided. Thankfully the regular singer soon resumed his duties and the night went on. More good stuff from the band.

Freebird
Folsom Prison Blues
Cheap Sun Glasses

“can’t you see, can’t you see, what that woman, what she’s done to me”

Off to bed now at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel with the ghost and shades of dead hookers and overdoses past.

150 miles today.

Saturday

Entry Four

Morning breaks on the Sleepy Hollow Hotel, a hot shower and I’m back on the bike. A quick stop downtown to shoot the Hazel Inn, then it’s back on the Sperryville Pike. More stops to capture some sights seen yesterday. Mr. & Mrs. Pump. The open mouth caricatures are an accurate representation of the current gas cost and the pumps eating your wallet.

I keep telling my daughter that her first car, college car, will be a hybrid. She thinks they are ugly. The bike isn’t so bad, averaging around 40mpg. At about 180 miles on the tripometer I start to look for a refill, although I’ve pushed it to 211 miles before.

A quick left in Sperryville on 211 and up into the mountain, Blue Ridge Mountains and Skyline Drive. Heading up the mountain I get the first bite of the twisties I’ve been craving. The fee at the gate to Skyline Drive is well worth the price. Great scenery and fantastic views. The only drawback is the 35mph speed limit that is well enforced by the park rangers.

I shoot some self-portraits at Pollock Knob overlook. They’re funny in that with all the scrambling and hurrying to be the camera timer, then trying to effect a relaxed pose. I’ve also broke out my old friend this trip, the Lubitel 166, a medium format, 120mm film, twin lens camera. I’m like Jay-Z with this camera, I have to get it in one take. There is no digital review after the click for instant gratification. As a fellow photographer it’s “Point, Push, and Pray”. I’ll be interested to see the results. Not that I’ve left digital behind. Carrying both cameras, I’m an analog/digital double threat.

After the self-portraits and some dead tree shots I’m about to pack back on the bike and leave when I meet the preacher and his wife. He offers to shoot me with my camera and I return the favor with theirs. Conversation flows and in a ‘small world’ moment it turns out that he works for same Hazel family that owns the restaurant I was at last night for his Monday thru Friday job. I get a friendly “God bless” and I’m heading south on Skyline Drive. I make several more stops and break out the cameras again at Big Meadow.

There is a gnarly dead tree in the middle of the meadow. It has burn damage at the base, either the result of some wild fire or perhaps a controlled burn done to maintain the field. I spot and shoot a few deer, they probably won’t turn out as they’re to far away for my lens on the D100. I shoot a bunch of shots of the tree with the D100 and then totally switch processes with the Lubitel. The picture setup with the Lubitel takes about a minute-and-a-half. Manual zoom, i.e., walking back and forth to get the framing I want. Light meter reading. Then dealing with the reversed optics of the look-down box camera. It is fun though, to switch it up, change the pace and the dynamics. Just one click though, hope I caught it.

It’s a long but enjoyable ride to the south end of Skyline Drive. Unless you really like slow cruising I would suggest picking which third of Skyline Drive you’d like include in your trip and leave the rest. I drop off the mountain and into Waynesboro. Finding Mad Anthony’s coffee shop for a late breakfast. I overhear that it’s around noon. The Italian Roast coffee is good, in fact, it would prove to be the best coffee of the trip.

One of the pleasures of traveling by motorcycle is that it’s an easy conversation starter. People ask you where your coming from, where you’re heading, ask about your bike, tell you’re about their bike or the one they wish they had. One of the peculiarities of these conversations is that if the person even remotely knows of anyone that has died on a motorcycle, they will be sure to share this fact along with details. These stories usually involve a deer, a car pulling out, or someone taking a corner to fast. The conversation goes something like this:

Stranger“nice bike”
You“thanks”
Stranger“my cousin Bob had a friend that hit a deer and died on his bike”

Short silence.

You“yeah, deer are dangerous, got to be careful”

I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve held variations on this conversation many times. Luckily this isn’t the conversation I have with the owner of Mad Anthony’s. He’s a former sailboat instructor who now finds the same release and head clearing on his motorcycle that he used to get from his sailboat.

This brings to mind the same wave – don’t way dynamic that occurs between sail boaters and power boaters, very similar to the sportbike & HD crowd.

The proprietor is a coffee guru, we discuss roasting (my Italian roast was just roasted Wednesday this week). We talk about the good and the evil of Starbucks. We’re both in agreement that they over roast their regular coffee, but I think their foo foo drinks are tasty. He has in his shop both the Bodum press and the Bodum vacuum coffee pot that I got my mom for x-mas. A shameless plug here, the Bodum vacuum coffee pot makes the best home coffee ever. It’s also an entertaining crowd pleaser, no joke.

Leaving Waynesboro the plan was 340 northward to 33, then into Harrisonburg, VA (home of the Valley Mall and JMU). 340 proved to be boring so I jumped on 256, Port Republic Road, for a better ride to Harrisonburg. I don’t know if the coffee wore off or if I was just worn out. I pull over at Westover Park, pick out a spot of grass, and take a good nap in the sun.

I had my motorcycle bug handed down to me by my step-dad. My kindergarten year of school we moved right at the end of the school year. Rather than switch schools at this inopportune time my Dad stuck me on the back of his Honda and rode me to school and back again for the last month or two. Even earlier than that I have a great photo of me in 1973-4 sitting on his chopper with him. Me in a diaper and him with his long hippy hair. The wild side of the Reverend indeed.

Refreshed from my nap it’s back on 33 westbound. Heading out of the Shenandoah Valley and Rockingham County is more glorious twisty roads and the George Washington National Forest. GW is a beautiful tree canopy lined road with a river off to one side. Franklin, WV is the destination, a return to the Star Hotel.

I stayed at the Star a few years prior when they first re-opened the historic Star Hotel. The owner, Steve Miller, is a great guy, friendly and conversational. I told him I’d be back again, but it’s been a few more years than I thought. Late lunch at the Star is pesto grilled chicken on ciabatta bread with roasted red peppers. Not the type of fare one might associate with West Virginia, but people have misperceptions about everywhere. Steve promises a prime rib later at dinner tonight to die for.

So that there is no misunderstanding, in as much as the Sleepy Hollow Hotel was a dive, the Star Hotel is a dream.

Dump the gear in the room back on the bike for some roaming around. I head back to explore a river road I passed on the way in, Rock Gap. It’s a gravel affair and I follow it back a little ways. Photo some river shots. Down further there is a large cliff face with some college aged kids de-gearing after a day of climbing. I’ll try to stop back in tomorrow and shoot some climbing action, as well as some fly fishing.

I pick up a bottle of Barefoot Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, and drop it off with Steve at the Star to keep for later. I’ll enjoy that bottle later tonight from the 3rd floor front porch. South out of town I head, into some very secondary roads. I shoot an old decrepit cabin that would be right up Bobby Sargent’s alley. I put it in the metal folder for a possible future model shoot location, along with the river spots I’ve seen.

There are a couple more stops on this little ride. Once for what appears to be a feral chicken, and then for middle of the road stare down with a young doe. She’s camera shy though and is off before I can get a shot. Sportbike probably isn’t the best conveyance for nature photography. The pavement stops and gravel begins, I motor on. Rick & I once spent a full day just about on gravel roads, crisscrossing the back country around Cumberland, MD. So I’m comfortable with the less than ideal riding surface. A few miles on the road dead ends at a pair of chicken houses (source of the feral chicken’s ancestors perhaps?) and I turn around and survey the valley I’ve just ridden through. I have to stop the bike and soak in the scene. A picturesque farm is nestled in the corner of the valley, up against the hills. I meet some inquisitive cows, along with the farmer and his wife.

It seems that when you are in WV and you pass a sign that says “snow removal ends here” that the already suspect road conditions are going to quickly deteriorate and will soon resemble somewhat more of a logging road. I motor on through some back country, no houses, no farms, just mountains, steep roadside cliffs, and wicked gravel switchback curves. The part that gives you the willies are the downhill corners where the road grade is slanted to the outside of the curve and to the drop below. Yikes!

I creep along where a four wheeler would be much more functional. Although I still hit it a bit in the straights. Pavement arrives again and I’m unsure of my exact location. I follow the chicken farmers directions and soon discover myself back in Brandywine, intersecting the same stretch of 33 I rode on my way into Franklin.

Back at the Star Hotel it’s a shower and fresh clothes before heading down for dinner. Downstairs I find the prime rib to be as good as promised.

Entry Five

How beautifully staged is this. Barefoot on the 3rd floor patio, wine to ease the back and the ache in the knee.

205 miles today, the last 30 after check in, just to explore.

Sunday

Entry Six

Out early in the morning. I find no climbers at Rock Gap, unsure of the hours they keep. Out of Franklin on 33 west, looking for another squiggly line I had seen on a map. Bland Hill Road name is a misnomer. A single lane country road winding through German Valley. I got a few shots of German Valley from the 33 overlook before turning on Bland Hill. Now I find myself in the same location I had shot from above.

The road cuts through some open pasture land and I meet some cows standing in the road after rounding one bend. They’re pleasant enough, if in no particular hurry to cross, and don’t mind posing for a shot or two before meandering on. People talk about the danger of hitting a deer, a cow would really ruin your day! Off of Bland Hill and on down into the valley. I come up on the rock formation I had seen from the overlook previously. It’s not Seneca Rocks, but a formation of the same ilk. I get some more photos, then onto German Valley Road. I’m still staying at the Star, there is no real destination today. It’s relaxing to stop as much as I like.

German Valley Road puts me back on 33 west and not long after I’m ordering breakfast at the Valley View Restaurant. Dale Borgeson warns of places that advertise home cooking, but that’s about all you see in these parts. There are a fair number of cars here and that’s usually a good since the food will be alright. Hell, even the Army could make a good breakfast. It all works out and it’s a hell of a deal, for toast, two eggs, hash browns, bacon, and coffee.

From 33 I hit 28 and turn off on Smoke Hole Road, just because it’s there and looks interesting. Boy, what a find it is. Combining the curvy one lane country road with nice wide smooth pavement (gravel free in the corners). It’s great. Smoke Hole Road turns out to run from 28 across the Seneca Rocks National Forest to 220 on the other side. Going west-to-east it starts out all curves and hills, then ends by winding along the south branch of the Potomac. There are lots of fly fishermen here enjoying the catch-and-release section of the river.

Up 220 to Petersburg, I run into some Ducati guys at the gas station. We swap riding info and I’m soon on 42 north towards Mayville. Hanging a left when I see a sign for Dolly Sods. I’m back on secondary roads and I soon pass another prophetic ‘no snow removal’ signs. It’s gravel the rest of the way up the mountain til it breaks out on top at Dolly Sod.

I’m real happy with today’s roads, as both Smoke Hole Road and Dolly Sods were unplanned ‘discovered adventures’. I do some rock scrabbling at Dolly Sod and enjoy the cliff top views. A fellow tourist snaps a shot for me an I hike out well past the distance that the casual tourist and families go. Shot some more shots of the rock formations with both the digital and film camera. Do some more self-portraits. I then sit down to relax in the sun with the cliff side breeze steadily blowing and update this journal.

Entry Seven

Well, fellow traveler, if you’ve made it this far I am duly impressed. I thank you for your perseverance. The rest of the day was spent riding without incident. Just more fantastic roads. You don’t have to be an explore on par with Lewis & Clark to find great rides in West Virginia. Just be curious in nature and unafraid to leave the beaten path. Drop off the numbered roads and take the route less traveled. Soon you’ll be in your own undiscovered country. Blah blah blah.

Out of Dolly Sod and I find myself on 32. Rough calculations put the dirt road travel around 25 miles for the day. While we are on stats, here’s today’s animal road count:

1 rooster
1 dead fox
2 cows
8 chipmunks
7 alive
1 dead
3 dead possums
1 squirrel
1 dead blob (undistinguishable)
No fearsome deer
1 dog

I guided myself today by a rather non-descript map put out by mountainhighlands.com

Leaving Dolly Sod on 32 puts me in Dry Fork and back on familiar 33 west to Elkins. I cruise around Elkins on the off chance I’ll run into a guy I know named Dallas. Now all you need to know about Dallas is the following:

I don’t know his last name
I once gave him a hair cut with dog grooming clippers
I know he works at a bike shop making choppers

You figure the odds of me finding him, near zero.

If your curious it wasn’t the first time I cut hair, albeit the first time using dog shears. In Korea I cut in the latrine for a cut or for a 6 pack. Everything was barter in the Army. We had a cook that would make you a great custom birthday cake for a case of beer or feed you food out of the back of the chow hall at 3am when you staggered in drunk from the ville for the promise of a future round to be bought. Korea stories could fill another journal.

Anyway, out of Elkins and south to Beverly. Scott, if your reading this you were on my mind as I went through town, never forgive, never forget.

So far I’ve only tried to write about the positive food experiences of the trip without throwing anyplace under the bus. C&J in Beverly however, served only barely functional burgers and the vanilla shake was of the worst chemical prefab variety. There are some things that I am stuck on, good vanilla ice cream is one. The others that I’m picky about are beer, whiskey, steak, cheese-steak, and coffee. It’s just so disappointing when something you usually enjoy turns out to be sub par.

After C&J it’s 250 east to 28, which heads back towards Seneca Rocks and Franklin. It’s a good haul through the Monongahela National Forest. A road of the scenic variety, with good twisties up the mountain and through the scenery. These type road have become quite a common occurrence here in WV. Back in Seneca Rocks and 33 east into Franklin. I never shoot Seneca Rocks, the light is never right, number one can tell you how I get about my light.

The Star’s restaurant is closed on Sunday, dagger, so I shower and head into Franklin by foot. About Franklin, WV. It’s a nice little town, quiet and sleepy. No bars other than the VFW that I could see. Everybody I’ve met and spoken too has be pleasant, friendly and conversational, both here in Franklin and elsewhere in WV. I’m sure there are a variety of characters much as anywhere, this is just my observation from the tourist level.

Following last night precedent I grab another vino from the Shell station. The Star being closed is a dilemma; I’m in need of a cork screw (having borrowed the restaurants the night before). I wander back down to the hotel, wine in hand, and past the hotel just a bit til I meet an old man sitting out front. I explain my situation, wine without access, and he says he’ll sell me a corkscrew. He goes in the house, shortly to return with the necessary implement in hand. I figure I have it for -4 or maybe rent it for a one time use for . That proves unnecessary however, he says just to take it, and keep it for any future need.

The sole booking for the hotel tonight, I’m like a wraith as I glide through the halls. On the front porch with my bottle of vino in hand. I have some cheap cigars I also picked up and there’s nothing to do but kick back and watch the sunset.

It’s been a great trip. Somewhat lonesome at times. The lack of someone to talk to surely let to the length of this journal. It was a trip to getaway, to reflect. There was no great revelation or anything, just time to get to know yourself. The road gives you time to think. I know who I am and I like being me. I know what’s missing.

I’m resolved to take more bike trips in the future. It’s definitely my preferred way to travel and vacation. Motorcycling is the way to go.

Tomorrow I have my route generally planned out, more scenic byways for a winding route home.

Miles today, 240.

Monday

Entry Seven

Just a short postscript. 20 miles east of Washington DC, on 66, the chain popped off the bike. It’s never easy.

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Star Hotel, Franklin WV (3)


Image by D.Clow – Maryland
Destination relaxation.

Friday
Entry One

Flew out of work, the fleet flight of Friday before a holiday weekend. Everyone cracks a smile upon stepping out of the concrete and glass coffin of the corporate work week. The motorcycle is quickly gassed and loaded, I leave Washington DC at three-thirty, vowing not to check the time for the rest of the adventure. Adventure, the American adventure of the open road is what I seek. The road, my cameras, and escape.

Right turn off of 15th St. NW and I’m motoring past the Washington Monument and the White House. Harleys and clones are already lining the Mall for the annual Memorial remembrance that is Rolling Thunder. I’m soon over the bridge and on I-66 west. I plan on avoiding major highways when at all possible. Preferring scenic byways to drab highways. 66 is a necessary evil to flee the DC metro area as quickly as possible. At the start, 66 is a good quick run, for awhile anyway. Loads of Rolling Thunder riders are heading in 66 eastbound.

I keep the ubiquitous two fingers down to the side salute to fellow bikers out for extended stretches of time. In my experience, HD guys return the acknowledgement about 30-40% of the time. No big deal, some animosity exist though between different bike cultures. Motor-ism two-wheel stereotypes. However with the Rolling Thunder guys there is a noticeable increase in response, perhaps due to no longer just one biker acknowledging another, but a patriotic sharing of support and remembrance for those left behind, POW-MIA.

Traffic worsens further out 66 and I come up on a full HD dresser. Screaming Eagle back patch worked in with POW-MIA covers his vest and is topped by a “Run for the Wall” patch. I keep back a pace and we adopt the natural offset positioning of multiple riders.

After some 66 backup, stop-and-go, we strike up a staccato conversation in the pauses of the traffic flow. Where you been, where you going, see the rain coming? I tell him I’m headed out to the mountains, Skyline Drive and West Virginia. He says he’s just in from there recently, was in DC for Rolling Thunder for the day and will be coming back in on Sunday again. His license plate is obscured by luggage, so I’m unsure of his port of origin.

Later on we part ways and my thoughts turn. Of my parents friends only my step-dad was drafted for Vietnam. Luckily, for us, he only went as far as Ft. Hood, TX, and came back with some good stories about army life and venturing into Mexico (at least the ones he’s shared with me). I think about all the life he’s lived since then, all his experiences and joys. Thinking about what all those who didn’t return gave up, lost, when they didn’t come home. The loss felt by those who loved them, families that have a name on the Wall.

Rain is sprinkling before Manassas. Enough to cool you off but not enough to get you worried yet, at least for a bit. Whooooo. Then come the big drops. I head off the ramp to gear up with the rain paraphernalia under the gas station pavilion. Finally get it all on and get strapped back up and out pops the sun and the rain stops. Too funny. Now I have wet clothes on under the raingear. Rain gear now keeping the wind out that would dry me. I motor on as more rain is promised on the horizon.

This brings up a point about rain. People always ask, “What do you do when it rains and your on the motorcycle”. I reply simply, “I get wet”. Duh. Rain riding has never bothered me. On the straight highways it’s no big deal. Just give more cushion to the cars in front of you. Drive like grandma on the exit ramps.

My turning point is finally reached. Off of 66 west and onto 647, Crest Hill Rd. at The Plains, VA. Crest Hill Road is my first slice of motorcycle heaven to be had this weekend. I’m delighted to find that the squiggly line I traced out on the map when planning this trip has translated so well in reality. The road is still wet from the passing rain clouds, and I give a small rabbit and then a chipmunk a near death experience. My first of many animal crossings this weekend. The road is fantastic. A mixture of hilltop road and tree lined canopies that create forest tunnels. Speed limit is 45mph, 55-60 feels comfortable on most parts. Keeping an eye out for a hilltop barn to photograph that I’ve seen in my minds eye, lit by the sun breaking through the clouds and backed by the mountain vista. No luck on any of the barns actual placement to fit the mental picture I have framed.

Crest Hill Road and Fodderstack Rd is a long stretch. I take shots of a church and other buildings along Zachary Taylor Highway. Fodderstack gives more of the same as Crest Hill, just a narrower road. The asphalt is of my favorite variety, freshly laid. Washington, VA is a tiny town of historic bed and breakfasts. Local wineries appear to be an attraction here too. Right after Washington the rain returns while I’m in route to Sperryville. Then it really starts to come down, a full on summer thunderstorm. Visibility is down. Road and parking lots soon resemble rivers. Rain drops of the monster variety explode on the pavement, and you know it hurts when they hit you.

I quick soaking circuit of Sperryville confirms there are no local hotels. I duck into a barn shaped restaurant to wait it out. My drenched gear takes on bar stool and I occupy another. There’s a few flying pigs about. The bartender get me a hefeweizen, and recommends the angus burger. Locally raised and grass fed, we exchange jokes about my passing the burgers relatives on the way in.

Don’t freak about the beer. I have a one only rule when riding. It was followed by a meal (best burger of the weekend!), several coffees, and this bar top journal entry.

Somewhere along Crest Hill road I decided to keep the cell off for the weekend. In addition no tv, newspapers, internet, or e-mail sound like a good idea. Of course I now am studiously avoid eye contact with the two beautiful plasma’s above the bar.

Entry Two

Hazel River Inn, Culpepper, VA, has the coolest street side seating in town.

The downpour let up at the Shady Farms bar in Sperryville and due to the deficiency in local lodging I quiz the bartender for options. Over the other side of the mountain, the opposite side of Skyline Dr via 211 is Luray with lots of motels, but I want to save the mountain for the morning. The waitress suggest Culpepper, there being a Holiday Inn etc.

Stepping outside the sun has broke through the clouds again. Enough for some shots of Shady Farms Restaurant and a bridge. Heading down 522, the Sperryville Pike, I keep an eye out for photo ops to catch the next morning as I’ll be rerouting back through. Following the mantra of Dale Borgeson about tour riding in the US, I aim to avoid large chain establishments, whether they are restaurants or hotels, and explore the mom-and-pop local variety businesses. I have a dive-ish roadside motel in mind, Culpepper comes through with the Sleepy Hollow Hotel.

Before check in I ride through downtown historic Culpepper. It’s a cool place. The Shady Farm bartender had recommended the Culpepper Thai restaurant. I see it but don’t visit, still full from the meal earlier. Cameron Street Coffee looks like a great place, located in an old warehouse. Unfortunately their closed for the night.

Shower and changed, room 102 at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel. I hop back on the bike, refreshed and dry and ride through the warm night air back downtown. The coffee at the Hazel River Inn comes with a sweet fudge confection on the side. The peach and blackberry cobbler with vanilla sauce is divine.

The reconfigured plan for this getaway is to shed. Shed worries about the job, career, housing, and relationships. My motorcycle is therapeutic. It’s 600cc’s of Zoloft on two wheels. The road lifts my spirits. This wasn’t supposed to be a solo run, and there are stretches of road where I feel the emptiness behind me.

The cobbler is finished and I can hear the sound of a band doing their sound check. The banging of the drum requires investigation.

Entry Three

I found Brown Bag Special in the cellar pub of the same restaurant I was in. On my way to the door the noise of the sound check floated up the stairs and directed my feet downward. Brown Bag Special opened the set, appropriately enough, with “I drink alone”. The ol’ man, Big Money, would have loved it. Drink alone started off a Big Money Blues trifecta to include “The Breeze” and “Mustang Sally”. Then they made the mistake a lot of bands make that have a great lead guitar player. They let him sing. The lead guitarist karaoke sucked his way through a Tom Petty hit. He was so off key in his singing it made you appreciate the guitar solo’s all the more for the relief they provided. Thankfully the regular singer soon resumed his duties and the night went on. More good stuff from the band.

Freebird
Folsom Prison Blues
Cheap Sun Glasses

“can’t you see, can’t you see, what that woman, what she’s done to me”

Off to bed now at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel with the ghost and shades of dead hookers and overdoses past.

150 miles today.

Saturday

Entry Four

Morning breaks on the Sleepy Hollow Hotel, a hot shower and I’m back on the bike. A quick stop downtown to shoot the Hazel Inn, then it’s back on the Sperryville Pike. More stops to capture some sights seen yesterday. Mr. & Mrs. Pump. The open mouth caricatures are an accurate representation of the current gas cost and the pumps eating your wallet.

I keep telling my daughter that her first car, college car, will be a hybrid. She thinks they are ugly. The bike isn’t so bad, averaging around 40mpg. At about 180 miles on the tripometer I start to look for a refill, although I’ve pushed it to 211 miles before.

A quick left in Sperryville on 211 and up into the mountain, Blue Ridge Mountains and Skyline Drive. Heading up the mountain I get the first bite of the twisties I’ve been craving. The fee at the gate to Skyline Drive is well worth the price. Great scenery and fantastic views. The only drawback is the 35mph speed limit that is well enforced by the park rangers.

I shoot some self-portraits at Pollock Knob overlook. They’re funny in that with all the scrambling and hurrying to be the camera timer, then trying to effect a relaxed pose. I’ve also broke out my old friend this trip, the Lubitel 166, a medium format, 120mm film, twin lens camera. I’m like Jay-Z with this camera, I have to get it in one take. There is no digital review after the click for instant gratification. As a fellow photographer it’s “Point, Push, and Pray”. I’ll be interested to see the results. Not that I’ve left digital behind. Carrying both cameras, I’m an analog/digital double threat.

After the self-portraits and some dead tree shots I’m about to pack back on the bike and leave when I meet the preacher and his wife. He offers to shoot me with my camera and I return the favor with theirs. Conversation flows and in a ‘small world’ moment it turns out that he works for same Hazel family that owns the restaurant I was at last night for his Monday thru Friday job. I get a friendly “God bless” and I’m heading south on Skyline Drive. I make several more stops and break out the cameras again at Big Meadow.

There is a gnarly dead tree in the middle of the meadow. It has burn damage at the base, either the result of some wild fire or perhaps a controlled burn done to maintain the field. I spot and shoot a few deer, they probably won’t turn out as they’re to far away for my lens on the D100. I shoot a bunch of shots of the tree with the D100 and then totally switch processes with the Lubitel. The picture setup with the Lubitel takes about a minute-and-a-half. Manual zoom, i.e., walking back and forth to get the framing I want. Light meter reading. Then dealing with the reversed optics of the look-down box camera. It is fun though, to switch it up, change the pace and the dynamics. Just one click though, hope I caught it.

It’s a long but enjoyable ride to the south end of Skyline Drive. Unless you really like slow cruising I would suggest picking which third of Skyline Drive you’d like include in your trip and leave the rest. I drop off the mountain and into Waynesboro. Finding Mad Anthony’s coffee shop for a late breakfast. I overhear that it’s around noon. The Italian Roast coffee is good, in fact, it would prove to be the best coffee of the trip.

One of the pleasures of traveling by motorcycle is that it’s an easy conversation starter. People ask you where your coming from, where you’re heading, ask about your bike, tell you’re about their bike or the one they wish they had. One of the peculiarities of these conversations is that if the person even remotely knows of anyone that has died on a motorcycle, they will be sure to share this fact along with details. These stories usually involve a deer, a car pulling out, or someone taking a corner to fast. The conversation goes something like this:

Stranger“nice bike”
You“thanks”
Stranger“my cousin Bob had a friend that hit a deer and died on his bike”

Short silence.

You“yeah, deer are dangerous, got to be careful”

I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve held variations on this conversation many times. Luckily this isn’t the conversation I have with the owner of Mad Anthony’s. He’s a former sailboat instructor who now finds the same release and head clearing on his motorcycle that he used to get from his sailboat.

This brings to mind the same wave – don’t way dynamic that occurs between sail boaters and power boaters, very similar to the sportbike & HD crowd.

The proprietor is a coffee guru, we discuss roasting (my Italian roast was just roasted Wednesday this week). We talk about the good and the evil of Starbucks. We’re both in agreement that they over roast their regular coffee, but I think their foo foo drinks are tasty. He has in his shop both the Bodum press and the Bodum vacuum coffee pot that I got my mom for x-mas. A shameless plug here, the Bodum vacuum coffee pot makes the best home coffee ever. It’s also an entertaining crowd pleaser, no joke.

Leaving Waynesboro the plan was 340 northward to 33, then into Harrisonburg, VA (home of the Valley Mall and JMU). 340 proved to be boring so I jumped on 256, Port Republic Road, for a better ride to Harrisonburg. I don’t know if the coffee wore off or if I was just worn out. I pull over at Westover Park, pick out a spot of grass, and take a good nap in the sun.

I had my motorcycle bug handed down to me by my step-dad. My kindergarten year of school we moved right at the end of the school year. Rather than switch schools at this inopportune time my Dad stuck me on the back of his Honda and rode me to school and back again for the last month or two. Even earlier than that I have a great photo of me in 1973-4 sitting on his chopper with him. Me in a diaper and him with his long hippy hair. The wild side of the Reverend indeed.

Refreshed from my nap it’s back on 33 westbound. Heading out of the Shenandoah Valley and Rockingham County is more glorious twisty roads and the George Washington National Forest. GW is a beautiful tree canopy lined road with a river off to one side. Franklin, WV is the destination, a return to the Star Hotel.

I stayed at the Star a few years prior when they first re-opened the historic Star Hotel. The owner, Steve Miller, is a great guy, friendly and conversational. I told him I’d be back again, but it’s been a few more years than I thought. Late lunch at the Star is pesto grilled chicken on ciabatta bread with roasted red peppers. Not the type of fare one might associate with West Virginia, but people have misperceptions about everywhere. Steve promises a prime rib later at dinner tonight to die for.

So that there is no misunderstanding, in as much as the Sleepy Hollow Hotel was a dive, the Star Hotel is a dream.

Dump the gear in the room back on the bike for some roaming around. I head back to explore a river road I passed on the way in, Rock Gap. It’s a gravel affair and I follow it back a little ways. Photo some river shots. Down further there is a large cliff face with some college aged kids de-gearing after a day of climbing. I’ll try to stop back in tomorrow and shoot some climbing action, as well as some fly fishing.

I pick up a bottle of Barefoot Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, and drop it off with Steve at the Star to keep for later. I’ll enjoy that bottle later tonight from the 3rd floor front porch. South out of town I head, into some very secondary roads. I shoot an old decrepit cabin that would be right up Bobby Sargent’s alley. I put it in the metal folder for a possible future model shoot location, along with the river spots I’ve seen.

There are a couple more stops on this little ride. Once for what appears to be a feral chicken, and then for middle of the road stare down with a young doe. She’s camera shy though and is off before I can get a shot. Sportbike probably isn’t the best conveyance for nature photography. The pavement stops and gravel begins, I motor on. Rick & I once spent a full day just about on gravel roads, crisscrossing the back country around Cumberland, MD. So I’m comfortable with the less than ideal riding surface. A few miles on the road dead ends at a pair of chicken houses (source of the feral chicken’s ancestors perhaps?) and I turn around and survey the valley I’ve just ridden through. I have to stop the bike and soak in the scene. A picturesque farm is nestled in the corner of the valley, up against the hills. I meet some inquisitive cows, along with the farmer and his wife.

It seems that when you are in WV and you pass a sign that says “snow removal ends here” that the already suspect road conditions are going to quickly deteriorate and will soon resemble somewhat more of a logging road. I motor on through some back country, no houses, no farms, just mountains, steep roadside cliffs, and wicked gravel switchback curves. The part that gives you the willies are the downhill corners where the road grade is slanted to the outside of the curve and to the drop below. Yikes!

I creep along where a four wheeler would be much more functional. Although I still hit it a bit in the straights. Pavement arrives again and I’m unsure of my exact location. I follow the chicken farmers directions and soon discover myself back in Brandywine, intersecting the same stretch of 33 I rode on my way into Franklin.

Back at the Star Hotel it’s a shower and fresh clothes before heading down for dinner. Downstairs I find the prime rib to be as good as promised.

Entry Five

How beautifully staged is this. Barefoot on the 3rd floor patio, wine to ease the back and the ache in the knee.

205 miles today, the last 30 after check in, just to explore.

Sunday

Entry Six

Out early in the morning. I find no climbers at Rock Gap, unsure of the hours they keep. Out of Franklin on 33 west, looking for another squiggly line I had seen on a map. Bland Hill Road name is a misnomer. A single lane country road winding through German Valley. I got a few shots of German Valley from the 33 overlook before turning on Bland Hill. Now I find myself in the same location I had shot from above.

The road cuts through some open pasture land and I meet some cows standing in the road after rounding one bend. They’re pleasant enough, if in no particular hurry to cross, and don’t mind posing for a shot or two before meandering on. People talk about the danger of hitting a deer, a cow would really ruin your day! Off of Bland Hill and on down into the valley. I come up on the rock formation I had seen from the overlook previously. It’s not Seneca Rocks, but a formation of the same ilk. I get some more photos, then onto German Valley Road. I’m still staying at the Star, there is no real destination today. It’s relaxing to stop as much as I like.

German Valley Road puts me back on 33 west and not long after I’m ordering breakfast at the Valley View Restaurant. Dale Borgeson warns of places that advertise home cooking, but that’s about all you see in these parts. There are a fair number of cars here and that’s usually a good since the food will be alright. Hell, even the Army could make a good breakfast. It all works out and it’s a hell of a deal, for toast, two eggs, hash browns, bacon, and coffee.

From 33 I hit 28 and turn off on Smoke Hole Road, just because it’s there and looks interesting. Boy, what a find it is. Combining the curvy one lane country road with nice wide smooth pavement (gravel free in the corners). It’s great. Smoke Hole Road turns out to run from 28 across the Seneca Rocks National Forest to 220 on the other side. Going west-to-east it starts out all curves and hills, then ends by winding along the south branch of the Potomac. There are lots of fly fishermen here enjoying the catch-and-release section of the river.

Up 220 to Petersburg, I run into some Ducati guys at the gas station. We swap riding info and I’m soon on 42 north towards Mayville. Hanging a left when I see a sign for Dolly Sods. I’m back on secondary roads and I soon pass another prophetic ‘no snow removal’ signs. It’s gravel the rest of the way up the mountain til it breaks out on top at Dolly Sod.

I’m real happy with today’s roads, as both Smoke Hole Road and Dolly Sods were unplanned ‘discovered adventures’. I do some rock scrabbling at Dolly Sod and enjoy the cliff top views. A fellow tourist snaps a shot for me an I hike out well past the distance that the casual tourist and families go. Shot some more shots of the rock formations with both the digital and film camera. Do some more self-portraits. I then sit down to relax in the sun with the cliff side breeze steadily blowing and update this journal.

Entry Seven

Well, fellow traveler, if you’ve made it this far I am duly impressed. I thank you for your perseverance. The rest of the day was spent riding without incident. Just more fantastic roads. You don’t have to be an explore on par with Lewis & Clark to find great rides in West Virginia. Just be curious in nature and unafraid to leave the beaten path. Drop off the numbered roads and take the route less traveled. Soon you’ll be in your own undiscovered country. Blah blah blah.

Out of Dolly Sod and I find myself on 32. Rough calculations put the dirt road travel around 25 miles for the day. While we are on stats, here’s today’s animal road count:

1 rooster
1 dead fox
2 cows
8 chipmunks
7 alive
1 dead
3 dead possums
1 squirrel
1 dead blob (undistinguishable)
No fearsome deer
1 dog

I guided myself today by a rather non-descript map put out by mountainhighlands.com

Leaving Dolly Sod on 32 puts me in Dry Fork and back on familiar 33 west to Elkins. I cruise around Elkins on the off chance I’ll run into a guy I know named Dallas. Now all you need to know about Dallas is the following:

I don’t know his last name
I once gave him a hair cut with dog grooming clippers
I know he works at a bike shop making choppers

You figure the odds of me finding him, near zero.

If your curious it wasn’t the first time I cut hair, albeit the first time using dog shears. In Korea I cut in the latrine for a cut or for a 6 pack. Everything was barter in the Army. We had a cook that would make you a great custom birthday cake for a case of beer or feed you food out of the back of the chow hall at 3am when you staggered in drunk from the ville for the promise of a future round to be bought. Korea stories could fill another journal.

Anyway, out of Elkins and south to Beverly. Scott, if your reading this you were on my mind as I went through town, never forgive, never forget.

So far I’ve only tried to write about the positive food experiences of the trip without throwing anyplace under the bus. C&J in Beverly however, served only barely functional burgers and the vanilla shake was of the worst chemical prefab variety. There are some things that I am stuck on, good vanilla ice cream is one. The others that I’m picky about are beer, whiskey, steak, cheese-steak, and coffee. It’s just so disappointing when something you usually enjoy turns out to be sub par.

After C&J it’s 250 east to 28, which heads back towards Seneca Rocks and Franklin. It’s a good haul through the Monongahela National Forest. A road of the scenic variety, with good twisties up the mountain and through the scenery. These type road have become quite a common occurrence here in WV. Back in Seneca Rocks and 33 east into Franklin. I never shoot Seneca Rocks, the light is never right, number one can tell you how I get about my light.

The Star’s restaurant is closed on Sunday, dagger, so I shower and head into Franklin by foot. About Franklin, WV. It’s a nice little town, quiet and sleepy. No bars other than the VFW that I could see. Everybody I’ve met and spoken too has be pleasant, friendly and conversational, both here in Franklin and elsewhere in WV. I’m sure there are a variety of characters much as anywhere, this is just my observation from the tourist level.

Following last night precedent I grab another vino from the Shell station. The Star being closed is a dilemma; I’m in need of a cork screw (having borrowed the restaurants the night before). I wander back down to the hotel, wine in hand, and past the hotel just a bit til I meet an old man sitting out front. I explain my situation, wine without access, and he says he’ll sell me a corkscrew. He goes in the house, shortly to return with the necessary implement in hand. I figure I have it for -4 or maybe rent it for a one time use for . That proves unnecessary however, he says just to take it, and keep it for any future need.

The sole booking for the hotel tonight, I’m like a wraith as I glide through the halls. On the front porch with my bottle of vino in hand. I have some cheap cigars I also picked up and there’s nothing to do but kick back and watch the sunset.

It’s been a great trip. Somewhat lonesome at times. The lack of someone to talk to surely let to the length of this journal. It was a trip to getaway, to reflect. There was no great revelation or anything, just time to get to know yourself. The road gives you time to think. I know who I am and I like being me. I know what’s missing.

I’m resolved to take more bike trips in the future. It’s definitely my preferred way to travel and vacation. Motorcycling is the way to go.

Tomorrow I have my route generally planned out, more scenic byways for a winding route home.

Miles today, 240.

Monday

Entry Seven

Just a short postscript. 20 miles east of Washington DC, on 66, the chain popped off the bike. It’s never easy.

Europe luxury hotels are riddled all across the continent.  Paris, the city of romance, happens to have some of the world’s finest hotels.  They are often blessed with fine architecture and interior design, mesmerizing most travelers.  So if you plan to go to France, you should shop for the sweetest Paris hotels deals, which ensures quite a memorable vacation.  Remember, finding good accommodations is the top priority for any trip.

Paris hotels deals are a dime a dozen.  Some of them are good and some of them are ideal.  Just check on the internet or with your travel agency and you’ll find more than a few.  Before selecting any of the luxury hotels Paris France, better check your budget for the trip.  You can’t afford to go for the most lavish accommodations if you don’t allocate enough cash for pocket money.  Determine your budget for your vacation.  From there, you can adjudge the budget for your lodging.  Don’t worry if you’re working with a rather tight budget.  The best hotels aren’t necessarily the most expensive.

Once you have allocated your budget, the next step is to select a hotel.  You can check out the flocks of hotel review websites on the internet.  Each site gives you a clear view of the hotels in Paris.  You’ll find reviews, ratings, hotel rates and features, and comments from people who have stayed at the luxury hotels Paris France.  Just by browsing through each of the reviews and comments, you can choose the best place for you to stay.  The review sites often post links to the Europe luxury hotels they feature, so you’ll get to see your prospects up close with just a few mouse clicks.  If you want more information about the best Paris hotels deals, you can also check out travel magazines, your travel agency, and the recommendations of your peers.

When you have selected a hotel, there are several options for you to book a reservation. Some luxury hotels Paris France have websites which offer online booking.  You can simply use the feature and find yourself a room for your vacation.  If your preferred hotel does not have online booking, you can shoot an email regarding your reservation or call them up for inquiries.  Also, if you have a travel agent, he or she can do the booking for you as well as provide recommendations on the best places to stay.  You shouldn’t have much trouble, as far as booking is concerned, as long as all of the best hotels aren’t fully booked.

Securing plane tickets is your next concern, after making reservations.  Check the internet or with your travel agent regarding the airliners that have flights going to Paris.  Upon choosing an airliner, give the company a call then inquire if there are still vacant slots for the Paris flights.  Reserve a ticket.  Proceed to a branch of the airline company then purchase the ticket.  If your flight schedule does not match with the reservation date on your hotel, contact the hotel, so they can make the necessary adjustments.

With everything arranged, your only job is to enjoy and savor the romantic vibe of Paris.  Such a vacation will surely be stored in your little box of memories.

Sleepy Hollow Hotel (1)


Image by D.Clow – Maryland
No-tell motel.

Friday
Entry One

Flew out of work, the fleet flight of Friday before a holiday weekend. Everyone cracks a smile upon stepping out of the concrete and glass coffin of the corporate work week. The motorcycle is quickly gassed and loaded, I leave Washington DC at three-thirty, vowing not to check the time for the rest of the adventure. Adventure, the American adventure of the open road is what I seek. The road, my cameras, and escape.

Right turn off of 15th St. NW and I’m motoring past the Washington Monument and the White House. Harleys and clones are already lining the Mall for the annual Memorial remembrance that is Rolling Thunder. I’m soon over the bridge and on I-66 west. I plan on avoiding major highways when at all possible. Preferring scenic byways to drab highways. 66 is a necessary evil to flee the DC metro area as quickly as possible. At the start, 66 is a good quick run, for awhile anyway. Loads of Rolling Thunder riders are heading in 66 eastbound.

I keep the ubiquitous two fingers down to the side salute to fellow bikers out for extended stretches of time. In my experience, HD guys return the acknowledgement about 30-40% of the time. No big deal, some animosity exist though between different bike cultures. Motor-ism two-wheel stereotypes. However with the Rolling Thunder guys there is a noticeable increase in response, perhaps due to no longer just one biker acknowledging another, but a patriotic sharing of support and remembrance for those left behind, POW-MIA.

Traffic worsens further out 66 and I come up on a full HD dresser. Screaming Eagle back patch worked in with POW-MIA covers his vest and is topped by a “Run for the Wall” patch. I keep back a pace and we adopt the natural offset positioning of multiple riders.

After some 66 backup, stop-and-go, we strike up a staccato conversation in the pauses of the traffic flow. Where you been, where you going, see the rain coming? I tell him I’m headed out to the mountains, Skyline Drive and West Virginia. He says he’s just in from there recently, was in DC for Rolling Thunder for the day and will be coming back in on Sunday again. His license plate is obscured by luggage, so I’m unsure of his port of origin.

Later on we part ways and my thoughts turn. Of my parents friends only my step-dad was drafted for Vietnam. Luckily, for us, he only went as far as Ft. Hood, TX, and came back with some good stories about army life and venturing into Mexico (at least the ones he’s shared with me). I think about all the life he’s lived since then, all his experiences and joys. Thinking about what all those who didn’t return gave up, lost, when they didn’t come home. The loss felt by those who loved them, families that have a name on the Wall.

Rain is sprinkling before Manassas. Enough to cool you off but not enough to get you worried yet, at least for a bit. Whooooo. Then come the big drops. I head off the ramp to gear up with the rain paraphernalia under the gas station pavilion. Finally get it all on and get strapped back up and out pops the sun and the rain stops. Too funny. Now I have wet clothes on under the raingear. Rain gear now keeping the wind out that would dry me. I motor on as more rain is promised on the horizon.

This brings up a point about rain. People always ask, “What do you do when it rains and your on the motorcycle”. I reply simply, “I get wet”. Duh. Rain riding has never bothered me. On the straight highways it’s no big deal. Just give more cushion to the cars in front of you. Drive like grandma on the exit ramps.

My turning point is finally reached. Off of 66 west and onto 647, Crest Hill Rd. at The Plains, VA. Crest Hill Road is my first slice of motorcycle heaven to be had this weekend. I’m delighted to find that the squiggly line I traced out on the map when planning this trip has translated so well in reality. The road is still wet from the passing rain clouds, and I give a small rabbit and then a chipmunk a near death experience. My first of many animal crossings this weekend. The road is fantastic. A mixture of hilltop road and tree lined canopies that create forest tunnels. Speed limit is 45mph, 55-60 feels comfortable on most parts. Keeping an eye out for a hilltop barn to photograph that I’ve seen in my minds eye, lit by the sun breaking through the clouds and backed by the mountain vista. No luck on any of the barns actual placement to fit the mental picture I have framed.

Crest Hill Road and Fodderstack Rd is a long stretch. I take shots of a church and other buildings along Zachary Taylor Highway. Fodderstack gives more of the same as Crest Hill, just a narrower road. The asphalt is of my favorite variety, freshly laid. Washington, VA is a tiny town of historic bed and breakfasts. Local wineries appear to be an attraction here too. Right after Washington the rain returns while I’m in route to Sperryville. Then it really starts to come down, a full on summer thunderstorm. Visibility is down. Road and parking lots soon resemble rivers. Rain drops of the monster variety explode on the pavement, and you know it hurts when they hit you.

I quick soaking circuit of Sperryville confirms there are no local hotels. I duck into a barn shaped restaurant to wait it out. My drenched gear takes on bar stool and I occupy another. There’s a few flying pigs about. The bartender get me a hefeweizen, and recommends the angus burger. Locally raised and grass fed, we exchange jokes about my passing the burgers relatives on the way in.

Don’t freak about the beer. I have a one only rule when riding. It was followed by a meal (best burger of the weekend!), several coffees, and this bar top journal entry.

Somewhere along Crest Hill road I decided to keep the cell off for the weekend. In addition no tv, newspapers, internet, or e-mail sound like a good idea. Of course I now am studiously avoid eye contact with the two beautiful plasma’s above the bar.

Entry Two

Hazel River Inn, Culpepper, VA, has the coolest street side seating in town.

The downpour let up at the Shady Farms bar in Sperryville and due to the deficiency in local lodging I quiz the bartender for options. Over the other side of the mountain, the opposite side of Skyline Dr via 211 is Luray with lots of motels, but I want to save the mountain for the morning. The waitress suggest Culpepper, there being a Holiday Inn etc.

Stepping outside the sun has broke through the clouds again. Enough for some shots of Shady Farms Restaurant and a bridge. Heading down 522, the Sperryville Pike, I keep an eye out for photo ops to catch the next morning as I’ll be rerouting back through. Following the mantra of Dale Borgeson about tour riding in the US, I aim to avoid large chain establishments, whether they are restaurants or hotels, and explore the mom-and-pop local variety businesses. I have a dive-ish roadside motel in mind, Culpepper comes through with the Sleepy Hollow Hotel.

Before check in I ride through downtown historic Culpepper. It’s a cool place. The Shady Farm bartender had recommended the Culpepper Thai restaurant. I see it but don’t visit, still full from the meal earlier. Cameron Street Coffee looks like a great place, located in an old warehouse. Unfortunately their closed for the night.

Shower and changed, room 102 at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel. I hop back on the bike, refreshed and dry and ride through the warm night air back downtown. The coffee at the Hazel River Inn comes with a sweet fudge confection on the side. The peach and blackberry cobbler with vanilla sauce is divine.

The reconfigured plan for this getaway is to shed. Shed worries about the job, career, housing, and relationships. My motorcycle is therapeutic. It’s 600cc’s of Zoloft on two wheels. The road lifts my spirits. This wasn’t supposed to be a solo run, and there are stretches of road where I feel the emptiness behind me.

The cobbler is finished and I can hear the sound of a band doing their sound check. The banging of the drum requires investigation.

Entry Three

I found Brown Bag Special in the cellar pub of the same restaurant I was in. On my way to the door the noise of the sound check floated up the stairs and directed my feet downward. Brown Bag Special opened the set, appropriately enough, with “I drink alone”. The ol’ man, Big Money, would have loved it. Drink alone started off a Big Money Blues trifecta to include “The Breeze” and “Mustang Sally”. Then they made the mistake a lot of bands make that have a great lead guitar player. They let him sing. The lead guitarist karaoke sucked his way through a Tom Petty hit. He was so off key in his singing it made you appreciate the guitar solo’s all the more for the relief they provided. Thankfully the regular singer soon resumed his duties and the night went on. More good stuff from the band.

Freebird
Folsom Prison Blues
Cheap Sun Glasses

“can’t you see, can’t you see, what that woman, what she’s done to me”

Off to bed now at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel with the ghost and shades of dead hookers and overdoses past.

150 miles today.

Saturday

Entry Four

Morning breaks on the Sleepy Hollow Hotel, a hot shower and I’m back on the bike. A quick stop downtown to shoot the Hazel Inn, then it’s back on the Sperryville Pike. More stops to capture some sights seen yesterday. Mr. & Mrs. Pump. The open mouth caricatures are an accurate representation of the current gas cost and the pumps eating your wallet.

I keep telling my daughter that her first car, college car, will be a hybrid. She thinks they are ugly. The bike isn’t so bad, averaging around 40mpg. At about 180 miles on the tripometer I start to look for a refill, although I’ve pushed it to 211 miles before.

A quick left in Sperryville on 211 and up into the mountain, Blue Ridge Mountains and Skyline Drive. Heading up the mountain I get the first bite of the twisties I’ve been craving. The fee at the gate to Skyline Drive is well worth the price. Great scenery and fantastic views. The only drawback is the 35mph speed limit that is well enforced by the park rangers.

I shoot some self-portraits at Pollock Knob overlook. They’re funny in that with all the scrambling and hurrying to be the camera timer, then trying to effect a relaxed pose. I’ve also broke out my old friend this trip, the Lubitel 166, a medium format, 120mm film, twin lens camera. I’m like Jay-Z with this camera, I have to get it in one take. There is no digital review after the click for instant gratification. As a fellow photographer it’s “Point, Push, and Pray”. I’ll be interested to see the results. Not that I’ve left digital behind. Carrying both cameras, I’m an analog/digital double threat.

After the self-portraits and some dead tree shots I’m about to pack back on the bike and leave when I meet the preacher and his wife. He offers to shoot me with my camera and I return the favor with theirs. Conversation flows and in a ‘small world’ moment it turns out that he works for same Hazel family that owns the restaurant I was at last night for his Monday thru Friday job. I get a friendly “God bless” and I’m heading south on Skyline Drive. I make several more stops and break out the cameras again at Big Meadow.

There is a gnarly dead tree in the middle of the meadow. It has burn damage at the base, either the result of some wild fire or perhaps a controlled burn done to maintain the field. I spot and shoot a few deer, they probably won’t turn out as they’re to far away for my lens on the D100. I shoot a bunch of shots of the tree with the D100 and then totally switch processes with the Lubitel. The picture setup with the Lubitel takes about a minute-and-a-half. Manual zoom, i.e., walking back and forth to get the framing I want. Light meter reading. Then dealing with the reversed optics of the look-down box camera. It is fun though, to switch it up, change the pace and the dynamics. Just one click though, hope I caught it.

It’s a long but enjoyable ride to the south end of Skyline Drive. Unless you really like slow cruising I would suggest picking which third of Skyline Drive you’d like include in your trip and leave the rest. I drop off the mountain and into Waynesboro. Finding Mad Anthony’s coffee shop for a late breakfast. I overhear that it’s around noon. The Italian Roast coffee is good, in fact, it would prove to be the best coffee of the trip.

One of the pleasures of traveling by motorcycle is that it’s an easy conversation starter. People ask you where your coming from, where you’re heading, ask about your bike, tell you’re about their bike or the one they wish they had. One of the peculiarities of these conversations is that if the person even remotely knows of anyone that has died on a motorcycle, they will be sure to share this fact along with details. These stories usually involve a deer, a car pulling out, or someone taking a corner to fast. The conversation goes something like this:

Stranger“nice bike”
You“thanks”
Stranger“my cousin Bob had a friend that hit a deer and died on his bike”

Short silence.

You“yeah, deer are dangerous, got to be careful”

I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve held variations on this conversation many times. Luckily this isn’t the conversation I have with the owner of Mad Anthony’s. He’s a former sailboat instructor who now finds the same release and head clearing on his motorcycle that he used to get from his sailboat.

This brings to mind the same wave – don’t way dynamic that occurs between sail boaters and power boaters, very similar to the sportbike & HD crowd.

The proprietor is a coffee guru, we discuss roasting (my Italian roast was just roasted Wednesday this week). We talk about the good and the evil of Starbucks. We’re both in agreement that they over roast their regular coffee, but I think their foo foo drinks are tasty. He has in his shop both the Bodum press and the Bodum vacuum coffee pot that I got my mom for x-mas. A shameless plug here, the Bodum vacuum coffee pot makes the best home coffee ever. It’s also an entertaining crowd pleaser, no joke.

Leaving Waynesboro the plan was 340 northward to 33, then into Harrisonburg, VA (home of the Valley Mall and JMU). 340 proved to be boring so I jumped on 256, Port Republic Road, for a better ride to Harrisonburg. I don’t know if the coffee wore off or if I was just worn out. I pull over at Westover Park, pick out a spot of grass, and take a good nap in the sun.

I had my motorcycle bug handed down to me by my step-dad. My kindergarten year of school we moved right at the end of the school year. Rather than switch schools at this inopportune time my Dad stuck me on the back of his Honda and rode me to school and back again for the last month or two. Even earlier than that I have a great photo of me in 1973-4 sitting on his chopper with him. Me in a diaper and him with his long hippy hair. The wild side of the Reverend indeed.

Refreshed from my nap it’s back on 33 westbound. Heading out of the Shenandoah Valley and Rockingham County is more glorious twisty roads and the George Washington National Forest. GW is a beautiful tree canopy lined road with a river off to one side. Franklin, WV is the destination, a return to the Star Hotel.

I stayed at the Star a few years prior when they first re-opened the historic Star Hotel. The owner, Steve Miller, is a great guy, friendly and conversational. I told him I’d be back again, but it’s been a few more years than I thought. Late lunch at the Star is pesto grilled chicken on ciabatta bread with roasted red peppers. Not the type of fare one might associate with West Virginia, but people have misperceptions about everywhere. Steve promises a prime rib later at dinner tonight to die for.

So that there is no misunderstanding, in as much as the Sleepy Hollow Hotel was a dive, the Star Hotel is a dream.

Dump the gear in the room back on the bike for some roaming around. I head back to explore a river road I passed on the way in, Rock Gap. It’s a gravel affair and I follow it back a little ways. Photo some river shots. Down further there is a large cliff face with some college aged kids de-gearing after a day of climbing. I’ll try to stop back in tomorrow and shoot some climbing action, as well as some fly fishing.

I pick up a bottle of Barefoot Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, and drop it off with Steve at the Star to keep for later. I’ll enjoy that bottle later tonight from the 3rd floor front porch. South out of town I head, into some very secondary roads. I shoot an old decrepit cabin that would be right up Bobby Sargent’s alley. I put it in the metal folder for a possible future model shoot location, along with the river spots I’ve seen.

There are a couple more stops on this little ride. Once for what appears to be a feral chicken, and then for middle of the road stare down with a young doe. She’s camera shy though and is off before I can get a shot. Sportbike probably isn’t the best conveyance for nature photography. The pavement stops and gravel begins, I motor on. Rick & I once spent a full day just about on gravel roads, crisscrossing the back country around Cumberland, MD. So I’m comfortable with the less than ideal riding surface. A few miles on the road dead ends at a pair of chicken houses (source of the feral chicken’s ancestors perhaps?) and I turn around and survey the valley I’ve just ridden through. I have to stop the bike and soak in the scene. A picturesque farm is nestled in the corner of the valley, up against the hills. I meet some inquisitive cows, along with the farmer and his wife.

It seems that when you are in WV and you pass a sign that says “snow removal ends here” that the already suspect road conditions are going to quickly deteriorate and will soon resemble somewhat more of a logging road. I motor on through some back country, no houses, no farms, just mountains, steep roadside cliffs, and wicked gravel switchback curves. The part that gives you the willies are the downhill corners where the road grade is slanted to the outside of the curve and to the drop below. Yikes!

I creep along where a four wheeler would be much more functional. Although I still hit it a bit in the straights. Pavement arrives again and I’m unsure of my exact location. I follow the chicken farmers directions and soon discover myself back in Brandywine, intersecting the same stretch of 33 I rode on my way into Franklin.

Back at the Star Hotel it’s a shower and fresh clothes before heading down for dinner. Downstairs I find the prime rib to be as good as promised.

Entry Five

How beautifully staged is this. Barefoot on the 3rd floor patio, wine to ease the back and the ache in the knee.

205 miles today, the last 30 after check in, just to explore.

Sunday

Entry Six

Out early in the morning. I find no climbers at Rock Gap, unsure of the hours they keep. Out of Franklin on 33 west, looking for another squiggly line I had seen on a map. Bland Hill Road name is a misnomer. A single lane country road winding through German Valley. I got a few shots of German Valley from the 33 overlook before turning on Bland Hill. Now I find myself in the same location I had shot from above.

The road cuts through some open pasture land and I meet some cows standing in the road after rounding one bend. They’re pleasant enough, if in no particular hurry to cross, and don’t mind posing for a shot or two before meandering on. People talk about the danger of hitting a deer, a cow would really ruin your day! Off of Bland Hill and on down into the valley. I come up on the rock formation I had seen from the overlook previously. It’s not Seneca Rocks, but a formation of the same ilk. I get some more photos, then onto German Valley Road. I’m still staying at the Star, there is no real destination today. It’s relaxing to stop as much as I like.

German Valley Road puts me back on 33 west and not long after I’m ordering breakfast at the Valley View Restaurant. Dale Borgeson warns of places that advertise home cooking, but that’s about all you see in these parts. There are a fair number of cars here and that’s usually a good since the food will be alright. Hell, even the Army could make a good breakfast. It all works out and it’s a hell of a deal, for toast, two eggs, hash browns, bacon, and coffee.

From 33 I hit 28 and turn off on Smoke Hole Road, just because it’s there and looks interesting. Boy, what a find it is. Combining the curvy one lane country road with nice wide smooth pavement (gravel free in the corners). It’s great. Smoke Hole Road turns out to run from 28 across the Seneca Rocks National Forest to 220 on the other side. Going west-to-east it starts out all curves and hills, then ends by winding along the south branch of the Potomac. There are lots of fly fishermen here enjoying the catch-and-release section of the river.

Up 220 to Petersburg, I run into some Ducati guys at the gas station. We swap riding info and I’m soon on 42 north towards Mayville. Hanging a left when I see a sign for Dolly Sods. I’m back on secondary roads and I soon pass another prophetic ‘no snow removal’ signs. It’s gravel the rest of the way up the mountain til it breaks out on top at Dolly Sod.

I’m real happy with today’s roads, as both Smoke Hole Road and Dolly Sods were unplanned ‘discovered adventures’. I do some rock scrabbling at Dolly Sod and enjoy the cliff top views. A fellow tourist snaps a shot for me an I hike out well past the distance that the casual tourist and families go. Shot some more shots of the rock formations with both the digital and film camera. Do some more self-portraits. I then sit down to relax in the sun with the cliff side breeze steadily blowing and update this journal.

Entry Seven

Well, fellow traveler, if you’ve made it this far I am duly impressed. I thank you for your perseverance. The rest of the day was spent riding without incident. Just more fantastic roads. You don’t have to be an explore on par with Lewis & Clark to find great rides in West Virginia. Just be curious in nature and unafraid to leave the beaten path. Drop off the numbered roads and take the route less traveled. Soon you’ll be in your own undiscovered country. Blah blah blah.

Out of Dolly Sod and I find myself on 32. Rough calculations put the dirt road travel around 25 miles for the day. While we are on stats, here’s today’s animal road count:

1 rooster
1 dead fox
2 cows
8 chipmunks
7 alive
1 dead
3 dead possums
1 squirrel
1 dead blob (undistinguishable)
No fearsome deer
1 dog

I guided myself today by a rather non-descript map put out by mountainhighlands.com

Leaving Dolly Sod on 32 puts me in Dry Fork and back on familiar 33 west to Elkins. I cruise around Elkins on the off chance I’ll run into a guy I know named Dallas. Now all you need to know about Dallas is the following:

I don’t know his last name
I once gave him a hair cut with dog grooming clippers
I know he works at a bike shop making choppers

You figure the odds of me finding him, near zero.

If your curious it wasn’t the first time I cut hair, albeit the first time using dog shears. In Korea I cut in the latrine for a cut or for a 6 pack. Everything was barter in the Army. We had a cook that would make you a great custom birthday cake for a case of beer or feed you food out of the back of the chow hall at 3am when you staggered in drunk from the ville for the promise of a future round to be bought. Korea stories could fill another journal.

Anyway, out of Elkins and south to Beverly. Scott, if your reading this you were on my mind as I went through town, never forgive, never forget.

So far I’ve only tried to write about the positive food experiences of the trip without throwing anyplace under the bus. C&J in Beverly however, served only barely functional burgers and the vanilla shake was of the worst chemical prefab variety. There are some things that I am stuck on, good vanilla ice cream is one. The others that I’m picky about are beer, whiskey, steak, cheese-steak, and coffee. It’s just so disappointing when something you usually enjoy turns out to be sub par.

After C&J it’s 250 east to 28, which heads back towards Seneca Rocks and Franklin. It’s a good haul through the Monongahela National Forest. A road of the scenic variety, with good twisties up the mountain and through the scenery. These type road have become quite a common occurrence here in WV. Back in Seneca Rocks and 33 east into Franklin. I never shoot Seneca Rocks, the light is never right, number one can tell you how I get about my light.

The Star’s restaurant is closed on Sunday, dagger, so I shower and head into Franklin by foot. About Franklin, WV. It’s a nice little town, quiet and sleepy. No bars other than the VFW that I could see. Everybody I’ve met and spoken too has be pleasant, friendly and conversational, both here in Franklin and elsewhere in WV. I’m sure there are a variety of characters much as anywhere, this is just my observation from the tourist level.

Following last night precedent I grab another vino from the Shell station. The Star being closed is a dilemma; I’m in need of a cork screw (having borrowed the restaurants the night before). I wander back down to the hotel, wine in hand, and past the hotel just a bit til I meet an old man sitting out front. I explain my situation, wine without access, and he says he’ll sell me a corkscrew. He goes in the house, shortly to return with the necessary implement in hand. I figure I have it for -4 or maybe rent it for a one time use for . That proves unnecessary however, he says just to take it, and keep it for any future need.

The sole booking for the hotel tonight, I’m like a wraith as I glide through the halls. On the front porch with my bottle of vino in hand. I have some cheap cigars I also picked up and there’s nothing to do but kick back and watch the sunset.

It’s been a great trip. Somewhat lonesome at times. The lack of someone to talk to surely let to the length of this journal. It was a trip to getaway, to reflect. There was no great revelation or anything, just time to get to know yourself. The road gives you time to think. I know who I am and I like being me. I know what’s missing.

I’m resolved to take more bike trips in the future. It’s definitely my preferred way to travel and vacation. Motorcycling is the way to go.

Tomorrow I have my route generally planned out, more scenic byways for a winding route home.

Miles today, 240.

Monday

Entry Seven

Just a short postscript. 20 miles east of Washington DC, on 66, the chain popped off the bike. It’s never easy.

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Choose from a wide selection of luxury family hotels and country hotels online and use customer reviews and feedback to make sure you pick the right one for you and for the occasion.

Related World Hotel Reviews Articles

Inaugural 09 Hotel Madness…


Image by dbking
my.nowpublic.com/world/mr-obamas-list-inauguration-donors…

LISTED BELOW ARE SOME OF THE MORE EXTRAVAGANT HOTEL OFFERINGS FOR THE 2009 PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL….ENJOY

Sources: Washingtonian.com, CNN, ABC, Washington Post, various travel guides

Mandarin Oriental Hotel:

If you’re able to drop more than 0,000 on lodging for the inauguration, the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Southwest DC is offering a luxe Presidential Privilege package that includes four nights in the hotel’s swanky presidential suite. The 3,500-square-foot unit, on the ninth floor, has floor-to-ceiling windows, two balconies, and a telescope to take in panoramic views of the city. The suite’s 14 rooms include three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and dining and media rooms. A grand piano, a chess table, and a 60-inch flat-screen television are among the extra touches.

As part of the inaugural package, you’ll enjoy breakfast in bed every day, a private dinner for eight at the hotel’s restaurant, CityZen, and 24-hour butler service. Daily treatments at the hotel’s spa are also included, as are outfits by Ralph Lauren to be worn to the inaugural balls (tickets to an unnamed “inaugural event” are included). You’ll be driven around town in a chauffeured Maserati Quattroporte, which features a back seat stocked with snacks and Champagne, and you’ll enjoy Champagne and caviar in your suite each evening.
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Omni Shoreham Hotel:

Four guests at the Omni Shoreham Hotel will be living large this January. The hotel’s 44th Commander-in-Chief Package, priced at a whopping 0,000, includes lots of bells and whistles to make its four-night stay for the inauguration as deluxe as possible.

Guests will stay in the two-bedroom, 1,700-square-foot Shoreham Presidential suite. It includes living and dining rooms, a library, a full kitchen, and a balcony. They’ll be treated to private breakfasts and an in-room dinner with entertainment by political satirist Mark Russell. Because tickets for four to the swearing-in ceremony are included, the hotel will make sure that its VIP guests are well coiffed and outfitted for the event: They’ll enjoy a preinauguration makeover by Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door Salon & Spa, a ,000 shopping spree from the Lambros Jewelry Inauguration Collection, and personalized president and first lady cologne and perfume.

Getting to and from Washington won’t be a problem either: The hotel will arrange a private jet for the guests’ arrival and departure. And when they leave, they’ll walk out the door with a puppy of their choice—yes, a puppy.

Paul Sharp, Omni’s director of marketing, will coordinate with guests ahead of time to determine exactly the kind of dog they want, and he’ll work with local rescue groups and breeders to get it—down to the color. If the foursome is made of up two couples, he’ll get two pups. “Whatever they want, I’ll get,” he says.

Another interesting twist: This package includes a trip to the Kempinski Hotel Moika 22 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Omni Shoreham is billing it as a “Foreign Policy Trip,” part of the presidential experience. The trip includes a five-night stay at the hotel and first-class round-trip airfare for four. Sadly, a dog sitter for this trip is not part of the deal.

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Fairmont Washington DC Hotel

Guests willing to shell out ,000 for lodging during the inauguration will be given the ecofriendly presidential treatment at the Fairmont Washington DC. The West End hotel is offering high-rolling guests a four-night stay in its Lexus Hybrid Living Suite, a two-bedroom unit decorated by Los Angeles-based ecodesigner Kelly LaPlante.

The suite, completed in May, was designed to make guests feel as though they’ve entered a black-and-white photograph; the only touch of color is the paintings on the wall by local artist Jon Wassom. The suite features a kitchen, three bathrooms, a sitting area, and a dining room with seating for ten. Ecofriendly touches are throughout: The floors are made of white bamboo, the kitchen countertop is made from recycled glass and cement, and reclaimed birch trees provide decoration.
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Ritz Carlton Washington

The Ritz-Carlton package, 0,000 includes travel on a private jet, a new set of Louis Vuitton luggage, a personal butler and massage therapist, two tickets to one of the inaugural balls and an Hermes tie and scarf for him and her each month through the next inauguration.

The ,000 package at the Foggy Bottom Ritz includes a gold, diamond, ruby and sapphire pendant; an on-call chauffeur; a stylist at Saks Fifth Avenue who will outfit guests in a designer dress or tuxedo; two tickets to the parade; two tickets to an inaugural ball; and a private dinner. A portion of the price will go to a charity of the guests’ choice.

"We expect anyone who purchases this is a Washington-insider type — a person or couple who wants to have the ultimate experience of an inaugural in Washington, D.C.," said Colleen Evans, a Ritz-Carlton spokeswoman.
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The Fairmont Hotel

The Fairmont hotel, which is offering a ,000-per-day package that will land you in the Presidential Suite, which will be stocked with Beluga caviar and Dom Perignon. Also included is a Rolls-Royce with a personal driver and two bodyguards acting like Secret Service agents.

"Aside from this special package, we’ll have nightly-themed amenities for all our guests," said Fairmont spokeswoman Diana Bulger. "It’ll be a fun time for any guests who stay with us at inaugural time."
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The Hay-Adams Hotel

Right across from the White House, people are paying a minimum of 9 a night with a four night stay required. The hotel is booked.
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The Four Seasons in Georgetown

A Royal Suite for ,000 a night.
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Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill

For couples, the Historic Inauguration Package (,000) includes all the pampering a couple could want throughout four nights in the grand Presidential Suite. Hyatt Regency Washington welcomes package guests in classic style with Dom Perignon and caviar. Luxurious amenities available throughout the four-night stay include exclusive limo service, including roundtrip airport transportation, and private butler service, whom guests can call on for most anything, even drawing a bath with rose petals. Each morning guests receive Breakfast-in-Bed, and for two nights, a tremendous dinner with wine pairings in the comfort of the suite. In preparation for the Inaugural Ball, Hyatt Regency offers a full day of spa pampering for two. As icing on the Inaugural Cake, the package includes two tickets to the Inauguration Parade, complete with a pair of Thomas Pink designer scarves and gloves to assure warmth and comfort for the entire stay in Washington.

For groups coming to Washington, Hyatt Regency presents the elegant and convenient four-night Presidential Entourage Package (,000 for eight). Beginning with exclusive limo service to and from the airport, the group will enjoy accommodations in the Presidential Suite and three Capitol Suites. The hotel prepares a welcome reception for the group in the exclusive, new private lounge at Article One, where plush couches, flat screen TVs, and all food and beverage cravings are on hand in private comfort. Butler service in each suite caters to any need or whimsy, while a day at the spa will engage the entire group in ultimate relaxation after Inauguration festivities. A private tour of the monuments showcases the spectacular Capital views at night, while VIP dinners for eight with wine pairings will be exclusively prepared by Executive Chef Michael Barber on two different occasions in the Monumental Affairs Design Center. Finally, eight tickets to the Inauguration Parade with designer scarves and gloves from Thomas Pink will keep the group warm while observing history in the making.
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Georgetown Ritz Carlton Hotel

At the Georgetown Ritz, the ,000 package includes round-trip first class airfare; an on-call chauffeur; Gucci luggage; two parade tickets; two hard-to-come-by tickets to an inaugural ball; and a private dinner. After the stay in Washington, guests will jet off to the Ritz-Grand Cayman, airfare and hotel stay also included. The package is targeted to the eco-conscious traveler with environmentally-friendly spa products, carbon offsets for the flight and eco-adventures awaiting in the islands.
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Hilton Washington

,000 plus tax for complete 4-night stay January 17, 18, 19, 20,

"Behind the Inaugural Bash" package which offers behind-the-scenes experiences of the planning and preparation for one of the biggest parties of a lifetime. Behind the Inaugural Bash Package * A once-in-a-lifetime behind-the-scenes experience for two guests, focused on the planning and preparation to host a party in honor of the 44th President of the United States of America.

—Two guests will attend behind-the-scenes planning sessions with hotel Catering, Culinary and Banquets professionals on 1/17 and 1/18. Review extravagant menu selections and elaborate event preparations.
—Host a private, custom culinary dinner experience for 8 guests on 1/17 previewing the official Candlelight Dinner menu and other selections from renowned Executive Chef
—Framed Commemorative Menu and Photo of Private Dinner on 1/17
—Private VIP Tour of Hilton Washington’s President’s Walk and Presidential Holding Room
—Two tickets to an Inaugural Ball
—Luxury 2-Bedroom Suite Accommodations for Two (4 Nights)
—Airport limo service upon arrival 1/17 and departure 1/21
—Nightly In-Room Amenity
—Complimentary Parking
—Breakfast for Two, Daily (choice of Hilton Breakfast Buffet or In-Room dining)
—Washington Welcome Amenity on Day of Arrival
—Inauguration Keepsake In-Room Amenity on Inauguration Night

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Fred Thompson’s Condo Rental….

Former Republican presidential contender and Law & Order actor Fred Thompson is adding his name to the list of Washingtonians looking to profit during the inauguration: he’s offering up his DC condo to visitors for ,000 for five days. The New York Post quotes an insider who says the condo "has a balcony overlooking the inaugural parade route, the Navy Memorial and the US Capitol, and comes with a reserved parking space.

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Five Star Hotels In Atlanta usually provides luxurious outdoor pool for tourists who want to relax and enjoy the sun and the breeze outside. Also, first class spa for tourists who would just love to stretch and relax their tensed muscles, are also provided. You will get to experience first class head and body massage in most of these hotels.

There are a lot of accommodations facilities to choose from. You can even choose a hotel depending on the places or sites you want to visit in Atlanta. The best part of the hotels is that you will get the same excellent services that each hotel renders to their guests. The hotels posses’ sophistication and they are usually a few blocks away from major tourist spots in Atlanta providing comfort and convenience to your stay and tour.

Atlanta hotels are very particular with their bedding packages as they make sure their bed exceeds the comfort of your bed at home. Their comfortable beds are the highlights of most Atlanta hotel rooms. These superb amenities are not only available at 5 Star hotels but also at Cheap Hotels In Atlanta. With little research on internet, the travelers might find a host of good and Discount Hotels in this place.

Chihuly in Space


Image by Stuck in Customs
Daily Photo – Chihuly in Space
I know you guys don’t get tired of the Chihuly pieces, and neither do I! In fact, I like this one so much that I use it as my desktop wallpaper.

Just as much thought goes into lighting these as it does the creation. I always wonder if he has the "lighting scenario" in mind when forming the piece and its colors. Or maybe, it’s just so awesome and naturally formed that it looks good under any kind of light. Heck, it would probably even look good in a 7-11 at 1 AM when all the pasty-lonely people stumble in for a Big Gulp and a Snickers. I can say this because I am often one of those people.

By the way, you all are free to use my images as desktop wallpaper, for fun, on your blogs, etc. That is the beauty of the Creative Commons license. If you are going to use them for any commercial purposes whatsoever, contact licensing at stuckincustoms.com — the team there will take care of you.
Charging the iPad Problems
Having trouble charging your iPad? I’ve updated my HyperMac Review a bit with information on how I am using it to keep things charged on the road. My Macbook Pro just ain’t cuttin’ it!

I also have much greater luck when plugging it directly into the wall with the plug that was included. In just a few hours, the iPad is full. The USB connection to my new MacBook Pro just charges it way too slow! I think we have all gotten used to how fast the iPhone charges… and the iPad is just a different beast. I will keep testing the this battery thing and let you know how many charges it can supply… I’ll update the HyperMac review here when I figure it out. Anyway, there are two options for your charging the iPad problems – hope they help!
from the blog www.stuckincustoms.com

Cheap hotels for the budget travellers are to be found through proper research. They are present in every nook and corner in the world. If the travellers can reduce their hotel costs, they can experience a better holiday by spending more on the other aspects.

How can you find these cheap hotels? You can begin by talking to friends or colleagues who have recently travelled to that country. They may have good suggestions on the area where these cheap hotel rooms are present even though they themselves did not stay there.

Also the costs of the hotel accommodation are dependant on the time of year that you plan to travel and also whether it is during the week days or weekends. Hence it makes good sense to travel during winter to a popular summer holiday destination as it will be less costly than making it during summer season and vice versa. Also it may be less crowded and could mean a better time for you and your fellow travellers.

Wherever possible, book your vacation hotels during the week days and at the start of the season that the area is famous for. This would enable you to get better rates.

If your contacts are unable to help you with any cheap hotels review then it is worthwhile to use search engines like Google. Initiate contact with at least 2 or 3 hotels in the area and get the accommodation rates for your planned holiday period.

Some hotels even have special rates for online bookings. Also the later you book, there will be lesser rooms available in a particular region where you are planning your vacation and hence it gets more expensive. So it is a good idea to book your hotels well in advance so that you can get good offers.

The cheap hotels reviews can be found in various travel websites and portals. Compare the hotel prices and cheap hotels reviews in 2-3 websites and then make the bookings. Remember your best holidays are made up of happy memories with whom you had spent the holiday and how you had spent it as well. Staying in cheap hotels can give you happy memories as well as it will allow you to increase your budget on visiting more attractions in the area and spending more on shopping too.

Finding a good bargain on the hotels and holidays are not that difficult to locate as long as you’re doing your research correctly. You should look at all the options available so that you can be sure of getting the best accommodation possible for your trip. Also try to ensure that these reviews are done by different people and it would be better to search for these cheap hotel reviews posted with photos. Also if the reviews are very old, they may not be relevant and could be misleading.

So if the tips given for finding the cheap hotels review is followed, it would enable the traveller to check the various details so that they can have an enjoyable holiday.

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