Brotherly Love?

[JustJim]

Hey, gang. Haven't been on here in a while. But, since we both are without jobs, my wife and I are headed to Philly to try to see what damage we can do there.

Just wanted to check in to see who's here from that area and what rides or gatherings may be planned. I didn't see a Philly or PA chapter listed in the regional section.

My wife is from Philly and has family there. But they don't ride.

What are some good roads close enough for day trips?

And where's the good live music played? I like blues, rock and country.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Jim

[Big Rig]

Hey Jim,

I am in South Jersey, a stones through from Philly. There are plenty of great riding roads on the PA side of the delaware river not quite the dragon, but some fun twisties and there is some real pretty country about an hour outside of downtown philly. Only two country stations in town, one in philly the other is in Delaware.

When are you heading up here? And what kind of work do you and your wife do?

drop me a PM if you would like more info.

Dave

[~ Timbrwolf]

...Hey Jim

....X South jersey boy here....used to ride that area extensively.....I would highly recommend the New Hope area....specifically Rt 32 and Rt 29 ....great riding....and New Hope is a cool lil touristy town with all kinds of hip little shops and great outside restaurants.....on the weekends its a bike magnet and usually the streets are lined with all kinds of bikes....theres a cool little airport real close that is a popular ride for alot of bikers also...you can ride right up to the runways and watch the small planes departing and go for a ride in a Bi-plane if you want...have to pay ofcourse....forget the name of the airport but just ask anyone in town and Im sure they can give you directions...far as Philly goes...me and a buddy used to do something we called...Friday Night Philly Rides....we,d ride over the bridge from jersey and go over and get a cheese steak from Pat,s or Geno,s Steaks....then cruise up and down South Street and all the bars along the river.....just be VERY careful....Ive not been there in over 5 years...but I still read the Philadelphia Inquirrer on line....and Philly is a VERY dangerous place these days....last summer 2 or 3 cops were even gunned down by the crazies that wander those streets....but the New Hope area is without a doubt...a riding paradise...  


....oh yeah...do yerself a favor....when in town hit the...Reading Terminal...its like a giant indoor Farmers Market/Food Fair....with every kind of International food you can think of...Fresh and Delicious !


...and if you dig Chinese food....definitely go to China Town and go to a place called...Joseph Poon,s.....best Chinese food ya ever had...garunteed.. 

[Willow]

It's been a long, long time since I lived in Philly, but to my memory the ride to and around Valley Forge was worth the trip.

[Kaiser]

I lived just west of Philly for 5 years.  The closer to Amish country you get (Lancaster), the more fun it is!  I used to ride all around Exton, Morgantown, Reading, etc..

I highly recommend Rt. 401.  Once you get out of Exton heading west, there is hardly a straight stretch for 10 miles.  Up, down, turn left, turn right, sharp corner, sweeping corner, etc.  I loved that road.  I drove it every weekday to work and loved the commute.

Rt. 10 either north (towards Reading) or south of Morgantown is a good ride, too.

Avoid Rt. 23 in that area if possible.  It is straight, boring, and people use it as a personal drag strip.

Both of these roads are probably one-and-a-half to two hours west of Philly.

And despite what "true" Philly cheese steak fans may say - the BEST cheese steak is found in Morgantown at a little place called "Nuse's Deli" (at the intersection of Rt. 10 & Rt. 23).  I have literally made that place my first stop every time I go back to that area.

Enjoy the ride and know that you've got at least one jealous person wishing he could join in the fun!

[JustJim]

Sounds great, guys. Thanks for the info.

We are planning to move in early to mid-May. My wife and I were journalists. We worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal until last week, when new owners took over. So we are headed to Philly, where she grew up.

Looks like here are some cool places to ride, eat and party. Maybe we'll see you all around.

[Michael K (Az.)]

Hey Jim!
I feel I must remind you that,
1. The 76'ers may prove to be a constant disappointment for you, and,
B. The roads up there have "turns" in them!
 
From your favorite "early" News-Urinal retiree!

( trivia peeps, name the movie that the "1., B." comes from)

[Big Rig]

Jim,

First official ride invite...

My club does the ride to the wall in DC....I am sure you know about Rolling Thunder....We make a day trip, ride down, see the parade, check out the monuments then head back grab lunch and then head home. You are more then welcomed to join us. It would be great to have another Valk to help me scare the crap out of all the harleys I ride with...ha ha ha

[Willow]

We are planning to move in early to mid-May. My wife and I were journalists. We worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal until last week, when new owners took over. So we are headed to Philly, where she grew up.

That sounds all too familiar.  You don't have a big dog, do you?

[Mountainman]

Jim, I have lived all my life in the area that Timbrwolf mentioned and He is right New Hope on the week ends is a cycle magnet. Get a seat at one of the sidewalk cafe's get a cold one and watch the show. Rt.32 runs along the Delaware river and is much better than the "Great River Road" that runs along the Mississippi River where you can go for many miles and never see the river, here you are never more than a stones throw from water. And you ride through Quaint old towns that are a photo waiting to be taken. The road is great on a hot day, for it is a cool ride with coolair coming down through the trees to the river. You can follow it all the way up past Easton to Stroudsburg, Pa.
     If you take US611 north out of Philly to Ottsville at the light, ( Hollow Horn Rd. ) bear right and you will ride some very sharp twists and turns till you go down through the ' Holler' and cross the covered bridge ( there are quite a lot of them in this area.) you will go up the hill and there is VanSants Airport for bi-plane and glider rides. Just remember to duck at the top of the hill or a plane might slap your helet off.  There are a lot of great roads with twists and turns so do not be shy about contacting me and getting some directions to some memorable rides.

[JustJim]

No big dog named Marley. But a three-legged cat named Mitch. And we can't quite swing Chadds Ford on (former) journalist pay.

Thanks for the formal ride invite. Not sure we will be up there in time. But if I'm around, I'll go. We are waiting to clear up loose ends here, so we don't have a firm move date yet.

I'll let you know.

Thanks again for all the great input. I am looking forward to getting up there are hitting some of these roads and stops.