Vacation Days–Saturday

Saturday arrived & brought a light drizzle, gently overcast skies & mare’s tails of mist dancing through the trees on the hills.  It was definitely a Carry-Your-Rainsuit kinda day & not a Ride-the-Parkway kinda day.  But the roads beckoned to Da Harley & who am I to question that?

Goshen Pass

It wasn’t a technical curve day either, but then the road through Goshen Pass isn’t very technical.  The roads were dry & there were even a few folks at the picnic area.

The picnic pavilion is new – the previous one was damaged enough by the Maury River floods so as to be unsafe.  There are also new picnic tables spread around the wayside but none were in the pavilion.

No danger of flooding at the moment though, the river normally covers the grass in the foreground here, although a day or two of steady rain could change things dramatically.  This water level is normal for summer’s end. 

These ladies were holding a picnic of there own in the pavilion, but even their numbers were few.  There is something sad about an empty picnic area on a warm holiday weekend.

Another view Goshen Pass looking upstream

Thank you to the Perrys for preserving the Pass for us all to enjoy.

From here the road lead Da Harley along Va Route 43 on the north side of Little North Mountain towards Buffalo Gap.  It started to rain a bit by Augusta Springs so a ride break was called for.  There is a lovely Wetlands – Upland Forest Natural Area here, well work the walk around.

Although having bits & pieces of the Augusta Springs Resort pop up here & there gives this wetland preserve an odd twilight zone sort of feel.

A whole system of fountains & canals once channeled water at the Augusta Springs.  They were fed by the natural springs in the area.

This is one of several manmade stone works around a spring.  Yes there is water in there.  The water in the ponds and such was right for this time of year.

There are 2 ponds on the site, one is natural & one is beaver made.  Both are surrounded by flowering plants and hard to actually photograph.  On a warm sunny day, the area is a riot of butterflies.

Several small streams now cut through the area

These berries were much in evidence in the groves along the trail.

Of course there were the hummingbird attractors in profusion where there was full sun

While these small flowers dominated the shade

The beavers use this area for dam material

After the Spa closed in the 1930’s the area supported a spring water bottling plant.  That too is long gone & only some concrete & cement blocks remain.  The Shenandoah Valley was once a very prosperous place. 

Thanks to the folks that keep this place beautiful

It rained in earnest from Buffalo Gap to just past Staunton but was gone soon after.  Several deer  & a great blue heron watched me pass along the South River Road.

This is the house where the Rally was held – it used to be a way station for the railroad.

There were tour bikes

And a Duel Sport bike

And a really cool owner applied custom paint job on this sport bike

Family & Friends of the Rally Host

Touring Bike Riders

More Family

It isn’t a Rally without a Pooch

Or Two – this is Dixie

And of course Your Faithful Blogger with her new Wisconsin based friend

P.S. A special thanks to the guys who helped me change out a tire on my trailer at the rally.  One of the trailer tires had sidewall checking & I hadn’t been able to block the tire so it wouldn’t turn on its axel by myself.   The spare is on now & all is well.