A Great Way To Start The Day – Heading West on Route 39

Breathing in deeply, the morning felt cool. As our wheels turned past the silent rolls of hay and red barns of the landscape, I felt like a giant. This was my day and anything I chose to do with it would be spun into gold.

Route 39 road sign

With my camera collected from the side of the road, Bill and I hopped on route 39 and began to carve our way west. There wasn’t another car in sight as we began to sew a jagged line across the byway. Zig-zagging along, it was just us two cruising.

The view from an overlook on Route 39

Bill is a great traveling companion. He’s game for anything. That made my ride much more comfortable because I didn’t have to do that dance of wondering if the person you’re riding with is rolling their eyes when you pull over to take a picture of something… again.

Looking east on route 39

The last time that I’d made the trip across 39, it was with Kenny and a bunch of our friends in 2008. I thought about that quite a bit that as the miles ticked by. That and just how much I was missing my family.

The Goshen Gap overlook
Chloe was off being glamorous in California with family. Her face grinning back at me from in front of the Golden Gate bridge made me smile each time I took out my phone for a photo. It helped to keep the I miss you so much daggers to the heart at bay.

Then there was my other half, Kenny. Scheduling kept him from being able to take this ride with us. A classic case of “real life” interfering with fun.

You get so used to someone being your partner through life that when they aren’t there at key moments – their absence is palpable. Of course you are still enjoying yourself, but you wish they could see what you’re seeing with their own eyes.

Tuscarora (Clinton) Sand - West Virginia, Route 39

Tuscarora (Clinton) Sand - West Virginia, Route 39

Traveling makes me feel like possibility is limitless in my life. I feel like being out there in the world without a strict schedule to keep and following the path that your whims take you on – is where I get the chance to see more of the real me. There is a calmness, a clear thinking, a relaxation that comes along with traveling that is addictive.

It was a good thing we still had more riding to do. I didn’t want to come down from my high.

Fuzzygalore

Rachael is the whimsical writer behind the 20+ year old Girlie Motorcycle Blog. As a freelance blogger, she is on a mission to inspire laughter, self-examination, curiosity, and human connection. Girlie Motorcycle Blog can be found on several Best Motorcycle Blog lists.

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13 Responses

  1. DUC748 says:

    I remember that lookout pictured 4th down from the top. =)

    Do you remember Jenn and Charlie from that wall? LOL

    http://duc748.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/2008-West-Virginia/IMG1382/781652375_Lz6Us-XL.jpg

    • Fuzzygalore says:

      OMG! I forgot about that 😆

      That seems like a million years ago, now.

      I’d love it if we could all meet up and ride again. ::sigh:::

      That lookout is at the Goshen pass.

  2. Arc says:

    Fuzzy! You know how I know we’re awesome? We took the EXACT SAME PICTURE http://bit.ly/pt6JCL. High five chicka.

  3. GLantern says:

    It is great to ride with someone you know who has a similar mindset and you can trust. It helps to relax the mind knowing they will be there for you and enjoy everything you do while you ride.

    I can relate to missing your significant other while out on the road. Even on a long Sunday I tend to wander back home in my mind wishing I could share everything I am seeing with my fiance. Of course you don’t want the ride to end anytime soon but I find the return home to be just as satisfying as the ride on more then one occasion.

    • Fuzzygalore says:

      Yea, Bill is really good like that. Patient, curious and easy going. Can’t ask for better.

      I know exactly what you means. When you get within striking distance of home, that’s really when the “I miss my family” pangs really go to town.

  4. Chris says:

    Great photos =D

  5. ToadMama says:

    I’ve never done 39. Can you believe that? I’ll have to explore that one for sure. I’m with you on the disconnecting/relaxation thing. There’s just something aweseome about being able to do what you want/go where you want in accordance with no one’s clock but your own. It seems like you had a fabulous ride. Too bad Kenny couldn’t join you. Real life sucks sometimes…

    • Fuzzygalore says:

      Wow, really? I think you’ll enjoy it 🙂
      There is a nice square in 219, 39, 252, 250
      Lucky for you – you’re just a hop, skip and a jump from being able to ride it!

      Also – 66 running between 219 & 28 offers a really awesome view of the giant radio telescope at Green Bank. Its totally surreal seeing that nestled behind a rural farm.

      • ToadMama says:

        I might have to add 39. I checked the map. It would require 2.5 hours just to get to the 220/39 intersection. We’ll have to save that one for a long day. We could ride much further afield if we didn’t have 3 dogs. But the, I couldn’t imagine life without my dogs, so we stick to mostly day trips. I’ll remember the 66 tip, too.

  6. Nothing still feels more liberating than motor-biking, it seems. I like the polaroid effects of the photos, but nothing more than the fact that you’ve traveled a lot. I’m about to turn into your fan.

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