DAY 16,17, & 18

OK, OK !  It is nice to be missed. Sorry I am late posting but the girls chose a hotel in the middle of nowhere on  Lake Seneca and that was nice.  But without internet.
Many have asked about Steve.  I am glad to report that Emilie was able to spring him the day I left and he is making a great recovery at home.


DAY 16

Vicki, my wife, and our best friend Deb have been touring upstate NY while I was out scooting around.  The plan was to met them at Liedenfrost Vineyards on the other side of the lake, have lunch, and go to Watkins Glen race track to meet up with Deb's brother who is a member of the Bromos Porsche racing team and is  competing in the "6 hour at the Glen" race tomorrow.

As usual, this plan did not work as they got further and further behind on their schedule.

I, on the other hand, was right on schedule and having a ball. I was lucky enough to spend time with John Leidenfrost and his daughter Elizabeth Leidenfrost, winemaker and assist-maker respectively. His daughter says he can go to Europe for three weeks with about the same size bag as I have on Big Red.  We both explained that still was usually more than you needed and there are these things called laundromats.  We talked about grapes and workers and the weather. Finally they had to go sucker grapevines and I had to go find the girls.

Another delay allowed me the opportunity to visit another winery, Red Newt. The good news is that they not only poured wine but a good "Gucci" coffee.  Stacy, the coffee pourer, had just graduated as an arts major and she going to graduate school for the same.  I asked what her art was and she said ceramics.  I told her she and Vicki could trade "treasures" that they have made and set about everywhere.

 Stacy pouring coffee

Everybody here was very friendly and came up to speak to me.  Craig the bistro manager had been working in the restaurant business since he was a mere pup, so even though he is still relatively young, he knows the business from top to bottom.

The assistant winemaker, pictured here with Stacy, who's name is missing in my notes, and I had a long discussion about how he got to where he is and how the wine business is going.  He says to look to Virginia and Tennessee for more and better wines as the states are assisting the farmers to move from tobacco to wine.

I said they had a long, long, long way to go from what I had sampled from those state's "award winning" wines. He has a masters in wine mixing from Cornell University.

I finally caught up with the girls in Burdett at the Grist Mill Cafe and had a great lunch.

 Then we were off to the track to watch the cars go round and round.  At least at the Grand Am races they get to make some left turns.  The weather was perfect for watching cars and people.

 Dano Davis, owner of Bromos Porsche, Deb and Vicki

me and some famous guy 

 the girls giving advice on how to put the tires on

 me and Hurley Haywood, one of the greatest drivers of all time. He has won everything from Le Mans to the 24 hour at Daytona and one hell of  nice guy.  He is in his 60's and still racing for Bromos

some guy named Patrick Dempsey of tv fame. The girls took his picture. he has a racing team parked next to Bromos

I had got the "call" and knew that Bromos would win tomorrow, so when I told them not to worry about it they looked at me like the crazy old fat guy that I am.  I may be that but...........they won by a lap.  But I have learned when Betty makes the call, the fix is in.

DAY 17


Today was not pretty.  Light rain and chilly.  The girls headed for the Corning museum and I headed for Fairport NY and Country Rode Vespa and BMW dealer. http://countryrode.com/main/index.php I have been asked to write or speak several times and declined, but when Drew and Lynn pitched me and I was going to be in the area I said yes.  This is a great dealership that is very connected with their customers. They have had presentations by some very interesting people at the showroom all winter.  I was to be the last until the fall.
I did a talk and show at 11 that was very well attended and that I enjoyed giving.

While I was there I took the opportunity to get a new rear tire on Big Red

(The show room was so busy while I was there I, failed to get photos of the staff. These are from their website.)
If you need a Vespa this is the guy to call, Drew.  Great all around guy and rides his Vespa to work in the rain  and is very knowledgeable about his products.




The owners of Country Rode, Art and Lynn Ewlting.  These are great people and we thank them for their very generous contribution to the James Dean Byrd Foundation.  Their donation will provide a scholarship for one of our students.







DAY 18


The sun came out and I kissed the girls goodbye and they headed for the airport and Big Red and I headed for the Pocono's.  A nice but chilly ride.

 said good bye to the Blues Brothers on the way out of Watkins Glen

 these signs are a sure sign I am out of my area

 one of my "left turns". I could have stayed on the main highway but a short detour got me on a nice lonely road along the Susquehanna

 named the Marie Antoinette scenic overlook gets you a nice few of a oil well

 Riding the back roads and not paying enough attention to the fuel gauge made me have to take a little detour for gas.  At the pump Carl Marsh came and introduced himself to me.  He had seen me in his rearview mirror and made a U turn to come back to visit.  Fellow scooter enthusiast and U turn expert, he is president and founder of DISC, Disfunctional Individuals Scooter Club.  No rules, no dues.  A great visit and we went our seperate ways.

View Larger Map