Mission to Lowe's (May 31, 2020)

Interesting little ride. Got up really early this Sunday morning to get an item at Lowe's near me. They said they had five in stock. However got there and could not find it. Got an employee to look also, but he could not find it either. Told that happens, and had some years ago worked in warehousing, and that is certainly true.
So...did find there was another at the Lowe's in Beavercreek. This time took the Triumph and made a ride out of it. While there stopped by Flyby BBQ which is not open (but will be open tomorrow) mainly cause its a great photo opportunity for an aviation fan. At the second Lowe's took a lot of looking and it was not where it was supposed to be but I did find it!!! Success!!
With a heart filled with joy, rode back via the backroads (got there via the highway) and got a nice ride into Fairborn. The ride today was a bit over 20 miles and some 90 minutes though that does not count the time inside the store. Still, no complaints from me.       

Memorial Day Ride (May 25, 2020)

 Got out for the third day in a row to get a few miles in on this Memorial Day. It was just a short 18 mile ride around the immediate area. Stopped at the airport here in New Carlisle to see the planes flying around, visited the New Carlisle Cemetery to see the war memorial, and rode for a short while around Crystal Lake to see the birds and the sights there. Good day to get out though it did once again get hot and humid later on. Much higher temperatures here last few days then is normal for this time of year. Nonetheless, I got out early and enjoyed it a great deal. Later in the day clouds really were building and storms are expected to arrive soon.

Memorial Ride/ Wright Brothers House (May 24, 2020)

Interesting ride to the Dayton National Cemetery on this sunny and warm Sunday. Second day of riding in a row though did deal with big storms last night. The skies cleared though and got out again. During the Memorial Day weekend I like to take time to pay respect to those American heroes who paid the ultimate price. Had never been to this cemetery and it was most impressive. There are some 55,000 graves which date to the Revolutionary War. Lots of impressive information on the Dayton National Cemetery website. I was very glad to check it out. In the photo below which is a closeup of the monument, one of the statues on it is of a sailor. As I served in the USN I thought that was really cool and you don't see that very often.    

From the Dayton National Cemetery rode out to Hawthorn Hill. The house was designed by Wilbur and Orville Wright but Wilbur died of typhoid before it was completed. It was constructed from 1912 and completed in 1914. The never married Orville Wright lived there with his sister and his father, but was the last Wright resident with his death in 1948.
The house is very remarkable, obviously inventing the airplane paid rather well. Nice neighborhood even today and enjoyed looking around. One thing about that neighborhood, there are no signs explaining that this is the Wright Brothers house, but thankfully Google knows.
Took a ride back from there to my house (which is "somewhat" more modest) via an interesting drive up Ohio 48 (aka Main Street for a time). Kind of a tale of two cities. The ride today covered 65 miles and I had a wonderful time seeing two brand new places. A close up of the house is below, and more photos can be seen on my Ohio and me blog site.     

Saturday Ride to Dayton (May 23, 2020)

Interesting ride on this Saturday. First ride in a few days due to some heavy rainfall here which caused some flooding in the region. Went by a favorite restaurant to see the signs. As with many places has been impacted by the virus. Took a ride to downtown Dayton. Always interesting to see the sights there. I came across the Packard Museum, which is closed due to the virus, but will be well worth a future visit. Last stop was at the Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark which was a first time visit. Interesting and beautiful place and will be coming back there again in the future. This was a very wonderful 45 mile ride on the motorcycle today.   

Ferncliff Cemetery Ride (May 16, 2020)

Interesting ride and there are also some more photos of the day on my Ohio and Me page. Today, visited Ferncliff Cemetery in Springfield. This was suggested by my wife who said it was worth seeing, and she was right as usual. I visited the Civil War section which is the photo at left and the cannons below. The while structure is the tomb of Governor Bushnell of Ohio, his history is the plaque below that. Finally a large oblisk is among the many interesting sights to be found there.
It was a very nice ride, as the temperature today was at or just over 70 and a nice 48 mile ride put a smile on my face. 

Wescott House/Hartman Rock Garden Ride (May 13, 2020)

 Interesting ride this morning. First stop was the Westcott House, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is from the Prairie School of architectural design.  It was designed in 1906 and built in 1908. Mr. Wright was one of the foremost American designers. 
Burton Wescott lived in the house. He was treasurer of The American Seeding Machine company and brought the Wescott Motor Car Company in 1916 which he was President of, as well as holding a number of other positions.
The house was purchased and restored by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. Due to the Covid 19 virus, house is not open for tours at the present time.       

 There were some beautiful houses in the area as well as the Wescott House, one is seen above and others can be found on my Ohio and Me blog page.
I made a stop at the Hartman Rock Garden, again as the Wescott House, a first time stop.
The Hartman Rock Garden  which can be seen below was made by Ben Hartman from 1932-1944. It started as something to do during the Great Depression while laid off from his job. After his death the garden was maintained by his wife Mary for 53 years. The garden was taken over and maintained by Friends of the Hartman Rock Garden. There is no admission charge though donations are suggested. I really enjoyed my visit there today.
The ride today was some 35 miles, a both stops were first time visits. Found there are some worthwhile sights in Springfield. Expecting a long rainy period here for the next few days and was good to get out to get a little exploring in today.   

Waco Ride (May 7, 2020)

With the upcoming forecast calling for a period of below normal temperatures which includes a freeze over the next night or two along with a period of rain, decided to get the motorcycle out. I ran to Lowe's in the car earlier to beat the crowds. On that trip I pretty well was one of the few people there. Rode past there during the ride and noted the parking lot was full. They are allowed to open, but most of the mall stores are not. I have some photos on my "Ohio and Me" blog page. I rode out to The Waco Aircraft Museum which is closed. All the museums are for the present time. Went there a few months ago and had a great time.       

Waco was a big part of Troy, being a very important aircraft factory. Waco aircraft were very successful for a long time. The event I went to was a fly-in there (the museum also has a grass airport) as the planes are still very collectable.
Troy is a nice city and a fun place to explore. My visit today was short but still nice to see it and to check out the sights. The other part is that it is just a very fine ride. I rode out there via the highway, but came back via the backroads. Nice to get out past the farm animals, past the farms, and through a few small towns. That is a big reason why I ride.
It was a little cool but beautiful blue skies as you can see, and traffic was not too bad at least on the backroads. The highways were a little busier.
I covered some 47 miles on the ride today with  the stop at left being  one along with the photo stop at the top. Plunty of fuel and lots to see. Nice to get out and get my knees in the breeze once again.     

May the 4th Be With You...ride (May 4, 2020)

 Beautiful morning here in Ohio. After a few morning things around here, got out on the motorcycle and saw some sights. Stopped at Carriage Hill Park where I visited with the horses. Beautiful place to make a short stop. Rode then to Tipp City, again...its a favorite place of mine. Interesting old buildings and a lot of history. Very quiet there as the virus has things closed down still for a bit longer. Things are supposed to open up pretty soon. Gradually which is a good thing in my book. The ride today was 32 miles and enjoyed it greatly. More photos on my "Ohio and Me" page.   

Ride Three to Dayton (May 1, 2020)

Interesting first day of May motorcycle ride. Was not sure I would get out as the weather did not look good for a long time today. I did made a stop at Joe's Cycle in North Dixie. I like the motorcycle shop and enjoyed seeing the Triumph Rocket III in there. Nice people who have done some work on my bike (new tires) since I have been here. Rode from there into Dayton and made a stop at Woodlawn Cemetery. The Civil War section can be seen in the third photo, and the view from the top of the cemetery in the photo at the very bottom. This was a nice 42 mile ride and I really enjoyed being out today in the breeze.