Route from Maryland North to the Rally

[fastdogs2]

We need some advice from PA residents/riders. My friends and I will be riding from North Carolina through West Virginia to the Bloomsburg Rally. We will enter PA from Hancock, MD on Route 522. Here is a tentative route plan:

522 North to Shade Gap, PA
At Shade Gap, PA, 641 East to 75 North
75 North to 274
274 to Duncannon, 11/15 to Millersburg ferry
209 East to Elizabethville
225 North to Shamokin
487 North to Catawissa
At Catawissa, 42 North to Bloomsburg

Does this look like a reasonable route, that would keep us off the Interstates and provide some interesting riding?

Bill

[ROCKBOTTOM]

Yep, that's good. Those are all my stompin ground. There aren't any stores or gas from the intersection of 75/641 to Duncannon so if you need a pit stop, hit the country store/Gulf at the 75/641 intersection. Lots of Amish buggies on that stretch of 75. A couple of good little Amish vegetable/baked goods roadside stands.

[TED]

Here is the route I plan to take from DC, the part from Thurmont on is where the magic is It is not far from Hancock. You could probably come over from Hancock up Rt. 522 and over on Rt. 30 east through Chambersburg to Rt. 233 North and pick up the route. Google Maps Streetview would give you a great idea of what you can see on the way and the size and condition of the roads (small to medium, good to great condition )


View Larger Map

[ROCKBOTTOM]

I'd recommend staying on 34 near your point "J". Trust me on this. See the word "Schlusser" right below that? The "r" is almost sitting on my house. (And I can never figure out why "Schlusser" shows up on Google maps. There is no such place. No administrative unit, no signs. It just doesn't exist.)

[TED]

Changes adopted - thanks!

[fastdogs2]

Thanks, Rockbottom and Ted for the route suggestions. We are probably going home to NC after the Rally on routes 11/15. I just wanted something a bit different for the trip up there.

"Schluss" in German means end or an ending or a conclusion. The suffix, "er," when appended to proper names usually means "one who." Perhaps someone named Schlusser lived there or it was an ending point of a road, railroad?

Bill

[ROCKBOTTOM]

No railroads. Everything around here has German names. But there is no Schlusser. It's part of North Middleton Township.

[statdawg]

RT 34 is a nice option, I took that way towards WV many times by coming down from Bloomsburg.

If you travel northward on RT 11 you can take the river ferry across to Millersburg then travel east to Hegins to reach RT 125 northward. This gives you more time on that great road and to enjoy some scenic history.

Just off of RT 11

http://www.ferryboatcampsites.com/

http://www.millersburg.com/attractions/ferry.html

* if coming up RT 34 and wish to take the ferry you will have to travel south on RT 11 and make a U turn due to a barrier preventing you in reaching the campground. Unless you are wild and cross RT 11 and ride the edge of the road for a short distance.

The route below begins once you cross the Susquehanna River to reach Millersburg. There is a long rural valley to Hegins which may allow Amish sightseeing then the fun begins on RT 125. In Shamokin you can see the worlds largest culm bank while on RT 61. Then Rt 487 is nice but this area is for family entertainment that features numerous campsites, golf courses and Knoebels amusement park which could put more traffic than expected on this scenic road......on weekends. In Catawissa you cross the Susquehanna again but this time by bridge. The east side of the river is a nice road and you can see the old Pennsylvania canal, Profile Rock. If you travel through Rupert you can cross the covered bridge then turn left and follow Fishing Creek to the enterance of the rally site. See the first part of this ride report about the Catawissa Area.