Sojourn Chronicles

by D. Brent Miller

The day could not have been more perfect. Sunny. Sixty-eight degrees and rising to the mid 80s by afternoon. A slight breeze out of the west. A group of riders who meet regularly–not just on Sunday mornings–to ride some of southwestern Ohio’s great back roads and two-lane state routes.

We’ve consumed enough coffee, so it is time to ride. Someone suggests riding to an overlook on the Ohio River. Everyone agrees, and the bikes start up and head south on S.R. 48 through Maineville.

 I’m just learning these roads, but I can get used to them very fast. There is something wonderful about these hills that surround the Ohio River Valley. Twists, turns, hills more curves and then curvy hills.

Just before we turn onto U.S. 50 near Batavia, we ride through a covered bridge. It comes quite unexpectedly, but a joy to ride through. As a one-laner, traffic must approach it carefully. A pickup truck waits patiently as three, four, then all seven bikes cross the bridge, twisting and turning down the road out of sight. I double back after breakfast to take photos.

Finally, we arrive in New Richmond at the Landings Restaurant.

The back of the building, built in in the 1800s, has a veranda overlooking the Ohio River. We sit, the coffee comes and orders taken. A riverboat cruises by on the river as speed boats and fishing boats zip up and down the waterway.

Conversations turn to bikes, rides and motorcycling news. Not to be exclusive, talk also turns to family and work, vacations and travels, hopes and dreams. It’s conversations amongst friends, and I am quickly fitting in. I think I’ve found my place in Cincinnati.–DBrent

Technorati tags: New Richmond OH, Ohio River, motorcycle travel, breakfast rides