My wife, Missy, and I decided to make our marriage just a little more formal and official (we'd done the common-law thing at the Notary in PA) by getting hitched with a license and all that but couldn't decide how. So, I suggested we run away on motorcycles (a 2000 Road Star and an "85 Virago) and find a place to do it just by ourselves, making it more romantic not to mention simpler and cheaper

We started checking on the 'Net for some place nice but not too cliché. As Virginia is one of our favorite places and we love Skyline Drive, we did a search there. Lo and behold we (she) found the Valley Wedding Chapel in Winchester, an historic town in northern VA that fit the bill perfectly. From there we could do a Honeymoon ride on Skyline Drive.

Well we carefully made our plans, and on the evening of June 1, 2000, we left our little home in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains in PA. We headed out PA 895 west, a twisty, curvy, rolling-hill road that passes between two mountain ridges for about 25 miles. Turning south on PA 61 we had our first realization that we'd better pay close attention to the work at hand, getting there in one piece. Just before the on-ramp for I 78 we had to hit the binders hard for a deer who was having trouble making a decision whether to cross the road or not.

With the deer out of sight but not out of mind, motored down I 78 ever mindful of the ominous looking clouds approaching from the northwest. Yeah, you guessed it we got rained on, hid under an overpass for an hour and were a bit wet. We got back on the highway, rode hard for a few hours and with one stop for gas, made it to Winchester by 11:30 P.M. We checked into the Quality Inn which was very "motorcycle friendly" and pretty much passed out as we'd both worked that day.

Well, the next day came up pretty darn fast and as I went out to inspect the rain damage (well I'd spent hours washing, polishing, and waxing every visible inch of those bikes) and saw I had my work cut out for me. By the way, all of our packed items stayed completely dry and unruffled thanks to our Tour Master pack we got at a 25% discount at Link Cycle, our dealer of choice in PA. In the meantime, Missy got our Friday-go-to-meetin' clothes ready I went to the nearest car wash and commenced to rewashing, polishing, and waxing every visible inch of those bikes once again

With that out of the way, we got ready for our big day. I had to stop what I was doing because Missy was so pretty I just had to stare at her for a while. Well then it was "Zero Hour" and we headed for the chapel.

Upon arrival there was a wedding in progress and the few minutes we had to wait were spent checking it out. Quite a nice little place I must say. nestled on a corner in the Historic District of Winchester it is conveniently located on the opposite corner from the Frederick County Courthouse which was our next stop.

Gary Patterson, the J.P., and owner of the Valley Wedding Chapel, was not only very nice but extremely funny and made our whole experience more enjoyable. Inside the chapel Gary gave instructions how and where to get our license. It was very tastefully decorated (probably by Gary's wife) and the motif definitely promoted a relaxing atmosphere.

So, after getting the license and getting hitched it was time for pictures. Gary charges a modest fee and takes the pics himself or you can do your own or hire someone else. Gary did ours and we couldn't be happier wth them. Some inside, some outside, some serious, some funny, well you get the picture. <g>

Then we headed out for some grub and the ride to Skyline Drive. The day was very warm, in the 90's and sunny so we of course forgot to smear on the SPF that we'd been so careful to bring. Up on Skyline Drive the road was fabulous as always. The road, the view of the Shennandoah Valley, and the weather were all perfect. After riding down to Big Meadows, we decided to go back to Skyland to spend the night.

Upon rising, we noticed the weather had taken a drastic change, (temp about 40 degrees cooler) and suited up to go riding to Luray to see the caverns and whatever else we could find. As the day progressed, the southern sun warmed us, and a great lunch at a hole-in-the-wall diner sated our appetites while we got our wedding photos developed at a one- hour service. We saw the caverns, the car museum and opted to get fudge instead of losing each other in the maze they have

We decided to ride back to Winchester and explore more of the town and stay there for the night. We wanted a room with a Jacuzzi and found a beautiful suite at the Travelodge, which was also very motorcycle friendly. We checked out the Historic District had dinner and turned in for the night once again.

The next day the clouds were very heavy looking and we decided that trying to beat the weather was the first order of business as our elopement was drawing to a close. We got on I 81 north and were able to tuck in behind a tractor-trailer and cruise at about 80-85 mph(don't try this at home, kids) and made not only record time but record gas mileage. I computed nearly 80mpg with the Road Star. By the time we got to Harrisburg we were quite ahead of schedule and Missy suggested we go to Hershey Park for some more fudge at the "Chocolate Factory". Well, we never got fudge but did get Hershey Park Happy riding all those coasters.

On the way home from there, we got stuck in a traffic jam for two hours on I 78 and got a little rain the last 20 miles of our trip home. All in all, I'd call it a perfect trip and I'd do it all again tomorrow.

Kirt & Missy