This was a short ride but worthwhile and fun. Here's the info on the place:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesapeake_%26_Delaware_Canal
Along the sides of the canal are service roads. In many places there are as many as four parallel roads on different levels. The high road and the low road as well as 1 or two in between. Mostly they are unpaved. The middle ones are a little bit rough being just two track without any gravel so there's mud and some overgrowth here and there. The gravel roads are well maintained and barely a challenge for the Hyperstrada or the average passenger sedan for that matter.
What I like about them was being able to ride at 40-50 mph for long stretches to get the feel of how the HS handles off road at those speeds. Where the gravel is very loose she can be a bit like grease on a hot skillet. But mostly she was quite stable and predictable. And throws an impressive roost when you get on it at those speeds.
I liked the middle roads best. The two track was pretty well worn but here and there it got eroded or rutted. Nothing taxing or tricky but just fun little woodsy trails you can ride many miles on. There were a few fun hill climbs but again not much challenge. I ventured off onto a few smaller trails that branched off and they either became dead ends or looped back to the main. One such trail had a tricky downhill dogleg and was all rutted from erosion. That got interesting but no poopy pants.
I rode both the North and South sides of the canal. The North is mostly bicycle/jogging trails with no motor vehicles allowed. The South is anything goes.
I entered the South side here in St. Georges, DE...
https://www.google.com/maps/place/39°33'11.0%22N+75°38'47.3%22W/@39.5473995,-75.6594344,14.31z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d39.553062!4d-75.646484
I rode all the way East then backtracked and headed West all the way to Chesapeake City. Then I turned around again and took another parallel trail back East. Upon reaching my start I turned around and headed West again on another trails and so on until I had done them all.
I also rode some on the North side which I entered here
https://www.google.com/maps/place/39°32'38.0%22N+75°43'34.4%22W/@39.5439071,-75.728404,674m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d39.543903!4d-75.72621
My phone has been acting weird so I didn't bother with much picture taking. Sorry.
The pictures were shot on the North side.
On my way home I stopped for lunch at Tender Bones Rib Shack in Kirkwood. Outstanding food and very exuberant staff. The chef gave me a free T-Shirt!
Tender Bones BBQ
A lady in the place waiting for her food told me about her husband and his motorcycling activities. The gentleman has a Kawasaki dual sport and goes riding it in the canal area. She said he likes the riding areas found off the little trails heading away from the main roads. Looking at the maps again I now see that There indeed seems to be some pretty nice spots off the beaten path. Looks like I picked the wrong side trails to explore.
I'll have to go back and dig a little deeper I guess.
I also visited Fort Dupont State Park in Delaware City and took in some very interesting history there. The gun emplacements were my favorite part.
Fort DuPont State Park, Delaware City, Delaware
I went down to the canal again from there and rode to the end of it on the Delaware. I got into a race with a humongous cargo ship. Guess who won?
Of course I had to include a gratuitous shot of my dirty daisy Duck. She looks so sexy in mud.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesapeake_%26_Delaware_Canal
Along the sides of the canal are service roads. In many places there are as many as four parallel roads on different levels. The high road and the low road as well as 1 or two in between. Mostly they are unpaved. The middle ones are a little bit rough being just two track without any gravel so there's mud and some overgrowth here and there. The gravel roads are well maintained and barely a challenge for the Hyperstrada or the average passenger sedan for that matter.
What I like about them was being able to ride at 40-50 mph for long stretches to get the feel of how the HS handles off road at those speeds. Where the gravel is very loose she can be a bit like grease on a hot skillet. But mostly she was quite stable and predictable. And throws an impressive roost when you get on it at those speeds.
I liked the middle roads best. The two track was pretty well worn but here and there it got eroded or rutted. Nothing taxing or tricky but just fun little woodsy trails you can ride many miles on. There were a few fun hill climbs but again not much challenge. I ventured off onto a few smaller trails that branched off and they either became dead ends or looped back to the main. One such trail had a tricky downhill dogleg and was all rutted from erosion. That got interesting but no poopy pants.
I rode both the North and South sides of the canal. The North is mostly bicycle/jogging trails with no motor vehicles allowed. The South is anything goes.
I entered the South side here in St. Georges, DE...
https://www.google.com/maps/place/39°33'11.0%22N+75°38'47.3%22W/@39.5473995,-75.6594344,14.31z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d39.553062!4d-75.646484
I rode all the way East then backtracked and headed West all the way to Chesapeake City. Then I turned around again and took another parallel trail back East. Upon reaching my start I turned around and headed West again on another trails and so on until I had done them all.
I also rode some on the North side which I entered here
https://www.google.com/maps/place/39°32'38.0%22N+75°43'34.4%22W/@39.5439071,-75.728404,674m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d39.543903!4d-75.72621
My phone has been acting weird so I didn't bother with much picture taking. Sorry.
The pictures were shot on the North side.
On my way home I stopped for lunch at Tender Bones Rib Shack in Kirkwood. Outstanding food and very exuberant staff. The chef gave me a free T-Shirt!
Tender Bones BBQ
A lady in the place waiting for her food told me about her husband and his motorcycling activities. The gentleman has a Kawasaki dual sport and goes riding it in the canal area. She said he likes the riding areas found off the little trails heading away from the main roads. Looking at the maps again I now see that There indeed seems to be some pretty nice spots off the beaten path. Looks like I picked the wrong side trails to explore.
I'll have to go back and dig a little deeper I guess.
I also visited Fort Dupont State Park in Delaware City and took in some very interesting history there. The gun emplacements were my favorite part.
Fort DuPont State Park, Delaware City, Delaware
I went down to the canal again from there and rode to the end of it on the Delaware. I got into a race with a humongous cargo ship. Guess who won?
Of course I had to include a gratuitous shot of my dirty daisy Duck. She looks so sexy in mud.
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