Tour in Moto a Washington D.C.

Arrive at Washington Dulles airport and transfer to your hotel. Overnight.

This morning you will pick up your motorcycle at the EagleRider. Your exciting ride through Virginia, the oldest, largest and wealthiest of the American colonies and the single most powerful influence on the early United States, can begin…You embark on a non-stop history lesson! From Chantilly you pick up SR 28 and head north until you hit SR 267, make a right turn ahead towards Washington DC. Here, you take US 29, which will take you towards Baltimore, a very enjoyable stop en route. It’s closely knit neighborhoods and historic quarters provide an engaging backdrop to many diverse attractions here. Continue on Hwy 83 towards York – your interest here is the Harley Davidson plant, next to Milwaukee headquarters the York site is of most interest for bikers. The York plant is Harley-Davidson’s final assembly plant and museum, the largest H-D facility, with more than 3,200 employees, who crank out 700 bikes a day! The popular guided tour takes about two hours. It begins with a brief history of the company, which is the only American producer of motorcycles still in business. The tour then takes you to a lineup of some 40 Harleys past and present, culled from the corporate collection of over 200 motorbikes. You then proceed to the shop floor for a close-up and (very noisy) look and listen as the bikes get put together: Sheets of steel are pressed to form fenders and fairings, and, once assembled, each bike is “road-tested” at full throttle on motorcycling’s equivalent of a treadmill. The plant is located off Route 30 at 1425 Eden Road, one mile east of Hwy 83. From here you head west and take Hwy 30 to Gettysburg. Overnight.

Gettysburg legend in American history is so large, it’s surprising to see that the actual places of note are confined within a relatively small area. Despite steady growth, Gettysburg at its core is still a village, reminiscent of the 1860’s. But it’s worth remembering - as you walk through the town - that the area in 1863 was heavily wooded. The forests here are long gone. This morning you might want to take some time to visit Gettysburg National Military Park. One of the coolest ways to see the Gettysburg Battlefield – besides on your motorcycle – is on a 1930’s Yellowstone Park bus. From Gettysburg you ride south – take Route 15 towards Leesburg. Just a few miles over the Maryland stateline you take Route 77 and enter Maryland’s Catoctin Mountain State Park. Of all the roads in America, this is one that needs to be ridden like an animal. This “thrill-a-minute” road rolls past valleys, twisties, lakes, sharp curves, deer and rivers.Turn left on SR 66 and drop south towards the town of Sharpsburg and the Antietam National Battlefield. From there you continue on Hwy 671, a fast two-laned road with pretty valleys and canopy roads that are in direct contrast to the sharp twists you’d been making before. After about eight miles you enter Route 9, which merges with Route 7 – your road to Leesburg. Leesburg is one of these places that’s just right for a bike ride. The downtown is of manageable size, there is plenty of parking for bikes, and the diners, nightclubs, and riders from assorted clubs are visible reminders that you are in the right place. Overnight.

From Leesburg you head to Shenandoah National Park. Ride south for a few miles until you get to SR 66. Turn right and this road will take you to the spectacular Skyline Drive, the best road to experience the park. Shenandoah National Park is one of the most popular National Parks in the east, especially during fall foliage season. It protects some 195,000 acres of hardwood forest along the northernmost crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The drive opened in 1939 and runs (at 35 mph!) over 100 miles between the I-66 and I-64 freeways. Make sure to take some time to walk around the dense green forests and innumerable waterfalls. West of the mountains from the south end of Shenandoah National Park on I-64 lies the quaint little town of Staunton, which was founded in 1732 as one of the first towns on the far side of the Blue Ridge. Unlike much of the Valley, Staunton was untouched during the Civil War, and now preserves its many 18th – and early 19th century buildings in a townscape so perfect, it was rated among the 12 most distinctive destinations in the US by the National Trust for historic preservation. We recommend a stop here before you continue to Waynesboro, where you overnight.