Local Motorcycle Enthusiasts Share Their Favorite Rides
By Vickie L. McIntyre


It seems every rider has a fondness for a certain stretch of highway.  Brian “Big Dog” Kerstetter, a parts specialist with #1 Cycle Center in Centre Hall likes the scenic, country roads of Central PA and says, “Rt. 287 to Rt. 6 (through Lycoming and Tioga Counties) is especially beautiful during the fall.”

Robin Mothersbaugh of Kissell Motorsports in State College prefers to get off the highway completely and rides dirt bikes and ATVs in remote areas like the Rails-to-Trails in Snow Shoe.  (Mothersbaugh says ATV fever runs quite high in the state as ATV registrations outnumber those of motorcycles.) 

Harley owner Peg Hull Shuffstall, an educational technologist for Penn State, recommends riding Rt. 45 to Rt. 880, which travels through small towns like Tylersville to Jersey Shore.  But her favorite ride of all time was riding Rt. 1 through the Florida Keys.  “With warm breezes and the ocean by my side, I was in heaven,” she says.

Larry Richards, senior director of ARRIS, and his wife Pam, find enjoyment just riding their Harley to the grocery store or to Black Moshannon State Park, but they say no one should miss out on the spectacular riding through the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania in the Tioga State Forest. Larry’s ultimate goal is to make it to Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, S.D, one day in the near future.

When asked about his favorite ride, Dave Jamison, a health and physical education teacher at Mount Nittany Middle School, quipped, “Just taking the long way home after a bad day at work.” He recommends going to bike rallies and taking side trips as a great way to see the country. He says the Badlands National Park in S.D., Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Teton National Park in WY., which are known for sudden weather changes and large wild animals, are always full of adventure. 

For those who want to appreciate the changing landscape of Pennsylvania, Ken Hull, a Boalsburg artist and writer, recommends traveling the northern tier along Rt. 6 from the New Jersey border to the Ohio state line.

And for those who’d like to stay closer to home, Dan Russell, co-owner of Portfolio A Salon in Boalsburg, suggests using holidays like the Fourth of July to explore the back roads of Altoona or Snow Shoe with friends.  Known for eating wherever his Suzuki takes him, Russell and his friends have dined at such culinary hot spots as the Blair County Airport and the Snow Shoe Truck Stop.  Last Christmas he enjoyed looking at the holiday lights on his bike and hopes to do it again.

When they aren’t busy entertaining riders at Bike Nights at the Autoport in State College or The Pennsylvania Roadhouse in Pleasant Gap, Al and Chrissy Miller like to go full throttle on Rt. 192 to R.B. Winter State Park in the Bald Eagle State Forest.  And like most riders, they say, “Sometimes we just wing it.”

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