Hello and Welcome to the Motorcycle Adjacent Podcast: Episode 15. In this podcast installment, I have various topics to cover – ranging from my absence on YouTube to a Winter Motorcycle Ride to Jim Thorpe, PA.
Listen to The Motorcycle Adjacent Podcast: Episode 15
Absence from YouTube
A few episodes back, I opened up the Motorcycle Adjacent Podcast with a comment about how I was getting into the swing of things and was considering publishing episodes more frequently over the winter. At the time, I was proud as a peacock and felt nearly invincible with my publishing schedule.
Well, that all went sideways…
Not to bore you with details, but work has been crazy these past few months. I went from having everything organized and under control to being hit with a tidal wave of work in just a few weeks. Since Christmas, I’ve been frantically racing from one thing to the next, and keeping up has been difficult.
It is now Mid-February, and I think I’ve finally put out the last proverbial fire and can take a breath and try to get back into a routine once again with the Motorcycle Adjacent Podcast. Additionally, my YouTube Channel has been dormant as well. Despite my inactivity, some of my content has kept new subscribers coming – which was quite shocking.
If you aren’t already subscribed to the WaltInPA YouTube Channel
, watch for a new video publishing shortly as I talk about Cigars and ride to Smokies Cigar Lounge in Reading, PA.
Visiting Four Monkey’s Coffee in Kutztown
If you are a Pennsylvania Resident, you know Winter has been unseasonably warm. We’ve had a few frigid days, but as a whole, riding in December, January, and February has been easy. This could not be said for the previous few years.
Toward the end of January, I received a message from Steve (Untamed Ride). He explained that he wanted to get out for a ride and asked if I wanted to join him. I was free and had only one stipulation – I was dangerously low on Coffee and would need to stop somewhere to buy a bag or two of beans.
We decided on a trip to Kutztown to visit Four Monkeys Coffee Shop and Roastery. We’ve been to this Coffee Shop several times, but their coffee is some of my favorites. The ride from Boyertown to Kutztown via back country roads is also pleasant.
Between Steve and I, we cleaned them out and bought six of the seven bags of beans on the shelf. As always, I forgot my stamp card and started yet another one. Someday I’ll remember to bring them along and get myself a frequent flyer discount.
Riding North to Jim Thorpe
As we stood outside Four Monkeys packing our coffee into backpacks, Steve and I floated ideas on where to ride next. Half joking, Steve suggested taking a ride out to Jim Thorpe. He has wanted to take that ride for quite some time now, and we never seem to have enough time to make it happen. Steve seemed stunned when I said, let’s go!
Jim Thorpe is a couple of hours away – on the other side of the Lehigh Tunnel. Making a commitment like that on a January afternoon seemed like biting off more than we could chew. We could ride until 2 pm; if we hadn’t arrived by then, we could always turn around and make it home before dark.
We plugged coordinates into Calimoto and began riding north to Jim Thorpe. The back roads took us over the mountain instead of through it (no one rides I-476 for fun anyway), and we pulled into the parking lot at the train station right around 2 pm.
After allegedly urinating behind a dumpster (who padlocks a porta-potty!), we tried to figure out what to do for lunch. Thanks to a recommendation from Trekkie Moto on the WaltInPA Discord Server, we decided on Roadies at Penn’s Peak.
The food and service at Roadies were excellent, and seeing all the performance posters on the walls was cool. My only regret about visiting Roadies was that we didn’t wait until Spring when the Deck was open for outdoor dining. The view was spectacular, and we’ll definitely need to visit again!
After about an hour at Roadies, Steve and I headed home and managed to get back just as it was getting dark. The ride to Jim Thorpe was long and cold but well worth it. We managed just under 185 miles that day.
Visiting Sydney Roasting Company
Roughly two weeks after our voyage to Jim Thorpe, we were presented with another beautiful day for riding. The temperature was in the forties, and Steve and I jumped at the opportunity to get out and ride in February!
Scott posted a link in the WaltInPA Discord Server for Kitty Town Coffee a few weeks before. He mentioned having visited recently and said it was worth a visit. I poked around on the website and learned that Sydney Roasting Co was listed as the Cafe of Kitty Town Coffee.
Admittedly, I’m definitely more of a Dog kind of guy, but I’m always up for visiting a new-to-me Coffee Roaster. Steve and I planned to ride to Lebanon to visit them.
Sydney Roasting Co was spacious and very inviting. We made our way to the coffee shelf and began poking around. Unfortunately, the bulk of what they had to offer was flavored (not my thing), but we were able to pick up a couple of bags of whole beans to take home.
Oddly enough, despite being The Cafe for Kitty Town Coffee, I didn’t see any for sale. Again, I’m more of a dog guy, but a portion of each sale goes toward feeding homeless cats. I thought it was a good cause and would have been happy to pick up a bag.
Lunch at Snitz Creek Brewery
Even though Sydney Roasting Co had pastries and such for sale, Steve and I wanted to find someplace local for a more substantial lunch. After taking to Google for Local Suggestions, we decided on Snitz Creek Brewery, located just a few miles down the road.
I love visiting establishments such as Snitz Creek Brewery because the food tends to be very good, and I love a good stout with a burger. As a general rule, I don’t drink when I ride, so I feel like missed out on some fantastic beer during our visit.
I was skeptical of some of the burger offerings (they came with Lebanon Bologna) and went with a classic bacon cheeseburger instead. The food was fantastic, and the service was excellent! Steve was brave enough to try a burger with Lebanon Bologna and Jalapenos and said it was delicious. In hindsight, I regret not getting a specialty burger and will have to rectify that the next time I’m in the area.
Just like our previous ride to Jim Thorpe, I returned home just as it was turning dark. I believe we rode roughly 135 miles for Coffee and Lunch. It was a good day!
Hearprotek Motorcycle Earplugs
I was recently contacted by Hearprotek and asked if I would be interested in producing a Review for the Hearprotek Motorcycle Earplugs. In addition to supplying me with a free pair of earplugs to review, they also send me a pair to give away.
I want to thank everyone that entered the contest! A winner has been randomly drawn, and I would like to congratulate Jeff – please keep an eye out for an email from me so that we can connect and I can get your Earplugs over to you.
If you want to sign up for the WaltInPA Newsletter, you can use the form below to receive updates.
Recent Posts
When most people think about Motorcycle Group Rides, I believe it conjures up images of large packs of Harley Davidson Motorcycles riding for a cause. While there is no shortage of these types of...
On June 18, 2023, I went for a Father's Day Motorcycle Ride to Lancaster, PA, to see a historic covered bridge. I was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of PA Rt 422 East and PA Rt 82...