Post by DahDit on Jun 2, 2011 22:34:07 GMT
The Grandparents offered to take their Grandkids for few days meaning me and Jane could get out and about. Having had lunch together, we saw them on their way and we got the bike kit out.
Day 1, we stayed local as it was early pm before we got to make our bid for freedom. Up to Hornsea Freeport (shopping), then Filey for Fish and Chips, down to Bempton Cliffs to see the Puffins and back home for 7pm and a glass or two. A nice afternoon out.
Day 2, a slow start - Off to the Dales with Richmond in mind for a B&B stop-over. A nice steady run over there with Jane becoming more familiar with the Scoot as time goes on.
Lunch stop en-route, at Castle Howard
On our arrival in Richmond we look for the Tourist Info office to find a B&B. The "Pottergate Guest House" was first on the list which we try, good value (£33pppn inc. Breakfast), they have space and as we later find out, they are biker friendly too with parking available!
Kit dumped, sorted & refreshed we head for the town (it's literally just around the corner) to search for a dinner venue, have a pre-dinner drink and a sightsee. We find the "Rustique" Brasserie which we return to later and enjoy a cracking 3 course meal for £13.95 each.
Richmond Castle Walk - Castle dates from 1071.
Rustique Brasserie, Nice food, good value. Pre-theatre attendees off to watch the RSC perform Hamlet.
Yummy Creme Brulee's
Day 3, depart nice and early from Richmond and head west down Swaledale towards Thwaite on the A6108/B6270, arriving there about 10am.
Time for a coffee at the Kearton Tea Shop, nice as it is, they sadly no longer do the famous High Teas of old....but we meet up with fellow bikers stopping there and end up spending the next couple of hours soaking in the sun and chatting.
Eventually, we make our reluctant excuses and depart Swaledale, south over the Buttertubs into Wensleydale and Hawes, continuing east to Middleham over familiar and "Jane friendly" roads.
Looking back down Swaledale, leaving Thwaite on the Buttertubs
Time to get lost down the minor roads...., we take a right turn in Middleham down an un-categorised road and find ourselves in Coverdale, a road which leads us ultimately to Kettlewell. (Nice)
The road is single track for the most part and we stop for lunch at the Thwaite Arms in Horsehouse, meeting up with a group of walkers doing the 76 mile Dales' "Inns Walk" over 6 days. They weren't in a rush seemingly enjoying the Inns more than the walk
Back on the bikes, the road widens and the views improve and become spectacular as we descend towards Kettlewell. I'd have liked to have got off the bike to snap the view of the road over the wall, but the slope was a bit steep. T'was impressive.
Then on to Pately Bridge, we stop to help a fellow biker who was riding a lovely red/black Kwak GPz 750 Turbo til he got a flat. Waiting on the AA, we beat 'em to it, plug and inflate his tyre and help him on his way...
We work our way towards Ripon and start to return towards Beverley. Home for 5pm as the Grandparents and kids arrive 2 mins later from their day at the beach. Well, it was 25 deg C today.
In all a nice, steady and scenery rich run out with excellent stops. The only misfortune being that the Dales are so far away from us over in the East.
Cracking weather and challenging stretches of tarmac meant that with more time permitting, we could have spent an age just discovering the different Dales, just get away from the well worn ones that we've heard of - but one of the main aims was to get Jane enjoying the bike again. The safer, wider roads helped achieve that, yet even they proved challenging enough at times.
"I enjoyed the Buttertubs" she said......
Progress indeed. Well done sweetie.
Day 1, we stayed local as it was early pm before we got to make our bid for freedom. Up to Hornsea Freeport (shopping), then Filey for Fish and Chips, down to Bempton Cliffs to see the Puffins and back home for 7pm and a glass or two. A nice afternoon out.
Day 2, a slow start - Off to the Dales with Richmond in mind for a B&B stop-over. A nice steady run over there with Jane becoming more familiar with the Scoot as time goes on.
Lunch stop en-route, at Castle Howard
On our arrival in Richmond we look for the Tourist Info office to find a B&B. The "Pottergate Guest House" was first on the list which we try, good value (£33pppn inc. Breakfast), they have space and as we later find out, they are biker friendly too with parking available!
Kit dumped, sorted & refreshed we head for the town (it's literally just around the corner) to search for a dinner venue, have a pre-dinner drink and a sightsee. We find the "Rustique" Brasserie which we return to later and enjoy a cracking 3 course meal for £13.95 each.
Richmond Castle Walk - Castle dates from 1071.
Rustique Brasserie, Nice food, good value. Pre-theatre attendees off to watch the RSC perform Hamlet.
Yummy Creme Brulee's
Day 3, depart nice and early from Richmond and head west down Swaledale towards Thwaite on the A6108/B6270, arriving there about 10am.
Time for a coffee at the Kearton Tea Shop, nice as it is, they sadly no longer do the famous High Teas of old....but we meet up with fellow bikers stopping there and end up spending the next couple of hours soaking in the sun and chatting.
Eventually, we make our reluctant excuses and depart Swaledale, south over the Buttertubs into Wensleydale and Hawes, continuing east to Middleham over familiar and "Jane friendly" roads.
Looking back down Swaledale, leaving Thwaite on the Buttertubs
Time to get lost down the minor roads...., we take a right turn in Middleham down an un-categorised road and find ourselves in Coverdale, a road which leads us ultimately to Kettlewell. (Nice)
The road is single track for the most part and we stop for lunch at the Thwaite Arms in Horsehouse, meeting up with a group of walkers doing the 76 mile Dales' "Inns Walk" over 6 days. They weren't in a rush seemingly enjoying the Inns more than the walk
Back on the bikes, the road widens and the views improve and become spectacular as we descend towards Kettlewell. I'd have liked to have got off the bike to snap the view of the road over the wall, but the slope was a bit steep. T'was impressive.
Then on to Pately Bridge, we stop to help a fellow biker who was riding a lovely red/black Kwak GPz 750 Turbo til he got a flat. Waiting on the AA, we beat 'em to it, plug and inflate his tyre and help him on his way...
We work our way towards Ripon and start to return towards Beverley. Home for 5pm as the Grandparents and kids arrive 2 mins later from their day at the beach. Well, it was 25 deg C today.
In all a nice, steady and scenery rich run out with excellent stops. The only misfortune being that the Dales are so far away from us over in the East.
Cracking weather and challenging stretches of tarmac meant that with more time permitting, we could have spent an age just discovering the different Dales, just get away from the well worn ones that we've heard of - but one of the main aims was to get Jane enjoying the bike again. The safer, wider roads helped achieve that, yet even they proved challenging enough at times.
"I enjoyed the Buttertubs" she said......
Progress indeed.
Well done sweetie.
