Northeast U.S.—Pilgrimage

When I started riding in the ‘90s, I quickly learned about the top motorcycle gear brands. For textiles, it’s Aerostich. For leathers, you go for Vanson. Both are vaunted American brands that I was proud to wear. Two Vanson jackets still sit in my closet, one purchased during a factory store open house way back then.

When Florian asked if I’d ride up to Fall River, MA, to visit Vanson, I leapt at the opportunity to visit the factory again. But this time, instead of battling I-95 on a Honda Hawk, I’d take the scenic route on the Honda Rebel 1100 T.

Long Island

The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the Americas. It connects the New York City boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn and marks the start of this sojourn. Eastward lie the outer reaches of New York and beyond that, Long Island. But first, I stop for hot dogs at Nathan’s Famous in Coney Island. This seaside resort is long past its heyday of the late 1800s and early 1900s, but it still has its unique charm and remains the closest beach for New Yorkers escaping the summer heat.

The road takes me through a section of Gateway National Recreation Area and the Marine Parkway Bridge carries me across Jamaica Bay. This relatively undeveloped stretch is a window to what the entire area looked like before it became New York. The wide beaches and quiet suburban streets of Rockaway Beach make it hard to believe that you’re still in NYC. But both are part of the same big apple and you can take the A train from Times Square to get here and enjoy the sand and surf of the Atlantic Ocean.

The neighboring Long Beach is finally out of the city and it has a beach town vacation vibe even on this late spring day. Next up is Jones Beach, another popular getaway for New Yorkers. Sand dunes are on my right and the wide Oyster Bay, dotted with marsh islands and mud flats, on my left.