Surprise Days Off and a Motorcycle Ride in Pennsylvania: Pool Forge Covered Bridge Stop

There is something genuinely hard to beat about wrapping up a workday and realizing you have a couple of unplanned days off coming, especially when the forecast is calling for sunshine and temps in the low 70s. That is exactly the situation I found myself in on this particular afternoon, and I had to pull over at one of my favorite spots to share the news. If you have followed along for a while, you already know Poole Forge Covered Bridge is one of those places I keep coming back to. It sits just a few miles down the road from the Shady Maple Smorgasbord, it has been a regular stop on group rides, and honestly, it just feels right for a quick roadside vlog. So grab your helmet and come along, because this one is all about good news, good weather, and planning a motorcycle ride in Pennsylvania on short notice.

How Two Surprise Vacation Days Landed on My Calendar

A couple of weeks before this video, I was going through my work calendar and realized my unused vacation time was about to expire. At my job, vacation does not roll over from one year to the next. You either use it or they pay you out for it. Honestly, I was pretty indifferent either way. Getting a little extra money in a paycheck is never a bad thing, and taking some time off is obviously not a bad thing either.

I reached out to my boss and kept it simple. I told him I had unused time sitting there and I was happy to work with whatever was most useful for the team. If there was a slow stretch coming up in the production schedule, I could take the time off. If they needed me there, they could just pay me out. No big deal either way.

His initial answer was that things were looking steady and there was no obvious slowdown on the horizon. He said if I wanted to take the time off, he was fine with it, but if I wanted to stay and get paid out, that worked too. I figured I did not want to leave anyone in a bind by putting in a last minute vacation request, so I just planned on staying the course.

Then I rode into work.

The Best Kind of Morning Surprise

This particular morning was the first time I had ridden my motorcycle into work all year. It was a little brisk when I left, somewhere in the high 30s, but by mid afternoon the temperature climbed up to around 73 degrees. Absolutely beautiful day. Riding in took a bit longer than driving, but that was perfectly fine. A good start to the morning.

I sat down at my desk and my boss came over and said something along the lines of, “Hey, remember how you asked about vacation time?” I told him sure, but that I was not worried about it. That is when he let me know that a project had been pushed back and now there was a lull in the workload. He could fill my time with some general housekeeping tasks for the department, which honestly I do not mind at all, or I could take the vacation days if I wanted them.

I kind of laughed it off and said it did not really matter to me. He gave me that look, you know the one, and said if I wanted to take the time, he would give it to me. I looked at the forecast, saw that Tuesday and Wednesday were both going to be in the 70s and sunny, and told him that if he was going to twist my arm, I would absolutely take those days to get out for a motorcycle ride in Pennsylvania rather than sit inside.

His exact words were, “Done. See you Thursday.”

Two Days, Warm Weather, and Open Roads in PA

So just like that, I had two full days off with some of the best riding weather you could ask for in early spring. Both days were forecasted to be sunny and in the low to mid 70s. For anyone who rides, you know those kinds of days do not come around too often when you need them.

The plan was pretty straightforward. Take care of a few things around the house early in the day, then get a late morning or early afternoon start and head out. I was also thinking about reaching out to Trekkie Moto, a fellow rider in the area who shows up regularly on group rides and who I pretty much always associate with Pool Forge Covered Bridge. He is retired now and tends to have some flexibility with his schedule. There are a couple of other retired guys in our Discord community too, so there was a real possibility of pulling together a short notice group ride on a Tuesday or Wednesday. That would make for a great day out on the road.

A spontaneous group motorcycle ride in Pennsylvania with good weather and no real agenda? That is about as good as it gets.

A New Commuting System That Actually Worked

One more thing worth mentioning from this particular day. I have been figuring out the best way to commute by motorcycle without the hassle of cramming a full change of clothes into a backpack like a game of Tetris. In the past, I had to pack everything just right or the bag would not even close.

Today I tried something different. Since I have lost a few pounds recently, I was able to get my motorcycle pants on over my regular jeans, which is actually how they are designed to be worn in the first place. I just never did it that way before. With that setup, I only needed to toss a spare pair of shoes in the backpack instead of an entire outfit. I changed my shoes at my desk when I got in and the whole process was way smoother. I am planning to leave a dedicated pair of shoes at work going forward so I do not even have to pack those.

Small win, but on a day full of good news, it fit right in.

Watch the Full Vlog

If you want to see Pool Forge Covered Bridge for yourself and hear about all of this straight from the road, the full video is up on the WaltInPA YouTube channel. Come hang out, hit subscribe if you have not already, and drop a comment on the video telling me where you would ride if you woke up tomorrow with a surprise day off and perfect weather.