Little did I know back on September 27 of 2018 that that ride would be my last one for six months. When I finally got to take Sugar for a ride two weeks ago I was a bit tentative on that exploratory jaunt.

This ride would be different.

Now knowing that everything is peachy with my big girl, this time I set out for a lengthy ride to shake the dust off of me and my riding gear.

It was glorious.

My favorite ride in my area is a trip through the New Jersey Pine Barrens. I knew it wouldn’t be a long ride as I didn’t have as much time I wanted, but it would be long enough to satisfy.

County Route 539 is just over 53 miles long. I’ve ridden a mere 40 miles of this and the majority of it is wonderful. Along the way, I would pass this roadside memorial that I was always curious about it. So this time, I decided that I would stop and snap some photos.

Naturally, I would stop at Lucille’s Country Cooking for a Coke and a break before riding back home. You owe it to yourself to make this trip and ride deeper into the pines.