While sailing near Williamsburg, we got to talking about business and charity. Lucinda Lobach is a partner in 21 Red Robin restaurants in Pennsylvania. “I’m proud to say that since 2010 our Red Robins are proud to have donated $500,000 toward the support of research on leukemia. My brother died of leukemia.”
I asked about the business itself. “Restaurants are hard work. There’s a lot of turnover, and there are a lot of stipulations for a franchise. For example, we can only have one or two local favorites on the menu. I’m not a foodie in the sense that I have elite tastes. Red Robins are in the category of Casual Dining, like Applebee’s or Friday’s. But I sure know good service when I see it.”
Lucinda and Stacey Rothermel took an older couple out for the adventure of sailing. Joan and David Jones of York PA still get out and about at ages 80 and 90 respectively. Their family enjoys taking them on vacation, and last year they went to Oregon. It was his first time sailing. They had a great time, and Joan took the helm for a brief turn.
Motorcycle couples
Earlier in the day two couples from West Virginia arrived by motorcycle from their rental house in nearby Gloucester.
Sherry Camp said, “We make a trip once or twice a year on the Harleys. Last year it was Maine, along with the Adirondacks and Lake Placid. Our dream is to do Alaska in retirement, but we still have a way to go to get there. By then we’ll probably trailer the bikes there.”
Her husband Jim said they ride about 300 miles a day. “Lately we’ve been getting a lot of rain. It seems like it only rains when we’re on the road, and then it’s nice when we get there.” Their safety fears focus on the road, which can get slick from rain and gasoline. “And the leaves,” Denise Burdette added. “Don’t forget the leaves. That’s why it’s a challenge to ride in the fall.” Her husband Jim said, “We stay off the Interstates and try to ride the back roads instead.”
We contemplated the fact there were no dangers to sailing, at this moment. “This is a big river,” Sherry said of the York. “Where we live, I could throw a stone across the Ohio River.”
They live so far up the Ohio that they are not subject to flooding. “It’s worse down from where we are,” Dan said. “But they have 30 or 35 locks going all the way down the river to attempt to control the flooding.” Here, our York River rarely floods because it’s tidal.
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