Ahhh, spring is finally here! I can see it in the trees, on the lawns and on the faces of the guests that come into our shop. They are beaming with excitement about what is awaiting them while they stock up on do-it-yourself bolt-ons and cleaning supplies before taking to the roads.

Curiously I'll ask, "Where ya headed?" to start up a conversation.

The answers are as different as the riders themselves. I love hearing about the cross-country road trips and the "destination" locations, but I really love talking about local day-trip rides.

At this point in my life day trips are a quick fix for getting a piece of the road. I don't get a lot of time to ride with a newborn at home, so I squeeze in what I can when I can.

Fortunately, Western Pennsylvania is home to some of the most beautiful riding in the country. If you travel a few hours in any direction, you'll find some relaxing winding roads and discover the little towns of yesterday that made our region what it is today.

One of my favorite day trips is a ride east along Route 22 to 56 in Johnstown, which is very rich in history. For whatever reason, I wasn't much of a history buff in high school or college. As I get older, I've grown to really appreciate it.

I like to think of Johnstown as a mini-Pittsburgh. It is a tried-and-true steel mill and coal mining town that helped bring Pennsylvania into the industrial age and has survived some of the most devastating floods of the 20th century.

Johnstown has many museums, look-out points, quaint restaurants, and it owns the bragging rights to the world's steepest inclined plane, which has enough room to carry a full-sized automobile (or several motorcycles) up 896 feet of track to the top of the city at a 35-degree angle.

Johnstown also plays host to Pennsylvania's largest motorcycle rally, Thunder in the Valley. This year, the event will take place June 25-28. The first rally was in 1998 with more than 5,000 bikers in attendance.

Celebrating its 12th anniversary, the rally is very much alive, with more than 125 vendors and 200,000 expected in attendance. It has been compared to a smaller version of Sturgis, Daytona or Laconia with its various manufacturer displays, demo rides, more than 25 bands, and a parade of motorcycles on the closing day that lasts for more than an hour. There are four stages with daily entertainment from noon until midnight.

What's really refreshing is how Johnstown and its neighboring communities get behind the rally.

"Area residents have really embraced the event," says Jayne Korenoski, director of advertising for Johnstown's Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Our elected officials, business people and local residents are so supportive of the rally and take part in many of the activities. They know that bikers are great people, and they see the value in the event in selling our area and diminishing any negative perceptions about bikers. Johnstown is a beautiful, thriving area that bikers love and will visit again and again."

Thunder in the Valley is unique in that it's a very family-friendly motorcycle rally. I've had my children there just about every year and they love watching the motorcycles in the parade and getting their faces painted. I may even enter my newborn into this year's Biker Baby contest.

If you take your little ones, don't forget to bring ear protection. They won't need it the entire time, but they will need it to watch the parade.

Johnstown also hosts the Flood City Music Festival in late August. Even though the festival showcases various musical acts, my favorite thing to do is sample as much ethnic food as I can in a three-day weekend. It's hard to walk more than a block without being tempted by several food vendors.

This is a ride that I highly recommend. Whether you're heading to Johnstown for an event, a rally, or something new to explore, it's definitely worth a Saturday ride and it's only just a few short hours from Pittsburgh.