Tunnel vision for Fairfax Chapter members

For the Fairfax Chapter, the destination is as important as the ride, and one of their favorites involves an abandoned tunnel that deserves some love.

Joe Livingood, outgoing Director of Fairfax Chapter in Virginia and lifetime H.O.G.^® member, thrives on planning routes that combine great rides with interesting destinations. One such ride is to Sideling Hill Tunnel, part of the roadway system now known as the Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike, covering 220 miles.

Disused since 1968, Sideling Hill Tunnel is the longest of three original Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels abandoned after two massive realignment projects, the others are nearby Rays Hill Tunnel and Laurel Hill Tunnel.

“We’ve done this as a destination ride a couple of times, and it has proven very popular,” says Joe. “It’s a full-day ride starting from Washington D.C., taking non-traditional routes through a series of back roads, and crossing several mountain ridges. The aim is to maximize the scenery and the twisty roads by following the path of the Potomac River wherever possible.

“Once you arrive at the abandoned tunnel, you can park the bikes in a small graveled area. Then you have to walk more than a mile because vehicles aren’t allowed into the tunnel. It almost feels like something out of The Walking Dead! It’s not a touristy area, and you need to take a decent flashlight with you because once you’re in the tunnel, you can’t see your hand in front of your face.”

Joe’s route starts from the western edge of D.C. and goes through western Virginia to the town of Leesburg along Route 15, on to Maryland, then along the Potomac River, passing several Civil War sites along the way. Superb mountain twisties take them to Mercersburg, with a stop at the little hometown diner, Milky Way.

“In Washington, we joke that you need to ride for 45 minutes before you find great riding,” says Joe. “This route ticks all the boxes in terms of scenic riding and great roads, and from a H.O.G. chapter point of view, there’s also the benefit of having a few minutes when you’re off the bike walking and talking with each other before reaching your destination.”

Joe has a history of planning unusual rides for Fairfax Chapter, including the Graveyard Ride, a hundred-mile route taking in Civil War graveyard sites across four states, the Christmas Lights Ride, taking in the most over-the-top Christmas light displays in the region; the Covered Bridges Ride; and The Roundup, with different stops on the route, including the smallest church and Post Office, and famous landmark statues such as the giant coal miner and the Civil War amputee.

“I’ve been in the chapter for 20 years and have held most of the officer positions,” says Joe. “I’ll be stepping down as Director and taking on the role of Membership Officer in 2026, which I consider an honor. I love this club and want it to succeed.

“The club is all about riding, so I have always been focused on providing great rides. I ask myself where I like to ride, then do a search for anything interesting around the area, using Google Street View to drop the little guy onto the map, so you can see what the roads and features are like. It’s a great way of planning a ride.

“We have about 200 active members and continue to thrive, which speaks to the quality of the rides we do. We run about a hundred rides per year, as well as non-riding events where members can bring their partners along to keep everyone together.”

Joe, himself a motorcycle rodeo rider who competes all over the country, is always mindful of making the chapter rides inclusive.

“I look to ensure rides are pitched towards the riding capabilities of the particular group,” he says. “Many members are relatively new to riding or haven’t really tested the limits of their skills and their motorcycles, so I make sure my rides don’t intimidate people. If I want to do very technical rides, I do them alone or with select riders. Planning and leading chapter rides means accepting that everyone has different abilities, so I look to manage the speeds and the riding style to avoid pushing people outside their comfort zone.”

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