Glenn’s Mystery Ride

All 25 members on 16 bikes lined up in the parking lot ready to follow Glenn even though no one, not even his wife, knew where he was leading us. We rode along the Ohio River for awhile and then headed off into farm country. We ended up at the Hillybilly Hot Dog. I understand this place is rated 15 out of 101 places on the food channel. But how do I describe it? No matter what I say if you have never been there it is going to sound awful. The parking lot is up hill all stone and gravel and right away I got myself in a bad spot which required 6 men to push my bike back to a partway level spot before I could pull out to leave. But let’s get back to describing this place. First it is two old, broken down buses parked next to each other and then a room built on with something like a porch built on to all that. The door to enter opens from the side you think should have the hinges; names of people who have visited are written all over everything. Of course I had to sign one wall before I left. Hanging from the walls, ceilings, outside and inside, the trees and even the roof are all types of junk is the only word I can think of. Things I saw were a toilet seat, bells, shovels, underwear, toys, dolls, truck parts, and so much more. We walked around for over an hour and I’m sure we didn’t see everything. The menu had pizza hotdogs, fried hotdogs, hillybilly hotdogs, and more. The food was great and the little girl behind the counter joined the fun. We rode 100 miles to get a hotdog – does that make us crazy? I don’t think so a 200 mile day on the bike is always good. A dip in the pool at the hotel and then off to find dinner. Now it’s time to socialize and play cards.

Hillybilly Hot Dog

Andy and Bonnie

Junk and more junk

George and Andy can't believe their eyes.

Day of Riding

After dinner we enjoy some down time

Bernadette at the Oil and Gas Museum

Started the day with a great breakfast and good friends even though it is a small group right now. We gathered in the parking lot ready to leave at 8:30. The plan was to head south to Point Pleasant then cross the Ohio River head north to Belpre and then over to the Oil and Gas Museum in Parkersburg. Our first turn was onto county route 13 which was not much more than a cow path but some of those roads are the best for wondering around the countryside. In just a couple of miles the road gets smaller and then it turns to dirty and stone and is nothing more than a path in the woods for ATV travels. First U turn of the day! We travel south on 68 and 33 which are wonderful roads running beside the Ohio River through small towns and farmland. Reaching Point Pleasant we turn north and have to back track about 20 miles on route 2 but still a pleasant ride. However, to reach route 2 Gabby takes us on a short cut over which starts out like route 13 and George asked if this was an instant replay. The only gravel is about 20 feet at the end but there is also a sign that says ‘do not enter’. Well that’s for the birds! We completed the short distance to get on route 2. Finally crossing the Ohio River the GPS tells me to take a right and as soon as I do there is a sign “no outlet” and a police car sitting beside the road with a radar gun. Now exactly what is he expecting to nab if there is no traffic? We stop and as I approach the policeman he smiles and says “you can’t get there from here”. The road had been closed and we had to go around. He suggested we take Ohio 124 and what a great road. Not great in the condition of the road but great in the scenery. We rode beside the Ohio River and through corn and soybean fields. You could almost reach out and touch the corn and at other times look down the banks to the river. As we pull into a small town and are instructed to turn right we again are greeted by a sign stating it is a dead end – 3rd U turn. Seems roads are closed frequently around here. As we reach Parkersburg George found the Oil and Gas Museum in his GPS so he took over the lead. After circling the general area 3 times and the GPS saying “you are here” we were just about ready to give up when we stopped at a light and low and behold there is was. I guess passing it the 4th time was the charm. And I am so glad we didn’t miss it; the history in that old musty building was amazing. West Virginia was ‘created’ or sliced out of Virginia by oil reach men who did not want to be involved in the Civil War. The state in the 1800’s was one of the wealthiest once they realized this awful black stuff that kept contaminating the water wells was really good stuff. The rest of the group began arriving around 3:30 pm and by dinner we had 25 members present. The hotel has given us a meeting room for the week and it didn’t take us long to start the story telling and laughing about past trips; of course every mistake, U turn and time someone was lost gets bigger with every time the story is told. The cards were brought out for that first game of quarter knock. The rally has officially begun.

Arrived at Comfort Suites

Wow what a difference in the weather when we got up; sun was shining and there was no wind but it was very chilly. Need the heated jackets almost all day. Had a great breakfast at the Hilltop Diner and then headed west. Traveling 50 takes you through old towns with stately homes and old churches made of stone with stone walls around their yards or fields. But passing through the many unincorporated crossroads you find small houses in need of some repair or log cabins; not the new expensive versions but the real deal from a hundred years ago. Many yards or fields held rusted shells of old cars and trucks that had been parked where they stopped running and were only a reminder of better days. I could not count the number of houses with Christmas lights hanging from their front porches – either way too early for this coming year or just too much trouble to take down last year. Leaving Romney we were immediately in the mountains with open valleys to our right dotted with large round bales of hay. Many corn fields have already been harvested in the area. As we climb and twist and turn through the hairpin curves we down shift to maintain the power. We reach the top of Saddle Mountain and then begin the decent; ride the ridge for awhile and then climb Cheat Mountain and again thrill to the downhill run with 9% grades where you have to use the lower gears to hold down the speed. We don’t want to ride the breaks for fear of overheating them and the last thing we want is a runaway bike on these roads. I see many things that are very familiar from last year’s trip on 50 but these mountains and twisties will never get old to me. Then all too soon we reach Clarksburg and from here to Parkersburg and then Mineral Wells the road is a 4 lane divided highway much as route 1 is in Delaware. We still have the mountains and we climb a little but you never reach the top because they have dynamited the mountains to level the roads for better travel and greater speeds. We cover more distance in a shorter period of time but not near as much fun. We reach the hotel by 3pm but have to wait over an hour to get our room. We ordered pizza and then saw George and Bernadette ride into the parking lot. After 10 hours of riding they are ready to call it a night. Plans are to meet tomorrow morning for breakfast and then take a ride along the Ohio River and hopefully go to the Oil and Gas Museum. Covered 189 miles today.

Romney WV

We pulled out of the driveway at 6:35AM, stopped by Bernie and Shirley’s and pointed the bikes towards the west. Sun was shining and the temp was cool actually needed jackets. First stop was the McDonalds on Kent Island for breakfast. We found a lot of construction on 495 in the area of our exit for route 50; so much so that we could not get off so we rode on to the exit for route 66 and found the same problem. Thank goodness for Gabby the GPS! We got off on an exit for Vienna and then immediately began weaving our way around city streets in Vienna and Fairfax and even into the parking lot of a large mall (my mistake on that one) before we finally got back on track for 50 west. Added 17 miles to the trip which was an extra 30 minutes but getting around Winchester was a breeze. I have ridden through Winchester 4 times and got lost every time except this one. By 11 AM it was warm and the jackets had to be packed in the trailer. We must have passed more than 150 motorcycles today on route 50 all heading east. By noon we had the 20 mph winds and dark clouds above us. Reached the Koolwink Motel in Romney around 2:20 in time to sit outside and visit and give Bernie and Shirley time to go to Mass which the Internet stated was at 5:30 but when they got there no one was there. They went inside and waited and finally found a bulletin and mass had been changed to 4 pm – guess someone forgot to update the web page. Covered 230 miles today.

Ready to Leave

We pull out early tomorrow morning. Trailer has been packed for a couple of days and maps checked and changed several times. I think I have every turn memorized by now. I don’t understand why this big trailer is always full to the top when we could pack everything we needed on two bikes before. I think it is true – the more space you have the more you take. Instead of travel size containers I find myself packing the regular size of shampoo; hair spray and etc. never the less we have what we need and/or want.

I’ve been watching the weather, especially with Earl and another front moving east, and I’m a little concerned about the wind gusts tomorrow; they are calling for 15 to 22 mph winds which are not fun riding on two wheels but we’ll take what we get and be happy just to be out and riding. Well, it’s early but if I go to sleep maybe the morning will come faster. You know when you are on vacation if you get up early your vacation is longer.

The rally committee did a great job on the design for the rally shirt but then every year the rally shirts look great.

And Away We Go

Five days and we head for Parkersburg West Virginia; Mineral Wells to be exact, and some of the best riding roads in the east for the UTR rally. We have a lot planned this year, museums to visit, an African Safari, a visit to prison and all include a great ride. The bikes have been serviced, lights and oil checked again, polished and shined and the trailer checked. I finished packing today (I know maybe a little early) but I am ready to point the bike towards the west and have cool breezes in my face. Did I say cool? Well weather.com is predicting highs in the low 80’s and lows in the mid 60’s through the first half of the rally. So join me as we climb mountains and survey the valleys below as the residents of the sleepy villages go about their daily lives. Smell the sweet hay being mowed or the wood smoke from a kitchen stove as breakfast is being prepared in a log cabin near the road as we pass. What will we find? No one knows what waits for us around each turn but we do know that at the end of each day we will enjoy laughter with some of our dearest friends.