Memorial Day Weekend in Va

[1911]

Leaving Upstate SC Sunday morning May 29 and riding to Virginia. On Memorial Day we’ll cruise around Va a little and then hightail it back to SC Monday evening. That’s about all that’s set for sure right now.

There are bilodgeical and tentophobic riders in the group so right now the plan is to motel it Sunday night. If people join this little adventure that prefer to camp, we can look at the possibility of making this thing swing both ways. Tenters at Hungry Mother and motelers in Marion with a common meeting place in the middle, for example.

Post up or pm if you’re interested in joining in.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Well, Duane...I think we will have a lot of fun on this weekend ride up to the Hungry Mother area, out Sunday, back Monday. Looking forward to it!

 

[luvtoride]

great area for riding!

 

[luvtoride]

look up rte 80 between Rte 19 (Near Honaker, VA) south to Poor Valley Rd. You will not be disappointed. Also 160 between Appalachia, VA & Lynch, KY. This is a great, rarely talked about road & is well worth a visit.

 

[1911]

look up rte 80 between Rte 19 (Near Honaker, VA) south to Poor Valley Rd. You will not be disappointed. Also 160 between Appalachia, VA & Lynch, KY. This is a great, rarely talked about road & is well worth a visit.

We did Rte 80 last year, on either your recommendation or Intech's, can't remember whose for sure. It was GOOD. Funny, our ride started on NC 80, so we had spectacular 80s on both ends. I've got routes on my wishlist that include 160 but it looks like a jewel in the midst of a bunch of coal traffic-correct me if I'm wrong. Gonna check it out soon anyway. Last time I was up that way Hwy 70 through Blackwater blew me away. Maybe spend the night at Breaks Interstate Park? The thing about the Va ride is it's a great ride getting there, a great ride around there, and a great ride home. Last year I think we did about 900 miles over the two days and that was ALL good stuff-prolly 800 miles in 3rd gear or lower

NC80, Roan Mtn, Shady Valley, 133, up Va Rte 80, down 608, Thompson Valley, and then down Va16 to get there. Day two we rode a loop over to Paint Bank that ended with another trip down 16, and then home down through Mt Rogers, Morganton, Linville etc.

Don't know if that is the same area we'll ride again. This deal is actually Wheat's idea and we'll figure out who's planning what after SEOR.

All this thinking out loud is getting me kind of excited! Come on Memorial Day!

 

[luvtoride]

Yes, coal country on 160. Best to do it on a weekend if you're concerned about those big sons o bitches flying about. Also, it's been a long time since I've been out that way... there was a small boatload of pea gravel on the VA side of 160. It's a great road! I will need to look up those other roads that you've mentioned. You are aware of this year's EOM being in VA, correct? I'm sure Your Weatness will fill you in if you don't know about it. Hi Mark!

 

[Uncle Hud]

Sorry to miss this, but I'm committed that weekend to a handful of women of unknown skill levels in the Southern Appalachians. BMW 850, Suzuki 650, a Gold Wing, my FJR, and either one or two others. I'm riding with no hardcases, just to look extra macho.

 

[1911]

Yes, coal country on 160. Best to do it on a weekend if you're concerned about those big sons o bitches flying about. Also, it's been a long time since I've been out that way... there was a small boatload of pea gravel on the VA side of 160. It's a great road! I will need to look up those other roads that you've mentioned. You are aware of this year's EOM being in VA, correct? I'm sure Your Weatness will fill you in if you don't know about it. Hi Mark!

Well aware of EOM and hoping to attend. I'm thinking that there is enough good riding in the area to do it in May and Sept? I'm pretty sure that Wheat and I did this last year the weekend before EOM (I couldn't get off work to do EOM). The weather was PERFECT. IIRC EOM was pretty soggy? Looks like a lot more lodging and eating options in Wytheville than Marion.

 

[1911]

Sorry to miss this, but I'm committed that weekend to a handful of women of unknown skill levels in the Southern Appalachians......

Up to a point this was a VERY interesting post.

Off to google the Southern Appalachians to see if the phrase has a meaning I'm not familiar with.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Yes, coal country on 160. Best to do it on a weekend if you're concerned about those big sons o bitches flying about. Also, it's been a long time since I've been out that way... there was a small boatload of pea gravel on the VA side of 160. It's a great road! I will need to look up those other roads that you've mentioned. You are aware of this year's EOM being in VA, correct? I'm sure Your Weatness will fill you in if you don't know about it. Hi Mark!

Hi Heidi!

Yep, I love that topography of far west Virginia. I have no RD, so I'm fine...I try and behave, but if I don't, well that happens sometimes, too.

I'm leaning on Duane/1911 for the riding route. He is the master router.

 

[thompsonian]

Am I reading this that Marion will be the "basecamp" for the weekend?

 

[wheatonFJR]

Am I reading this that Marion will be the "basecamp" for the weekend?

Duane will chime in soon...but yes....Marion, and Hungry Mother SP if anybody camps.

 

[1911]

Am I reading this that Marion will be the "basecamp" for the weekend?

Close, maybe. Will staying in Marion get you to come out and play?

We’ve moteled in Marion on an overnight ride and it was OK. We’ve tented at Hungry Mother and it was good. We’re moteling this ride and I’m a little relieved that I won’t be hauling the cheap/bulky/heavy camping gear, which I bought when I was camping out of a car/truck, up there and back. Hearing the chupacabra to the north of the tent courting/challenging the chupacabra to the south of the tent, and the two steadily getting closer, at 3am, has nothing to do with our decision to sleep indoors this goround.

So…Nothing is carved in stone yet. Just down the road in Wytheville there is a lot more lodging and eating to choose from. Maybe that’s why 2016 EOM will be there

If someone wants to join in and camp at Hungry Mother we can look for a motel in Marion but otherwise I think we’re leaning toward Wytheville.

The details were left flexible at the start to give fence sitters a chance to move things a little more to their liking, to possibly fill the void where a certain giant of the FJR forum used to host a spring camping meet, and to annoy rbentnail

We’ll be meeting at the dog park this weekend and we’ll firm up the details.

 

[thompsonian]

I'm looking into it now. Not sure if I'll have the extra cash to come and play or not. I'd be making a weekend trip of it. Probably go towards Lexington, KY and visit my sister first, then head on over that way towards Marion. Then I can head back north on Monday and take the slab if I get too tired. I'm not sure I'm ready for a long trip like this since I'm just getting back into it, but I'm investigating...

 

[thompsonian]

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WYMvfwbzvlWRUHv7jFsTDRr5_N8&usp=sharing

IF I can swing it, this is my route down.

 

[luvtoride]

Hungry Mother SP also has cabins. Am I reading this correctly... you are coming in on Sunday & leaving Monday? I actually considered this ride but I'm not going to go that far for overnight. Even though I'm in Virginia, I'm about as far east in the state as you can get. This is at least 350 miles without actually doing a calculation. Bummer... maybe next time.

 

[Intech]

Well last night Janet said she thought I was going somewhere this weekend. I said, "No, but if you want me to I will!" I would want to ride down Friday and stay until Sunday if I did. Going to check and see if there is any availability at Hungry Mother.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Well last night Janet said she thought I was going somewhere this weekend. I said, "No, but if you want me to I will!" I would want to ride down Friday and stay until Sunday if I did. Going to check and see if there is any availability at Hungry Mother.

WTF?!? You told me you would be available so I could swing by and pick up my Carbtune.

 

[luvtoride]

He could leave it on the front step, Scott.

& Bob, I may be interested in that. I'm siting here @ my desk staring @ a brandy spankin PR2 rear tire. I would need to be on the ball to get it mounted & ready... but I could probably do that. Also, I wouldn't be leaving until Saturday morning & returning on Monday the 30th, Memorial Day.