View the Complete Archive of Road Trips HERE.

Elkins and Beyond

Route 33 in West Virginia is my favorite highway. Beyond a doubt, it has everything you could possibly wish for in a great ride -- friendly places to stop, good roads, and the most picturesque scenery in the state.

Since we both had to work Friday, we didn't leave until evening. Temps during the day were quite nice; however, the degrees fell to just above freezing at night.

We stopped at the Outer Limits in Elkins, where we met Randy Howard, president of the Mountain Chapter Brothers of the Wheel M/C. A die-hard biker, Randy's was the only other bike in the parking lot the night we pulled in. As the mercury plunged even further down the scale, Randy offered his clubhouse as a place to stay for the night. (An offer I might add I wish we'd accepted as we woke the next morning covered with frost). Elkins, located in historic Randolph County, is home of the annual Forest Festival and is known far and wide for its folk heritage.

We bedded down at a local campground near Elkins. It was so cold, we slept in our chaps and boots. I awoke early the next morning looking for coffee when I met the campground manager. "Are you the ones who slept on the ground last night?" she asked. When I told her we were, she replied, "You poor thing. I'm not going to charge you." I thought that was a pretty good deal.

John was much slower to wake up that morning. Without opening his eyes, he rolled over and told me, "Start the truck, let's go home." I informed him we weren't in the truck. "Oh shit," were his only words for quite some time . . . . As we made our way over the mountain top in the frigid air, John finally spoke again......."I think we ought to stop awhile and let the engine cool down a little bit." The weather was near freezing, but who am I to contradict the words of the mechanic. We stopped at a nearby restaurant in Alpena (good food, good prices, nice atmosphere), where John decided we'd eat and warm up a little.

A nice, slow ride took us to Seneca Rocks. Thousands of visitors come here each year to climb, to hang glide, and visit the local attractions. It is surely a sight to behold as the rocks overshadow the tiny town.

Historic Germany Valley is another of those awe-inspiring vistas. The valley itself is located high in the mountains, and appears to be a hundred miles in length. Early settlers came to this area in droves, but only the hardy ones stayed.

As always, it was another great trip across West Virginia byways. Of the citizens in West Virginia, many feel a "trip" should consist of seeing at least a few other state signs. The beauty which our state holds is something everyone should catch a glimpse of. Don't worry about choosing a destination --- pick a direction and go.

Copyright 1999-2003 by West Virginia Bikers - All Rights Reserved Website by Hawk Mountain Designs