Lewisburg WV & Abingdon VA
Miles = 1,098
It was already mid-October, we were both in retirement and we had ridden fewer miles than when we were working. I'm not sure how that happens, but we decided we would ride in mid-October regardless of the temperature. As long as it was not going to be raining everyday we were going to ride. It has become very difficult to ride in the Southeast without duplicating routes and places where we have stayed. We chose Lewisburg and this would be a new destination for us and Abingdon which we have been to many times in the past, but it is a good destination. We rode many backroads and did our best to find new roads for us.
Day One - 455 miles
We rode through the city rather than the I-275 loop since we left at an early hour. We exited on Mt. Zion Road and headed east toward Butler KY and followed the Licking River for several miles stopping at Grange City Covered Bridge spanning Fox Creek. The bridge was in a state of refurbishment so not the best looking bridge but it seemed to be in relatively good shape. Our next stop was in Laurel Gorge where there is an old steel bridge spanning the Little Sandy River. The bridge had just been refurbished, including a new paint job and looked brand new. For some reason traffic was blocked from crossing but we only had to back track a mile or so and cross on the KY 7/32 bridge. I assume this bridge was the original and the road named The Laurel Curves is the original KY 7/32. We stopped next on East Lyn Lake at a spot we had stopped previously. Nothing much, but it is a nice quiet spot. The lake is formed by the dam on Twelvepole Creek and was built in 1969. It was already 2:00 by the time we stopped on the lake so we needed to get moving. We sprinted towards Beckley and roads got better the closer we got. We jumped on the interstate briefly on the outskirts of Beckley and rode down to Cool Ridge where we stopped at Weathered Ground Brewery. We sat outside and enjoyed the perfect October weather. Our next target was Hinton WV. This is a neat old town and one I wish we had more time to explore, but we had one more stop to make and it was going to be pushing 8:00 by the time we got to the hotel. The next stop was Sandstone Falls. The overlook was nice spot overlooking the river but it was also up very high. We had planned on eating at The Asylum, but it was already a little past 8:00 when we arrived so we ordered some pizza and shared a bottle of wine.
Day Two - 271 miles
This was going to be a great day as we had some really good roads mapped out. We started without breakfast knowing we were going to eat in Paint Bank. We started out riding for a short time on I-64 east before heading south on VA311 also known as Kanawah Trail. We were in VA but only for a short time before we were back in WV. Our first stop and before breakfast was Sweet Springs Resort. The Sweet Springs Resort was known as Old Sweet Springs or simply “Old Sweet.” The first hotel was erected in 1792 by William Lewis who was a Revolutionary War veteran. He was the brother of General Andrew Lewis, who commanded the Virginia militia at the Battle of Point Pleasant, and of Charles Lewis, who died in that battle. The resort flourished from 1820 until the Civil War. In the 1830’s, the present large brick hotel was constructed with columned porticos and was often referred to as The Jefferson Building because of its Jeffersonian design. A second large building and five cottages were erected in 1857. During this time, Sweet Springs was a day’s carriage drive from eight other mineral spring resorts known as the “Virginia Springs’’ of pre-Civil War Virginia. Guests would often visit several mineral springs resorts during the busy summer season to enjoy the water and social life at each. Old Sweet had some famous visitors. Some of the most well known visitors to mention are: George and Martha Washington, General Lafayette, Chief Justice John Marshall, Jerome Bonaparte, Patrick Henry, James and Dolley Madison, General Robert E. Lee, and Presidents Pierce and Fillmore. In June 1864, the resort was visited by Union forces under the command of General David Hunter. His troops camped in the vicinity of the resort, but there is no record that the buildings were harmed. Sweet Springs continued to attract guests after the Civil War, but many vacationers preferred to go to resorts that were more convenient to the railways. Old Sweet was operated by William Lewis, and in turn his son and grandson, until 1852, when the financially distressed property was acquired by Allen T. Caperton and Oliver Bierne. From 1902 to 1920, the Lewis family owned the property again and it operated under several different owners until it went into receivership in 1930. From 1942 through 1945, Old Sweet operated as a sanitarium for tuberculosis patients. In 1945, the state of West Virginia purchased the property and established the Andrew S. Rowan Memorial Home for the aged. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. A major renovation was undertaken from 1972 to 1975. The Rowan Home was closed in 1991, and the state turned the facility over to Monroe County to establish a rehabilitation center for substance abuse treatment. The project failed, and in 1996 the former resort was sold into private hands. I think we could have stayed here walking the grounds for some time, but breakfast was calling. We were quickly back in VA and stopped at the Paint Bank General Store for breakfast. The restaurant is called the swinging bridge which is appropriate given the bridge in the restaurant. It was one of our better breakfasts and the little area was really a great looking place. There is a nice Hotel down the street and I think I may try to stay there in the future. It was only a little after 9:00 so were not in a big hurry. We stopped at Potts Mountain Wayside overlook to view the valley below. We rode southwest down the valley eventually riding on Cumberland Gap Rd which I found odd since it is nowhere near Cumberland Gap. Maybe there is some history to that. We rode on Goodwins Ferry Road which is very much a backroad and stopped along the New River at Big Falls. We had planned to stop at a little park along the river but it was closed and so we just parked our bikes in the road and meandered down to the river. I don't think a single car passed while we were there. We continued on following the New River for the most part and stopped next at the Draper's Valley Overlook. This was a great place with overlooks on both sides of the road. The old Draper House remains are located here as well. The story goes that Mary Draper was kidnapped by Shawnee Indians and taken to Ohio. Her husband paid the Indians for her release and they moved to this location in 1765. Next up was the dam at Fries. We hadn't planned on this stop but it was right on the road so we made a quick stop. We were soon in NC riding the backroads towards Mountain City. We stopped along the north fork of the New River in Creston NC which is very close to the TN border. It wasn't a great stop but we had ridden for two hours and needed a break. It was only 3:00 so we were making good time. We rode through Mountain City and prepared for our run over Iron Mountain now known as The Snake. I could ride this road hundreds of times and never tire of it. We stopped in Shady Valley at the country store and continued on the second half finishing on TN44 and then NC 75 into Abingdon. We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Abingdon and walked to the Tavern Restaurant. Unfortunately is was full up and we had to look for a different place. We ate at Foresta which is caddy corner to the courthouse and right on Main Street. It was really good food and afterwards we went back to The Tavern for our last one and met the owners of the place and had a drink with him and his family. A very good night.
Day Three - 372 miles
Day three started out with some mist and less than perfect conditions but once we got over Hayters Gap on VA 80 the fog lifted and we were back riding at speed. We had a planned stop in Honker VA for breakfast at The Random Place. It is listed as Mexican in Google Maps but it is all-American and the food and service were both great. We also struck up a conversation with some of the locals who were holding court and I'm pretty sure it is held on a regular basis. We continued on, riding up VA 80 until we reached Breaks Interstate Park where we stopped for a look around and actually went into the park for the first time after having stopped at the overlook many times. The park is actually pretty big and has a nice looking lodge and lots of hiking trails. We continued riding north on a series of back roads and along creeks and eventually the Licking River. As we neared Lackey KY Steve started loosing air pressure in his rear tire so we pulled over in Lackey at the Marathon station and went to work on plugging the tire. A piece remained of the screw or whatever it was in the tire, so it was a little difficult getting it out, but eventually it came out and we were on our way. Hard to believe we had two consecutive trips where we had a flat tire. Once again we were fortunate to have the patch kit with us. We stopped one last time on Spears Mill Rd south of Paris. We arrived home right at 6:00.