Morgantown WV & Lexington VA
Miles = 1,100
We liked our route this past spring and realized we had some work to do in the WV and VA areas and that there was a lot still to cover.
Day One
We started out on OH32 and broke off on OH73 staying north of Portsmouth and crossing the Ohio at Parkersburg WV as we didn't want rely on the ferry crossing at Sisterville like we did this past spring. We stopped in Parkersburg for lunch at the North End Tavern & Brewery. We followed the river for a while before breaking away on WV7 and down WV20. We made a little run on Old St Rt 20 along Fishing Creek but the road and neighborhood got a little dicey so we turned around, but we did stop along the creek for a little break. We rode WV20 all the way to its terminus at US19 where we headed north for a little and rode some backroads and then came back in on US19 making a stop at Short Story Brewing. Not much else on the way into Morgantown. We went to our hotel and Ubered in the downtown area for dinner at Morgantown Brewing.
Day Two
We started with breakfast at Bob Evans. We rode WV92 down to US50 for a short time before catching WV72 also known as Cheat Valley Highway as it follows the Cheat River. We stopped at the entrance to Campbell Road for a look at the river but the view was obscured. We continued on WV72 crossing the river at Parsons and this is where the road becomes more exciting. WV72, in this section is now called Dry Fork Rd and it becomes extremely narrow with no lines at all. We like riding on this type of road on occasion. It was paved and in decent condition, it was just narrow. WV92 led us further south and connected with US33, down past the Seneca Rocks area and through a beautiful valley. US33 passes through the mountain range at Judy Gap and then climbs up to the Germany Valley Overlook. We stopped here to take some pics, and it was simply a gorgeous view. US33 continues to impress. Once through the town of Brandywine WV the road climbs toward the VA State line with some great twisties and back down again. We were soon in Waynesboro where we stopped at Seven Arrows Brewing Co to have a rest and reflect on the last few hours of great riding. We were hoping to grab a bite to eat but they really didn't have much. We rode to other side of town and to VA156 south stopping at Blue Mountain Brewery for lunch. Really good food, and really good beer. We set our sights on Lexington and to get there we were going to ride the BRP some. We were enjoying ourselves so much and we figured we had time so we continued riding a few extra miles before turning around and calling it a day. Before riding to our hotel we decided to visit Devil's Backbone Brewing Co for a pint. We made it to the hotel with plenty of time to walk downtown and enjoy some nightlife.
Day Three
We found what we believed to be a real hometown style cafe for breakfast. The Pink Cadillac Diner which happened to be a few miles out of our way, but we went anyway. It was certainly a local spot and was ok but nothing far above the mark. We started out along VA39 that follows the Calfpasture River for 62 miles to US19 and then another 98 miles down to US60 and Kanawah River. This is a great route especially the portion on VA39 near Lexington. We were enjoying the ride so much we didn't stop until we hit the river, and then stopped at the London Locks & Dam. Once into Charleston we rode I-64 before crossing over the Ohio at Huntington and riding US52 and basically riding back they way we started.