Motorcycle Mecca

Left Floyd Saturday morning with no particular place to go. Rode up Virginia Rte. 8 to Tuggles Gap for breakfast and then back down 8 to Christiansburg where New River Valley Harley Davidson was holding a classic car and bike show.

Not much to see at the show so I headed West on U.S. 460 to Virginia Rte. 42 for a ride over the mountains to New Castle, then left on U.S. 311 for another ride through the twisties to Paint Bank.

Paint Bank, home of a Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries Trout Hatchery, lies at the intersection of U.S. 311 and County Road 600. The hamlet is built pretty much around the Paint Bank General Store which has the Swinging Bridge Restaurant in the back. The Depot Lodge across the road -- a rennovated train station -- features four rooms for guests.

As with any stop along twisting mountain roads, Paint Bank is a popular stopping point for motorcyclists. Bikes line the parking lot and along side the road on weekends and many of those eating at the restaurant.

From Paint Bank you can continue on U.S. 311 to Crows and eventually end up in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, home of the Greenbriar, or you can head up Rte. 300 along Potts Creek and into Monroe County, West Virginia, where the road turns into County Road 17 and winds through the Jefferson National Forest before venturing back into Virginia and intersecting with U.S. 460 West of Pembroke.

I opted for the ride up 300 and through the national forest. Good ride most of the way along some of the road was covered with gravel from recent rains.

By the time I pulled into the garage at the end of the day I had logged just over 200 miles.

All in all, a good ride.