Wee & Wingabago Wanderings

YFF have inspired me. I've been meaning to start off with some old pics and keep procrastinating. Going to try and post some ancient road trips at a later date. Soooo I'll start off with my most recent camping trip of April13th. Rode 250 into Elkins,WV and 33 into Seneca Shadows Campground.

Rode some forestry gravel roads around Spruce Knob and 3 digit VA state routes up to Skyline drive and back across 33.

3rd day rode through the Canaan Valley Area up to Blackwater Falls. Stopped at Hellbender Burritoes (highly recommended) in Davis. 219 to 72 across 32 and meandered through the Dolly Sods Area. 72 was an interesting side trip and ventured down to a little river valley loop that was pretty cool.

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Looks like a nice trip. I really like the last pic!

Loaded up Sunday night 6/3 and headed back down to the same campground with the lovely Rea.

Stopped for a snack at the covered bridge in Phillipi.

Set up camp and relax

Well rested we headed out to Spruce Knob around 10am Tuesday morn.
Found these rock sculptures set up on the trail up to the lookout.


Stopped in Durbin @ Station for lunch.

Rode some neat little 2 lane County Roads through Cass and over to the Highlands Scenic Highway.



Went through Green Bank and decided we'll stop to see the Radio Telescope another time.

We had a little rain on Tuesday then woke up to heavy overcast Wednesday morn and had coffee, oatmeal and homemade raisan bread. Then it started a steady rain for a couple hours, but we headed out around 11:30. Up over the mountain to some more little County Roads that came out to 220 in Upper Tract, then rode the Smoke Hole Road.

Revolutionary War Veteran Gravesite. Eagle Rock across the river (oops forgot to take the picture of the rock)

From there we headed across Jordan Run, another nice little back county road. Came to 42 and took 93 into Davis. Came across the huge mountaintop windmills. Looks like there is an interstate being built in the area. Stopped at Hell benders Burritos again then walked it off at Blackwater Falls. Rode down through the Canaan Valley area , gassed up in Harman and headed back to camp.
Couple more pics of Seneca Rocks:


Weather cleared up nice ended up raining about 40% of our daytrip but never very hard and we made the best of our day.

On the way home Thursday we hit a CR heading North from 33 in Cambden,WV that was quite an adventure with the trailer hooked up. Narrow and twisty. Smiling and traveling a brisk pace for this road I found myself mumbling to myself about having to follow a pickup for a couple miles. When he kinda pulled over to let a coal truck heading towards us pass my attitude changed to gratitude. I liked the narrow twisty backcountry, she had other feelings on it. We stopped at Doddridge County park for a snack and watched them haul out and set up picnic tables and such for the summer opening. When we got to US 50 the Lovely Rea had had enough of the back country adventuring and pleaded US 50 to I77. We ran into a localized heavy thunderstorm that was a little west of the Interstate near Cambridge, skirted it and made it home around 5pm. 20 miles shy of 1,000 miles.

Nothing epic just a nice relaxed pace camping, daytrip with Lovely company, great sites and some decent grub.

Thanks V. P.
We bypassed it on the Wingabago trip, but found ourselves on an even more interesting county road on the way home Thursday.

Nice one!

Thanks !

Heading South tomorrow morn. 77 slab through Charleston. WV 94 to 3 down to 54 into Mullins to 16 N of Welch through to Marion,VA and set up camp near Mt Rogers. Tentatively. Already packed up, er over packed as I look at what others take.

I'm headed Northeast Tomorrow morning towards the same area as you. I'll keep my eye open for you in case we happen to cross paths. I'll be on my Blue Aprilia Sport City with a big Givi tail trunk, with an ADV sticker of course.

Made it off I-77 around 10:30am and the fun began !
Headed into Welch,WV McDowell County Seat. Mom was born in a little coal town Pageton, not far from here.


I was ready to stop for lunch in Welch when I met up with these good folks, free hotdog, chips and a pepsi max with a dessert of good old time Pentecostal Gospel.


Sheriff Syd Hatfield murdered on these courthouse steps the morning of court proceedings concerning Bloody Mingo, Matewan Massacre

On down the road.

Snack break at Lake Witten. Once rode Mudfork Road gravel from to the lake on my Goldwing from the dam in Falls Mills,VA where Mom's folks moved in 1957 that's where she met my Dad.


South of Tazewell is the Back of the Dragon. Went to Graham high school and the vocational school in Richlands down here in 75-76 while my Step Dad was working for N&W RR.


anonymous rider

Set up camp

The campground host couple were nice folks and they each had a XT250, so they clued me in for some good FS roads. It was still early so I headed back out for fuel and a little gravel adventure.

Headed back across the Back of the Dragon and the back way into Burke's Garden.

After 2 night stay at Hurricane moved on up to the BRP via the little squiggly roads and Holloway Mountain gravel road.

Ran across a little crossroads named Creston so snapped a couple pics since we have a Creston here in Wayne County OH


Hit the tip of TN


Grandfather Mountain


on down the road

you could really hear and see the falls since there was a little rain


Set up camp at Mt Pisgah

Random early morning shots along the Parkway, love riding up here right after sunrise, hardly a soul around.






The shot everyone has seen or taken themselves. I probably have hard copy photos of the 6 different bikes I've had up here.

Snack breakfast break @ Waterrock Knob

On down the road



From there I crossed the Smokies, went through Townsend,TN across the Foothills Parkway where I took photos of a newleywed couple (withtheir camera) and went up the Dragon. Then acroos the Cherohala Skyway




Rode down TN68 nice rolling curvy road to the Smokie Mountain Expressway and got back to camp well after dark. Nice long day of over 400 miles.

Headed N on the BRP and S on NC80 to Marion,NC to meet up with some friends @ noon.

NC80 is a cool road S into Marion I believe they now call it "The Devils Staircase". I've camped N of the parkway on 80 at the Carolina Hemlocks in the shadow of Mt Mitchell a few times. 80 N of 19 over to 226 is treacherous 30 MPH nothing to see there.
From Marion I headed up to Roan Mountain on the border of NC & TN. I had never been there before. The Gardens were in full bloom.



When I returned to camp my neighbors brought me the best meal of my trip. Grilled Steak, Salmon, Tater, Baked Beans and a nice slice of Bread.

I talked and shared with a lot of people this trip, not only at the campgrounds but on the way up Monday the 18th I had stopped in Banner Elk for a snack and chatted with this older retired couple that were out for a walk, just delightful people. At the same stop a female campus security guard stopped and she loves horses, she frequents the Mt Rogers Horse camps many times (where I just camped and toured around the previous couple days). As I saddled up I noticed the parking area was off limits, she hadn't said a word but instead was just as friendly as could be. School was not in session so I guess it was no big deal.