I'm leaving on a jet plane....

[Serk]

So..... Trying to begin thinking about day dreaming of planning routes.....

I haven't given up on a "Ride across the great frozen tundra" of our northern friends that I was gonna try last Inzane...

...any chance I could get a ballpark distance from the potential GZ to the nearest Canadian border crossing? Or would that still be giving too much away?

(Sincere question, but hey, can't blame a guy for trying!)

[f6gal]

The state in question will not have a gubernatorial election in 2022.

[f6gal]

So..... Trying to begin thinking about day dreaming of planning routes.....

I haven't given up on a "Ride across the great frozen tundra" of our northern friends that I was gonna try last Inzane...

...any chance I could get a ballpark distance from the potential GZ to the nearest Canadian border crossing? Or would that still be giving too much away?

(Sincere question, but hey, can't blame a guy for trying!)

It appears to me that the closest Canada entry point is via Peace Bridge.

[Serk]

The state in question will not have a gubernatorial election in 2022.

We must be real close to signing on the dotted line, that only leaves Virginia or West Virginia as possibilities.....

[John Schmidt]

West Va. is my guess, otherwise known as a SWAG! 

[Serk]

West Va. is my guess, otherwise known as a SWAG! 

Heh, yup.... TOTAL WAG but I'm thinking (Hoping?) Morgantown(ish).....

[old2soon]

West Va. is my guess, otherwise known as a SWAG! 

Heh, yup.... TOTAL WAG but I'm thinking (Hoping?) Morgantown(ish).....

       Morgantown 16 I recall leaving and arriving back to ground zero was thru the golf course! Also recall that a diner a little ways from ground zero was Extremely BUSY in the A M! RIDE SAFE.

[threevalks]

West Va. is my guess, otherwise known as a SWAG! 

Heh, yup.... TOTAL WAG but I'm thinking (Hoping?) Morgantown(ish).....

I discussed this with a staff member recently and understand the motel situation. Morgantown and Charleston may be the only towns in WV that have a motel that can meet our requirements, but the roads are not anywhere close to the motorcycle roads we have further east. The Elkins area would be great, but no large motels. We did discuss a couple ski resorts, that could possibly work. Fingers crossed.

[f6gal]

West Va. is my guess, otherwise known as a SWAG! 

Heh, yup.... TOTAL WAG but I'm thinking (Hoping?) Morgantown(ish).....

Not Morgantown.

[f6gal]

West Va. is my guess, otherwise known as a SWAG! 

Heh, yup.... TOTAL WAG but I'm thinking (Hoping?) Morgantown(ish).....

I discussed this with a staff member recently and understand the motel situation. Morgantown and Charleston may be the only towns in WV that have a motel that can meet our requirements, but the roads are not anywhere close to the motorcycle roads we have further east. The Elkins area would be great, but no large motels. We did discuss a couple ski resorts, that could possibly work. Fingers crossed.

Not in Charleston or Elkins. 

[vanavyman]

Roanoke, VA was really nice a couple years ago.  Waynesboro / Charlottesville, VA would both be nice locations for an InZane. 

[carolinarider09]

Well lets see.   We recently took a trip to Ohio and then back through WV and VA.  We spent the night at "new" (to the hotel group) hotel in Lexington, VA.  It was a Hampton Inn if I remember correctly that was, at one time, a college.  

It has been renovated (apparently a thing with Hampton since my daughter is having one done in Blackstone, VA right now)

The hotel is within walking distance of the Lexington downtown area and they have some nice places down there for food.  The hotel does seem to have lots of "room" on the outside.  

Some pictures we took.  Just in case.









And there is the Highland Scenic Highway.  

https://youtu.be/7HfKWSuCB8I

[carolinarider09]

As for the Northern Route......

We have been around the Great Lakes a couple of times.  And we spent a couple of years in Michigan.  There are some nice rural spots in Michigan (there is a Newberry, MI) and the trip around the upper side of Lake Superior is nice.

We did meet a couple that has traveled East from Saskatchewan we we stopped overnight in a hotel somewhere near Sudbury, ONT.  We asked them about the trip east and they said it was sort of boring but....   I'd do the loop around the top of Lake Superior again. 

[Serk]

Oops! I tried to replicate any of the social media hints here, but I missed two.... and the two I'd missed are the ones I just used to bring myself within 75% of being confident of the location..... So I'll post those now. These were both from Motomama:

"Creamy crab bisque again!  This stuff is amazing!  I'm going to have to make it!!!  And I'm watching my Chiefs play!!"



"And a steak salad!"



Using those pics with a rather unique 1970's vomit green table with aging wooden trim, I used a convention planning site and searched for convention hotels in the in-scope area in cities under 250,000 that had >150 rooms, large enough convention space and prices under $150 a night.....

This narrowed things down a LOT.....

And I found some interior pictures of the restaurant inside of one particular hotel. I'll not name it specifically, hope I'm not giving TOO much away as it is, but this table, as well as the plate, appear very familiar to the ones form which Motomama dined:



Oh, and the hotel is in Roanoke.....

[f6gal]

Ding, ding, ding!!  Roanoke it is!  

We looked at 2 different hotels in Roanoke... this was one of them.  I'm not saying if this is the one we chose, y'all have to wait for January for that!

P.S.  That's hilarious that Serk managed to ID a hotel based on a small piece of a table. 

[..]

For some that would be a nice run up the BRP.

[motomama]

The amazing Shrimp and Grits were from the restaurant at Peaks of Otter on the BRP, which is where we will head for the lunch ride with the staff!  Y'all should try that dish!  It was awesome!!

[carolinarider09]

When we came through the area in September this year, the BRP in the Roanoke area was closed. Site says it will be open in the Spring of 2023 though. 

From September 2022

National Park Service officials today announced the project completion date for a Roanoke slope repair project underway at milepost 127.9 on the Blue Ridge Parkway has been extended into spring 2023. The unanticipated extension is due to the discovery of a failed culvert in the fill slope that requires full replacement. Once available, the 130-foot pipe will be installed, headwalls and drainage elements completed, and the pavement installed when temperatures allow. 

[msb]

P.S.  That's hilarious that Serk managed to ID a hotel based on a small piece of a table. 

Yes hilarious, but could also be a little spooky in a way...certainly wouldn't want to get on his bad side and get ol' Serk's dander up if you've got any embarrassing skeletons in your closet. The man certainly knows how to dig!! 

I'm itchin' for another cross country(ies) ride for next year, so it's nice to have this destination in mind early to start looking at options. Was hoping for upper MI so I could do a Canada/US return route, but VA is certainly very nice. Would be 3000+ miles one way for me on non-Interstate routes. Would be great if the CDN/US exchange rate relaxes a bit in my favor by next Spring.

[Serk]

P.S.  That's hilarious that Serk managed to ID a hotel based on a small piece of a table. 

Yes hilarious, but could also be a little spooky in a way...certainly wouldn't want to get on his bad side and get ol' Serk's dander up if you've got any embarrassing skeletons in your closet. The man certainly knows how to dig!! 

Not to worry, I long ago vowed to use my powers only for good....

...I won't tell anyone about... ya' know.... that thing..... 

[f6gal]

P.S.  That's hilarious that Serk managed to ID a hotel based on a small piece of a table. 

Yes hilarious, but could also be a little spooky in a way...certainly wouldn't want to get on his bad side and get ol' Serk's dander up if you've got any embarrassing skeletons in your closet. The man certainly knows how to dig!! 

He's actually sworn off using some of his spookier tactics. 

[Serk]

P.S.  That's hilarious that Serk managed to ID a hotel based on a small piece of a table. 

Yes hilarious, but could also be a little spooky in a way...certainly wouldn't want to get on his bad side and get ol' Serk's dander up if you've got any embarrassing skeletons in your closet. The man certainly knows how to dig!! 

He's actually sworn off using some of his spookier tactics. 

Indeed.....