There is a long story behind the annual gathering in Marlinton...suffice to say that a group of motorcyclists started meeting there in 2006 and have been doing so ever since. We always gather at the Old Clark Inn for the weekend after Memorial Day. The Inn (www.oldclarkinn.com) caters to motorcyclists.
The Inn was built as a hotel and maintains that old time charm.
This year we hauled the bike to West Virginia on a trailer. I ride, Sara does not. Once in Marlinton she chills with a good book and I get to explore Pocohontas County. Here are some shots from my various rides:
Route 150, The Scenic Highway, is a 25 mile loop of wonderful sweepers. I LOVE 150!
As you can imagine, it's all too easy to have fun here.
Of course there is quite a bit of the really twisty stuff. When they say '25' they really mean it!
NRAO has a one hour tour, well worth your time. You can see the largest movable man made object in the world. It's a huge radio telescope.
This is the telescope from about a mile away. This whole region is a radio quiet zone...very limited cell phone coverage. I understand the police have to turn their radar off when going through Green Bank.
I also stopped in Cass, home of the steam railroad and the company town by the same name. Now Cass is a state park. The railroad has two hour trips on the train, worth the time. The engines are a very special Shea design.
Note that the steam pistons are vertical and drive an exposed crankshaft. That shaft then drives each of the axles through exposed bevel gears. This allowed the train to haul loads of logs up and down a very steep grade.
Pocahontas County is about the size of Rhode Island but only has a population of about 8500 and one real town. There are lots of other unincorporated towns scattered about. The county and specifically the Visitors Bureau welcome motorcyclists...http://www.pocahontascountywv.com/motorcycle_touring.aspx
There is a story behind every little village, this one is so named because they claim to have frost every morning, 365 days a year.
And now the cast of characters:
