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We are excited to announce the dates for the 2024 Ride. We will be gathering in Fairmont, WV on Saturday June 15th. Riding will kick off on Sunday June 16th where we explore the spooky Cryptids of West Virginia such as the Mothman, Bigfoot, and the Flatwoods Monster. The registration form will open on or before 10/31/2024.
Details:
Routes and mileage is subject to change based on the road conditions and weather on any particular day. Most days we average around 130 miles, with a few exceptions when moving hotels. Total anticipated Mileage around 1,092
Day 0 – 06/15/2024 (Sat) (Gathering Day – Fairmont, WV) – Plan to gather in the late afternoon for a pre-ride meeting and introductions (or re-introductions!)
Day 1 – 06/16/2024 (Sun) (Fairmont WV > Fairmont, WV) – will see the first day of group riding with a stop in historic Weston, WV to visit the imposing Trans-Allegheny Asylum. Built between 1858 and 1881, it is the second largest hand-cut masonry building in the world after the Kremlin. A storied and dark past left plenty of ghost stories surrounded by fascinating architecture and history we will learn as we are taken on a tour of the now-closed building. Anticipated Total Mileage – 120mi.
Day 2 – 06/17/2024 (Mon) (Fairmont WV > Fairmont, WV) – Day 2 brings some amazing riding including passing through Grafton, WV (where Mother’s Day was created) on our way to Sutton and the first two cryptid museums: The Flatwoods Monster and the Bigfoot Museum. These two monster hotspots are full of fun, kitsch, and local flair. Picture opportunities abound before the sweeping curves return the riders back to dinner in Fairmont. Anticipated Total Mileage – 95-120mi.
Day 3 – 06/18/2024 (Tue) (MOVE DAY – Fairmont WV > Huntington, WV) – Day 3 is the first move of the ride across WV to the western border with Kentucky and Ohio. The day’s ride focuses on exploring the curvy backroads and byways less traveled. A pass through Charleston, the capital of WV, and a stop for lunch will offer a surprise golden photo opportunity. The ride calls it a day in Huntington, home of Marshall University (of ‘We are Marshall’ movie fame) on the banks of the Ohio River. The ride will stay in Huntington for 2 more nights and include a dinner stop at a James Beard American Classic award-winning restaurant that was enjoyed by President Kennedy. Anticipated Total Mileage – 195mi.
Day 4 – 06/19/2024 (Wed) (Huntington, WV > Huntington, WV) – Day 4 turns the ride north toward the most famous of the local cryptids- Mothman! Point Pleasant, WV has a storied past with a tragic bridge collapse for which some locals believe Mothman was a harbinger. We’ll stop at the museum and take photos in front of the gleaming stainless-steel life-size representation of the winged one himself. Lunch with be at Hillbilly Hotdogs, a truly unique place featured on Guy Fieri’s ‘Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.’ Anticipated Total Mileage – 135mi.
Day 5 – 06/20/2024 (Thu) (Huntington, WV > Huntington, WV) – Day 5 takes the ride south along the Ohio River shore and into our most technical riding. Beautiful views and zippy mountain roads bring us to Matewan, WV. A key area in the American Labor Movement, a visit to the Mine Wars Museum will give riders a chance to learn about this often overlooked turning point in American history. Matewan is also a hotspot of the Hatfield-McCoy feud with riders almost certainly meeting direct descendants of the famous families. Anticipated Total Mileage – 185mi.
Day 6 – 06/21/2024 (Fri) (MOVE DAY – Huntington, WV >Lewisburg, WV) – Day 6 is the second major travel day, taking riders through the country’s newest National Park as we ride across the world-famous New River Gorge Bridge. The ride will stop to take in the stunning views before we end the day in the artsy town of Lewisburg, WV. A trip into Lost World Caverns takes us to the chilled origin of Bat Boy. Made famous in the Weekly World News, Bat Boy has gone on to be a musical playing off-Broadway and in London’s West End. Dinner this evening may be a surprise host. Anticipated Total Mileage – 165mi.
Day 7 – (Sat) (MOVE DAY -Lewisburg, WV > Fairmont, WV) – Day 7 is our final full day of riding together and takes us from Lewisburg back to Fairmont. Long curving backroads will bring us to the historic company store of Cass, WV to enjoy lunch and see unique operating steam locomotives taking sightseers to WV’s highest point. However, our afternoon visit takes us many decades into the future at Greenbank Radio Observatory to see a nearly 500-foot-tall radio dish used to explore the universe…and maybe warn of space cryptids. Anticipated Total Mileage – 172mi.
