I really enjoy hearing from business owners in the Appalachians who are rider-friendly, and it’s even better when they are motorcyclists. Therefore, I’m pleased to introduce to you Sue and Bernie Shaw who operate the Rider’s Rest B&B in Lexington, VA.

 

Update — Bedford Springs Hotel To Reopen

 

Those who’ve read Motorcycle Journeys may recall a paragraph I wrote about the Bedford Springs Hotel in the Lion Country Loop. The Bedford is one of the original “grand healing springs” with construction that dates back to the early 1800’s. Over the years it has served many purposes including a turn as president James Buchanan’s summer White House, a radio training facility for the Navy during WWII and a POW camp for Japanese diplomats captured in Germany after Germany’s surrender.

 

The hotel closed in 1990 and languished for years in need of major renovations to re-open.  In describing the hotel I noted that it would make a great weekend destination for a group of riders and there were rumors that it would be restored. It appears those rumors have proven true.

 

After a few false starts, a deal has been struck to restore the facility to its original grandeur at a price tag of about $90 million. The project will result in a facility with 218 guest rooms, a 130 seat restaurant and over 19,000 sq. ft. of conference facility space, all rendered in a Victorian era style. This link contains many more pictures of the hotel as well as more details about the restoration (toward the bottom of the page). I can’t wait to check it out!

 

Bedford Springs Hotel — http://www.memberbbb.com/springs.html

 

 

If the Question is “What’s that Smell?”

the Answer is “Probably Richwood”

 

Should you find yourself anywhere near central West Virginia on April 22nd, you may note a certain indelicate fragrance in the air. That would be the town of Richwood. To be more precise, that smell assaulting your nostrils is the airborne output of bubbling cauldrons filled with bales of wild leeks known throughout the mountains as “ramps.”

 

Yes, in just a couple of weeks it’s time for the annual Ramp Festival in downtown Richwood where staggering quantities of wild leeks will be consumed.  In the last twenty years or so, ramp festivals have, er, sprouted throughout the Appalachians, but the Richwood festival, now in its 68th year, is believed to be the original.

 

Handy fact to know ahead of time: Ramps not only give you breath like the plague, their scintillating aroma also leaves the body by way of the skin. Ergo, you will literally reek like a leek.

 

Richwood Ramp Festival — http://www.richwooders.com/ramp/ramps.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 2006

Ready for a new season of riding adventures? While there is no official “opening day” for motorcycling, April feels like the first month of a new riding calendar.

 

Since many of you are considering where you’d like to ride this year, I thought I’d suggest a couple of rider-friendly destinations. I’ll have some new routes and features coming soon.

 

Many Happy Journeys!

Cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin in Washington signal the beginning of a new riding season in the mid-Atlantic.

—  Photo by Carl Coyner

 

Appalachian Highways is 100% made is the USA.  Spelling and grammatical errors are a matter of opinion.  Contents of this newsletter manufactured in an environment that contains peanuts.  Except as noted, text and images on this page are Copyright 2006 by Dale Coyner.   For permission to reprint, contact Dale.

Rider-Friendly Lodging in Lexington, VA

2006 Calendar

 

Will we get a chance to meet this year?  I sure hope so.  Here’s a list of events I’m planning to be part of this year. Stop by and say hello…

 

April 15, Fredericksburg, VA — Mortons BMW Open House

 

May 18—21 Backroads Magazine Spring Tour

 

June, Lake George, NY — Americade. Exact dates TBD.

 

July 18 — 21, Carlisle, PA — Carlisle Summer Bike Fest

 

 

 

Attention Club

Newsletter Editors

 

Did you know that you can reprint/reuse many features from Appalachian highways at no charge? Now you do!

 

For more info, contact Dale at editor@appalachianhighways.com

 

 

I asked Sue and Bernie to tell me a little more about the B&B and how they got started, etc. Bernie wrote back...

 

“We moved to Virginia from Florida 3 years ago. Virginia is a lot like the Lake District in England where I come from and we fell in love with it. Sue comes from the east coast of England and missed the changing seasons that you don’t get in Florida. We thought this would be the perfect place for us to start our B&B.

 

I have been riding motorcycles on road and off road for more than thirty years. (I started really young!!!) I moved from the UK in 1992 to work in the marine industry in Ft. Lauderdale and while there kept up my off road riding, competing in hare scrambles

Rider’s Rest B&B is located on VA 39, a motorcycling must-ride in Lexington, VA near the intersection of I-81 and I-64.

and motor-cross. I did try my hand on the paved roads but to be honest found it boring because of the grid system and flat terrain, which was not to my liking. Then we moved to Lexington VA in 2002 and I discovered the roads here and promised myself a road bike when time and finances permitted. I am now the proud owner of a Suzuki SV 650 S bought in April 05.

 

After clocking 6000 miles and a new set of rubber last season I realized the need to convince Sue of a reason for my extended absence from the family nest if I was expecting to continue down this road. Hence the idea of sharing my good found fortune with other riders through our business.

I emailed the editor of Cycle World Magazine in August 05 giving a little history about ourselves asking if they would like to do an article on us. I did not hold out much hope of a response to this email.

 

Low and behold in their October issue they printed a condensed version of my email in their “Etc” column. The response we got and the enthusiasm of people who stayed with us convinced Sue and me that we are on the right track. Doing something I am passionate about and sharing it with others is a dream come true.

 

We have a pretty place nestled among mature trees and situated on 3 acres. We overlook 200 acres of rolling hills

 

with Hog Back Mountain in the distance. We are only 2 miles from Historic Lexington on Scenic Route 39. There is plenty parking space available for trailers and a garage for bikes so we have the ideal place to stay.”

 

What do you think? Sue and Bernie’s place sounds like the real deal to me. They’re in a great location, that’s for sure. I’ve long extolled the virtues of Lexington. It’s a beautiful small town fairly oozing with Southern charm, hospitality and history. As if that weren’t enough of an inducement, it’s surrounded by awesome riding in every direction.

 

I’ve ridden by Sue and Bernie’s place (before they owned it). It’s a near the Virginia Horse Center and as Bernie notes, they’re located on one of the best roads in the region. I would encourage you to check out Rider’s Rest if you’re thinking about doing any riding in central-southern Virginia this year. Be sure to tell them “Dale sent you.”

 

Rider’s Rest B&B is located on the web at http://www.ridersrestbandb.com

As motorcycling has grown, so have the number of businesses that serve our sport exclusively.  Motorcycle-only lodging options have grown significantly over the last twenty-five years from the original Two Wheels Only in Suches, GA to over a half-dozen bike-only destinations in the Appalachians. Here are seven that I’m aware of.  Who am I missing? Drop me a line and let me know.