Location

[Mark Menard (Vita Rara)]

I would like to solicit the group here for suggestions for location ideas. Sylva and I have been researching things online using Google Maps, etc. trying to find a location where the hotel and campsite are in close proximity, preferrably walking distance, to each other. Currently we are focusing on WV, southwest VA, and KY. So, if you know of a place where there is a concentration of camping and hotels please let us know. We'd really appreciate it.

 

We found a location in Fayetteville, where the camp ground and hotel are within walking distance of each other. I have quoted Big-T's (Todd Gills) scouting report below. There are some issues with it, but we have not ruled it out at this point.

 

I figure this group has a lot of knowledge, it's time to start tapping it.

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

 

Todd's Report:

 

OK,just back from W.VA.

 

Campground :

Steep uphill gravel driveway,could be a problem in the rain or with inexperienced riders

 

Small campground at top of hill,could be cozy as the

cabins,pavillion,tent camping are all together in a small area,probably have to reserve

that area,thats almost the whole campground.

 

no AC in the cabins

 

bathroom was allright,looked like 5 enclosed shower stalls/5 enclosed toilets on

the other side,plus sinks in the center.Did not check the ladies side,but assumed it was the same.

 

Everything looks clean,but there was only one camper on site

 

 

Office has only a few snacks,reported problems with drink machines

 

Off Rt19 on side road,6/10 of a mile to campground

 

 

Motel

 

Has a little bit of age but I peeked into a room and it looked like an

average decent room,no extras in rooms,like coffee,dryers,etc

 

has bar/grill and small store in rear building,closed when I was there.

 

Swiming pool/

 

DQ and service station in front.....motel is in a back lot,probably be

good for socializing

 

 

 

Roads..Very mountainous area,Main roads are the only way to cross

the mountains,Rt19,I-77,I-64.The roads that follow the valleys are lined

with houses and businesses,the side roads start out as narrow paved and

usually then into gravel as the houses run out.

 

 

 

Mark,this is tourist area,with the New river gorge being the main

attraction.Lots of rafting companies,places to go hiking

camping,,horseback riding etc,all of which adds up to lots of

tourists,clogging up the roads.The other problem I see is being able to

link up roads for decent rides.There are some good roads here and there,

but linking them together because of terrain and congested areas may be

a problem..

 

I would rate everything as a 5 or 6 on a scale of 1 to 10

 

Pics:

 

http://big-t.smugmug.com/gallery/1649533 <

 

 

 

Todd

[Les is more]

One comment on the Fayetteville location is that it's only about 100 miles from Staunton.

 

Have you seen sites like this one on Mortorcycling roads in various locations?

[Mark Menard (Vita Rara)]

One comment on the Fayetteville location is that it's only about 100 miles from Staunton.

 

Yup, that thought had crossed my mind. I don't think it's a reason to veto the location, but something to definitely factor into it.

 

Have you seen sites like this one on Mortorcycling roads in various locations?

 

Oh yea! Sylva and I have been looking at it. It's a definite guide as to whether we are looking in a viable location or not.

 

After finding that site it helped me find a great road in my "backyard" that I didn't know about. One that I might use to do a riding smart weekend on.

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

[Mike]

Mark--

 

Nothing comes immediately to mind, but I'll put on my thinking cap. One thought comes to mind, though . . . the ban on radar detectors in Virginia. I'd hate to toss out consideration of an entire state on that basis alone, but you might take some heat from those who are dedicated to the American Proposition That Electronic Countermeasures are a God-Given Right.

[Mike]

One thought popped into my cranium--there are at least a couple of state parks that have nice lodging facilities, campgrounds, and dining in the park. A couple:

 

Canaan Valley Resort

 

Blackwater Falls State Park

 

And, a web page that lists all the WV state parks, indicating lodging facilities, campgrounds, and restaurant summaries.

[Mike]

Sorry for the multiple replies. I just wanted to let you know that Sport-Touring.net held their national rally at Canaan Valley this year. There might be some insight to be gained from checking out their experiences.

[Berkley]

I just wanted to add a few things to Todd's visual assessment of the campground at Fayetteville:

 

1. According to staff/owner, they have group camping sites available. I do not know if they are in the same location as the general campground area. It sounded as though they could put a large number of campers there, out of the way from other campers.

 

2. They can fit a total of 56 persons in 2 smaller cabins and 6 bunkhouses (if there are people interested in bunking vs. private/semi-private rooms. I don't know if this has been tried/tossed in the past. It's definately a cost-cutting method to attend.)

 

OK,just back from W.VA.

 

Campground :

Steep uphill gravel driveway,could be a problem in the rain or with inexperienced riders

 

Small campground at top of hill,could be cozy as the

cabins,pavillion,tent camping are all together in a small area,probably have to reserve

that area,thats almost the whole campground.

 

no AC in the cabins

 

bathroom was allright,looked like 5 enclosed shower stalls/5 enclosed toilets on

the other side,plus sinks in the center.Did not check the ladies side,but assumed it was the same.

 

Everything looks clean,but there was only one camper on site

 

 

Office has only a few snacks,reported problems with drink machines

 

Off Rt19 on side road,6/10 of a mile to campground

[EffBee]

Mark, I'm wondering why/if you've ruled out Pennsylvania. There are some wonderful areas, the whole state is studded with trees and foliage, and it's got one of the highest per-capita motorcycle registration rates. I imagine there are some campgrounds with motels nearby.

 

Easy for me to say/suggest and put the onus on you to check these things out. But I wondered if perhaps you already had.

[Les is more]

Again, easy for us to say but I was wondering the same thing. The thought for me was to have it somewhere other than the Southeast. Anything else we can do to stir the pot a little?

[PhillyFlash]

Just for the sake of comparison, I checked some mileages:

 

Los Angeles to Fayetteville - 2641 miles

New York to Gunnison - 2042 miles

Los Angeles to Nashville - 2006 miles

NY to Yosemite - 2820 miles

 

Holding the unrally as far east as Fayetteville will add an extra day or riding time to get out there, and an extra day getting back. For most people, riding a little more than 600 miles per day, it will be 8 days riding round trip. Nashville area cuts it down down by 2 days. That makes a big difference for most people. LA to Fayetteville is comparable to riding from NY to Yosemite (Yosemite would be about 180 miles more). I probably will not make it, since I just made a trip back east this year, but if we want to try to get some of the western people, you may want to consider that distance.

[Mark Menard (Vita Rara)]

Just for the sake of comparison, I checked some mileages:

 

Los Angeles to Fayetteville - 2641 miles

New York to Gunnison - 2042 miles

Los Angeles to Nashville - 2006 miles

NY to Yosemite - 2820 miles

 

Those are very good numbers to keep in mind.

 

Mark

[Les is more]

Here's another thing to put in the hopper. The BMWMOA 2007 Rally will be in Wisconsin in July 2007. I'm not suggesting Wisconsin as a location but perhaps something within a day or two of the Rally site. The proximity of Cody and Spokane worked very well. We attracted some folk on their way to the National and avoided making people choose between trips. Here's some info.