Motorcycle Trip to Virginia (Part 4)

After 1.5 great days in Virginia it was sadly time to start heading back north, but not before checking out a couple more spots. The one thing I was most excited for on this trip was the Natural Bridge of Virginia and that was our first stop of the day. We loaded up our bikes and said goodbye to our hosts (and their animals). It was time to head out.

I won't miss the gravel, that's for sure.

Natural Bridge Entrance.

The Natural Bridge was once a giant cavern that was slowly whittled away by water flowing over the top. The Native Americans used the remainder as a bridge and eventually the first settlers did as well. It is now crossed by State Route 11.

Hard hat model. Falling rocks are common.

Behold! The Natural Bridge.

I'm surveying it.

There are a lot of names carved into the rock. The square in the center of the picture is highlighting a very curious set of initials, G.W. It is said that George Washington himself carved his initials there. Interestingly enough this wasn't noticed until Thomas Jefferson's daughter (the land owner) went to sell the property. Once it was pointed out by her it sold extremely quick.

Farther down the path there was a reconstructed Native American village.

Everything in this village was constructed using the correct tools and materials the Monacan Tribe would have used in this area at the time.

Our guide, Tatanka.

After our trip back in time we were famished. We walked back up the path and took a shuttle back to our motorcycles. It was time for some southern barbecue.

Foothill Momma's BBQ Juke Joint.

Not a very large place, but the food was top notch. It was possibly the best barbecue I've ever had. 

Exhibit A.

Thoroughly stuffed, it was time for a nap. What we got instead was a 130 mile trip back to West Virginia and our Civil War House, complete with rain and darkness. But it wasn't all bad. When the rain finally cleared we got to see one of the most stunning sunsets you could imagine. A fire orange and red sky was the backdrop to the fast approaching mountain range that would lead us to our warm, dry bed in West Union. Here are the final pictures taken on our trip, unfortunately I could not get any of the sunset.

We pulled over at this station to take a break. A farmer pulled up in his truck and we started talking to each other. When we asked him if he lived around here he stated that this whole area is his farm. It must have been hundreds of acres.

I'm artistic or something.

After the rain stopped the mountains became misty.

This train was located in a town (I'd be more specific but I forgot the name).

After the longest ride of our trip we finally made it back to the house in West Union. Needless to say we didn't stay up very long. We decided not to set an alarm for the next day. Our only real plan was to head home.

We ate at the West End Cafe for lunch. The green and yellow balloons were for the local high school football team, the Doddridge Bulldogs. Think "Friday Night Lights" and you'll understand West Union.

On our way home we decided to skip the highway and enter Ohio through Wheeling, WV. We stopped at the casino and made a profit of about $5. As we traveled through Amish Country the sun was setting. It was dark by the time we finally got home and our dogs were extremely happy to see us.

We learned a lot on this trip. We now know our limitations on our motorcycles. We had our ups and we had our downs, but I wouldn't have traded the experience for anything. This may have been my favorite trip yet, for it truly was an adventure and I hope we can do something similar again some day.

Here's to more adventures!

Thanks for reading.