Archive for the ‘motorcycle tourism’ Category

Eat to Ride #3: Hillbilly Hotdogs

Posted: October 6, 2025 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring, motorcycle tourism, ride to eat eat to ride
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motorcycle ride to hillbilly hotdog

Ride Destination: Hillbilly Hot Dogs, Lesage, WV                        Route Taken: OH-7 to US-35, then WV-2 south along the Ohio river Distance: ~150 miles round trip                                                  Vibe: Backwoods carnival meets roadside Americana

Hotdogs are a true American staple—loved by many, for better or worse. Hillbilly Hotdogs takes that classic comfort food and gives it a major Appalachian twist, both in flavor and atmosphere.

Location: Hillbilly Hotdog on WV Route 2 north of Huntington, WV.

You can’t miss it: wedged between the road and the mountain, it’s a roadside attraction that grabs your attention whether you stop or just ride by.

The place is packed with quirky, hillbilly-themed décor, including a “Weddin Chaple” that’s hosted real weddings! It will engage your eyes as there is something everywhere you look!

The gravel parking lot offers plenty of space, with overflow parking on both sides of the chapel.

Seating is plentiful, thanks to a couple of converted school buses and a collection of outdoor tables.

The Food

Let’s talk dogs. These aren’t your ballpark franks—they’re Frankenstein creations of chili, slaw, jalapeños, mac & cheese, and whatever else the hillbilly imagination conjure. Here are a few standouts:

  • The Homewrecker: A 15-inch beast loaded with everything but regret. It’s a challenge and a meal, and yes, they make you sign a waiver.
  • The Mothman Dog: Spicy, smoky, and just mysterious enough to make you wonder if you saw something in the woods on the way in.
  • Hillbilly Nachos: Because why not? Pulled pork, cheese, jalapeños, and a drizzle of BBQ sauce that could win awards.

The menu is extensive, with over 30 different types of hotdogs—so many, I wish I had snapped a photo for reference!

On our visit, Debbie opted for the “Ketchup Puppy” (not feeling adventurous that day), while I went for the Taco Dog, loaded with all the classic taco fixings. The dogs themselves are flavorful and high-quality, and the toppings on my Taco Dog were fresh and delicious.

Overall Thoughts: Must-visit food stops for bikers in Appalachia

Hillbilly Hotdogs is a must-visit if you’re anywhere nearby. It’s exactly what your stomach needs during a day trip or a long ride. Even Guy Fieri stopped by to tackle the Homewrecker for “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” The restaurant’s quirky spirit is so iconic, it even appears in the video game Fallout 76.

If you’re planning a ride through West Virginia, make sure Hillbilly Hotdogs is on your itinerary. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that blends great food, fun atmosphere, and true roadside Americana.

Have you been to Hillbilly Hotdog? If so comment below and let me know your thoughts.

Ride On, Ride Safe

hillbilly hotdog

Video from our Mothman Ride!

Posted: October 1, 2025 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring, motorcycle tourism
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ijustwant2ride Illustration of Mothman riding a red motorcycle down a foggy urban street, with buildings on both sides. Cryptid biker with glowing red eyes and bat-like wings symbolizes mysterious road adventures. Perfect for motorcycle blog content about urban rides, legends, and local flavor.

My video skills are still a work in progress, but I’m working on it.

This short video captures our motorcycle ride with the Mothman Harley Davidson dealership. We rode from the dealership to the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, to visit the home and statue of the legendary Mothman.”

Experience the Beauty of Motorcycle Riding on Ohio Route 555

Posted: August 21, 2025 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring, motorcycle tourism
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ijustwant2ride.com ohio 555 triple nickle
A Really Good Motorcycle Ride

Ohio State Route 555 is renowned for its challenging curves and elevation changes, making it a favorite among motorcyclists and sports car drivers. The route runs between Zanesville in the north and Little Hocking in the south, passing through the rolling hills and lush forests of the Appalachian region. Riders can expect a mix of tight twists, sweeping bends, and occasional straightaways, providing an exhilarating experience from start to finish.

Scenic Beauty

One of the highlights of the Triple Nickle is the stunning scenery that accompanies the ride. As you navigate the route, you’ll be treated to wonderful views of the Ohio countryside.

The landscape is dotted with quaint farms, dense woodlands, and serene streams, offering plenty of opportunities for photo stops and moments of reflection. During the fall, the route transforms into a vibrant tapestry of autumn colors, making it an ideal time for a ride.

Points of Interest

Along the way, there are several points of interest worth exploring. In Zanesville, you can visit the famous Y-Bridge, a unique structure that spans the confluence of the Licking and Muskingum Rivers.

Further south, the small town of Chesterhill offers a glimpse into rural Ohio life, with its historic buildings and friendly locals. Chesterhill also has a nice local diner, the Triple Nickle Diner, expect a Eat to Ride article on it soon. As you approach the southern end of the route, consider stopping by the Wayne National Forest for a hike or a picnic.

Tips for the Trip
  • Plan Ahead: The Triple Nickle is a rural route with limited services, so it’s essential to plan your trip in advance. Ensure your motorcycle is in good condition, fueled up, and you have water, and snacks for the ride.
  • Ride Safely: The curves and elevation changes can be challenging, especially for inexperienced riders. There are multiple blind hills with turns at the top so take your time, ride at a comfortable pace, and be mindful of other vehicles and farm equipment on the road.

Also pay attention for “ROAD APPLES” (see below).

  • Respect the Locals: The route passes through several small communities, so be respectful of residents and their property. Keep noise levels down and follow posted speed limits.  The Amish have a large community along Ohio 555 watch for their horse drawn wagons as well as the “droppings” from the horse’s exhaust.
Conclusion

Ohio State Route 555, the Triple Nickle, is more than just a road; it’s an adventure waiting to be experienced. Whether you’re seeking the thrill of the ride or the tranquility of the countryside, this route has something to offer every traveler. So, gear up, hit the road, and discover the magic of the Triple Nickle for yourself.

For us we made this a day ride stopping at Fink’s Harley Davidson in Zanesville and rode through historic Marietta, OH before heading to the house.  A nice day out on the motorcycle.

Ride On, Ride Safe

Nice add to the route
Careful, generates road apples
A little faster and I can clear the trees

Old Town & Lock 70: C & O Canal Motorcycle Ride

Posted: August 6, 2025 in C&O Canal, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring, motorcycle tourism
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C & O Canal Old Town motorcycle ride

Location: Old Town and Lock 70

Mile Marker: 166.7

Historical Comments: This is one of the larger stops on the canal.  It is easy to image that the area hasn’t changed much since the canal stopped operations in 1924. Lockhouse 70 is right next to the canal and is where the lock tender and family lived.

Lockhouse 70, situated right next to the canal, was once the residence of the lock tender and their family.

Today, Lockhouse 70 serves as a small museum open on weekends, offering insights into the Old Town area.

Thomas Cresap, a frontiersman and friend of George Washington, settled in Old Town in the early 1740s and established a fort near the Potomac River. One of the oldest structures in Allegany County, Maryland, is the 1764 Michael Cresap house, built by Thomas Cresap’s son, Michael.

Ride to the Site: he Old Town location is off the main road, so be sure to follow the road signs carefully to reach the park.

Amenities: When we visited there were portable toilets and a single picnic table.

Road Conditions (from main road): Paved all the way to the parking lot.

Railway Situation: There are no railway crossings to navigate..

Parking Lot Conditions: Small gravel heavily packed.

Main Attractions: The main attractions include Lock 70 and the small museum.

My Thoughts: Old Town is a charming destination for a weekend day ride

C & O Canal Old Town motorcycle ride
C & O Canal Old Town motorcycle ride
C & O Canal Old Town motorcycle ride
C & O Canal Old Town motorcycle ride
C & O Canal Old Town motorcycle ride
C & O Canal Old Town motorcycle ride
C & O Canal Old Town motorcycle ride

Ride to Eat #1: Free Folk Brewery and Ample Pizza

Posted: August 2, 2025 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring, motorcycle tourism, ride to eat eat to ride
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ride to eat free folk beer hico wv ijustwant2ride

Welcome to the first installment of our ‘Ride to Eat, Eat to Ride’ series, where we explore the best food destinations for motorcycle enthusiasts. Grab the throttle and get ready for a delicious adventure!

Free Folk and Ample Pizza are literally within 10 yards of each other and share the same grounds, outdoor space and parking lot. And, why not, beer and pizza go well together!

Prime Location: Free Folk Brewery and Ample Pizza on US Route 60

The location for these establishments is on US Route 60 in Hico WV. US 60 is also known as The American Byway “Midland Trail” near the New River Gorge National Park.  This spot used to be the New River Harley Davidson dealership, a beloved landmark before it closed its doors.

The parking lot is ample and paved but does have a moderate downhill slant.

We have ridden by this spot so many times as Route 60 is one of the best motorcycling roads in West Virginia.  The section of 60 between Hico and Gauley Bridge is also known as “The Talon” and rivals many of the best motorcycling roads in the United States.

The Food

As you might have guessed, beer and pizza take center stage here. Free Folk Brewery offers a selection of craft beers with quirky names that are sure to catch your eye. Where else will you be able to drink FAYETTEVILLE FOG, ALLEGHANY ALLIGATOR or FLYING SQUIRREL beer.  I had the pleasure of trying the ORANGE OSWALD beer, and it was outstanding.

By the way, the artwork on their labels and cans is nothing short of spectacular.

Ample Pizza is a wood fired pizzeria.  Hand tossed dough is the base for all their pizza pies.  While you can get all the normal types of pizza like pepperoni they do make some “special” pies as well.  A few examples of those special pies would be a “West Virginia Ramp” pizza or a “Spring Harvest” pizza with Swiss chard, komatsuna mustard greens, herbed white sauce, red onion, and crushed toasted almond. 

Not feeling very adventurous this day we went with a standard pepperoni pie.  It was quite good!

Overall Thoughts

Turns out that Free Folks has quite a bit of a motorcycle theme going.  Multiple old motorcycles, including an Ariel, are hanging from the ceilings intermixed with large posters of the beer artwork. 

We enjoyed our meal and plan to return, especially since my mother lives just 5 miles away.

Have you been to here? Do you think you might try it out during a motorcycle ride?

1970 Penton Berkshire
1953 Ariel Huntmaster
The wife and artwork
1973 Hodaka Dirt Squrit

Motorcycle Touring Aid? Unboxing the Anker Charging Station.

Posted: June 24, 2025 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring, motorcycle tourism, Product Reviews
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When we tour, on the motorcycle, we carry a lot of cords, cables and power supplies to keep everything charged and working. Because of that, I am always looking for new ideas when it comes to charging electronic devices.

I saw this device on Amazon and thought… let’s try it out. With 2 AC plugs, 4 USB-C and 2 USB-B charging ports.

Stay tuned for a long-term review.

Explore Skyline Drive: A Must for Motorcycle Lovers

Posted: October 7, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring, motorcycle tourism
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If you ride a motorcycle you need to add Skyline Drive to your Bucket List!

Skyline Drive, part of the Shenandoah National Park, is one of the jewels of the National Park system.  It is 105 miles of vistas, twists, turns and occasional wildlife. It is possible you will see deer, turkeys, squirrels, or even bears!

This year we toured the entire length of Skyline Drive, south to north, a few weeks before peak fall color.  Traffic was quite light, and the overlooks had few if any other travelers. 

We stopped for lunch at the Loft Mountain Wayside. My wife and I shared a delish smash burger with a side of giant onion rings.  We have traveled this road many times and have never had a bad meal at any of the restaurants.

Fall Colors on Skyline Drive

I have said it before, Skyline Drive proves that riding in a car is like watching a movie, riding a motorcycle is being in the movie. Riding this road in the fall will prove that to anyone.

One thing everyone should know is that during fall, when the leaves are at their most colorful, the road become packed with “leaf peepers”. 

The 35 MPH speed limit becomes difficult to reach due to all the vehicles. I would avoid the area unless you are ok with spending the entire day on the parkway (emphasis on park).

Riding Skyline in the spring or fall can be cool experience. By cool I mean that the temperature can be 10-15 degrees cooler than the valleys below. Throw an extra shirt on just to be safe. Also, the road is not cleared of leaves, ride carefully especially in the mornings when the leaves are damp from dew.

Front Royal, Virginia

When you are at the northern terminus of the park you are in Front Royal, Virginia.  There is a lot of great riding in that area as well, spend a couple days exploring the area and the town, Main Street is a must see.

When we arrived home, we had ridden about half the day and 251 miles.  Another great day on a motorcycle.

Riding Front Royal

Fort Valley Road Ride                   Thrill and Chill Ride

Be on the lookout for BEARS!!

3113 Mile Harley Davidson Rally

Posted: September 4, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle advocacy, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle tourism, Rally
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In August we attended the Wild and Wonderful Harly Owners Group (HOG) regional rally centered in Charleston, West Virginia. If this was your first HOG rally, I am afraid it may have been your last as well.  If it was not your first it was disappointing when compared to other HOG rallies.

Now do not get me wrong, the rides, the main reason you go to one of these events, were great.  The guides, on the guided rides, were good and made changes on the fly to adjust to the group. 

We participated in in 3 of the guided rides:

           Black Mountain/Dragon Slayer – A 10-hour day and I loved it 90% ride.  That 10% of nearly hate was when we got behind a DOT road painting crew on the down slope side of the mountain. We really missed out on some very twisty mountain roads fun. 

           About halfway though, we stopped in Lynch, KY at the Dragon Slayer shop. The shop, with very friendly staff, has some neat souvenirs, a few of which we purchased.  

           Butcher Hollow Ride – Another day long but enjoyable ride. The destination for this ride was the childhood home of county singer Loretta Lynn, the coal miner’s daughter. 

           The visit to her home was very interesting, reminded both my wife and I of where we grew up. 

           Interesting side note: Loretta Lynn was big into motorcycling.  So much so that when she made it big and bought her big money home, she bought enough land to create a motorcross racing facility.  To this day amateur racers still compete at the “Loretta Lynn Amateur Championship.  ALSO…. She is in the AMA Motorcycling Hall of Fame!

           Moonshine Ride – This ride was only a high day.  Hitting the back roads is goal was to visit the Appalachian Distillery and the Hatfield Family Distillery. As a guy that enjoys a good ‘Shine, commercial or not, I was pleased with both our destinations.

           Interesting side note:  The Hatfield Family Distillery is run by a descendant of “Devil Anse” Hatfield and uses the family recipe going back to the time of the “Hatfield’s and McCoy” feud. 

So, what was my problems with the rally?

 I did not feel it was well organized. I never felt like I was at a rally, based on my previous HOG experiences. Why:

           There was no central location/HQ for the event.

           The opening night was on Brewer’s Row, you chose which Brewery to visit. No opening ceremony.

           With one exception, there was no solid nightly get togethers.

           The nearest dealership did not really have much going on, beyond demo’s, to lure us in. We visited twice, once it was closed and the other, we were in and out in 15 minutes.

           The claim was that there were over 1000 bikes at the event and I have no reason to push back.  But, I never got a feeling that there were more than a few hundred at most.

It was a motorcycle rally that just did not feel like a rally.

If this was your first HOG rally, please do not judge, most are a lot more fun.

Day 3 West Virginia Cryptid & Paranormal Motorcycle Ride

Posted: July 26, 2024 in Motorcycle, Motorcycle Rides, motorcycle touring, motorcycle tourism
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It was already a warm day when we pulled the motorcycle out of the garage at 7:30AM.  The weather forecast called for a heat advisory and temperatures reaching 98.  That is 98 Fahrenheit which would, for us, not include the extra degrees of pavement heat!  But we had more of West Virginia paranormal to explore!

Ohio River Scenic Byway

We were soon on the Ohio River Scenic Byway headed north to Moundsville, WV home of the Indian Burial Mound and the WV State Penitentiary.  The Ohio River Scenic Byway runs 452 miles alongside the Ohio side of the river. 

The road, for the entire distance we traveled, was in great shape.  As far as “river scenic” I would have to say NOPE!  The trees and brush have grown to the point that you only get a short glimpse of the river and that is mostly around the areas that have a bridge.

However, if you are like me and consider industrial views as scenic you are in for a treat.  This part of Ohio and West Virginia are heavily dotted with industry. Electrical plants with cooling towers rising, to what looks like a thousand feet. Miles of stainless-steel pipes and trestles moving “stuff” back and forth between the plants and the river.  It is quite spectacular.

West Virginia Penitentiary

Crossing the river back to West Virginia we were soon at our first destination, the WV Penitentiary.  From its start and up until it was closed this was always one of the most dangerous prisons in America. Until capital punishment was ended 94 men met their end at the end of a rope or in the electric chair. Many more died at the hands of fellow inmates.

Closed in 1995, it is now not only a tourist destination it is also a training center, and a film location.  Because of all the death and violence many people claim that the prison has a large and heavy paranormal presence.

The penitentiary has been on many paranormal TV shows as well as movies.  Movies were filmed here as far back as 1955 with stars like Robert Mitchem, Jimmy Stewart, Kurt Russel and others.  One of my favorite TV shows, Netflix’s Mindhunter also filmed in this prison.

Well, this day we did not see any ghosts, although I have not checked all the footage, but maybe if we do the overnight tour?

Indian Burial Mound

Directly across the street from the Penitentiary is the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex. It is the site of one of the most famous and the largest of the Adena Burial mounds.

Unfortunately, the complex was closed that day.  The mound has been here since about 250 BC, so I imagine that I have some time to stop by in the future!  It is quite a bit larger than one would imagine so I am looking forward to checking it out.

The Trip Home

Boy was it a hot day!  We rode for a bit and then stopped a Quaker Steak and Lube in Wheeling, WV.  As always, never had a bad meal at one of these restaurants.  Before we got back on the bike, we put our cool vests on.  These vests are the water evaporation type, you soak them then put them on. Today they lasted about 150 miles before they were dry!

Normally we would wet them down again but today we were only an hour or so away from home we just packed them away in the tour pak. 

This 3-day adventure was well worth the time and was an enjoyable ride!

Click Here for Day 1                                                Click here for Day 2

Ole Sparky
Ghost Hall