From: | Rollo | e-mail: | tomhardy51@cox.net |
Subject: | Smoke Hole Resort | Date: | Mon Mar 29 10:39:08 2010 |
All, As Hodge indicated in an earlier email I went up Saturday to check out the place we are having our road run. It is a nice ride of about 2 1/2 hours from my house. I went out 66 to 81 and took 2nd exit which is Rt 55. You follow 55 all the way there. For some that might want to ride up there if you stay on "old 55" it is a more scenic ride but will add time ( 45 minutes -1 hour) to the trip. Richard and I have ridden over these roads a number of times and it is as nice as it gets. You can also go out Rt 50 and get on 259 west of Winchester and head south which will run into 55 or you can ride straight down 55 from Haymarket. The resort is nice as are the cabins. I and several others have already booked a "Honeymoon" cabin. Hodges previous emails and the response from the owner pretty much sum up the pricing deal. They do have less expensive accomodations at close by sites for those on a budget or you can bunk up to save. One down side of the area is no cell phone service!! There is a nice swimming pool and the Potomac River is behind the place across about 100 yards of mowed field. I asked about the weather and they say it can get hot and it does occasinally rain hard but what's new, right! For those that are fishermen or women you can fish for trout and small mouth bass in the river but not the pond or stream on site. You will need a fishing license to do so and they sell them there so bring your pole and catch fresh trout for dinner. They also have horse back and ATV riding and fly fishing lessons. The cabins have full kithcens and most have a grill out side either in front or across the cart path in front. the "Honeymoon" cabins have 1 queen bed a small sitting area and full bath. The others are as described in the email or go to the web site Hodge had listed. You will be parking right next to your cabin and if needed there will be areas for trailers or extra large vehicles. They have an outside sitting area that seats around 60 that would normally be used as restaurant space but they are cooking at the WV state fair so the kitchen is closed. We can use this and can cook for ourselves and eat there. It is lit with laterns and the pond is lit at night. Romantic!! There are a couple of restaurants within a few miles for those who don't want to cook. Mallows is open for breakfast and serves it all day along with lunch and dinner. Oneill's is in Petersburg, about 6 miles back on 55 and has lunch and dinner and outside patio dinning. The Hermitage Inn in Petersburg also serves breakfast,lunch and dinner and they have a banquet room that accomodates about 70-80. I took one short ride on Smoke Hole Rd. which I think should be one of our rides or at least a part of it. It is spectacular! High mountain road that leads down to a stretch along the river. Magnificient!!! Huge rock formations. It is narrow and winding so it is single file riding and speed won't be over 35 but great views and plenty of photo ops. Richard and I plan to go back on late model bikes to map out some other rides and I am sure we will find some excellent rides with great roads and beautiful scenery. Sorry to be so long on this but wanted folks to know what we are in for since this is a new adventure for us as a club. I think folks will like it a lot and find it truly spectacular riding and not so much about how many miles we ride but how great they are. So call up and make your reservations as some of the prime cabins are getting booked up and this is a popular desination with other groups as well. More details at the meeting on the 17th! See ya! Rollo |