• Can't post after logging to the forum for the first time... Try Again - If you can't post in the forum, sign out of both the membership site and the forum and log in again. Make sure your COG membership is active and your browser allow cookies. If you still can't post, contact the COG IT guy at IT@Concours.org.
  • IF YOU GET 404 ERROR: This may be due to using a link in a post from prior to the web migration. Content was brought over from the old forum as is, but the links may be in error. If the link contains "cog-online.org" it is an old link and will not work.

Silver Spring, Maryland to Ann Arbor - Suggestions

C

currenv

Bicycle
Friends,

My wife and I are moving from Silver Spring, MD to Ann Arbor, MI.  We'll be moving the vehicles in early September --  I'll be on the C14 while she drives the car. 

I'm looking for route suggestions that avoid slabs as much as practical.  I'm expecting to take at least two days and maybe 2 1/2 or 3 to make the trip --  days that are reasonably civilized with regular breaks and not too, too many hours in the saddle.  Fooling around on Google Maps, I've come up with two routes -- one a little more to the north and one a little more to the south.  I'm thinking I'll look at the three day forecast as I'm about to leave and choose the route depending on the weather. 


Here is the more northerly route:
https://goo.gl/maps/J5iFhhgF1122

and here is the more southerly route (this one is in three legs):
1: To Frostburg, MD
https://goo.gl/maps/viLtfsvNMMp
2: to New Philadelphia, OH
https://goo.gl/maps/Daxfka6EFxu
3: to Ann Arbor, MI
https://goo.gl/maps/9zYwmvfgE7u

Anyone have any experience with these roads suggestions for more scenic routes that will still get me there?


Thanks!

Vinnie




 
IMO, your northerly route is awful, as in awful boring.
You'll just want it to end.

Take the southern route and enjoy the ride.
 
Yes northern route would be boring.
And welcome to Michigan.
Keep us posted when you get settled.
 
US 50 through West Virginia is made for motorcycles.  That's why they bypassed it with I-76.

From Silver Spring to Nirvana:
Scoot out of town on I-70 to I-81 South into West Virginia to Route 9 West towards Berkeley Springs.
Go through little Berkeley Springs on 9 and about a mile out of town you will see one of the most beautiful sights in the US.  (No exaggeration.)  You will be on a mountaintop looking upon the Potomac River where it cuts through two mountains.
Follow 9 maybe 15 miles to a "Y" intersection at Paw Paw Rd.
Go LEFT at that intersection to get on WV 29 going south.
Go Right where Paw Paw Rd. ends at Bloomery Pike (still WV 29) -- total about 19 miles on WV 29.
Bear right onto US 50 (unless you want to re-run that route back to I-81 a few times).

The only problem with this route is that you will HATE moving to Ann Arbor, not being able to hit these roads for a while.
 
Thanks, Fritz, I'll definitely check this out.  I'm keeping my eye on the Atlantic for now, worried about the timing of hurricanes.  I'll hopefully be doing this trip the weekend of September 10th so maybe I'll luck out and be between hurricanes!

Vinnie
 
Hi Folks,

Thank again for all of your advice.  I'm leaving tomorrow and will route myself Annapolis / Frederick and then across US 50 through Romney / Grafton / Fairmont, where I'll meet up with my wife - she's driving the VW wagon across I68, and we'll spend the night there.  Then on Sunday she'll slab to Ann Arbor and I'll stick to back roads to Ann Arbor by way of New Philadelphia.

I'm about 50/50 on whether I'll be able to do the Berkely Springs, Paw Paw leg on the way to Romney.  Depends on what time I actually hit the road and what the prospect for thunderstorms are.  As of now it looks pretty good - warm with a possibility for a thunderstorm which I hope I get to avoid. 

I'll plan to post tomorrow night on progress.  Thanks again for all the advice.  My wife and I are both looking forward to this next chapter.

Vinnie
 
Friends,
I'm in Ann Arbor after successfully completing the ride on September 10th and 11th.  I've put up a brief ride report open to the public on Facebook, about four posts, so if you're interested, you should be able to find it by searching for my name, Vincent Curren.

Here's the gist:  I took Highway 50 across Maryland and West Virginia to just west of I-79, then turned north on US19 and met the wife at a hotel in Fairmont, WV to spend the night.  US 50 is a great ride, and it would be possible to make a weekend ride that wouldn't be too tough from the D.C. area by staying in Fairmont, and then taking the fast route back the next day on I-68.

Next day, I headed north on US 250 to WV 7 west, another great road.  I took WV 7 to New Martinsville, which is on the Ohio River.  I crossed into Ohio, staying on now Ohio 7 North for a bit, and then west on 78.  Dummy that I am, I just picked 78 because it looked kind of interesting and it headed kind of in the right direction -- I was planning on Zanesville as a major waypoint.  Well, 78 was unbelievably good.  Now I find from Googling it that Car and Driver named it one of the most scenic highways in the country, and it was very, very good.  The road was rural across its length, and vaired from wide sweeping turns at times, very enjoyable, to miles of extreme ups and downs and hairpin turns, even twistier and prettier than US 50 across WV.  Super enjoyable and highly recommended.

I stayed on 78 until McConnelsville, and it was great the whole way.  Then I headed north to Zanesville and then on more boring roads around Columbus and north to Ann Arbor.

All in all, a most enjoyable two days.  Thanks everyone for the help planning. 

Now, I've GOT to do something to improve the saddle because, man, my butt was killing me by the end of this!

For members in Ann Arbor, my wife and I are just getting caught up now unpacking boxes...  but I can snag some free time to meet up whenever you'd like.  Just let me know.

Thanks again.

Vinnie
 
Wellcome to Michigan Vinnie. Randy Tata is our AAD. As of now we don't have anything planned.
If we have a M/C show this year we will try and meet up for the show and lunch.
If you don't here from Randy give him a shout. Most COG members are down in that corner
of the state, they don't tell me much.
 
Thanks, RWulf, I appreciate the welcome!

Vinnie

RWulf said:
Wellcome to Michigan Vinnie. Randy Tata is our AAD. As of now we don't have anything planned.
If we have a M/C show this year we will try and meet up for the show and lunch.
If you don't here from Randy give him a shout. Most COG members are down in that corner
of the state, they don't tell me much.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top