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This Southeast Ohio motorbike tour story, which highlights a number of the greatest Ohio motorbike roads and a keep within the historic city of Marietta on the Ohio River, first appeared within the March 2023 problem of Rider.
For riders who need to carve continuous curves by means of forests, alongside rivers, and previous farms, you received’t discover higher roads in so targeted an space than within the southeast nook of Ohio. The panorama of regularly rising and falling hills ends in curler coaster roads that may have you ever laughing with pleasure. The frenzy from blind rises, off-camber curves, and decreasing-radius corners is endless. Add ample wildlife, farm automobiles, and the occasional Amish buggy to the equation and also you rapidly understand how essential it’s to remain laser-focused on the duty at hand.
Scan the QR codes above or click on right here for Day 1 or right here for Day 2
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With the advantage of routes created and impressed by Ed Conde of New England Riders, many riders from the Northeast and Canada make the trek south to savor these roads. The small, historic metropolis of Marietta on the financial institution of the Ohio River is a perfect base of operations for a tour of this area. We discovered a number of choices for lodging, a vigorous downtown with a wide range of nice eating places and pubs, and even a bike store that may turn out to be useful in case your tires lose tread sooner than anticipated.
Get journey, lodging, eating, and different details about Marietta, Ohio, right here.
See all of Rider‘s Ohio touring tales right here.
Our group of skilled sport-touring riders, together with my good associates Steve Efthyvoulou, Randy Palmer, and Bob Holahan, confirmed a plan over breakfast after which started our day heading north and east of Marietta on Ohio State Route 821. Past Whipple, a proper on Dalzell Street had us winding by means of forested hills. The fixed elevation adjustments might be a cartographer’s worst nightmare, however they’re a motorcyclist’s dream come true. Our group was related through bike-to-bike intercom, which enabled the lead rider to supply useful warnings:
Wow, this curve tightens quick!
Look ahead to gravel in that proper hander.
The street drops left after that blind rise … weeee!
At State Route 565, we turned proper, curved previous Zwick Park, then headed south on State Route 260 by means of Quarry and to New Matamoras. The curves had been unbelievable! At State Route 7, we turned left towards the township of Fly, then left on State Route 800 again up into the hills. Past Jackson Ridge Church, we turned proper on State Route 255 to Laings, then stayed on 255 again to Sardis and Route 7.
Request a Windy 9 Ohio motorbike route map right here.
Route 7 is designated the Ohio River Scenic Byway. Scenic, sure, however it’s principally flat and lacks difficult curves. Nevertheless, it was helpful for taking us to the following extremely curvy street up into the hills: State Route 536 in Hannibal. A brief diversion onto Lengthy Ridge Street and Quick Ridge Street introduced us as much as Kiedaisch Level Park. From there we loved the vista overlooking the Hannibal Locks and the bridge crossing the Ohio River to New Martinsville, West Virginia.
With our stomachs signaling lunch, we determined to cross that bridge and located Quinet’s Restaurant. The buffet is intensive, and a formidable show of native historical past covers the partitions of this New Martinsville establishment. Appetites glad, we crossed again into Ohio and picked up State Route 536 all the best way to State Route 78, the place turning proper put us on a parallel observe with Sunfish Creek, which meanders after which widens earlier than emptying into the Ohio River at Clarington. Route 7 despatched us to State Route 556 the place we turned to take pleasure in extra curves all the best way to Beallsville and State Route 145.
At Jerusalem, a left pointed us south on State Route 26, the Nationwide Forest Lined Bridge Scenic Byway. For many of its size, the byway parallels the Little Muskingum River, and we occurred upon Rinard Lined Bridge. It’s the third lined bridge to be constructed on this location, the unique relationship to 1875. On these winding southeastern Ohio roads, shoulders range from slender to nonexistent, so this cease was noteworthy as a result of it was an opportunity to drag safely off the street to shoot pictures. Persevering with on Route 26 offered us miles of smiles again to Marietta.
The psychological focus required to observe all these curves, coupled with the bodily calls for of countersteering and shifting physique place on heavy sport-tourers, had us feeling drained on the finish of the day. After returning to Marietta, we walked to Tampico Mexican Restaurant and rehashed a improbable day over a relaxed meal and a pitcher of margaritas.
Your humble scribe is an early riser, so the following morning because the sky started to lighten, I got down to discover extra of downtown Marietta. Studying the numerous historic indicators, I realized that pioneers established the city in 1788 as the primary everlasting white settlement of america Territory Northwest of the River Ohio. Many unique settlers had been Revolutionary Struggle officers who had been provided land grants as compensation for army service. Artisans from my native New England additionally settled right here, bringing with them expertise that helped Marietta rapidly turn into a middle for shipbuilding. Between 1800 and 1812, practically 30 ocean-going vessels had been constructed right here in eight shipyards.
One other piece of riverfront historical past is the place the place we stayed, the Lafayette Lodge (c. 1918). Inside, the resort’s foyer looks like a proper parlor. Realtors may describe the rooms as “quaint” and “cozy,” with the interval furnishings and fixtures together with kinds lengthy forgotten by inside designers. Our tidy room ignored the Ohio River, the Highland Avenue Bridge, and wonderful riverside houses on the other riverbank in Williamstown, West Virginia. Even the parking space for our bikes ignored the river. Trendy-day riverboats nonetheless dock at that very spot, as one did throughout our keep, so it’s becoming that this lodging retains the texture of the riverboat period.
After breakfast on the resort, our group was prepared for one more day behind the handlebars. Since any street is totally different in the wrong way, we started by reversing course on one among our favorites from the day earlier than, Route 26. The climate was good, and we loved glimpses of the surroundings once we might divert our consideration briefly from the curvaceous street. In Woodsfield, we discovered Ida’s Lunchbox, which different riders had really helpful, and loved a lightweight lunch and dialog, whereas a farmer on the subsequent desk listened attentively to the agriculture report on TV.
We continued on 26 to Jerusalem, turned west on State Route 145, stored twisting southwesterly alongside Duck Creek to Lewisville, after which took State Route 724 west to Carlisle. A unique stretch of Route 260 wound us south alongside East Fork Duck Creek to Harriettsville. Simply previous city, we turned proper on State Route 564 and started to observe Center Fork Duck Creek to Caldwell. State Route 78 took us out of city and curved to a spotlight of the day: Huge Muskie Bucket, the enterprise finish of one of many largest machines ever to maneuver on land.
Huge Muskie was a strolling dragline designed to take away earth and uncover a coal seam that lay 180 toes beneath the floor. This colossal machine was electrical, powered by a 13,000-volt “extension wire,” and so monumental it’s onerous to wrap your mind across the scale. It was 1.5 occasions longer than a soccer area, greater than 222 toes tall, and weighed 12,000 tons. The bucket, which weighs 210 tons when empty, might seize 325 tons of earth in a single “chew” and maintain 220 cubic yards. In 1969, the complete Morgan Excessive College Marching Band, practically 50 members robust, performed contained in the bucket at Huge Muskie’s inaugural ceremonies. By 1991, extra environment friendly mining strategies and more and more stringent environmental rules sidelined Huge Muskie. Now the bucket is all that is still, rusting away in a park on Route 78 close to Bristol.
We briefly reversed course on 78 to State Route 83 and headed south for gentler curves all the way down to Beverly. There, a left on State Route 339 moved us into farm nation and previous Crooked Tree. A proper on State Route 821 had us paralleling Duck Creek by means of Macksburg, Elba, and Warner. A proper on State Route 530 delivered the day’s final dose of twisties all the way down to Lowell, the place leisurely State Route 60 returned us to Marietta.
One factor we had missed to this point was a ferry trip, so we made a rapid run up Route 7 to the Sistersville Ferry, which has carried individuals throughout the Ohio River between Fly, Ohio, and Sistersville, West Virginia, for over two centuries. A number of kinds of ferry have been used all through the corporate’s historical past, and the one at present in use is a sort none of us had seen earlier than. Automobiles drive onto a ferry barge, which is propelled by means of the water by a tug. The barge is double-ended so it doesn’t have to vary route with every river crossing, however the tug wants to show round after every touchdown. The tug’s bow is hooked up to the barge’s facet through a pivoting mechanism that resembles an automotive trailer hitch. When the ferry reaches the opposite facet, the captain merely pivots the tug 180 levels to cross the opposite manner. Fairly slick.
After the ferry, we made our manner again to Marietta, the place our dinner spot was a brief stroll by means of Ohio Riverfront Park to Levee Home Bistro for, of all issues, lobster – ready by a chef from Boston no much less!
Discover data in regards to the Triple Nickel and Zanesville-Muskingum County, Ohio, right here.
Commitments again dwelling had us heading east the following morning, however we plan to return to this area for extra nice driving. To the north is State Route 555, the famend “Triple Nickel” (see Ken Frick’s story “Using Ohio’s Triple Nickel”). To the west are gentler curves resulting in Hocking Hills State Park, the place riders can take pleasure in a few of Ohio’s greatest surroundings and stretch their legs on quick hikes. The hilly panorama is far the identical on the West Virginia facet of the Ohio River, with roads resembling West Virginia State Route 20 from New Martinsville to Mannington and U.S. Route 250 from Mannington to Moundsville, holding riders on their toes and making joyful noises.
In case you want curler coaster rides that you just management, a motorcyclist’s amusement park awaits you in southeastern Ohio.
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