Scenic Ohio
Chris Wilson is planning to sponsor a ride to his home state of OH on the weekend of June 10-12. We will travel to OH on Thurs June 9. The ride will begin near the OH Turnpike in Richfield OH. For those who arrive early, there are attractions such as the Cuyahoga National Park which includes a covered bridge, and the locks from the Ohio and Erie Canal. There are a number of local restaurants nearby as well.
On Friday morning we will begin a meandering ride though Amish Country with optional stops in Berlin OH to view Amish shops and crafts or to Lehman’s Hardware Store in Dalton (this is the largest hardware store you will probably ever see, it's more like a campus). The ride will continue though central OH and head down OH 555, listed on many sites as one of the more challenging roads in the area. This will take us though Wayne National Forest and eventually to Athens OH, home of historic Ohio University. OU was established in 1804 (of which Chris is an alumnus). The 3 original buildings of the college are still in use today and you can walk among them.
Athens has many interesting buildings and colorful establishments. We will spend 2 nights with Athens as our base and multiple loops though the area during the days. Chris plans to provide options so that members can pick and chose where they want to ride. Most any road you take will be hilly, twisty, and fun but Chris will select a few of his favorites. One route will head though Hocking Hills State Park where you can hike though Old Man’s Cave. This is where a hermit, Richard Rowe, lived in the late 1700’s and was buried. There are waterfalls, caves, rock formations and other natural attractions to be seen. You can take a brief hike into the gorge and see the large recessed cave should you wish.
The entire area is scenic and beautiful.
Another route will be OH 550 to Marietta and then OH 26 North. Great scenery along a river and past covered bridges is included with the twisties. Road and Track has stated this is one of the 10 best sports car roads in the country.
This is some of Chris' favorite riding in the eastern part of the country and he hopes that you will enjoy it as much as he has over the years. But don’t take his word for it, check out footage of the area on YouTube.
Chris has reserved 12 rooms in both Richfield and Athens OH. Richfield is for Thursday June 9thand Athens is for Friday the 10th and Sat the 11th. 6 singles and 6 doubles in Athens. Richfield, is flexible, single or double for same price. He's reserves the rooms personally. Super 8s in both towns, $56 in Richfield and people can leave trailers, $75 or $85 in Athens. There are other more expensive hotels nearby for folks who need more creature comforts.
Chris needs to get a headcount, since the rooms are being held using his personal credit card. Please contact him directly via e-mail or phone. He has to have an accurate count before May 23rd. He is a little worried about availability in Athens. There are other hotels but they are either really expensive or dives, so please contact him as soon as you can.
