On the Bike:
Greenbriar River Trail – This 78 mile Rails to Trails starts in Cass and travels through Marlinton, Watoga, Renick, Anthony, Keister and ends in Caldwell. It is a gravel trail, so your road bike would not be the best choice. Our hybrids handled the ride with no issues. The trail hugs the Greenbriar River which gave us great views and the sounds of the river while we crunched through the gravel.
Beth had a tough day on the High Bridge Trail in Virginia on day 6, so we set a less ambitious ride plan of going out about 4 miles and then turning around and heading back. The trail was a gradual downhill ride, so the easy out left an uphill return.
We stopped a couple times to take pictures and enjoy the peace, quiet, and beauty of being out in the wild and on our bikes. No bonking and no cramps today, which was awesome. Cell service was non-existent, so no calls from work were going to happen!
The trailhead that we used at the “top end” of the trail was in Cass near the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. There is no easy way to get to Cass. Situated in the mountains in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, it took us a couple hours of twisty, winding, 2 lane road and slow traffic (motorhomes) to get there. After the ride and lunch, a lot more of the same to get back to the interstate.
Want a longer ride without the uphill return? Outdoor Adventurers offers shuttle services from your desired ending point to the desired starting point. We think we will take the shuttle from Marlinton to Cass (30 miles) for the next time we tackle the Greenbriar. Don’t have your bikes with you? Greenbriar Outfitters offers a shuttle service and bike rentals.
Off the Bike:
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park – Home to the Cass Scenic Railroad. They offer a 4.5 hour train ride on an authentic steam-driven locomotive to the overlook at Bald Knob, the third highest point in West Virginia. (maybe next time)
The Last Run Restaurant served as our lunch stop after the ride. Not many options in Cass, and keto diet friendly options were limited. The food was good and the staff was great at helping us get the best choices for lunch.
Pocahontas Artisans in Cass Scenic Railroad State Park and Marlinton – check out their collections of jewelry and art from 40 regional artists. Beth wears a fabulous pair of earrings that always remind us of this adventure.
Marlinton – cell service, yeah!!! Had an emergency call from Erin (our daughter) and then a call from Ray’s work. We had to turn around and go back into the town after we lost service on the west side of town! Our short time in the town gave us the idea of doing the Greenbriar trail from Cass to Marlinton next time!
Hampton Inn University Area in Huntington- camp for the overnight before going on to Louisville. Why the change of plans? When we finally got back on I-64, we got into Charleston before dinner, so we decided to keep going to Huntington before stopping for the night. God was looking out for us. If not for the decision to go on to Huntington, we would have missed out on the Blenko Glass Factory adventure.
Oscar’s Breakfast, Burgers and Brews in Bourbonsville– Breakfast stop (first in line) and waiting for them to open with a group of regulars. Beth had her introduction to bulletproof coffee. Service was fantastic and the food was great!
Blenko Glass Factory in Milton– We found this gem via a billboard as we were headed to Huntington. A quick Google search on the Iphone and we knew we were going to go in the morning before heading to Louisville. What a surprise when we got to the factory and there were motorhomes and tents set up for hardcore Blenko Glass collectors. 2018 was the company’s 125th anniversary, and we arrived the day before they celebrate the State of West Virginia’s birthday (Statehood) by unveiling their limited edition glass piece for the birthday celebration that would be quickly gobbled up by an avid group of followers. This is a working glass factory, offers glass factory self guided tours, a great store with both A grade glass and those pieces that weren’t up to their quality standards at a reduced price…. We loved the water pitchers… tumblers…plates…vases…everything! This is a can’t miss off the bike adventure!
Antique Hunting in Milton – The Old Timey Shop was great and had some great vintage Blenko glass. Ray bought a beautiful handblown cobalt blue vase for our dining room. It really compliments the rest of the cobalt glass collection that we have been acquiring over the past 30 years.
The Mini Report- Our Countryman handled the long haul ride like a champ until Ray missed a shift and then it was a little cranky until we stopped for gas. The damn check engine light is still on….
Thanks for checking out our post on our West Virginia adventure! Have you got any tips for West Virginia adventures (trails, parks, restaurants, antique shops, etc.) that we should look into for our next visit? Leave a comment or drop us a line on our contact us page. We are always on the lookout for new places to ride, see, eat or explore! We would love to hear from you!