The Greenbrier Trail

Since this will not be a year for a long bike trip, we've contented ourselves with weekend trips. We warmed up in the fall and spring with trips to Franklin PA via the Allegheny River Trail and Confluence on the Yough Trail. A couple of Sundays ago, the P-G ran an article about the Greenbrier Trail in southern West Virginia. Today we drove through some beautiful mountains through Elkins. That had been designated as our lunch stop, and fortunately we got our phone signal back just as we reached town. Google maps showed a Venezuelan restaurant, of all things, so of course that was our choice. It did not disappoint. At the waiter's recommendation we order a "Number 3 & a Number 4" to split. That meant we split an arepa, an empanada and a cachupa. Wow! I'm already lobbying for another stop on our way home Monday. We arrived in Cass, built the bike, and headed down the trail at about 3:15. We had been told numerous times that we were doing this the wrong way: most people start at the southern end and do the "uphill" ride first, then head downstream afterwards. We couldn't justify adding a couple or three hours to the drive from Pittsburgh, though, so here we are, doing this all wrong. It feels right, though. We arrived at the Old Clark Inn in Marlinton at about 5:30. There was already a group on the porch enjoying happy hour. Andrea, our hostess got us settled in and gave us a tour of the place. It is great and we would stay here again in a heartbeat. In response to my inquiry about whether there was a place in town I could buy a bottle of wine to join the group on the porch, she offered me a partial bottle of a delicious red wine that a guest had left her. She doesn't drink red, but likes the bottle; I don't want to lug the bottle, but like the red inside it. Couldn't have worked out any better. At her recommendation, we tried the Snak Shak. Contrary to our experiences across the Midwest, we had a great meal in a very small town. The pizza was delicious, the service excellent and the young man who owns the place very interesting to talk to. Currently we are enjoying the wine on the front porch, making use of the Inn's wifi and laughing at the battling hummingbirds fighting for their nectar from the feeders hanging here. Life is good. Tomorrow we head toward Lewisburg, where we have reservations at the Quality Inn. If the scenery today was any indication, we will be steeped in gorgeousness.