September 2026 Newsletter feature article

Our First STAR: Was It Worth the Trip? By Jerry James

[Editor's Note: This article is a reprint of one that appeared in the August 2021 Florida Gator Tale. Please note that Jerry James is the organizer for this year's STAR in Northwest Arkansas. This article describes his fun experience at his very first STAR in West Virginia.

Editor's Request: If you have ridden somewhere interesting at any time and would like to share your experiences and some photos from your journey with other riders, please contact editor@flmsta.org to publish an article. Thanks!]

After a few days of planning, we decided that we would head out to STAR on Thursday June 10th after I got out of work. We would continue early Friday morning and get into Canaan Valley sometime around late afternoon. This would be easy to do as we made the choice to trailer the bike. We wanted to be able to camp during our stay and this is the easiest way to do that.

Black Water Falls SP was our destination for the rest of the week. We would camp there and spend the rest of the week exploring the West Virginia landscape. The stage was set for an epic journey, so let’s ride!

THURSDAY JUNE 10: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS.. AFTER WORK OF COURSE!

It is always a long day when you start vacation at the end of a work day. The good news was, the day went by quickly. Jamie met me at the store around 3 pm and we were ready to hit the road. We rolled a few hours down the road and stayed at a hotel in Rolla Missouri. Looking back on it we probably could have driven a few more hours and had gotten closer to our destination. We ate a quick dinner and made it an early night, as we wanted to get going early the next morning.

FRIDAY JUNE 11: WEST VIRGINIA HERE WE COME! THE RAIN JOINED US AS WELL!

We got up early, grabbed some coffee and was in the Jeep headed to Canaan Valley by 6 am. We beat the Friday morning traffic in St. Louis and enjoyed a nice drive across Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky. We did not stop much as we were making great time. Jamie and I love road trips. It is a great time to chat and solve all of the worlds issues. The weather was great until we rolled in West Virginia. As soon as we crossed the border the skies opened up and it rained…HARD, for the next 5 hours! We were very happy to be in the nice dry confines of our Jeep. There are times when a trailer is awesome and this was one of those times.

We arrived at the Canaan Valley Resort around 7 PM, wet and a little stressed out after driving hours in some of the hardest rain we have seen in a long time. We left the bike on the trailer since it was still raining and more importantly we were starving! The rooms were decent at the hotel, but the lounge was awesome. It was open, served cold beer and had some pretty darn good pizza. It was not a long night. We had been on the road all day and the visions of great roads were in our heads. We slept very well.

As soon as we crossed the border to WV, the skies opened up.

Jamie and I have gotten the routine down in unloading the Big V. We had her off the trailer, bags installed and ready to roll with 30 minutes. We went inside had breakfast and then geared up to ride. As we approached the lot, we were greeted by Tom Ernst, his wife Kelly is the new treasurer for the MSTA, so he was solo for the day, as she attended to MSTA business. He would be joining Jamie and I on the ride today. He was the only rider who joined us, on this fine day. We had a wonderful day riding. This is one of the reasons we love riding events. It is a great opportunity to meet new riding friends. Tom was great to ride with. We look forward to riding with him and his wife real soon.

We got back to the hotel in time to register, get some swag and to relax and kick tires for the rest of the evening. It was a wonderful way to start our first STAR experience. The lobby was full of riders and the smiles and laughs could be heard all over the resort. It was a great feeling. It had been a long time since gatherings like this had happened. Everyone was making the best of it.

Walking the parking lot is always one of my favorite things to do, during these events. It is so cool to see all of the bikes, to speak with new friends and to catch up with others. The evening cooled down and the rains stayed away, so the rest of the evening was very pleasant. Tomorrow would be another day of good riding and exploring some of the most beautiful countryside in America. Life is good, and we were just starting our vacation.

It’s so cool to see all the bikes, speak with new friends and catch up with others.

SUNDAY JUNE 13: DRONES, COUNTRY ROADS, CAMP SET UP AND OH YEAH THE RAINS CAME!

We woke up to a rather wet forecast for the day. It looked as if the skies would open up in mid afternoon. We enjoyed a nice cup of coffee in the early hours of the morning, taking in the cool temps and the amazing views. It could not have been more perfect of a set up to fly the drone. So, off I went. I took the drone up and was able to capture some pretty cool video, along with some great photo images. It was a beautiful Sunday morning.

Yeeha, Tommy Victor and his friend (sorry I forgot his name) joined us for a short ride to breakfast. Jamie and I had to be back by 11 AM to check out of the room. We had reservations at Black Water Falls SP for the remainder of the week. We are more comfortable with the camping life instead of the resort life. The ride was great, and the company was even better. We had a great morning and enjoyed each other's company. Breakfast was good, and the short ride was just what the doctor ordered.

We ate at the Brandywine Family Dining, a small quaint place with good food and service. If you are ever in the area, you should go check it out.

Great photos and cool video from the drone

We took the backroads back to the hotel. The roads in West Virginia are wonderful. It was a great way to start the day with a good little breakfast ride. We got back to the hotel in plenty of time to pack up and check out, without having to rush around. The campground was only 10 miles form the resort.

Black Water Falls SP was easy to find and we were surprised at how nice the campgrounds were. Yeeha Stephen from Ft Worth Texas was already set up on the site next to ours. Jamie and I would call this campsite home for the next few days. It took about an hour to set up camp. We were fortunate for that, as the rains came and continued for most of the evening.

We went into town and had some dinner at a local pizza place called Sirianni’s Pizza Cafe. The service was slow, as the place was packed, but we were not in a hurry. We took our time, had a couple of beers and got back to the tent to sleep the night away. Tomorrow we would ride again.

The roads in WV are wonderful.

MONDAY JUNE 14: YEEHA RECOVERING, BACON WAFFLES, WIND TURBINES AND TWISTY ROADS!

Monday morning rolled around and the weather cleared. We had rain most of the evening, which made it great sleeping weather. Our friend Yeeha was struggling with some food poisoning from earlier in the week. He decided to stay close to camp and do some smaller rides for the day. We loaded up a route that was supplied from the STAR event and hit the road. It was a route that took us on narrow country roads, outlined with huge wind turbines, with beautiful valley views of rolling farmland. It was a great morning to explore.

Our first stop was breakfast at a local place called the Breakfast Nook. The food was very good and the owner took time to tell us the story of the restaurant. He talked me into getting a bacon waffle and I have to admit, it was tasty. Jamie had the biscuits and gravy. I got a little taste and DAMN they were good. I would be getting that the next time we ate there.

Most of the roads were small 2-lane roads

The roads in this area vary in width and surface. Most of the roads are small 2- lane roads with little margin of error if you go off the side of the road. The roads are all twisty and the grin factor is set at 100! The road surface was not the best; however, when it was rough, it allowed for a slower pace and some time for us to take in the breath taking scenery. We really enjoyed the riding and the various change of scenery made it a wonderful day of two-wheeled excitement.

We met up for a late lunch at the Main Street Grill in Romney WV. The theme for this trip, was not to be in a hurry for service. Most places were under staffed and it could be felt. We were not in a hurry so it was not a big issue. The food was good and our server was very nice.

We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, at the camp site. We just hung out, took a nap and enjoyed the cool weather. There was a couple that came in from Virginia camped next to us with the greatest little trailer. We spent some time taking a quick tour of their awesome rig. You can check out more information about the Sylvanssport Go here on their website.

The roads are all twisty, and the grin factor is set at 100!

We really enjoy doing the basecamp thing. We love setting up camp and being able to sleep in the great outdoors, cook our own food and mingle with other like-minded people. It gives us the best of both worlds. We get to bring enough camping gear to be comfortable, we enjoy the savings that camping provides, and we have the Jeep to explore in if the weather turns bad.

We love motorcycle camping; however this type of camping allows for some creature comforts that could not be enjoyed if we had to carry all the gear exclusively on the bike.

We spent the afternoon, taking some pictures and video. It was so relaxing, just hanging out at camp. We made dinner and watched, as the deer made there way around the back of our camp. We got the drone up and took some pictures of the surrounding area. Just another great day here in West Virginia.

We love setting up camp and being able to sleep in the great outdoors.

TUESDAY JUNE 15: YEEHA JOINS US FOR A RIDE. SENECA ROCKS, DOOR PRIZES AND CAMPFIRES.

Today was awesome. Yeeha started to feel better, so we loaded another route from the STAR archives and hit the road. We did breakfast again at the Nook. As had been the case earlier in the week, the food was great, the service was better and another day was started in the best of ways. Good food and coffee makes for a great day! We rode up to the resort to check the door prize list. Jamie and I won a couple of gifts. The day was getting better by the minute.

Today was the most technical riding of the trip so far. There were many twisty roads with plenty of challenges to keep us on our toes. Today was an amazing day of riding. Jamie and I have rode in many states. CO, NM, UT, TN, NC, KY are some of our favorite places to ride and today West Virginia joined that list. WOW! This was one of the best days of riding we have had in a long time. We enjoyed a spirited pace on some of the best roads in the country. It was in a word… SPECTACULAR!

On a side note the Versys rolled 18,000 miles on this trip.

The afternoon was filled with more great roads, with spectacular views around every corner. The valleys and farm images stood out like we were reading a national geographic magazine. For those people that do not enjoy our two-wheeled hobby, it is hard to explain how grand the day was. The sights, the smells and the pure adrenaline of spirited riding is one that we will not soon forget.

We ended up with a little stop at Seneca Rocks. We had to do the stop at Yokum’s to get a drink and to take some pictures. We spoke with a number of riders that came in and out for fuel and gas. It was a great place to take in the views along with enjoying all the motorcycle traffic.

We headed back to camp to to cook some dinner and to enjoy more of the great outdoors. We have a good set up for cooking at camp. I love cooking while camping, and nothing tastes better than food by a campsite. Throw in a few adult beverages, and it makes for a wonderful evening.

WEDNESDAY JUNE 16: MORE SPECTACULAR RIDING, HIKING BLACK WATER FALLS, MSTA GROUP PICTURE AND BANQUET.

We awoke to the sound of birds on this chilly morning! The temperature was a very pleasing 42°! While we had been enjoying very comfortable temperatures for the entire length of our journey, we were seeing that back home in Arkansas, summer had rushed in with a vengeance. We were so thankful to be waking up in beautiful, cool West Virginia.

We got up, enjoyed a nice cup of camp coffee, then geared up and headed to MSTA central. We enjoyed a nice breakfast and then loaded up to go for a ride. Like I mentioned before, the weather was very comfortable, and it made for a wonderful morning to ride. We explored the countryside and just took our time meandering around the area. We were in no rush, just soaking in the freedom that only two wheels can provide.

We stopped and had lunch at a neat little place that had been recommended by someone on the MSTA Facebook page. Melanie’s Family Restaurant located in Aurora WV. The staff was very nice and they expressed genuine joy that some of the riders from STAR had been stopping by and eating in their establishment. We had a great time, chatting with the locals and explaining why so many riders from all over the country would come to their little slice of the world. We smiled and expressed our gratitude, for having the opportunity to ride around the area and mingle with the locals. We told them how lucky they were to live in such a beautiful place.

One of the great things about exploring on our motorcycle is finding little “mom & pop” treasures like Melanie’s. On these trips, we do our best to help support the local community. Time and time again, we are not disappointed.

We finished up lunch and reluctantly got our gear together and got back on the road. Today was a big day as the STAR banquet was this evening, so we wanted to get back in plenty of time to hang out and attend our first STAR closing event.

We arrived at the camp site sooner than we had anticipated, so we put on some comfy clothes, jumped in the Jeep and headed down to Black Water Falls. This trail and waterfall was only a mile down the road from the campsite. The area had some serious rainfall in the past 48-72 hours so the falls were flowing with aggression. It was a nice little hike to the falls, however the time spent was well worth it. The falls were spectacular. If you are ever in the area, this is a “Must See” spot.

Black Water Falls

Jamie and I were attending our first STAR Banquet so we did not know what to expect. The hotel was buzzing with laughter and activity. Everyone was starting to understand that this great event was coming to an end and most folks would be loading up and heading home the next day. We spent a couple of hours enjoying everyone’s company and taking in a few adult beverages.

Before dinner was served the group was escorted outside for a group photo. I had spoken with Patrick, our illustrious president and he thought it would be cool to take some drone shots, so I launched my mini and took a few shots. It was a lot of fun hanging out with all of these motorcycle enthusiasts.

After the group picture we all made it inside to grab a table and to share a meal together. The food was decent, I don’t recall what we had, so it must not have been that good. However the company and the conversation made up for any deficiencies in the area of food. We all had a wonderful time and the highlight of the evening was Calling Peter on speaker phone to let him know he had won the motorcycle they had given away! It was a great way to end the evening.

We finished up saying our goodbyes and headed back to the campsite. Jamie and I were so glad that our trip would not end for a couple of more days…

MSTA Group drone shot with my mini

TO ANSWER THE QUESTION AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS POST. WAS IT WORTH THE TRIP?

Absolutely! Jamie and I enjoyed the MSTA STAR in Canaan Valley, West Virginia. We met some great folks, got to ride some amazing roads, and we felt like part of a group that is interested in growing our great hobby! I want to take a moment to thank the Executive Committee for all of their hand work in making our FIRST STAR a memorable one. Patrick, Norm and the rest of the team, deserve kudos for organizing such a wonderful event. The routes were well thought out, and the venue was perfect for the size of our group. We loved the fact that we could camp close by and still take part in all of the events. We are already looking forward to attending next year's event. So until that time comes, be safe out there.