Day 4 (380 Miles) Sandstone Falls WV - Lynchburg Virginia and a cold night ride
We set out for Sandstone Falls, West Virginia, making a quick stop along the way at Brooks Falls before riding the final four miles to Sandstone. The falls were stunning, and the surrounding trails offered incredible up-close views. Afterwards, we crossed over to the other side of the river to check out the scenic overlook, though it honestly paled in comparison to standing right next to the water. While there, we met a couple from New Hampshire on motorcycles who were three weeks into their road trip. They hadn’t visited the falls yet, so we shared a few photos and convinced them it was well worth the detour.
Next, we set our sights on Lynchburg—about a three-hour ride—to grab dinner with our son, Brandon. After catching up at his apartment, we strolled through the historic district and took a scenic trail downtown to dine at the 7 Rooftop Bar overlooking the James River.
Following dinner and farewells, we hit the highway hoping to grab a room near Charlottesville. As we drew closer, we were shocked to see nightly rates spiking between $400 and $500. A clerk at a sold-out front desk explained why: it was UVA Parents Weekend, complete with a home game against Duke. With nothing affordable nearby, we pushed on into the night. We eventually stopped for gas and hot coffee, striking up a conversation with two locals who pointed us toward towns with open rooms roughly thirty minutes further out. We quickly booked a room on our phones and rode in to call it a night.
Between the detour and the hotel hunt, we rode 380 miles—much farther than planned—braving bitter cold for the final stretch. The silver lining: we’re now just 20 miles away from today’s destination.
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