Are you one of those non-camping Rally goers that likes to stay at motels, hotels or a local roadside inn? How about stepping up your game and stay at the Belle Grove Plantation. Not only known for its historical significance, but is a well appointed Bed and Breakfast (B&B) with four rooms with numerous period antiques situated along the Rappahannock River and only 32 miles from the rally site.
I had stopped at Belle Grove Plantation on numerous occasions during our local club's Presidents ride visiting the various birthplaces of presidents born in Virginia. James Madison was born at Belle Grove Plantation, but it was only a rest stop on our rides and I only had a brief look at the inside of the plantation house, but was impressed enough with the location, grounds and what I saw of the interior that I vowed to someday stay there.
My wife and I often celebrated our recent anniversary by staying at a B&B during our travels. And Belle Grove Plantation never disappoints. It was like living in the past. Michelle, the owner, made it her mission to make Belle Grove as authentic and true to the period as possible, from the antique furnishings, curtains to the color palette of the walls and trim.
But what made our stay at Belle Grove even more special was the food that Michelle (also a chef) prepares for her guests. Her meals are a Foodies delight and I hope the pictures entice you to visit and partake of her gastronomical offerings.
Another Belle Grove feature that I will recommend is their Formal Afternoon Tea Service. Aren’t we a High Brow bunch of motorcyclists, spending money on expensive machines, clothing and accessories. Why shouldn’t we also partake in an elegant pastime and have a gentle discussion of the best oil and tires for our rides, all the while extending our “pinkie” as we raise a cup, sip a tea and nibble a pastry.
For more information about house tours and to reserve a room, meal or tea service, visit Belle Grove Plantation B&B.
Using Ride with GPS
Ride with GPS is a great way for the MOA to share and distribute maps, GPS routes, and turn-by-turn instructions. As with any great service, some best practices in the form of tips and tricks are in order.
- Each route in Ride with GPS is equivalent to a track in the world of Garmin GPS’s and BaseCamp. So for all the routes, make sure you get the entire collection of routes in Ride with GPS.
- Ride with GPS allows you to download many different GPS files types including GPX for the BMW Navigator series and other Garmin products
- When downloading GPX files, only download the ‘GPX Track’ version
- The ‘GPX Route’ version will leave you at the mercy of the settings on your Garmin GPS, and will take you off the planned route and maybe to unexpected places and road conditions
- Once you have the ‘GPX Track’ version loaded on your device and want turn-by-turn navigation, convert the ‘track’ on your Garmin GPS to a ‘trip’
- If you don’t have a dedicated GPS device and use your phone for navigation, Ride with GPS also has a number of file formats to work with various navigation apps for phones
- Ride with GPS also has its own phone app that will also help guide you