With travelling to Canaan Valley picking up now, I was wondering where you folks stop for a bite to eat en-route? (Yeah, I know most go non-stop pedal-to-the-metal, but surely some of you stop sometimes!)

I'm talking about Baltimore to Canaan via I70, I68, 220 out of Cumberland through Keyser then over Mt. Storm to Davis.

Shooters? (!)
Sheetz? (Cresaptown? Keyser?)
Chat 'n' Chew?
How about some of those places like The Mountaineer?

Just wonderin'....

What could anyone possibly need that is not sold at the average Sheetz?

I'm switching to the Corridor Route, but my basic pit stops for the Maryland Route are as follows:

1. Fort Frederick State Park or Rocky Gap for picnics, hiking, and birding.
2. South Mountain or Sideling Hill rest stops for a bathroom breaks.
3. Sheetz in Keyser or Cressaptown for gas.
4. Puccini's (used to be Uncle Tuckers) for food, Naves Cross Rd, Cumberland (pizza/pasta).
5. Walmart, New Creek, or Shop & Save in Davis for provisions. Walmart also has cheap gas.
6. Marvelous Market, CT Ave in Chevy Chase. Best place to stop for picnic items (sandwiches, salads, bread, cheese, cookies, brownies).

What about the Corridor H route? Any thoughts folks?

I'm kind of embarrassed to say that I always stop at the Shell station outside of Wardensville. Its a habit we got into while our kids were little and we were driving to my parents in Petersburg. They have bathrooms that you can get to from outside and a quick treat to get the kids the rest of the way through. Of course, the kids are 18 and 16 now, but they've never complained...

I also occasionally stop at the Sheetz in Petersburg. With C-H dumping out where it does in Moorefield, there is now a McDonalds, Subway and another Sheetz that you go right by. There's also a Super Wal-mart about 1/2 mile from the exit (if you hang a right insted of a left) if you forgot just about anything.

Oh, BTW on my trip from the valley this weekend, my navigation system calculated that C-H saves me 14 minutes. I basically noted the time it said I would arrive home right before I got onto C-H and then the time it said I would arrive home after I got back on 55. Because it doesn't know C-H exists, it thought I was driving in the wilderness and kept asking me if I wanted to recalculate the route. I stuck pretty close to 65 to avoid WV's finest. Not exact I know, but interesting. Even without a great time savings, that road is worth it. It is so much easier to drive (read: allows you to zone out without crashing down the mountain)

Clay

Yes, one of the undervalued aspects of CH is the stress reduction. It is not only a shorter trip but much easier trip as well.

Food and relief:

Just off 81 on the right is a gas station that has the cheapest gas anywhere, unless the Mobil about 5 miles down the road is slightly cheaper. It has been 10 to 15 cents cheaper than DC Metro area. It used to have really good sandwiches (egg salad, pimento cheese, ham, turkey) but they have been a bit disappointing lately. The restrooms are largely unusable by my wife and daughers but I do fine.

KaKaPon in Wardensville has some of the best cherry pie I have ever eaten and I have eaten it everywhere. Its burgers are good as are the blue plate specials. I recommend the fried chicken. A good stop on the return trip.

The Exxon on the south end of Moorefield has good restrooms, lots of convience store stuff and good carry out fried chicken, sandwiches, etc. The Sunset has decent stuff but uneven.

By the time I am at Petersburg I am ready to be there so rarely stop. Arbys is a kid favorite but service is slow. When the Dairy Queen is open it offers good burgers and shakes. Nothing much more to recommend.

I have started calling Siriani's from the road, order a pizza for carry out, stop on my way to the house, and have decent pizza once the truck is unloaded.

With the new segment in CH open, I made it from Dupont Circle in DC to my doorstep at Snowshoe in 3 hours, 43 minutes non-stop, this Saturday. I did this just for the record as I like to stop on the way. The mileage went down to, down to 217 miles. I remember it being almost 240 before the days of CH.

For rest stop and the mandatory Black Lab P stop, I normally stop at either:

Ka-ka-pon in Wardensville. Great food. Great pies. Nice people.
O'Neils in Moorefield: Loved their sandwiches
Harvest Grill in Moorefield
Aromas Coffee House in Moorefield. I AM a coffee adict. Need my espresso. Great panini sandwiches too.

The Sheetz in Petersburg is the last stop to get "stuff" on the way to either Canaan or Snowshoe.

Nobody has mentioned the Mennonite bakery outside of Greenbank on the way to SS. They have to die for pastries[the cream puffs are sinful], traditional salt-raising bread and homemade butter. We always get a couple of extra lbs of the butter to keep in the freezer and take home. Its wonderful stuff!

Coming from fredericksburg I usually make 2 stops. Once at a little store in lebanon Church area shortly after I get off 81. I then stop at sheetz in Petersburg. Sometimes I stop at 7/11 in Wardensville instead of the first store. Comming back I usually stop in Petersburg and then don't stop until I get to Sheetz at 17/29 intersection (near cole bros. guns)Oh yeah, sometimes I stop at the mcdonalds/gas station at 66/17 intersection depending on time of day. only about 200yds out of the way.

Coming from Baltimore - one stop: either at Sheetz in Creasptown or at my Dad's house right off of I-68 in Cumberland.

long live Gatkinso!!....For Being an "Almost Heaven" Supporter!

coming from Brunswick MD/ Harpers Ferry WV, mapquest is trying to send me straight out US50. Is there any real value to taking it, versus the "northern route" through Cumberland?

>> KaKaPon in Wardensville has some of the best cherry pie I have ever eaten and I have eaten it everywhere. Its burgers are good as are the blue plate specials. I recommend the fried chicken. A good stop on the return trip.

No business in Wardensville get my business until they rethink their speed trap mentaility.

As far as US 50 goes you are kind of in a hard spot - getting to 70 will take you a good 20 minutes, bubt you would make that up on the interstate... try both and report back!

I think I remember stopping in the Chat n Chew retaurant last time I went to T-line. They had good food.

IT was an interesting experience though. When Tim and I walked in everyone immediately stopped talking and stared at us. I felt like I was in an old Western where the bad guy walks into the saloon and all the sudden the music stops and everyone just stares at the "stranger".

I'm almost afraid to ask, but where is the "Chat n Chew"?

Clay