Overall Route Rating
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3.83 out of 5 Rider Rating 3.83
13 Reviews

Paris to Waterloo on the Splendid 688 (AKA Leeds Manor Road)!

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By Guest (0 McR Points) on Oct 31, 2008

Rider Reviews

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Guest
May 14, 2012
I absolutely LOVE this road. I don't live far…
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Guest
March 20, 2011
Really enjoyed this ride, even without leaves on…
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Written Directions

Get yourself to Paris, VA and the intersection of US 50 and US 17. Head south on US 17 and in about 2 miles you'll see VA route 688 to the right. Start your route here and take a right on to 688 as it meanders southward down to Waterloo, VA.

Scenery

Wow!!! I can't believe I've been riding motorcycles in the DC area for 12 years now and never found or heard about this beautiful little gem tucked away in Loudoun and Fauquier counties. I was tipped off to this sweet little run when I bumped into an old high school friend while I was out shopping at a home improvement store. He's a member of a biking club and told me that his group rides this at least 2 or 3 times a summer. On this ride you'll slip into some secluded hill and valley country with great diversity of heavily wooded sections and open viewing sections. There are quant little farms and cottages spread out throughout the drive with peaceful pastures some with grazing cattle. You pass near and over streams occasionally and there are a few nice new impressive homes but mostly it's a lot of modest and older country homes. Many of the homes are surrounded by picture perfect white or black wooden fences and stone driveway entrance walls. When I took this ride the leaves had not changed yet but I'll bet it would be even more incredible in the fall or spring when there would be even more colors to take in. It's only 11 miles so I suggest you either turn around and do it again or head down to the Blue Ridge Parkway and make it a day trip!

Drive Enjoyment

The roads offer a lot of nice gentle curves and sections with good elevation changes but none of the turns are twisties by any means. Road conditions are rough in a few sections and if it were not for this I would have given this road a 5 here. However, the best part about it was that when we took this ride (on a weekday evening) the roads were nearly empty ... passed one car going one way and then 2 cars coming back ... an ideal lazy country road to ride one ... you'll love it!

Tourism Opportunities

There really isn't too much to do along the way however there are at least four wineries along the way and the setting is perfect for these too. If we would have had more time that would have been a great way to take a break half way through the ride. I'm already getting a group together for the spring. Other than that there is not anything to do along the way yet there is a state park (Sky Meadows State Park) at the beginning so considering all this, I gave this motorcycle ride a 3 for amenities.

Motorcycle Road Additional info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .
 

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Guest
May 14, 2012
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Enduro
I absolutely LOVE this road. I don't live far from the southern end, so I tend to zip up and down this little gem frequently. I have yet to see a speck of gravel. Road condition, except for a bit near Markham (south of 55), is splendid. There's a little store in Orlean where you can stop for gas, lunch, or other refreshments. If you are in the area, I'd rank it a must-ride.
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Guest
March 20, 2011
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Other
Really enjoyed this ride, even without leaves on the trees (March 2011). The very northern section of 688 is narrow, unstriped, and has some rough sections, but still a nice ride. And it gets better. The journey offers pastures, woods, mansions, shacks, country churches, cemeteries, vineyards, an orchard, and two four-way stop villages, Hume and Orlean. Except for the twists and turns, cruising was about 45 mph. South of Hume the road widened slightly and was striped. Cruising was about 50 mph. But with so little traffic you can easily cruise slower to enjoy the sights. South of Orlean the road straightens a good bit and the stripping even allows passing in a few sections. Sixty mph is easy here. I enjoyed the ride enough to plan on riding it again this summer.
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Guest
June 6, 2010
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Other
Not as bad as others make it out to be, but there are better roads in the area for sure. I thought just getting to Paris on 50 was more interesting than 688 itself. The road was a bit rough, not a lot of loose gravel on it today. It would have been better to get off at 66 and head towards Skyline for a longer, better ride than to continue south.
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