Reminiscing with the Mothman

Winter has settled in with its icy temperatures here on Long Island. There hasn’t been any riding for me in many, many weeks now. For the most part, I haven’t missed it. I suppose the love for it is a state of mind more than anything else. I’ve been keeping myself occupied with other things instead.

While I haven’t done much exploring lately, I do have a million photos and 10’s of thousands of miles in exploration to fall back on. I figure maybe it’s time to blow the dust off of some of them.

The Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia

This afternoon, I found myself watching The Mothman Prophecies for the millionth time. It was never well received critically, but nevertheless l love the movie. It has some conceptual thread that runs through it which makes me unable to turn away when I come across it.

Mothman Statue in Point Pleasant West Virginia
Mothman Statue – artist: Bob Roach

Maybe it’s the idea of a harbinger of news; that there is something that “knows” more that we do. But when it comes down to it, would I want to know the future? If it were only the good stuff? Maybe.

John Klein: “What do you look like?”
Indrid Cold: “It depends who’s looking.”

Seeing the Mothman would likely make me shit my pants.

Alexander Leek:
“The nocturnal butterfly. In ancient cultures, the moth represents a form of the psyche, or the soul immortally trapped in the hellish death realms”. Mothman. Well, that’s what the Ukrainians called him. Rough translation of course. There were a hundred sightings in Chernobyl when the nuclear pump went down. Galveston, nineteen sixty-nine, just before the hurricane. They saw it. But seeing isn’t always believing.

The Mothman – Point Pleasant Legend

In the last decade I found myself in the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia – the real life town on which the move was centered – a couple of times. In the 1960s, there were many sightings on the Mothman in the area preceding the collapse of the Silver Bridge. Legend has it that the Mothman was a harbinger of that tragedy.

Point Pleasant has embraced their most popular cryptid with not only a museum and statue, but also a festival celebrating all thing Mothman.

Mothman Statue Plaque - Point Pleasant West Virginia
Mothman Museum sign in Point Pleasant West Virginia
Hanging Mothman at the Mothman Museum Point Pleasant West Virginia
ghost sign and triumph bonneville in point pleasant west virginia
Ghost Signs in Point Pleasant, West Virginia
mothman statue in point pleasant west virginia
Mothman Statue, Point Pleasant, west Virginia
downtown point pleasant west virginia
Downtown – Point Pleasant, West Virginia

The Avalon Motor Inn

If you’ve ever watched the movie The Mothman Prophecies, then you will recall how the Avalon Motor Inn featured prominently. Though the plot was a fictionalized version of real events, it still may be a surprise for you to find that the motel is nearly 200 miles away from the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

The Avalon Motor Inn sits along the I-70 in the town of Eighty Four, Pennsylvania. Google Maps currently shows the location as permanently closed. This piece of movie history with its distinctive blue sign may not be long for this world.

Avalon Motor Inn from the movie Mothman Prophecies - 1 Avalon Cir, Eighty Four, PA 15330
Avalon Motor Inn – 1 Avalon Cir, Eighty Four, PA 15330
lai pouch tobacco ghost sign in point pleasant west virginia
Mail Pouch Tobacco Ghost Sign – Point Pleasant, West Virginia

Being able to explore on a motorcycle has been such a blessing in my life. Finding myself in small town, taking in unusual sights and sipping at a cup of Americana has been an incredible education about people and life.

Fuzzygalore

Rachael is the whimsical writer behind the 20+ year old Girlie Motorcycle Blog. As a freelance blogger, she is on a mission to inspire laughter, self-examination, curiosity, and human connection. Girlie Motorcycle Blog can be found on several Best Motorcycle Blog lists.

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6 Responses

  1. wuzzie1 says:

    Love your posts…would be great to follow up with big foot…

  2. Dave says:

    I like that movie too. Laura Linney is great.
    Filmed in Kittanning PA. Stop there if you’re ever close to it.

  3. A fine post Fuzz, one that echoes with the dark mystery of the ongoing pandemic.

    Whenever I hear Mothman my first thought goes to “Silence of the Lambs.” A different kind of eerie and creepy.

    I remember the Silver Bridge story when I was a kid. The first introduction I had to man-made things failing. I remember wondering about bridges as we drove across them.

    What stood out for me though about your post was the ending:

    “Being able to explore on a motorcycle has been such a blessing in my life. Finding myself in small town, taking in unusual sights and sipping at a cup of Americana has been an incredible education about people and life.”

    That sums up much of the generous gifts derived from riding.

    Hope all is well.

  4. Lowell says:

    I always enjoy your excellent photos and stories.

  5. Oz says:

    I never heard of the Mothman. I will have to check out the movie and then plan a trip to go check out that area.

  6. The Mothman stories have always creeped me out, having said that, I would like to see him/it with my own eyes…and hopefully not faint! 🙂

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