We had had a good time visiting Northern, West Virginia a few years back but we had missed some sights down South. I decided we would head to Blacksburg as this would allow us to sightsee both West and Regular Virginia. When we arrived Sunday, the weather was going South fast but we still had goals.
We drove West to the Appalachian trail. The trail is almost 2,200 miles long and crosses 14 states. We would not do the entire trail, in fact we would only do a miniscule portion. We joined at the foot of a cool suspension bridge, walked all the way across and all the way back and then about 10 feet more. So in absolute terms I can now say I have walked the Appalachian trail.
After the strenuouse hike we headed about a mile down the road to Dismal falls. That weather was coming and it started to drizzle but we persevered. We made the super easy hike, about 500 feet to get to the falls. Compared with the online pictures, the water flow was very low so Dismal was an apt description. It was actually a nice area but lacking in falling water.
After an arduous trek back to the car we headed off to a covered bridge and then finished at the Virginia Tech gardens. They were quite nice but those skies were getting really dark. We found a local place with good reviews, Taqueria El Paso. It is a grocery and restaurant. We ordered some tacos and Carnitas and shopped while the food was prepared.
We awoke to severe clear skies and headed South to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a scenic drive. We started at Maybry Mill which was constructed in the late 1800's but frankly was not much of a mill due to low water flow. It is known to be quite picturesque and while it was nice, it is a bit oversold. The shutdown meant some of the bathrooms were closed but some were open so it was not a big impact.
We headed East along the parkway and enjoyed some nice overlooks and some nice fall colors. This was not technically a foliage trip but we arrived at a good time so we enjoyed the colors. We ended in Roanoke at Mill Mountain where we strolled the garden, looked at funny bikes, enjoyed the view of the city, saw the Roanoke star up close and personal and took a quick hike.
Our next stop was Roanoake downtown, it was quaint bit underwhelming. The city boasts the city market which was billed as a food mecca. In reality is has 8 shops and only 3 were open. To be fair they sell the city hard in the online info. it would be better to say they are a nice friendly midsized town. The rest of downtown was a nice stroll and we walked over a bridge to see the MLK statue. The bridge is over the railroad tracks and as we returned we saw the Amtrak train pulling into the station. Given the paucity of train service in the USA, it was an unusual sight.
We headed back to Blacksburg and took a hike around campus and saw the war memorial. The Virginia Tech campus is pretty as campuses go.
When I started the idea of visiting all of the lower 48 states I had intended to go to Beckley, WV for two sights. Well we ended up going further North for our WV visit so it was just lingering on my list. As a child I remember taking a coal mine tour and thinking it was very cool. I also learned during that tour thatno way would I be a coal miner. In the 1950s the town of Beckley bought a coal mine and turned it into a tourist attraction. The mine originally was only a few feet high as it followed the coal seam. I can imagine it was miserable.
After acquiring the mine, they cut through the rock to make the tunnels 5-6 feet tall. They added lights and made the place quite nice. Arriving, we bough tickets which included a small museum and more. We had some time till the next tour left so we soaked up some coal mining history. Coal mining historically was more dangerous and very poorly paid. The companies required the miners to buy their own equipment, including the black powder to mine the coal.
Then the company rented the miners there homes, paid them in fake money and made them buy their supplies from the company at inflated prices. Miners then got to work in terrible conditions that were always attempting to kill them.
Luckily by the time we arrived, the miners had unionized and instituted safety measures. The tour was conducted from a small coal train. We rode down into the mine and learned about its inner workings. At one point they turn out the lights and you really learn the meaning of dark. After the mine tour we visited some replica buildings showing how the miners lived in the 1900s.
Our next stop was the New River Gorge Bridge. It is a national park and we were surprised to find the visitor center open. We took in the bridge views and then took a scenic drive down to the river. To show the height of nerdiness, we drove to a bridge, parked and walked across the bridge so that we could get a better view of the bigger bridge.
We also stopped along the way for more bridge views and finished our outdoor sightseeing with a quick walk to a another less than impressive waterfall. The trail had a nice bridge over a nice stream but the waterfall was small and you stood at the bottom which made the view sub optimal.
Our final stop was back in Beckly at a local arts center. It was billed as unique artists, it was nice but not so unique. They did have a good variety of arts though. We grabbed some Thai food on the way back to the hotel which was quite tasty. As we returned some un-forecast rain rolled in but we were warm and dry.
On our final we headed day past Roanoke to the Natural Bridge State park. Natural Bridge is pretty much like it sounds. They have a nice welcome center where you pay the park fee and then you walk down 137 steps to get to the park lower store. Here you can either show your receipt or if you forgot to pay, you can buy admission. From there it is an easy .1 mile hike to the bridge. Think Arches but taller and much less orange. Also there is a stream that runs through it.
A historical sidenote, George Washington surveyed the area and it must have been his rebellious youth phase as opposed to his rebellious, rebellious phase because he carved his initials in the arch. Beyond the Natural Bridge the trail continues another .9 miles to a waterfall. The fall is "mid" to use the vernacular of our youth. The walk is nice along the stream though.
There are several cool sites along the path too. There is a lost river where some of the stream runs under the rock. Way back when, miners broke through the rocks and exposed a portion so they could have access to the water. There is a cave where revolutionaries dug salt peter to make gun powder and there is a nice crossing of the stream where we saw a Grey Heron.
After the Bridge, we continued up to Shenandoah National Park. We were prepared at the entrance gate with our America the Beautiful park pass but the ranger managing the station waved it off. Apparently during the government shutdown they don't collect fees. We drove the South portions enjoying the fall colors and stopping along the way to look at the views. For Winnie the Pooh fands, we can say this was really a Windsday. We decided not to hike due to immitted time and the fact that most of the hikes were pretty long.
Overall Appalachia is beatiful. The people were friendly, the infrastructure good and lots to see. I think after some of the parks out West the East is having a hard time competing. Don't let my grumbling above stop you. We had a great time, it was relaxing and loverall a great trip.
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