From Elkins WV to Philippi WV

Some times good strange things happen by fate or pure luck.

A week ago  while Camping in Canaan Valley Resort S.P we meet Perry and Jean that were camping in a site next to us,we spent some time together and shared a drink,before they left the C.G they gave us there telephone number , pointed on the map where they lived and said “if you ever come this way give us a call we would love to talk to you again”,we said good byes and promised to do so.

Planning the next stop I saw on the map that we are actually passing through their town,so I called them and surly they invited us to camp on their property for as long as we wish.

We meet in a central location and followed them to there house parking next to their camper with electrical and water connection with a fantastic view,we all were happy to meet again and share some stories.

They live in a wooded hilly country area where every one has a huge lot,vegetable gardens and deer all over the place,I can easily get used to that…

After having early dinner on their porch they took us for a ride in the area stopping for deer to cross the road and for a great shot of a sunset.

                

The next day we spent a whole day in Valley Falls S.P WV  ,it was the first time for us and surprise also for them,although the water was low but it was a very nice scenery and a great hike on the rocks from one fall to another.

      

     

Shula is preparing a Cuscus dinner,egg plants and Thini hoping they will like it.

It is always great to meet nice people in the middle of the road.

2nd Day Elkins WV-Cookoff competition.

From time to time  we come to a place , meet people and want to stay longer than planed-well this happened in Pegasus C.G near Elkins.

After meeting for the first time with the couple that run the place and some campers it was already obvious that this is going to be a special stay.

For tonight the owners planed the fifth cook-off competition in the C.G barn that included besides the competition music by some guests and four musicians including the C.G owners.

The barn was decorated and the table was loaded with dishes prepared and tagged by the campers.

     

TAGGING THE DISHES                           THE BARN

 

The judges tasted each dish made notes and announced  the winners.

We, no ,actually Shula got the “THE BEST OF THE BEST OF THE BEST” for her delicious hot Cuscus that I thought will be too hot for the locals that are not used to have it so hot,but it seems that I was mistaken.

After everyone had seconds and thirds it was time for the entertainment,first came on stage a family from Holland and gave a nice performance,later we enjoyed listening to  the four musicians ,their professionalism and humor.

                        

People from all over the country and some from out of continent got together and just had a blast,it is so simple and so enjoyable ,we wished it to go on and on.

WE TOO GOT A PIN ON THE C.G MAP.

 

“Those who dream touch the stars….”   I Danny Oren confirm this motto.

From Canaan Valley Resort S.P to Elkins WV

It is only a 40 miles trip but traveling the curvy step roads (some times 9% ) while it was raining all the way  sometimes  pulling aside to let trucks and cars pass that is reason  that is the reason that this short trip took me an hour and a half to get to our destination.

If you like a small family campground,with huge sites,grass,3 miles out of town in a country side and a friendly host that allows you to pick vegetables from his garden-this is the place for you http://pegasusfarmcampground.com/

 

As we entered the C.G we ere greeted by the host that made us feel welcomed ,he helped us to the site and introduced us to some of the campers around,it all looked like a nice group of people from all over the country including one from Holland.

After getting settled we were invited  together with others to what they call “Happy Hour”,everyone brought chairs drinks ,cheese and vegetables.

We sat around the campfire talking and sharing stories ,even  rain did not chase anyone away and suddenly it was almost midnight…it was just a great evening  and we all felt like we know each other for decades,this is surly one of our pleasures as we RV along.

Tomorrow everyone is cooking a dish and we all will share the food in the C.G shed, the best dish will be chosen by the big “JUDGE” the host himself all this in the pastoral atmosphere with music and laughs…can’t wait.

From Summersville WV to Watoga S.P WV

We could not get Watoga S.P on the phone to make a reservation so we decided to hit the road early and take the advantage of “first come first served” sites (It is good Idea to put aside sites that can not be reserved).

We drove the scenic HWY 39/55 from Summersville to Mill Point ,it took us two and a half hours to get there because the road is curvy and some times steep –but what a treat.

Surly we got a nice spot close to the creek with electrical hook ups,the sites are large and spacy,they also did a good job cutting the trees ,so we were in the shade but no branches were “sitting” on our trailer.

Afternoon we did some traveling around the park and drove to the closest library for the WiFi, on the way back Mama Deer and Baby Deer were posing for us.

    

During the evening and through the night it was raining but on the next morning like a miracle the blue skies appeared , we immediately  took  advantage of the situation and took of for the days adventure,first to Beartown S.P that has some beautiful rock formations that are a result of nature doing ,it is a “Rock Garden”.

       

      

Not far from there is Drop Mountain Battlefield S.P WV,with a museum,observation tower and a lot of history.

     

The vistas are breath taking.

After our picnic we took a scenic drive on HWY 150 that took us through mountain tops of Monongahela National Forest with beautiful lookouts in Pocahontas County,during this relatively short drive we had weather changes from sunshine to heavy clouds,thunders,lightening and rain.

On one of our stops we saw how the moister lifts from the valley to the top of the mountains.

 

HWY 150

As we descended towards Marlinton WV we got in the middle of a Motorbike Rally that took place on the main drag with music,food and lots of motorbikes-nothing like good surprise ….

           

3rd Day Summersville WV-Hawks Nest S.P WV

Another great weather day ,but as people here do not know how long will it last it is time to go to the nature.

West Virginia was hit hard by a several storms that cut most of the Counties from Electricity and now 10 days later it is starting to come back.

We headed West on HWY 39 and went through small villages that suffered from falling trees on the electrical lines that sometimes not only cut them from electricity but also water.

 

FEW BRANCHES ON THE ROOF-LUCKY.

At Gauley Bridge WV we suddenly saw a sign saying “Library” and for us this is our connection to the world as they usually have WIFI, we always carry with us the laptop in the truck  when we do not have WiFi in the C.G,so a sharp turn to an alley and here it is.

 

                                      GAULEY BRIDGE WV LIBRARY (WAS A REGULAR HOUSE BEFORE)

The kind lady was all by herself and was happy to help us get connected,we checked the news,weather and went through our mail.

Not far away lays the beautiful Hawks Nest S.P with a lodge,trails to view points,cable cart and jet boat rides.

We just had enough time to have our picnic to catch the next boat ride down the river towards the New River Gorge Bridge.

  

 

 

All along along the shore there were many small fishing shakes that can be reached only from the river,some of them very nice.

Our "Captain” was not happy with the jet boat’s speed so he jumped into the river to remove vegetation that was caught at the jets,it was funny and unusual but it worked…strange sense of humor.

                        

 

So if you are in the area take a ride down the river BUT do not follow the CAPTAIN..

5th Day Beckley WV-Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine WV

It is our last day in this location and we decided to take is slow , visit the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine ,no need to drive to it as we are using the Museums C.G.

We booked ourselves for the 10:30AM mine tour so we had time for breakfast in the trailer.

The visit to the mine was interesting and the guide that was a Miner gave us an insight ,conditions and feelings of the people working there, but what caught us of guard are the stories behind the stories.

The Mining companies  built a village for the miners and their families that included: accommodations accordingly to the size of the family,School,Doctor,General Store.

Miners Wages

A miner was paid in 1937 66cents for each ton of coal he mined,part of the payment was in  SCRIP (like funny money) that he HAD to use ONLY in the village he lived, if the company saw that he is not buying/spending enough  in the general store they took actions against  him including taking him of the job (Slavery???).

Here is a pay slip from 30 September 1937

11 tons @ 66 cents Total Income=                                         $72.46

Bought with scrip for                                                            $46

Store                                                                                   $15

Rent  (Accommodations)                                                        $ 4

Coal for heating                                                                    $ 2.5

Doctor                                                                                 $ 0.75

Company  tax                                                                      $ 0.80

Burial                                                                                   $0.30

Mine checks (advance pay)                                                    $0.37

Buying with cash                                                                   $0.50

Pension                                                                                $0.74

Hauling (Minor had to pay to haul the coal he mined……          $1.50

DUE                                                                                     $1.68………..

Do you believe it????

The superintendent was paid 10 times more and his house was paid by the company as long as he played by the company rules and brought in more profit.

  BACHLOR MINER ONE ROOM ACCOMADATIONS.

 

School

We meet the 96 old School Teacher in the class room and it was so interesting chatting with him,he is sharp and still drives a car (he had a good beginning salary of $220 75 years ago and took good care of himself),he is just great and so cheerful,we enjoyed meeting him.

He told us about the “Old Times” and  what rules the teachers had to follow.

 

The times were harsh and people would go a long way to get and keep a job.

The rules for women teachers are even striker.

The mine .

Here are some pictures of the coal mine.

    

By the way TODAY miners earn between $100000-120000 a month and they deserve it.

The world did change a lot and it is normal ,my only wish is that it changed for the BETTER.

Thanks for visiting.

3rd Day Beckley WV–New River Gorge Area

The New River Gorge area has so much to offer ,any extreme sport you can think about is there :White water rafting,Omega,Down Hill biking,Horse riding and more.

Scenic drives and hikes are all over the area ,chose from short or long hikes will always be rewarded as most of them lead to look out points over the Gorge.

We had a tough time choosing what to do especially as the New River Gorge information Center was closed due to the last week storm that cut them from electrical power.

We started the day getting some fresh produce at the farmers market in Fayetteville ,there was not  much to choose from as they too did not have  electricity  for the last week.

The nice lady in the local information center helped us with planning the day and the guy from the bicycle shop that is very familiar with the hikes in the area showed us the best options.

We followed their advice and drove the scenic one way (most of the time) drive UNDER the bridge  ,making some stops on the route for side trips.

           

ALONG THE SCENIC ROUTE                                  VISTA UNDER THE BRIDGE

RAFTING ON THE LOWER PART OF THE RIVER GORGE.

At one of the many pullouts we encountered without any warning a beautiful waterfall ,we made a turn and here it was just in front of us,standing next to it was like turning the A/C on a great place to be in this heat.

               

After cooling off and having some snacks that we brought with us ,we then decided that if we already drove ON the bridge and drove UNDER the bridge now we have to see it from an outlook.

The best way suggested was to take Long Point Trail 1.5 Miles one way to an outlook to the Gorge and the Bridge,the hike was easy , most of the way  shaded and very rewarding, on the way we picked some juicy Raspberries ,I wish they would be  “served” cold…

      

Just few steps from this outlook we were still in the bush and could not see the view ,then as we made the last few feet  the “Curtains” were raised and THIS is what we saw ,I love it when a view or a waterfall  although it is expected appears suddenly like a surprise,it adds to the WOW factor.

We figured that is still a lot of light time and we can squeeze more into the day , our next stop on the way “home” was Babcock S.P that has stable,C.G,Mill,waterfalls and vistas.

       

Just a perfect place to conclude this great day.

Thanks for visiting.