WV - VA - NC Trip

[Chris M]

@Chris M That's the best reason I can imagine for moving out that way, family first always. The seasons are very nice but the humidity sucks. It's 90+ today with humidity of 70%., instant sweat.

I'm very familiar with Bassett, I have worked in the wood coatings industry basically all of my work career and have been all over that area in and out of furniture factories. My dad was in the same industry and spent many years in Martinsville.

I spent all my life in Henry Co. until we moved here in 2008. Worked 5 yrs at Stanley Furniture as a moulder operator. I reckon you'd have had dealings with them from time to time in your line of work.
Small world at times, huh?

Sponsored

 

[bRaptor]

Thanks for sharing this. I will get the family out in this direction for sights we haven't seen!

 

[alan0614]

I spent all my life in Henry Co. until we moved here in 2008. Worked 5 yrs at Stanley Furniture as a moulder operator. I reckon you'd have had dealings with them from time to time in your line of work.
Small world at times, huh?

Very small world, my dad had the Stanley account for almost 15 years, till 2002 or so.

 

[ppfd]

WV short of a desert has it all. I’m right on the Ohio river about an hour from the major cities. Charleston, Huntington and Parkersburg. 2 hours from the c
gorge
GF and I went up to Gettysburg, Antietam and Harpers Ferry last year. Stopped by Catoctin national park as well. Had no idea it was the way to Gettysburg.

 

[alan0614]

@ppfd Never heard of Catoctin, but a Google search says it's a beautiful place.

 

[WV_Ranger]

If you hate trees and stunning scenery, don‘t go to West Virginia. What a beautiful place. We live in western NC and start the trip through Boone into western WV Picnic lunch at Pinnacle Rock. We bought a Ecoflow battery and Setpower cooler, both worked flawlessly. Woohoo, no more ice.

From there we made it to Beckley for a coal mine tour and a bridge walk under the New River Gorge bridge. 851 ft above the river on a two foot wide platform.

The next day we toured the bunker at The Greenbrier Hotel. It was built to house Congress during the Cold War, 1962-1992. No cameras allowed, tours available but still classified. https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/greenbrier-bunker. The work that went into the ability to house 1,100 indefinitely (Congress and support crew) is amazing. The closest city is Lewisburg, population under 4,000. It has an airport with a 7,000 ft runway. All to support moving DC to WV.

On to Sharpsburg, MD and the Antietam Battlefield. The bloodiest day on US soil. On the morning of 9/17/1862 132,000 men began a battle that left 22,717 dead, wounded or missing. It was pretty moving to look over the cornfields it was fought in and try to imagine the carnage. The National Park Service has it agriculturally restored to how it looked during the battle.

Next up was Harper”s Ferry, back in WV. Another important town in Civil War history. Harper‘s Ferry sits at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers.

And down the Skyline Drive, have to throw in some wildlife

The last things on the trip were a visit to the Wood Brothers Racing museum. True legends in the earla days of Nascar. And a stop in Mt. Airy for lunch, home of Andy Griffith.

Almost 1,200 miles and 19.7 mpg. Not too shabby when most of it was on 2 lane mountain roads.

Looks like a great trip! If you ever come back to WV feel free to ask and I can give you a bunch of cool stuff too see in this state!

 

[alan0614]

@WV_Ranger I'll definitely be back.

 

[ppfd]

@ppfd Never heard of Catoctin, but a Google search says it's a beautiful place.

Home of Camp David

 

[alan0614]

Even cooler.

 

[Bob902]

@alan0614 as an old cold war warrior, I would love to see the Greenbrier. Have watched programs and read about it, but would really like to see it. As my wife rolls her eye's..........

 

[alan0614]

@Bob902 the stories about the bunker are just as interesting as the bunker itself. How it was hidden in plain sight for 30 years, the construction and the logistics of getting 1,100 from DC to White Sulphur Springs, WV. No one seemed to question things like a 7,000 ft runway in the neighboring town of Lewisburg, which has a population today of under 4,000. The bunker was to house Congress, not the President or VP. The 1,100 were going to sleep in what you would describe as military bunks. I would love to see today's politicians fighting for top bunk.

Tickets are $40, no cameras or cellphones allowed. While it's open for tours it's still somewhat classified. It's still used as a secure site for document storage and other uses. If you get the chance, you should go. And you get to wander around the Greenbrier resort afterwards. The Greenbrier is one of the resorts where the upper crust vacation, rooms seem to start at $600 per night and climb rapidly.

 

[Trigganometry]

Nice pictures Alan. We on the East Coast have some pretty amazing scenery too. Lots of history and sights to see

 

[Msfitoy]

If you hate trees and stunning scenery, don‘t go to West Virginia. What a beautiful place. We live in western NC and started the trip through Boone into western WV Picnic lunch at Pinnacle Rock. We bought a Ecoflow battery and Setpower cooler, both worked flawlessly. Woohoo, no more ice.

From there we made it to Beckley for a coal mine tour and a bridge walk under the New River Gorge bridge. 851 ft above the river on a two foot wide platform.

The next day we toured the bunker at The Greenbrier Hotel. It was built to house Congress during the Cold War, 1962-1992. No cameras allowed, tours available but still classified. https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/greenbrier-bunker. The work that went into the ability to house 1,100 indefinitely (Congress and support crew) is amazing. The closest city is Lewisburg, population under 4,000. It has an airport with a 7,000 ft runway. All to support moving DC to WV.

On to Sharpsburg, MD and the Antietam Battlefield. The bloodiest day on US soil. On the morning of 9/17/1862 132,000 men began a battle that left 22,717 dead, wounded or missing. It was pretty moving to look over the cornfields it was fought in and try to imagine the carnage. The National Park Service has it agriculturally restored to how it looked during the battle.

Next up was Harper”s Ferry, back in WV. Another important town in Civil War history. Harper‘s Ferry sits at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers.

And down the Skyline Drive, have to throw in some wildlife

The last things on the trip were a visit to the Wood Brothers Racing museum. True legends in the early days of Nascar. And a stop in Mt. Airy for lunch, home of Andy Griffith.

Almost 1,200 miles and 19.7 mpg. Not too shabby when most of it was on 2 lane mountain roads.

Beautiful ride...I'm in central NC and am thinking of doing something similar with Mrs this fall...was this a day trip or weekend?

 

[alan0614]

Nice pictures Alan. We on the East Coast have some pretty amazing scenery too. Lots of history and sights to see

@Trigganometry yes we do for sure. We love hitting state parks, museums, etc.

Beautiful ride...I'm in central NC and am thinking of doing something similar with Mrs this fall...was this a day trip or weekend?

@Msfitoy Beckley is about 3.5 hours from Charlotte depending on how you drive. @WV_Ranger has offered to give suggestions on things to do and see. I would like to know what he has to say. We definitely want to go back.

 

[MXGOLF]

Thanks Alan for the great pictures and travel highlights. The east coast is on one of my many bucket list places to visit. Way more history than out here on the west coast. Oregon and Washington is very beautiful too and no humidity. From Portland I am 90 minutes from the coast and two hours from the desert. We have all 4 seasons here without the extremes most of the time. Actually 2/3 of the state of Oregon is desert. Lots of places to hike and fish and chill.

Sponsored