Tuesday July 27, 2021

          

 Day #2

Seventy-seven (77) degrees welcomed us this morning along the banks of the New River, fog that had settled during the night was slowly burning off the placid surface of the river. Geese continue their morning ritual grassing along the banks.

After breakfast, we set out on a 2-hour drive around the countryside with plans to return and work on blogs, converting pictures and writing.

Leaving the campground, we drove through the small town of Gauley Bridge, WV. Houses sit side-by-side in rows up the hillside. Main street was the only street with businesses. Continuing into the countryside the road was flanked by two things - railroad/river on one side and wooded, rock cliffs going straight up on the other. We would pass unincorporated towns that consisted of a convenience store. Some were bigger having a convenience store and a tire store across the road. Homes in these unincorporated towns were built into the cliffs - no yards, no gardens, no where to park their vehicles next to the house. Vehicles - cars, trucks, ATVs - were parked across the road next to the railroad tracks. If there was enough flat land, maybe there was a 20 x 10 foot garden planted by the railroad tracks. If there was a wide spot on the rock hillside of the road, a single wide trailer was parked there.

The homes reflected the economic status of the region. Disrepair of the homes, porches sagging, paint peeling and grass overtaking the cars and other junk scattered throughout the yards, windows boarded up and doors open with curtains over the door.

Traveling away from the river and railroad the land becomes slightly flatter and open. The homes and property become maintained and manicured. Looking up into a field, three deer are grazing in the field.

A visit to Summersville Lake - turbine controlled dam and New River Gorge National Park, with short hikes to view the river and lake.

Bob Evan’s salad was lunch and we completed the day with a trip to Cathedral Falls.

   

Monday, July 26, 2021

 Day #1

This morning rose sunny, hot and busy. Doug and I spent the majority of the day yesterday (Sunday) finding, sorting and packing the items we thought that we would need for the next 5-6 weeks. Then sort again for what would actually fit in the Forest River Salem Cruise Lite. Including all the food supplies that we packed this morning. So around 1045 this morning we checked the lights on the trailer, tire pressure and clear ducked-taped the antenna cable to the observation camera and pulled off of Laurel Ridge. Tired, hot, sweating and happy to be on our way to New River Gorge, WV the first stop on the front end of our multiple stop trip.

Our goal is to visit the finger lakes region, maybe have the opportunity to see the aurora borealis. Along the way Doug hopes to visit with an old HS buddy in Athens, Ohio this first week.

As we turned onto I-40, we FaceTimed with Jared, Kelley & girls as they were crossing into Maryland from Virginia on their trip to NY and Maine in the SUV of bouncing happiness and energy.

After the call, we were continuing on I-40 down Nebo hill, just after exit 90, when the travel trailer (TT) started fish-tailing. I realized the sway was causing the break away brakes to kick-in and wondered if we were going to end up in a heap in the middle of I-40. I had a death grip on the arm rest and decided that we were going home! Doug slowed down, getting the sway under control, only for it to happen again just a few miles down the road. Yep - definitely going home! Finding a wide spot on I-40 without a guard rail, Doug pulled off for us to check out what was happening. No low or flat tires. Nothing dragging. No compartments open. Sway bars on, chains attached. I checked my chain link in the sway bar - I was on #8. Doug said that's it, mine is on #9. He switched his to link #8 and we continued on our way. Now that I'm setting in Gauley Bridge, WV, I think it worked and we can continue on our trip.

Traveling up I-77, Doug and I reminisced about the trip to D.C. for a funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. Col. Wilburn Packett was Dean's first cousin and brother to Gilbert Packett. This was a cold day in December and to see Arlington National Cemetery decorated, then the caisson, followed by  the riderless horse and boots turned backwards in the stirrups. We pointed out spots along the way that we remembered - Shot tower!

The day was not without other delays - road construction and an accident near Jonesville for 45 minutes. Pop-up storms with down pour of rain. Mostly sunny day, hot and humid. Raspberry & TT ate up the miles through Elkin, Fancy Gap, Wytheville, Bland, Beckley and on into Gauley Bridge.

From Gauley Bridge, we turned onto Midland Trail Road, aka highway 60 toward the campground. The temperature was 78 and as the road dropped, the temperature dropped one degree! The humidity is what makes it so bad. We were now traveling on the type of road we had been expecting. Two lane, paved and curvy. The road reminded us of the road along the Nantahala River Gorge, river on one side and rock cliffs on the other. The exception - this road had an 8% grade interwoven amongst those tight curves.

New River Campground office had closed, but there was a map of the campground with our camp site highlighted. #32 right on the river. I would definitely come back here. The sites are not crowded on top of each other, they are flat and ours is riverside.

We had supper of applesauce, homemade sourdough bread and white cheddar popcorn.

Gauley River. The Gauley & New River merge in Gauley Bridge to form the Kanawha River

Driving an 8% grade being pushed by camper

The New River behind our camp site

Sunset on the river

Doug beginning to back the camper into our site.