Day Three - Kanawha (West Virginia)
Almost Heaven....
Dolly Sods, West Virginia
A natural gem discovered by mistake.
After the mishap that we had discussed in the previous post happened (Link to the previous post):
We had accidentally found ourselves on the top of one of the most geographically unique or “out-of-place” areas in all of the United States.
Dolly Sods is the highest plateau East of the Mississippi River, sitting at nearly 4000 feet. Home to many species of plant life that are native to Northern Canada, visiting Dolly Sods feels like visiting an alien landscape, surrounded by vegetation that is so much more different than any of the other vegetation you see across the state. We didn’t know why, but Dolly Sods felt special at the time. Now, with hindsight, we accidentally visited a place that is known for being so geographically odd. Had we known how unique some of the flowers, shrubs, and other various plant life was for where we were in the world, we would’ve taken pictures of them. Unfortunately, Dolly Sods wasn’t a planned stop, so we had no idea that we were in such a special place.
Image from the roadside in Dolly Sods.
Blackwater Falls State Park
A mighty waterfall in the heart of Appalachia.
Above is a picture looking down a valley in rural West Virginia leading up to Blackwater Falls State Park.
The drive to the falls was relatively short, with there being nothing but mountains, bubbling creeks, and seemingly never-ending forest interrupted by the occasional small town or settlement. Our scenic drive was accompanied by a light drizzle and dense fog, which was clearing up as the heating of the daylight went on. Stopping in at a few smaller waterfalls along the way.
Above is a smaller waterfall through the thick vegetation in Blackwater Falls State Park.
Above is Colin on a swing from above Blackwater Falls State Park.
Finally, we got to what we had come to Blackwater Falls State Park to see: the falls themselves.
Drive Across West Virginia
Some quick observations from our drive across this state.
The state motto of West Virginia is Montani Semper Liberi, a phrase in Latin that translates to “Mountaineers are always free.” Though many beautiful mountains are covering the landscape of the state, the rough geography of West Virginia has hindered the state’s ability for economic growth. West Virginia is the second poorest state in the union by median household income, and honestly, when you’re driving through the state, it shows. Any state, city, or country will have “sketchy areas” where you can tell that the local economy has taken a beating for one reason or another. But as someone blessed enough to be from one of the wealthiest areas in the country, it was eye-opening to see the economic living conditions of our fellow countrymen.
Above is a picture off of a rest area in rural West Virginia in between the drive from Blackwater State Park to the next location.
Sadly, like much of Appalachia, while driving through West Virginia, especially when away from a city or the highways, you get a feeling that you are in a part of the world that has been left behind or forgotten. The population is noticeably older; there are clearly abandoned houses that are falling apart and closed businesses with boarded-up windows in a state of disrepair. While the material standard of living in parts of West Virginia was bleak, there was also lots of room for hope. The spirit of the state motto that I had first touched on, “Mountaineers are always free,” was evident in the very culture of the people. Never in my life have I seen more people milling about their property with their families, sharing a seat on the porch with their spouse, or working the land to which they owe their livelihood to. Perhaps a silver lining in the storm cloud of being “left behind” is the local community remaining intact by necessity for neighbors to help one another through the economic hardship that many face.
I have spoken to many people from the Northeast, and whenever West Virginia, or Appalachia more broadly, is brought up, people often look down upon or laugh at the economic misfortunes or disadvantages of their fellow Americans. This isn’t a political or philosophical blog. But I have personally seen the material circumstances of many people in this state and the realities on the ground in West Virginia. The people of the state persist and work to put food on their families’ plates each day despite such unfortunate economic circumstances for many compared to most other Americans. I think the people of West Virginia have earned some respect and some empathy from the people outside of their region who view the people of this entire state as below them. Especially during this time, in the lead-up to Christmas, let us remember to count our own personal blessings and view every person, no matter what class or background, with the same dignity as human beings who are just trying to feed their families and survive just like you and I.
Above is Tudor’s Biscuit World, a fast-food diner mashup that serves chicken fried steak through a drive-through.
Above is food from Tudor’s Biscuit World.
New River Gorge National Park Area
Mystery Hole
A classic roadside trap that was designed to bring tourists off of the road and make a buck off of their curiosity. Unfortunately, you aren’t allowed to take pictures inside of the tourist attraction itself. But the general idea is that there is a room underground that was built at an angle. The angle that the room is built makes walking, and your perception of everything happening around you feel off in a very unique and hard-to-describe way. If you are ever in South-Central West Virginia, I would highly recommend giving this place a visit!
Above are pictures of the Mystery Hole in West Virginia.
New River Gorge Bridge
One of the longest and highest steel arch bridges in the world and the newest national park to be admitted into the national park system. A beautiful sight, and an incredible canyon.
Above are a few pictures from the national park showcasing both the bridge and the canyon.
End of the Day - Dolly Sods
We returned to camp that night without much of a hassle at all, in fact, for the first time in our trip, after the morning was over, it didn’t rain for the rest of the day! We got a few pictures of the sunset and got ready to sleep, another day on the road behind us.
Above is the map of our drive through the state.
Map of the distance from the furthest place south that we had stopped that day.
Wow so cool!
Can't believe they named a state after a song!