WILD and WONDERFUL

WEST VIRGINIA  - PART 5 ...MAY 29 2013...

Going to finish this up today.  Would you believe this will be my 601st blog since I started.  Yesterday was 600. Am I windy or what? 

Upon leaving Pipestem State Part we made our next stop at Tamarack - the huge complex featuring the work of West Virginia Artisans.  We shopped, and ate there.  Nancy had Kale for the first time - they served a lot of West Virginia type foods, and decided she liked it.  Kale has always been on of m favorites.

Leaving tamarack we arrived at Twin Falls State Park.  A lot of the park was still closed following the earlier storms, but we did visit the Pioneer Homestead which is part of Twin Falls.  It was a neat early pioneer village, we were the only ones there except for the resident cat.

Our next stop was the New River Gorge, the awesome bridge over the gorge, took pictures from the lookout, then discovered the road that wound down below the bridge, and took pictures there also.  This was in Fayette County.

On our way to Hawks Nest we discovered the remains of the Beckwith Mill.  The view from Hawks Nest was amazing.  From there we skipped over to Babcock State Park and photographed their famous mill. 

From there we headed to Carnifax Ferry  Battlefield.    Photographed some old barns on the way.

By now we were in Webster County, headed for home.  Took numerous miscellaneous pictures of things along the way.

And now for this last picture.  Not really spectacular or scenic, but has a great story to go with it.

Of course I use my GPS.  Couldn't find anything without it.  Towards the end of our trip, in the Holly River State park area there was an old grist mill I wanted to photograph.  I entered the co-ordinate into the GPS and off we went.

The beginning was fine.  Pave road.  Then turned into a gravel road.  Miles of gravel.  Soon the road turned to dirt.  Narrow.  Windy.  Dirt.  We talked about turning back but couldn't find anywhere to turn around.  Decided we had to come out somewhere.

Around the next bend was a homestead, or sorts with an older woman and, probably her grandchildren, picking wild flowers.  Stopped and asked her about the mill.  She told us it was just ahead.  Just ahead was a small stream of water running across the road.  She told us just do drive thru it, continue a short distance and cross the 'crick', turn right and we would be there.  Then keep on going and we would return to civilization.

We 'drove thru it' went the short distance, and there was the 'crick'.  No bridge.  About 2 plus feet of water.  DRIVE THRU THAT!!  SHE HAD TO BE NUTS!!  WE HAD TO BE NUTS!!

I looked at Nancy, she looked at me and said - "You aren't going thru that, are you?"

Of course not.  I might be nuts, but am not crazy.  We were able to turn around, drove the dirt road to the gravel road to the paved road and continued.  Never did find the mill.


Well, hope you enjoyed our adventure.  Am getting ready for our new adventure starting early Monday morning.  We are leaving on our bus trip to Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard.  Don't think we will be driving thru any cricks!

It is a beautiful day.  Enjoy and God Bless. 

PS - The trees made it home no worse for the wear.  Am assuming Nancy got them planted.  Don't know what her son said when he saw them.  Probably don't want to know.