March 2023
I took a break from Virginia and drove into West Virginia on some scenic byways through Warm Springs toward New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. I stopped shy of my destination in Dawson since I was still an hour away and tired. Nothing here – stay in Lewisburg or Fayetteville. Driving into West Virginia was beautiful, the rock formations alone are stunning. Like Virginia, West Virginia has a lot of no trespassing signs posted, probably some due to safety concerns with abandoned mining operations. There is no shortage of outdoor activities in the southeast part of the state, from skiing in winter, to white water rafting in summer, and hiking and mountain biking all year. West Virginia is now the third poorest state in the U.S., beat out only by Mississippi and Louisiana, and by all accounts has always been poor. Some of this can be attributed to money outflows to the out of state investors in WV’s main (and almost only) industry, coal and of course the railroads to carry out the coal. The workers were grossly underpaid for years despite being the ones to risk their lives and labor away in the mines so that the rest of the U.S. could grow. From what I have read, the state politicians gave these companies significant tax breaks so few of the profits flowed into the local economy for things like education and infrastructure (and miners early on were paid in script which could only be used at the company store so again, no money into the economy). Another example of how trickle-down economics really means trickle, the opposite of flow; dribble may be more appropriate for what little squeezes out from the top. And mines and sustainable sources of energy run their course and so with it, livelihoods. Moving into present day, you have the state’s geography – lots of mountains and hills making it difficult to create thriving cities, though places like Asheville, NC were able to do it – most of the towns are sparsely populated and many locals want to keep it that way preferring a simpler, less stressful life. In talking to and listening to people, I am not sure if they are just resigned to electing corrupt politicians (something I overheard more than once) or if they really just want to keep things as they are, even if it means limited investment in schools, infrastructure, and medical care. Given the natural beauty, growth could be had through tourism, but tourism can also destroy a place. The people themselves are warm and friendly and happy to strike up a conversation and it just feels a bit more welcoming than some other places, though I did have to try to stop reacting to the occasional confederate flag and Let’s Go Brandon sign. Still, I would recommend this be added to your list of places to visit.
LEWISBURG. I drove through here planning to stay near New River Gorge but upon realizing my map had misguided me, I stopped for the night at a small independent inn, the Dawson Inn. For some reason, even though I was the only guest here (maybe one other), she put me in a room facing the highway instead of the quieter street so even with a sound machine, I did not get a great rest. I also ended up having to drive back to Lewisburg for dinner anyway as the only food choices nearby were pizza at the next door gas station, Arbys, or the Meeting Place restaurant at the gas station in the nearby town where I had stopped for gas, though that place was at least full so it may be that the food was okay. I figured I should check out Lewisburg which turned out to have a very cool little downtown so regretted not staying nearby. I found one of the few places still open near 9pm, Del Sol Cantina and Grill. Ordered the tuna poke salad which was quite tasty and a local IPA, also good.
FAYETTEVILLE / NEW RIVER GORGE. So far every Fayetteville I have visited is a cool town. This one is quite small and just down the road from the New River Gorge National Park. I stayed at one of the two motels in the area, the Quality Inn which was pretty depressing, but it is cheap, includes an okay breakfast, is mostly clean, and close to downtown, about 1 miles to Pies & Pints where I had a tasty steak and gorgonzola pizza (the leftovers of which quite likely left me stuck in my dismal motel room the rest of the next day ridding my body of nutrients) paired with one of the few ciders that I ever found drinkable, Bold Rock Prosecco. For coffee, I spent my mornings at Range Finder to support local businesses and work on this blog and also tried the coffee at Wood Iron Eatery which has a very tasty breakfast sandwich with sausage and hot sauce (just the thing to eat after a day of stomach issues).
NEW RIVER GORGE NATIONAL PARK. The newest of the national parks, free to enter, and accessible to anyone, allowing for short hikes, long hikes, and scenic drives. It is such a beautiful area. I took two hikes, the first being the Endless Wall Trail, relatively easy with great views followed by the Kaymoor Miners trail where you can see left over mining stuff and get in a solid workout climbing down and then up over 800 steps plus an additional steep descent/ascent for a total of 869 feet of elevation change over 0.8 miles. My suggestion is don’t do this the day after you were laid up with food related stomach issues.
BECKLEY / EXHIBITION COAL MINE TOUR. I came to Beckley primarily to go on the Coal Mine Tour and it did not disappoint. They give a discount for ages 55 and up so that was a plus. Our tour guide into the mine was Don and he was fantastic – all their underground guides worked at the mine and at least Don, grew up in the mining town as his father was also a miner. Pre-union and pre-electricity, these were really horrible jobs with the workers rarely paid (their salaries being eaten up by all the living expenses charged by the coal companies and the equipment, food and clothing they had to buy at the company store at inflated prices) amounting to indentured servitude. On the positive side, there were no wealth disparities for folks to fight over. They also have replicas of the tiny company homes where folks lived (and I mean tiny), the original schoolhouse and church, and it was fun to talk to those working there. Definitely recommend this as a stop in West Virginia.
MARLINTON. I ended up here simply because I did not feel like driving any further and after hours of sparsely populated places, I saw that there was at least one lodging option and a lovely river here as I drove in. Ended up being a great choice and I had a great stay at the Locust Hill Inn Bed and Breakfast. The couple who owns the place (Joseph and Vanessa who moved here from Florida) were so gracious and fun to chat with and the food was fantastic. I ate a much needed full course meal for dinner at the Inn and devoured each morning breakfast. There is not much in town but there is a local sports bar with plenty of beverage choices and food from the Greek / Italian place next door which had a tasty chicken gyro. Given it was too cold to do much else, I was able to pass the time watching the women’s NCAA championship basketball game with the bartender and other two patrons though I was the only one rooting (quietly) for an LSU win. The one older gentleman patron at the bar, let’s call him John, told me about his travels under government employment and that he moved back to live out his retirement years. As Joe put it, people here are relaxed and really have few stressors in their life. My only complaint against John was that he told me he thought I was in my early 60s. Ouch! Maybe I will make it back to ride the Greenbrier River trail when it is warmer and check out Cranberry Glades Botanical Garden which is supposed to be pretty (but in early spring, has bears).
BEARTOWN STATE PARK. I was able to walk a short way into this state small park but it was storming and really windy, and I was the only person there which spooked me a bit given the area has bears that have come onto the boardwalk during the early spring months and it was approaching dusk. Beautiful place though.
SPRUCE KNOB. I went from a warm day in Fayetteville area to a storm and snow in Marlinton and Spruce Knob. This is the highest point in West Virginia and promises amazing views which I would have loved but views weren’t in the cards due to it snowing. It was pretty and worth the drive which for at least eight miles was a very narrow road with no guard rails and a posted speed limit of 10mph with good reason.
