Day Nine (9/22) - When they say Strenuous Trail, they mean Strenuous

What a fabulous day! It was mostly sunny skies with some passing clouds here and there. We packed up the kids and the dog and headed to the New River Gorge National River Park. We started at the Sandstone Visitor's Center, It was really well done - the whole floor of the place was inlaid with a map of the surrounding area. The kids did a quick scavenger hunt for animals within the exhibits, then they got to scan their animal cards at learning center computers to learn more about them. Animals and technology together - can't get any better than that for these kids. We could have spent hours there, but Don and Bernie were waiting out in the truck, so I picked up a trail map and got some hiking recommendations from the ranger and we headed out. As I was getting in the truck, I heard screams coming from the other side. Gabriella shut her thumb in the door of the truck. And those are some darn big doors. I hustled her back to the ranger station to see if they had any ice. They didn't, but eventually found one of those ice pack things that you break open to activate. Gabriella is a real trouper and after a couple minutes was ready to go and hit the trail.
We first went to an overlook over Sandstone Falls, which was just a quick walk downhill. We met a nice couple with a dog. Bernie wanted to make friends, but the Jack Russell wasn't having it. At least Bernie enjoyed the view.

We drove down through the town of Hinton to cross the New River and go to the Big Branch Trail. It is rated "Strenuous" by the NPS, but it was recommended by the ranger, so how bad could it be? Perhaps we will take the ratings more seriously in the future. The first two thirds of the trail were climbing up the side of a steep ridge. We had to stop a couple of times to catch our breath for a minute, but we made it to the top! There was a little bit of complaining from the kids (and, okay, probably me, too,) but they were very proud of themselves that they made it all the way up. Don had an advantage because Bernie basically pulled him all the way to the top. He is still terrible on the leash, but he isn't trustworthy enough to let loose. If he caught the scent of one little squirrel, he would chase it all the way to Kentucky.
The view from the top of the ridge would probably be pretty spectacular, but it is so heavily treed that we couldn't really see anything. But it was actually a very cool trail, because it crossed over a stream several times. I was impressed because we made it across the rocks every time without anyone getting wet. Well, except for Bernie. He believes in wading across. The kids loved all of the little waterfalls along the way.

The way back down was ridiculously steep in spots. You can tell that the trail isn't used all that often because there were a lot of downed trees that we had to climb over/under. To add to the fun, the past couple days of rain had made the clay nice and slippery. Our toes were all sore from being jammed into our boots as we descended, and we had a couple of close calls with slides on the way down, but we all made it unscathed. My feet and legs were nice and muddy by the time we finished. We celebrated when we finished! It was definitely the hardest trail we have done as a family, but it shows that we can tackle most anything now. We just won't be setting any land speed records.
We had only planned on being out for a couple of hours for a quick hike or two in the morning, then going back to the camper for lunch, but it didn't quite work out that way. We had been out for a long time, so we had a quick snack in the truck (thank goodness for granola bars!) then went down to see Sandstone Falls up close from the other side of the river.

We did a little boardwalk trail out by the falls, then went on the Island Loop Trail to take the scenic route back to the truck. It was short and very rocky. We drove back across the river and headed north. We stopped at King Tut's Drive-In for "linner," as Gabriella calls it. The menu was horribly bad for you, but oh, so good! Don had a "nightmare" - polish sausage and sauerkraut, I had a King cheeseburger with everything, which was a lot, Gavin had a hot dog, Gabriella had chicken nuggets, and Bernie had a hot dog. We all also enjoyed our various fried sides.
After we ate, it was clear that we were not going to be doing any more hiking that day. But I was determined to at least get up to see the New River Gorge Bridge. The gorge was one the reasons that we came to this area. There are some incredible hikes around there, but it was already 5:00 and we were all plumb tuckered out. We did actually get to drive over the bridge - it's the longest steel span and the second highest bridge in the US. It's very picturesque - it's the picture on the back of the WV quarter.

The in-motion picture doesn't do it justice - it's a jaw dropping view when you cross the bridge.
You can fit the Washington Monument and two Statues of Liberty stacked up underneath the bridge, with twenty feet to spare!

We drove to the Canyon Rim Visitor's Center and walked to the overlook. I was disappointed that the view from there wasn't the greatest.

I was bummed that I didn't get the fabulous panoramic pictures that I was expecting to take, but I was very happy with the awesome day that we had!
We headed back to camp through some little towns. You can tell that the area's economy is on the poor side. There are many old mining and railroad towns. I am absolutely in love with the natural area - I would never get tired of these mountains! But, I haven't seen any communities that I would want to call home.
Don was determined to finally have a campfire when we got back. The camp host told us that someone had left a bunch of firewood on another campsite, so we had a nice freebie fire. We were even able to use our new pie iron to make some campfire pies that the kids loved. And we were all very ready for bed at the end of the night!

Day Seven (9/20) & Day Eight (9/21) - Rain, Rain, Go Away

September 20

It was overcast in the morning, so we hung out and mostly did book work and the kids played some math computer games. Don was able to finish up working around noontime. He had discovered that one of the camper tires had a slow leak, so he jacked up the camper to take the tire off. The camp host and some other guys were cutting wood down the road, so they cut him a hunk to prop the camper up on since the faulty tire was on the "high" side and the jack couldn't reach. Don then headed to the tire place for a $5 fix and he popped it back on.
Next, we all set out for a walk with the intention of going to the main ranger station for the park. I wanted to pick up a trail map for the hiking trails that are all around the park. It was a bit of a trek via the park roads, and about two-thirds of the way there it started pouring. We decided we were past the point of no return and kept on truckin. We made it to the ranger station and found it empty and locked. On a Friday afternoon. I guess this park really is laid back. We didn't want our rainy trek to be for naught, so we watched the ducks on the lake.

And played on the playground. Still in the pouring rain.

Kids had a great time, though Don did spin Gavin just a wee bit too hard on the merry-go-round. We were completely soaked by the time we got back to the campsite. Bernie smelled just wonderful. After some warm showers and hair dryers for the humans, we went into Beckley to Pasquale's Italian Restaurant. An old Italian guy, presumable Pasquale himself, greeted us. We had a nice meal and were stuffed to the gills by the time we left.
We took a drive on a long, windy, hilly road after dinner that left Gabriella not feeling so hot. She eventually conked out on the way home. Once we got back to the camper, of course she couldn't go back to sleep, so I ended up getting up with her a million times until I gave up and let her lie on the couch with me. She zonked out within two minutes.



September 21

We were all ready for adventure on Don's day off! And it was still pouring rain. We hung around the camper for the morning, then went back to Beckley to Tamarack for the afternoon. It is a huge touristy shop that showcases products made in West Virginia. We actually had a really good time. Even the kids enjoyed looking at everything - and touching, even when they weren't supposed to. There was a lot of glassware, pottery and handcrafted wooden stuff. Don said it was kind of like a fancy craft fair. We got some Christmas shopping done, the kids got some glass marbles and candy, we bought some special homemade sensitive skin soap for Bernie (to get rid of that lovely wet dog smell,) and I got my usual souvenir - a bottle of local wine. We had lunch there as well, which was okay, but not all it was cracked up to be.
On the way back, we had to make a stop at Food Lion to restock the fridge. Gavin talked to my mom on the phone the entire time we were in the store. When we got back to the campground, the rain had finally let up, so we went for a walk around the campground to explore all of the loops. The first loop, where we are, is all developed with water and electric hook-ups. The second loop is closed for the season, but has water and it looks like they're getting ready to run electric. The sites on the third loop aren't finished yet, but it appears they're prepping them for hook-ups as well. It is a great little campground, especially when it is this quiet. We saw lots of deer on our walk and a lone maple tree that had already changed color. These hills must be gorgeous when in full color.

Day Six (9/19) - Stop Number Two

We got up early to get ready to leave, but still didn't make it out of the campground until almost 10:00. Guess we still have to streamline the process a bit. The drive was about five hours long with two bathroom stops. We did a little schoolwork on the way and the kids got some video game time. It was a beautiful drive through the mountains to get to Little Beaver State Park.

It's a very laid-back place. The camp host said to drive around and pick a spot, then find him later to register and pay. It's a nice little park - only a couple of years old. It was mostly empty when we arrived. We've got a great site on top of a hill with 50 amp service plus water and wifi for $28 a night. There are more wooded sites available, but the wifi isn't as strong over there. Our site definitely isn't level though. For you RVers, we had to use four of those little yellow Lego blocks under one side of the camper. And under the legs of our cooking tables.

We walked back to find the camp host and pay, the kids played on the playground, then we headed back to the camper when the rain drizzle didn't let up.

I started reading a book to the kids about time travel back to the time of the Civil War, then grilled up some pork chops and foil potatoes for dinner. Don gave the kids a laptop that he had put together for them from old leftover parts. They were thrilled and played games on that for a while. We only get two over the air channels here (which is two more than I expected,) but the kids were able to watch Wipe Out before bed.

Day Five (9/18) - Band-aids and Blue Crabs

It was a regular work day for Don, so the kids and I hung out in the camper for the morning and did schoolwork and worked on scout requirements. After lunch, I drove the new truck for the first time! Granted, it was only to the laundry room across the campground, but I didn't back into anything or scrape any paint off the hips, so it still counts!
It cost us $7.00 to wash and dry three loads of laundry. Ugh. But I wanted to get it done because I didn't know what the laundry facilities would be like at the next campground. While it washed, we sat outside and read a book about Abraham Lincoln in Harper's Ferry and played I Spy to practice our Spanish color words. During drying time, we went across the road to play a round of miniature golf. It's always interesting because Gavin is a stickler for the rules and Gabriella is a big cheater pants. I don't what the big deal is, because we don't even keep score! It was fun, but right before the last hole we had the first injury of the trip. Gavin was running up the timber and gravel steps to hole 18 when he tripped and sliced his knee. There was some spurting blood, but he eventually recovered enough to play the last hole and walk back to get the laundry.
Once Don was done with work, we headed over to Virginia to Lowry's Crab Shack because Gabriella has been dying for some blue crab. The place was a bit of a shack. We would have liked to sit outside but it has been "unseasonably cool" as soon as the sun goes down. Their crab dip was really good; the fried dill pickle chips okay. Don and I had crab cakes that were so-so, but the corn fritters were delicious!! The kids shared a half-dozen blue crabs. Gavin discovered that he doesn't like crab as much as he remembered. Maybe they just weren't as good as the ones that Tammy and Eric made for us! Gabriella loved smashing them with a little hammer and cracking the claws, but wasn't all that successful at getting out the meat. So, Mom and Dad ended up doing most of the work. The few bits that I snuck for myself were really very good, and Bella enjoyed all of it. It must have been too much excitement for her, because she conked out on the way back to the campground.

Harper's Ferry - Through Gavin's Eyes

We had a awesome time at Harper's Ferry! We went to the national park and saw TONS of cool stuff like John Brown's Fort, the Harper cemetery (where Harper's Ferry's founding father is buried), Jefferson Rock (where Thomas Jefferson stood to look at the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers), where Union and Confederate soldiers stood battling (there were also cannons), and many ruins. 

This is where they made guns!

Old clothes shop

Very old house

Tavern

Church that is still used

Ruins of a church

Harper House

Burned gun pieces

John Brown Memorial

Artillery shell

Rifles

Jefferson Rock

Blue heron

The campground was pretty cool. It had a jumping pillow, the biggest and coolest arcade I've ever seen (when we went it was unplugged; dag nab it), a giant chess set (it also had checkers), a cool camp store, and a bunch of other cool stuff!

Day Four (9/17) - Spying, Bouncing, and Climbing

The kids let me sleep in until after 8:00 this morning. Woo hoo! We did our regular school work, along with some extra research. We discovered that John Brown's body is buried in North Elba, up near Lake Placid, so we have another place to visit when we get back home. We also learned that black walnuts are eaten by squirrels, raccoons, deer, and bears. In case you're wondering.
Don helped the kids to make periscopes from milk cartons and old compact mirrors. We took them into the Civil War trenches in the campground to try out. They work surprisingly well. I was trying to sneak up on the kids while they were hunkered down in the trench, but Gabriella kept cheating and standing up to look. Good thing I wasn't armed.

On the way back, the kids played in the bounce house, but they discovered that it was pretty wet. Another set of clothes for the laundry! We also asked to have the giant jumping pillow inflated. I think ours are the only kids left in the campground. They had a grand time. Because I'm having trouble with my foot again, I couldn't join in, but they definitely got their PE workout today!

































I made barbecue turkey joes for a late lunch, then packed up a picnic dinner to take with us back to Harper's Ferry National Park. We visited the Information Center that we had missed last time. The kids tried on some Civil War era hats, asked the ranger some questions, and we watched a movie to complete Junior Ranger requirements.

Self-Portrait by Gavin

Gabriella wasn't happy about the gray cap, but Gavin had already taken the Union hat.

Love this one taken by Gavin!

We headed up the same tortuous stone steps that we climbed on Sunday, but this time we kept on going to follow part of the Appalachian Trail that runs through the park. We followed it up to Jefferson Rock, where Thomas Jefferson stood on top of the mountain to admire the view where he could see both the Potomac and Shenendoah Rivers. Views were incredible.

The actual Jefferson Rock where he stood. They reinforced it in the late 1800's because they were afraid it was going to tumble down the cliff. (photo by Gavin)

We also visited Harper Cemetery, where Robert Harper's (the town's founding father) family is buried. We followed the Cliff Trail (name says it all) the rest of the way up, then back down the mountain. It was definitely more challenging terrain than we had anticipated, but we made it and the kids didn't complain at all. I wish that I had taken more pictures, but I was busy not falling on my face.

These are just the steps up to the cemetery - not the super strenuous ones or the crazy treacherous ones.

Cool ivy-covered trees that I took a picture of when we took a water break.

Once we were back on level ground, we explored the ruins of an old pulp mill, sluiceways, and waterways. We followed the Virginius Island trail along the Shenandoah River. We stopped for a picnic and skipping rocks in the river. We then headed back to Lower Town where the truck was parked.

A rock skipping lesson in progress

We had to make a stop at a humongous Walmart to buy an external drive for my laptop. It has been crashing a lot lately and I was worried that I would lose all of my pictures. Then we would have to do the trip all over again :-) Next, it was back to the camper to snack, shower, and watch some tv before bed.