West Virginia - Mountain State
Happily, this was another trip in which we were joined by our daughter, Marnie. In fact, she picked us up at Dulles International Airport on June 8th and drove us for most of the trip. Before entering West Virginia, we had dinner that night in Washington DC at the restaurant where our grandson Owen was then working. Afterwards, we drove in the rain to Charles Town where we spent two nights. We wanted to have plenty of time to explore Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, just a few miles away. But first, a couple of interesting things about the Hampton Inn where we stayed. There was a large group of border patrol guards going through a training program at Harper’s Ferry and they all stayed at the hotel. They were up early so we didn’t see much of them but heard about the program from the two women who managed the breakfast room. We’ve stayed at many Hampton Inns in our travels, but we’ve never encountered such friendly and helpful service before this. They made waffles for us and gave us table service even though this was a breakfast buffet. The big surprise was when, on both mornings, they sat down with us and chatted while we ate breakfast. We learned a bit about the area…they had both grown up there and had spent their entire lives in Charles Town. When we mentioned where we were going on this road trip, they were unfamiliar with most places even though they were all in West Virginia. We found that surprising, even a little sad, but let them know how much we appreciated their friendliness and good service.
We spent the better part of the day at Harpers Ferry as there was so much to see. We had a guided tour of the historic lower town which familiarized us with its fascinating history. George Washington chose Harpers Ferry as the site for an armory because of its location at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Factories from the early 1800s produced innovations that fueled the Industrial Revolution. But it is best known because it was here that abolitionist John Brown struck a blow against slavery. In October of 1859, determined to arm enslaved people and spark a rebellion, Brown and his followers seized the armory and several other strategic buildings. The raid failed, however, and most of the men were either killed or captured. Brown’s trial and subsequent execution focused attention on the issue of slavery and propelled the nation toward civil war. We toured the museum which further explained this significant historical event. There were also exhibits about the ensuing Civil War and the 1862 Battle of Harpers Ferry. We also enjoyed strolling on a level riverside path as well as climbing to a hilltop vista point. We ate lunch at a restaurant in the bustling town where we were surprised, given that this was West Virginia, to find several homes flying rainbow flags.
The following day we headed west toward Blackwater Falls State Park where we had fun seeing and photographing a trio of cataracts from a trail that provided views of all three. After our little hike and eating hot dogs for lunch, we drove south through a series of state parks with dazzling views. One of our favorite areas was called Spruce Knob, which boasts West Virginia’s highest peak at over 5,000 feet. We were really impressed with the stunning scenery, the good roads and lack of crowds. The weather was perfect, too.
Our destination on this day was the Greenbrier Resort where we stayed for two nights. Greenbrier calls itself “America’s Resort,” but most of America would not be able to afford to stay here. It is huge, consisting of many different levels in the main building, several golf courses, multiple swimming pools, many restaurants, tennis courts, a mineral spa, and more. One of the most interesting things we did was to take The Bunker Tour and if you go to the Greenbrier, you must be sure to take this tour. It was explained to us that this former US Government Relocation Facility was a top secret of the Cold War designed to accommodate the members of both the Senate and House of Representatives in the event of a national emergency. It was planned by the Eisenhower administration and built under the Greenbrier between 1958 and 1961. Once completed, it was maintained in a state of constant readiness by a small cadre of government employees, completely hidden from the people of the nearby town, always in an updated full-operational status. The secrecy of its location was maintained for more than 30 years until 1992. The tour took Andy and me back to a very different era and the whole concept of this bunker reminded us of the fear that was pervasive to all Americans during the Cold War.
Our next stop was Beckley. Our good friend Ed Navarro grew up in Beckley and he recommended that we go there and visit the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine. Our tour guide was a retired miner who toured us in a coal car through an underground vintage coal mine, explaining all the while how a turn-of-the-20th-century coal mine operated. He was both enthusiastic and entertaining, and we came away with a new realization of what a difficult job coal mining was. He informed us that he has black lung, and his father and grandfather had died of black lung disease after years spent working in the mines. His disease was less severe, he said, because his father insisted that he wear a mask whenever he was in the mine. The back-breaking nature of this work and the “company store” lifestyle of the miners and their families made us count our blessings.
We spent that night and the following night in Charleston, the capitol of West Virginia. We arrived in the late afternoon but decided to peek inside the capitol building to find out when tours were offered. As we spoke to a security guard, a man came up to us and asked us if we would like him to give us a tour of the building. He introduced himself as Daniel Linville, a member of the House of Delegates. He was very friendly and willing to take us into all the chambers and explain the workings of the state government. He was waiting for a meeting to begin and said he was delighted to show us around until then. How nice was that? The capitol building, a masterpiece of architect Cass Gilbert, was completed in 1932. The most outstanding feature is the rotunda’s dome, 180 feet above the main floor. From its center hangs a 2-ton rock crystal chandelier, 8 feet in diameter. The second-floor ceiling is decorated with a panel design showing leaves of West Virginia’s native trees. Thank you, Mr. Linville, for taking the time to show us around.
Marnie left the next morning to return to New Jersey, so Andy and I were on our own exploring Charleston. Although it is the capitol of West Virginia, the population is only 51,400. We especially enjoyed spending the morning at the Capitol Market, with its indoor and outdoor shopping opportunities and several restaurants to choose from. That afternoon we drove to nearby Malden and visited the J. Q. Dickinson Salt-Works. Here we learned about a 7th-generation salt-making family which harvests an all-natural salt by hand from an ancient ocean trapped beneath the Appalachian Mountains. Using no big machinery or chemicals, we watched people work with handmade tools to produce an exceptional product. In the store, we were able to purchase assorted salts to take home for ourselves and to give as gifts. It was fascinating.
We left the next morning for Parkersburg, the last stop on our trip to West Virginia. Upon arriving, we took a “stemwheeler” boat to Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park, located in the middle of the Ohio River. Harman Blennerhassett, an Irish aristocrat, built his island mansion in 1798. He somehow became involved with Aaron Burr in an alleged plot to establish an empire in the Southwest (Texas maybe?) but was forced to flee the island with his family in 1806 when the conspiracy came to light. While both men were eventually acquitted of charges of treason, their lives were ruined. Fire destroyed the abandoned mansion in 1811, but it was reconstructed upon its original foundation. We took a tour of the Palladian-style house and rode in a horse-drawn wagon in which a guide recounted the island’s strange history. The island itself is quite beautiful and the boat ride back and forth was fun as well as scenic. We stayed that night in the historic Blennerhasset Hotel and enjoyed a delicious dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.
Thus ended our week in West Virginia. There were no great cities to visit, and we had to fly into Dulles National Airport and out of an airport in Columbus, Ohio because all airports in West Virginia are regional. Nonetheless, the scenic countryside and gorgeous national and state parks made visiting this state worthwhile and very enjoyable.