Country roads, take me home to the place I belong West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home country roads.
I grew up listening to John Denver and whenever I hear his songs I'm instantly taken back to different moments in my life. "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" takes me to the 7th inning of an Orioles games, "Islands" transports me to the long stretch of road heading down the outerbanks to Ocracoke,"Looking for Space" was from a Magnum P.I. episode I loved, and "Grandma's Feather Bed" reminds me of riding in the back of the station wagon with my sisters when we were little. Although I always loved the song "Country Roads", I never really connected with it until yesterday. I truly fell in-love with the Mountains of West Virginia. What a spectacularly beautiful place to see!
We got up yesterday and did our normal load of school work. The kids have been great about getting their work done. The camp store here at Gorge Gateway has internet and a nice area for us to sit and work. Once we finished school, we stopped and got lunch from Taco Bell and headed to New River Gorge National River Park. We ate lunch at the overlook which was amazing. The bridge across the river is the second longest single arch bridge in the world and the second tallest bridge in North America. It is so high, two Statue of Liberty's and a Washington Monument would fit on top of each other with 20 feet to spare!
After we left the park and the view areas, we drove to a hiking trail. It was pretty cool to drive the narrow roads along the mountain, and for me it was a little unnerving.
The trail was beautifully lined with rhododendron and mountain laurel. It was a little muddy from the rain the past few days, but for us the weather was perfect. The sun was shining and the temperature was in the high 60's. The trees seemed to tower in the forest; the various shades of green popped in contrast to the blue sky. It was a tranquil walk and something I thought I'd find in the mountains of Tennessee.
It's funny how perception and preconceived ideas mold your plans. I gave more time to areas of Tennessee I thought would be spectacular, yet for us it was more commercialized than we liked. Places like the Pan-handle in Florida, Alabama and West Virginia were given much less time in the planning process and they have been some of the most beautiful, intriguing places we've been. From this we have learned a lot, and it will definitely affect how we plan our future trips.
As we reached the top of the ridge the view opened up to the river and valley below us. Apparently, it is a great area for rock climbing, although that adventure is not on my personal bucket list. Dave and the kids would do it in a heartbeat though. The view was spectacular! I have an overwhelming fear of heights out in the open so this was quite the adventure for me. I was fine while I was taking pictures; looking at things through a lens, but as soon as I looked out over the expanse with my own two eyes my heart started racing and I got a little light-headed. It was definitely one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen; truly breathtaking!
We finished our hike and drove to the bottom of the mountain. The road switched back as it made its way down and I could see off the edge of the road to the valley below. In some ways I found this more unnerving than standing at the top.
We stopped to look at the final rapids on the New River and we saw a beautiful stream and some waterfalls. It was one breathtaking sight after the other. I am sad that we only got to enjoy one day in this magnificent place, and I hope we will return soon to explore it further.
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