Oct 13 West Virginia, Coopers Rock, Blackwater Falls, Color

Sunday, October 13

54 degrees and overcast this morning, but a few hopeful patches of blue sky.  We had breakfast and went back to the overlook. Yesterday it was covered with people – this morning it is quiet and peaceful.  The fog or clouds above the river looks like wispy smoke. "Smoke on the mountain..."

We decided to take 24 South towards Blackwater Falls, and, we were told at the visitor’s center, earlier color.  West Virginia is pretty much all mountains, so we did lots of climbing, descending and winding.  Went through some very small towns.  In Tunnelton we got a kick out of the only eating/drinking establishment, called Bubba’s Bistro!

roadside beauty

tunnel of gold

Stopped at Cold Springs Park which, for being in the middle of nowhere, was really hopping.  It is a combination gas station, restaurant, souvenir shop, produce stand and park.  The park part featured a few turkeys and donkeys roaming around lots of antique tractors, trains and other equipment which were mostly rust.

They did have huge crates of locally grown apples, which people were buying like crazy.  We bought just 2 of the Stayman variety to sample on the road and wished later we'd gotten more!

Next stop was Cathedral State Park, mostly out of curiosity as to its name.  Turns out the Cathedral was just the overall feeling in the midst of a forest of huge hemlock trees.  Apparently once numerous, they are a dwindling resource now. Some of these were over 300 years old.

A short while later we arrived at Blackwater Falls State Park featuring a 57 ft very photogenic falls.

After walking the 200+ stairs down and back up, we drove to another overlook trail where the tree roots were amazing.  Not a bad view either.

It was extremely unusual to find a stretch of road in West Virginia of more than 100 yards long that wasn’t a 7 – 10% grade, or part of a winding curve.  Many mountains, obviously, and Greg got a lot of practice using those 2^nd and 3^rd gears!  A few small towns, quarries, farms, beautiful countryside!.  Very nice fall color in some areas until the clouds began moving in.  In Canaan Valley the clouds were almost completely blanketing the mountainsides, and on a few high mountains we drove through the clouds.

Reached the edge of West Virginia after Seneca Rocks and after one more very high mountain pass, we rolled into Virginia and some nice relatively straight, smooth roads.  

Seneca Rocks

Reached Harrisonburg around 6:00 and found our local Lowe’s where we will stop for the night.  Made some cheddar worsts , followed by a Klondike Bar!