September Day Trip to the New River Gorge Bridge, WV

September 2, 2015

It may sound strange to those not living near, but West Virginia is a frequent destination for me when I leave home. The state slogan is "Wild and Wonderful" and the moment you begin the ascent into the time-worn Appalachian Mountains it's clear why. West Virginia is a stunningly beautiful chunk of planet Earth.

Eastern Continental Divde

Our day began with our filled travel mugs safely tucked into the holders and 721 songs on a jump drive plugged into the Charger's USB port. Our route was west Interstate 68, to south Interstate 79, to south US Route 19. First item of note was crossing the Eastern Continental Divide at Savage Mountain, elevation 2620 feet. We've done it many times before but this time Mr. Swifty managed to snag a picture of the sign, albeit not a good one even though I slowed down to a virtual crawl... continue reading here. 



KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
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New River Gorge Bridge

February 7, 2015

Today would have been my grandfather's 105th birthday. In his honor we had a sip of Blackberry Brandy, a daily shot of which Pop credited with keeping him healthy. He was 95 when he passed and trust me - he only went because he wanted to go. He told us on his birthday he was ready to check out and he died on March 7, four weeks to the day. 

My grandparents loved to travel the byways of Appalachia. I've long wanted to go through the Great Smokey Mountains and see the vistas they described and perhaps even visit the Cherokee Indian Reservation as they did. A lot of years have passed since their trips and one place thing they never got to see is the New River Gorge Bridge.  I don't know who took that photo but WOW. Thank you whoever you are. It's gorgeous. 

I confess. This bridge fascinates me. It's three-quarters of a mile long and almost 900 feet above the river. Why the hell I want to drive across it is beyond my reckoning, but I want to do it. And I'm going to do it this year. My honey and I spent part of the day planning a weekend away to go see the bridge. Yea!

I'm not sure of the date yet, but it won't be until all chance of icy bridge conditions are past. I might be crazy to want to drive across a road 900 feet in the air, but I'm not totally nuts. 

KC
www.kckendricks.com