West Virginia In Review

We have hit our 10th state and the first that none of us had previously visited.  West Virginia, The Mountain State, lies entirely within the Appalachian Mountains which had us quite nervous as we approached with our bigger-than-a-schoolbus home!

"9% grade
Next 1 mile"

Visions of the runaway truck ramps in the familiar Colorado mountains came to mind, but they were nothing like the mountains we are used to... more like large hills, with the highest point being less than 5,000 feet.  The drives were beautiful as nearly 75% of the state is covered by forests and the hills challenged our air brakes... we were relieved to see that they work:)  And logging trucks everywhere!

West Virginia is also the only state in the Union to have acquired it's sovereignty by proclamation of the President of the United States.  It separated from the confederate state of Virginia and was admitted to the Union as a new state in 1863 by President Lincoln.  Most importantly, though, it is where Mother's Day was first observed:)

We had to enjoy the beauty here, so we decided to start with some hiking.  We went to Seneca Rocks in the Monongahela National Forest... the only place we actually saw visible rock as the rest of the mountains are covered by forest.  We hiked a gradual 1,000 feet up to the rock overlooking gorgeous views, through a stream and then to some beautiful water falls.  We especially loved this photo of the rocks at the entrance...it made the tiny caterpillar crawling on the photo look like a giant:)

We worked up an appetite hiking and discovered a super-cute restaurant on our way home.  The Golden Anchor served delicious seafood and offered an amazing mountain view.  We sat on the patio despite the surprise rain shower, but then were so blessed to see the stunning rainbow, right in the mountains!

Alayna's all-time favorite food!

Another favorite view was from our campsite in Flatwoods, WV.  

I love getting up early for some quiet time & blogging...especially when my view is like this...

We visited the state capitol in Charleston.  We took a self-guided tour visiting the house, senate, and architectural features throughout the building.  We even ran into the Senate Clerk who invited us into his office for a chat.

We love experiencing the local foods & activities in each state and knew we couldn't leave without white water rafting!  We traveled to the New River where we rafted class II to class V rapids, ending at the enormous New River Gorge Bridge... the 2nd highest steel arch bridge in the U.S. and the longest steel arch bridge (1,700 ft) in the world.  Every October, West Virginians celebrate Bridge Day.  The roads close and individuals parachute 876 feet off the bridge attracting over 100,000 people each year.  Wouldn't that be fun to watch!

Natalie jumping off the 20 foot rock into the New River.

Harpers Ferry was our final stop in West Virginia, though because of location we waited to visit until we settled at our campground in Gettysburg during our week in Pennsylvania.  Harpers Ferry is best remembered as the site of John Brown's ill-fated slave rebellion in 1859.  With a heart heavy to free the slaves, Brown and a group of 21 men (including three of his sons and five free African Americans) tried to seize 100,000 rifles & pistols at the U.S. Armory.  Thirty-six hours after the raid began, with most of his men killed or wounded, Brown was captured when the U.S. Marines (led by Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee) stormed the building.  

Brown was captured in this armory fire engine house, now known as John Brown's Fort.

His trial and ultimate hanging on December 2, 1859 focused the nation's attention on the moral issue of slavery and headed the country toward civil war.

John Brown said nothing on the gallows, but handed a note containing these words to a guard:  "I, John Brown am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood."  The outbreak of the Civil War was only 1 1/2 years later. 

These pieces of scaffold are believed to be remnants from the gallows on which John Brown was hanged.

With only an afternoon in this quaint, historic town, we were limited to visiting the John Brown Museum & Fort and enjoying beautiful views of the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.  We could have used a full day here.

While away, the girls love using skype to keep in touch with their friends.  This week we received a skype from a MUCH missed member of our family...

Lucy!  She was totally confused as the girls called out her name (and actually more interested in the popcorn our Aunt was making at the time), but it comforted us to see her:)

Ten down, forty to go!