Mountain Hoppin' with Plenty o' Stoppin'

A tunnel on I-77 at the Virginia-West Virginia border shouldn’t be navigated heading north at the break of dawn! This was especially risky for me after living the previous year in Florida. Into the tunnel, I wasn’t aware of first light, had followed a fog truck through Virginia. Instantaneously, I emerged into the most magnificent misty daylight I’ve ever seen.

The interstate was the highest point in the terrain, and I was in the passing lane looking down on a soaring eagle. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of birds were celebrating the dawn with a huge racket way below, and as far as I could see from my heavenly highway, emerald glistened through the mist with diamond dew.

The scene was overwhelming; I had to get out of the passing lane--and off the road. Tears welling up stupefied me! I hadn’t cried since Salieri in Amadeus asked God, "If you couldn’t give me the talent, why give me the desire?" Okay, I cry at odd times--call them "glimpses into pure inspiration" if you want to be kind. I’m not normal, but neither is the majesty of southern West Virginia! One can’t compare to it the panhandles, Ohio Valley, or northern slice of the state. The exact location of "almost Heaven" is below a slanted line through Charleston and Elkins. This first trip back to the southern portion to explore, we aimed for the intersection of two interstates, Beckley, a base from which to discover state parks, the National River, history, and resorts.

Quick Tips:

If you’re driving south on Route 19, don’t pass up the Visitors’ Center at New River Bridge. For rafters, weather statistics and water levels for various points along the National River are posted. Outfitters are next to the center and all along the highway into Beckley. There are also exhibits, views, and walks.

Don’t throw away those invitations for free nights at Glade Springs Village. Management is very accomodating, and the resort isn’t far from Beckley and all area attractions.

Do observe speed limits, as troopers here are notorious. They will ticket you for a few miles over the limit--or even stop you for "failure to dim your lights on a bridge." (I know.) These great highways are "cash cows" for many small towns feeling growing pains.

Best Way To Get Around:

I-64 and I-77 intersect at Beckley. I-79, combined with US 19 will get you there from Pennsylvania. Canadians on their way to Florida have used Route 19 for decades, even before the highway was rebuilt. From I-79 near Sutton, it runs due south to Beckley, cutting an hour or two off the I-79 to I-77 route through Charleston. It’s an all-new section through white-water country with varying speed limits up to 65 mph. And, it’s where you’ll find the longest arch-span bridge in the Western Hemisphere, the second highest bridge in America.

Glade Springs is not a timeshare resort. It’s a new gated residential community still being built by Cooper Land Development with new lakes, roads, building lots, and the brand new Stonehaven Golf Course, already the rave of golf magazines. A part of this 4,100-acre tract was once a smaller rental resort, so Glade Springs still rents suites, villas, and houses as a hotel.

A vehicle is necessary not only to get there, but also to get to rentals. Our presidential suite in building Washington is 2.1 miles from check-in. We followed the map the desk had given us and circled Mallard Lake and the hill to the Convention Center. From our suite, we could walk or bicycle to clubhouse, heated pool, equestrian center, spa, and Roberts, open from breakfast for fine dining and lounge. I-64 is 5 miles north--2.1 of that is to the gate! Sister resort Winterplace is 8 miles south. Once situated, we relaxed for 4 days.

Our suite was quiet! Our second-floor porch was deep, so rain couldn’t reach us sitting there. Mornings, I was well-rested in my Glade Springs’ robe enjoying coffee on the porch with nothing on my mind beyond what the cats in the yard here were after. The bedroom, too, was relaxing with triple windows faced with plantings of purple-leaved plum and other trees that shielded the view. I could lie on the king bed with curtains open and watch squirrels scampering across the branches in front of me. Walking outside, I talked to a deer so tame she didn’t run away at first. What a change from our last trip--Paris! This time, we went home rested.

I got used to golf pictures in the living room. Our furniture looked like Pennsylvania House, Sheraton styling in two-tone wood. The sofa in the living room opened into a bed for extra guests. Our suite had everything we needed: two televisions, three phones, iron, coffeepot, coffee and tea, extra towels, clock radio, personal items, and ice bucket. A little icehouse in the parking lot had soda and ice machines. We had no kitchen.

Second morning, we took the required (for non-paying guests) "tour" of the property. Our salesperson Sarah made a list of property prices (lakefront, golf front, woods, etc.) and showed us the house she is building and others of differing values from $200, 000 to a million. Wooded lots start at $25,000 with utilities; lakefront is $160,000. One can build his own home or hire any builder. The investment looked and sounded reasonable all around. As I understand, a $6,500 lifetime membership for golf club and spa is included in property prices. This is as far north as Cooper will ever go to develop land, so that prices stay low for themselves and customers. The presentation and tour lasted less than 2 hours and was enjoyable, laid-back, and informative. For this, we received 3 free nights worth $600. I was glad I hadn’t thrown away the invitation this year!

Anyone with doubts about how much fun this tour might be should rest assured. Our expert guide was a comedian, and nothing presented danger. Besides, the folders hardly tell the truth about the depth or temperature of this tour. We did not descend 500 feet into the earth, but only rode straight into the mountain, which rose 180 feet above us. Parents held babies on their laps, and we were the only people in our cart to follow suggestions and bring jackets. (My lightweight leather was too heavy.) Furthermore, drips from the roof may spot, so a cover-up old sweatshirt would be appropriate. If the weather has been dry, so might the roof be. If you still have doubts, check the website: Beckley Mine.

Now for fun! Most folks know that early miners took canaries down with them to warn of methane gas buildup. Charlie, our guide, knew more: men bought canaries from the Company Store, of course, at a cost of 75-cents in an era when that figure amounted to a half-day's salary. Wanting to save, some miners used chickens. Only problem was that chickens can tolerate more methane than humans, so in Charlies’s words, "When humans keeled over, the chicken knew it was time to get out!" Other stories presented workers as "inventive losers," who missed out on millions by neglecting to get patents.

Once he had our attention, Charlie demonstrated by installing different types of roof bolts. The best one utilized a glue made by Dupont, an item everyone wanted to buy at the Company Store! (Anything that held up four feet of stone could be useful at home.) We saw demonstrations with chest augers, scooters, dust-catchers (for lack of a better word), loaders, imaginary explosives, and antique helmet lights--now valuable. Nothing required us to get out of our carts on rails. Only Charlie had to walk on the sometimes wet floor while we watched from our Epcot-style vantage-point, padded seats. As we learned the entire historic process of extracting a seam of coal, we asked questions. Yes, children worked in early mines, mostly to lead mules, blind from being left underground 24 hours a day. Most of what we heard about sociological issues confirmed that the industry’s abuses paralleled those of English coalfields described by D. H. Lawrence.

This tour brought us to the 1930’s. The mine, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, actually operated from 1890-1916 with no name but "the Phillips family mine." Some of the equipment demonstrated would not have been invented yet at the time of this mine’s operation, but was added to extend the historic process to the beginning of the modern era. Typical of low-seam family operations at the turn of the century, this attraction, owned by the city of Beckley since 1953, is an important heritage site. Its location under Beckley’s New River Park is marked with signs from I-77 Exit 44, Harper Road. Tours are conducted April through October.

Tamarack is such a great success for West Virginia that other states want a similar center, and for a fee the organizers will help them create their own. The first of its kind, the facility for exhibit and sale of "Mountain State" arts and crafts is the brainchild of former governor Gaston Caperton. It’s a giant state market of juried one-of-a-kind items and more. A museum displays pottery and sculpture, and there is a conference center and theater with live performances, music and cultural films.

Across from a travel plaza on I-77 near its intersection with I-64 at Beckley, Tamarack is a "must stop." Signs announce its approach 30-40 miles out. The round red roof of "mountain peaks" is distinctive. We have friends who exhibit there, so we stayed long enough to find their goods, a goal which necessitated circumnavigating the ring-shaped building twice. Resting by the exit after our first round, we heard reinforcement for our own incredulity: "Can you believe those prices?"

I’m not one to begrudge an artisan’s "just do" and expect to pay triple for "handmade." Still, I was shocked. Turning to small clothing items was no help either, as a shawl for $130 was woven with acrylic fiber. Other tags revealed "polyester." I had thought an unwritten law forbid artificial fabrics and "handmade" from marrying in any state!

I had to find two $10 gifts and succeeded in the foods and dried flowers sections. There are also candles, leather, jewelry, stained glass, rustic furniture, quilts (some $1,400), metal sculptures, paintings on slate, and more. I admired pottery, Fenton art glass, and etched crystal, huge displays each. Aside from Fenton Factory Outlet near Parkersburg, this may be the place to buy that name, as the selection is large. Most other items are made by independent craftspeople.

My favorite department is Food Court--no ordinary one, but a cafeteria sectioned into deli, grill, and bakery, all run by Greenbrier, recognized for decades as best gourmet restaurant in the state. Fried green tomato sandwiches, WV rainbow trout, Greenbrier peaches, and spicy chili are specialties. My catfish sandwich was good, but . . . breaded. Again, the marriage astounded me! (Grill-gourmet-breaded?) The bakery presented none of this incongruity. (I must eventually sample every item.) This time, I passed bread pudding with cinnamon sauce, several nut and "chess" pies, and cheese cakes for key lime pie. Jimmy Buffet, eat your heart out! I didn’t find it this good in the keys and will remember it as best ever, deliciously tart and authentic.

Circling back to the exit, I smiled at "Grandma" in the swing while bug sculptures nodded their heads and tails. We could see a potter and other artisans hard at work in their glass-fronted studios. Tamarack is referred to as "the best of West Virginia." I have to agree that it is the best rest stop along the most amazing superhighway any state offers. Famous for scenic overlooks and outdoor sports, southern West Virginia has another traffic-stopper: Tamarack.

New River Gorge Bridge, Route 19 north of Beckley at Fayetteville, is 876 feet high, the second highest bridge in America. An illustrated diagram at the Visitors’ Center impresses us with the magnitude of this figure: two Statue(s) of Liberty are stacked one on the other and both of them on top of the Washington Monument. All three fit under the bridge with 20 feet to spare! Many informative displays, both inside and out, tell the story of this spectacular feat of engineering. Even more important, their presence is testimony to the incredible public interest generated by the state’s most famous bridge, overshadowed only by the National River that builds beneath its rusty Cor-ten steel arch.

Construction was finished in 1977 after 4 years, and then it was the longest single arch span in the world. Now it’s only the longest in the Western Hemisphere. Why so much enthusiasm still? It might as well be the Pittsburgh Steelers! Built by American Bridge Division, U. S. Steel, a Pittsburgh company, the giant is a monument to what "local" boys can do. Likewise, The Visitors’ Center is a monument to what U. S. Senator Robert C. Byrd can do--and says so! A plaque expresses our "indebtedness" to Byrd for his support of the state of West Virginia and New River Gorge National River, a support which "contributed greatly to the completion of this and other park facilities." As I said before, Byrd made sure our highways were the best to bring traffic through the state, and his second focus has been to get folks to stop--and spend money.

I’m happy to report to the Senator that the Visitors’ Center was well-used this Friday morning. Teens in the lobby were intently watching the video on construction of the bridge. Several people were studying in the museum (left off lobby) with displays on the state’s logging, railroad, coal, and other industries. Many commented, "Nice museum!"

Everyone shot a photo of the gorge from the lobby or porch. The wildflower display was consulted by those energetic enough to attempt trails, and even the elderly were huffing back up 161 boardwalk steps from the lower outlook--they told me I "just have to go down" for a closer look at the bridge. I had an excuse: "Been there"--years before. I stop here because I love sunny mountaintops, and the gorge after rain makes me love them more. The higher boardwalk provides photo ops (shown here with zoom) without steps.

Sometimes the bridge sports a rainbow; other times, a fierce storm may cause you to pause a long while. (Then you can read how engineers dealt with mine tunnels on the hillside, where the bridge is supported.) Third Saturdays of October, a quarter-million people attend Bridge Day, when hundreds of parachutists from around the world jump.

Other nearby Visitors’ Centers have information on the gorge and National River. One is at Grandview Park. All close at dark (5:00 off-season). Picnic facilities are still open.

Grandview used to be one of West Virginia’s most popular state parks. Now it is part of the New River Gorge National River system of parks and visitors’ centers where people can learn about the national river. The park’s most visited attraction is the main overlook with stunning view of river and gorge, but much more is here: Grandview Visitors’ Center, one of 4 in the national river system hosting education on New River Gorge; Cliffside Amphitheater, where historic dramas Honey in the Rock and Hatfields and McCoys are presented all summer starting in June; five hiking trails, rated for difficulty, through enchanting mountain forest; and picnic areas on a sunny mountaintop--or in shade. The park is famous for its generous growth of rhododendron, now in bloom all around the parking area.

As with the Visitors’ Center at New River Bridge, don’t underestimate the power of this actual "attraction": Grandview Visitors’ Center. Like the other three in the national area, it is a valuable source of information on the history and geography defined by New River Gorge. (Did you know that this "new" river is older than the Appalachian Mountains themselves? Geologists love this gorge!) The area extends from north of Fayetteville to Hinton in the south, and anyone with time here should plan to visit all four Information Centers: Canyon Rim (at the bridge on Route 19), Thurmond Depot (and the designated historic district where the railroad boomtown once existed), Grandview, and Sandstone Centers. For an 8-stop itinerary, see New River Auto Tour. All are supposed to close at dark--perhaps after Memorial Day, but we found them all closed at 5:00 in mid-May.

I believe there is a second lookout we didn’t visit, but the main one is an eye-popper. Seven mountains create a stupendous panoramic view. A few feet from the main lookout are two trailheads: Tunnels (.4 mi.) and Castle Rock (.5 mi.). To hike (or "climb" is more accurate) Castle Rock, one must be a minimum age, and I forget what it is. Unsure footing is the issue, so anyone with children should probably check with information. The two short trails we walked were enchanting--I’m sure this is the domain of elfin fairies! Interesting rock formations decorate the forest floor and make it unsuitable for bicyclers--we left ours on the car at Grandview. Driving back to I-64 via Route 9, we saw signs to "Share the Road" with bicyclers. This 6-mile stretch follows a ridge that would be good for bikes, but the trails on top of the mountain may be too strewn with rocks. The longest trail is only about 2 miles. Longer trails for bicyclers are nearby, so check at the Visitors’ Center or here.

Our tour of Beckley’s Exhibition Coal Mine lasted an hour, but we spent longer at the museums in the "Company Store" and the rest of the "camp" moved here piece-by-piece from other locations. Our ticket for the mine admitted us to museums. This site is probably within the Beckley city limits today, and their promotional literature touts Beckley as "the city with a mine of its own." That ought to "stick"! But even that epithet doesn’t convey the dignity with which this city presents a difficult heritage involving racism and injustice.

Every miner was a "victim" of the company, and that is addressed underground and in Company Store museums. Particular injustices to black miners are evidenced by the two-room schoolhouse moved here from Helen, WV. Helen is located "up a hollow called Berry Branch," and the coal company built the school there (1925) for the children of black miners. Some of these men were convicts forced to work without pay. (One must wonder how much back-scratching worked this deal!) Even after serving their sentences, they were paid only half white miners’ salaries! We learned this and more from the black attendant, and this is why I like this site. The schoolhouse, superintendent’s home, and miner’s house have guides who talk and demonstrate whatever they can. The schoolhouse is also a virtual museum of antique schoolbooks. I didn’t find my Jim and Judy first-grade reader, but McGuffey is on hand.

In the superintendent’s house, two guides showed us the stove and refrigerator. The stove uses coal, of course, and a compartment holds hot water. We had questions about dinner services displayed in kitchen and diningroom, and these were answered. The house was built in 1906 by Samuel Dixon, a coal baron who envisioned a "beautiful," ideal coal town in Skelton, WV, named after the town where he was born in England. The city of Beckley dismantled the house in Skelton and moved it here, and the piece-by-piece reassembly took three years. Sociological issues weren’t really addressed by the guides at this house, but they didn’t need to be. All one has to do is to walk from the "super’s" to the laborer’s, and the differences in lifestyles are apparent.

First thing I noticed in the miner’s house was the picture of John L. Lewis on the wall. Two pictures of FDR also decorate the livingroom. These people had "heroes" they depended on for a better life! They had no power to scratch backs! Floors are linoleum, and the furniture is mostly 1930’s. Dinner service is surprisingly Wedgewood, just like the super’s. (I remembered that even my poor grandma had good dinner service and good Sunday dresses.) The town seemed authentic.

We visited the church--no attendant there--and a one-room shanty where a bachelor miner lived or itinerant miners staying for the week and commuting home on weekends. It was a pleasant afternoon, a history lesson, a touch of nostalgia. It’s world-heritage material, American-style--without the designation.