Out and About in the Bitter Cold

Ward and I decided to get away this past weekend to celebrate our anniversary.  After several ideas, we decided to visit Cacapon State Park in West Virginia. Here's a few pictures from our trip.



There wasn't much snow on the roads, but it was sticking because of the low temperatures and what wasn't sticking was drifting making driving iffy. But it was pretty all the same.
_________________________________________________________________________________

There are lots of things to do at Cacapon--if the weather is good. While we were there, the temps were in the single digits with winds 20-30 mph. Besides the obvious closed warm-weather activities, most of the trails and some of the roads were closed.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Luckily, we were staying in the nice, warm lodge. It was full of friendly people, and as an added bonus, Ward got to work on a couple of jigsaw puzzles that were set up in front of the fire place in the lounge.
_________________________________________________________________________________

We also visited the nature center where we attended a program about the CCC (Civil Conservation Corps) in West Virginia. There was a CCC camp located where the nature center is today and the CCC built much of the original park. We got to ask all the questions we wanted because we were the only ones there.
_________________________________________________________________________________

This is the original lodge in the park that the CCC built. Today it is rented out to large groups.
_________________________________________________________________________________

The next day we explored the area. This was our first stop. It was cold here. Bitterly cold with fierce winds. I only lasted a minute or two outside the car. Not much longer than it took to snap this picture.
________________________________________________________________________________

We drove by this castle, in Berkeley Springs, WV, which was finished in 1891. It was built by Col. Suit for his young bride. It has been auctioned off in bankruptcy twice since then and has served as many things including a museum. In 2002, it was bought by Andrew Gosline for his personal residence. He has to keep his doors locked and the gate closed or people just wander in thinking it's still open to the public.
________________________________________________________________________________

The area is most famous for its warm springs. The springs are one reason the castle was built here.
_________________________________________________________________________________

I dipped my freezing fingers into the warm water from the springs. Boy, did it feel good. However, as soon as I took them out, they were frozen again. Literally. The water froze almost instantly in the cold air.
_________________________________________________________________________________

The next day, we visited the Belle Boyd house. According to our guide above, Belle was quite a character. Not only was she a Civil War spy, she was also a stage actress. Once again, we were the only ones there, so we got to ask all of the questions we wanted.
______________________________________________________________________________


We came home to three noisy cats and Theo who was taking care of them. Now it's time to prepare for the snow and ice storm that starts tonight.