For years now, I have traveled across the Allegheny Mountains to visit my parents. Whether it was flying in from the Gulf Coast and then crossing the hills or traveling from our home in Maryland, we've had a long, focused drive to get there. There was beautiful scenery and interesting things to see and do along the way, but because spending time with my parents was always more important than taking time out to see the sights we pressed forward without much stopping. But this year is different. With no more on our agenda than a family reunion on Saturday, Ward and I are going to traverse the state and see some of those things we have wanted to see for years now. And maybe find somethings to see that we didn't know about.
Day Seven:
Chips, Cataracts, and Cats
We decided that even though we had been enjoying this trip, it was time to go home today.
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| We couldn't leave West Virginia without getting a bag of Mr. Bee potato chips, the only potato chip made in WV. They are made in Parkersburg which was the 1st part of our trip. |
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| We had about a five hour drive back, so we decided we would stop along the way at Swallow Falls State Park in Maryland and take a hike. On the map it seemed just a little out of our way. But it seemed a lot our of the way as the GPS took us on miles and miles of dirt roads to get there. Earlier in the week, we had been happy to explore several places on back roads, but when you are starting to think about getting home, they can be annoying after an hour or so. But we eventually found the back entrance to the park. |
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| The park had a loop hike that went past four different falls on the Youghiogheny River. The water levels were very low so the falls were much smaller than normal but they were pretty all the same. |
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| On the way out, we finally found the front entrance to the park. |
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| We are home now and the car is unloaded, but much of our stuff will have to wait until tomorrow to get sorted and put away. The cats are demanding that we pay attention to them. Even though Theo took good care of them, they have missed our laps. Until next time... |
Hi live and learn,
ReplyDeleteI have said that to my kids since they were little whenever we are driving into our driveway -- home again, home again, jiggity jig. My mom always recited the whole rhyme to us, so it stuck with me. I can't believe someone else would still say that. So, you put a smile on my face!
Isn't that just the way it works out. You find what you needed to begin with only after you've struggled without it and gotten through an entire round about process. Enjoy a good night's sleep in your own bed! Thanks for sharing your trip.
I'm happy is you got a smile from the rhyme. I don't have a fun history with it like you do. I just like to say it.
DeleteBeing home certainly feels good. However after sleeping on some pretty nice hotel beds, and then sleeping on ours, I think we need a new mattress.
I must be related to both of you. My mom still says "home again .... " but she ends it with "trottety-tra". Don't know why she does that, but it's good to know mine isn't the only family who says quirky things like that!
DeleteL&L, we are (impatiently) awaiting the arrival of our new mattress! I had been thinking about getting a new one for awhile and then after our vacation in August, I told my hubby that it wasn't a good sign when I preferred sleeping in the motel beds rather than ours.
I want to reach through the screen and pet your cats! I'm sure they are happy to have you home again. I hope you are feeling mentally rejuvenated after your trip (I'm sure that physically, you are pretty tired!).
I mentioned the new mattress to my husband and he said he liked the one at home better. I guess we will need some more discussion.
DeleteHello June! I'm still reading your blog from time to time even though I haven't been commenting. I always enjoy your musings, even when you think they're boring, they never are.
ReplyDeleteI have very much enjoyed your WV trip as I was, at the same time very coincidentally, conducting genealogical research into Greg's WV ancestors and several of the places you referred to also featured prominently in his family history! For instance, the day I read your post that mentioned the Battle of Droop Mountain, I had just researched some of his relatives who had fought there (one of his great grand uncles among them).
Then you mentioned the lunatic asylum at Weston and I had just learned, a couple of days prior, that the husband of one of his 2nd cousins had been the director there after the Civil War and a couple more relations had been on the Board of Directors at various times!
And plenty of relatives lived and died in Parkersburg. I would be funny to find out that you're distant kin :)
I chuckled at your husband enjoying the dams so much since Greg loves dams too.
Thanks for all the photos I enjoyed them and your informative posts very much. You got a much better picture of the West Virginia state sign than I did, hahaha.
I really want to visit more of WV, it's a beautiful state. I finally got to see a tiny little bit of it a couple of months ago, as we passed through Harper's Ferry on our way to Sharpsburg and Gettysburg, but we do plan on going back and visiting the various places where Greg's family lived, which was mostly the Parkersburg, Buckhannon and Sistersville area for the closest relatives. And then the dams too, I suppose :)
Glad the kitties are getting their lap time again, they definitely missed you! Funny how cats all look the same from the top up, your two kitties are doppelgangers of my tabbies!
Take care.
Oh and what did you mean about "cataracts"? I didn't see that mentioned in your post.
DeleteYou may not have studied this when you learned English. Cataract is another name for waterfalls.
DeleteSo happy to hear from you again. I was just thinking about you the other day.
Nathalie, Send me a separate email with some of the sir names from your husband's family. I have family history in most of the areas you mentioned. My sister has done some genealogy and there may be some connections.
DeleteI just checked and "cataracte" is also an archaic French word for a difference of level in 2 water bodies (or something like that) so I should have known better! It's just that I was told that Male Cat has the beginnings of cataracts and then I saw your picture of the cats and you had cataracts in your title and I thought you'd gotten bad news. So happy that wasn't the case!
DeleteI can't find your email address anywhere, sorry! Can you shoot me a quick line at imperfectlynathalie at gmail and I'll share some family names?
I'm sending the email now.
DeleteMust be nice to be home. Whenever I go on road trips, I’m always so happy when I see familiarities on the outskirts of the city.
ReplyDeleteIt's always nice to come home after being away and this time was no exception.
DeleteI really like the photo of the road through the woods. Looks so peaceful and .pretty. I'm glad to hear that you are home again, safely. I, too, often recite the "home again, home again, jiggety jig" rhyme when I pull into the garage! :)
ReplyDeleteWe were on a lot of beautiful country roads lined with colorful trees glittering in the sun. This one was very peaceful. We never saw another car which had us questioning a bit as to whether we were on the right route.
DeleteWhat a grand trip. The falls are beautiful but the cats anxiously awaiting your arrival home, then wanting your warm secure familiar laps is priceless.
ReplyDeleteWe've been meowed at a lot today because I haven't been sitting on the couch all the time for Annie, my cat. Some of time, I had things to do and she didn't like it. Our other cat, Leo, wanted to held on our shoulder all the time or sitting my husbands lap. We all enjoyed it immensely.
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