WV Trip, Travel Day

Ward and I just returned from a five-day trip to West Virginia. As most of you know, that is where I grew up and where many of my relatives still live. Returning to West Virginia and places from my childhood gives me a special feeling of familiarity and belonging. I haven't lived in WV since I finished college, but it is still home. I think that happens with most people, but West Virginians may have an even deeper connection to their roots. It's like we find the hills and the backroads and all is right with the world. 

I don't go back as often since my parents passed away, but we usually make it there once a year or so for a family reunion, or unfortunately, a funeral. Those trips are hurried and exhausting. So, I decided that I wanted to visit with no particular agenda and for more than a day or two. I made that happen this week.

The drive to our destination takes about 5-6 hours, and we were in no hurry, unlike some other times. The halfway point is around Morgantown, WV, home of my alma mater, West Virginia University. Most of the time our stop here is a quick one for gas and a bathroom. This time, I wanted to see the trail that has been developed along the Monongahela River in the middle of town. 

It had been raining most of the trip, but cleared up just as we reached Morgantown, so we took our chances and left our rain jackets in the car. The first part of the trail is a park, and the later part is a rail trail. Here are a few things we saw on our walk.

The trail starts out with a bridge over Deckers Creek, which joins the Monongahela at this point. 

Along the bridge, we saw a new-to-us Princess tree. Apparently, it is invasive and host to the dreaded spotted lantern fly. But it was impressive to see.

There is a 1,500-seat amphitheater facing the river where they have a free concert every Friday night during the summer.

Some of the old buildings along the river have been repurposed, and some have not.

However, the WVU women's rowing team has a new building.

Inspiring words for the day: "Those who keep trying cannot be defeated."

The "Singing Tree of Diversity" art.

Over three hundred people made leaves for the tree, and they are supposed to represent that the strength of a community is derived from its diversity.

More inspirational signage.

and there were gardens along the way.

After our walk, we headed for our next destination--the Don Knotts statue. Don is from Morgantown. I love the nod to his character, Barney, with the hat.

On our way to see Barney, we spotted another fun mural.

Then it was back to the highway for some serious driving, reaching our destination by late afternoon, just when we planned.

This post is already longer than I had intended, so I'll pick back up on the next post.

Until next time...

Happy West Virginia Day

 Today, we celebrate the day West Virginia became a state on June 20, 1863. As most of you know, I grew up in West Virginia--a fact that I'm very proud of. West Virginia is not large in either size or population, so not many people know much about it. Or they only "know" what they've seen on TV or in the movies. Let me see if I can give a brief summary of what West Virginia is like.

Like most other places, West Virginia has many different kinds of people and ways of life-- especially since our two panhandles reach far into other areas. Go to the northern part of the state, and it is like the Northeast. Go to the far eastern part of the state and you'll identify with Washington, D. C. Take a trip to the southern reaches, and you are definitely in the South. And when you're in the far west, you are in the Midwest. If you grew up in the middle part of the state, like I did, you can choose whatever you want to identify with because there are bits of everything.

Also, like most other places, there are rich people and there are poor people. There are well-educated people, and there are poorly-educated people. There are people who like grits and ramps and others who don't like them at all (that would be me). But I'd say that almost everyone likes biscuits.

Besides biscuits, there are other things that bind the state together. People here have a connection to the land. This is where they hunt and fish, and where they grow their vegetables and graze their cows or goats. They appreciate things from the past, such as quilting and dulcimer playing. They also appreciate the beauty around them. Whether it is hilly terrain of hills and hollows (hollers) or long mountain ridges with long stream valleys, it's all very scenic. The people of West Virginia are a very resilient group of people. Life has not always been easy for many people here, but they find a way to keep going.

But the thing that strikes me the most about West Virginia is the friendliness of the people. I have found friendly people everywhere I lived, but not always the comfortable friendliness that I have experienced with the people of West Virginia. I hadn't realized this until a young Theo asked me a question one day as we were traveling back to visit his grandparents. He said, "What makes everyone so friendly where Grandad and Grandma live? It's different from where we live." I started to notice that he was correct.

So there you have it. I have just summarized 24,230 square miles of land, 1.77 million people and over 150 years of the history of West Virginia in just a few paragraphs. Maybe another time, I'll tell you more.

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But wait, there's more:

Want to learn some interesting facts and trivia about West Virginia? Visit here.

Until next time...

She said, He said it better.

Dolly Sods, WV

I don't know if you've paid attention, but Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia had been in the news a lot for the past several months. He is a moderate Democrat who sometimes agrees with President Biden and sometimes does not. This is frustrating to some. Obviously, it was to Bette Midler when she tweeted her disdain for him.  She is entitled to her opinion and feelings, as everyone is, but what I and many others had a problem with is she included the entire state of West Virginia in the derogatory remark. 

Below is an opinion piece written by Stephen Baldwin and published in the Charleston Gazette-Mail newspaper about the Bette Midler tweet. 

As you know, this is not a political blog. Not at all. But I wanted to share an example of someone taking the high road because that is not the way many do business these days. (Or at least according to the news.)

____________

Stephen Baldwin: Bless your heart, Bette Midler

By Stephen Baldwin, Dec 29, 2021

On Dec. 20, singer and actress Bette Midler tweeted, “What #JoeManchin, who represents a population smaller than Brooklyn, has done to the rest of America, who wants to move forward, not backward, like his state, is horrible. He sold us out. He wants us all to be just like his state, West Virginia. Poor, illiterate and strung out.”

When I read that, I just shook my head and muttered, “Bless your heart, Bette Midler.”

I felt sorry for her, because she obviously never kayaked the Greenbrier River. She never watched the sun rise over Dolly Sods. She never heard Bill Withers belt out “Lean On Me” at church on Sunday morning. She never experienced the hospitality of a West Virginian who would literally give anyone the shirt off their back and the food on their plate if they came through town needing help.

I’m a lifelong West Virginian, and we’ve heard the jokes our whole lives. Jokes about dental care, substance abuse and statehood. One time, this country boy checked into a hotel in the big city. I presented my driver’s license for proof of identity. The clerk said, “Oh, you’re from the western part of Virginia?” “No ma’am, I’m from West Virginia.” She replied, “I didn’t know it was a separate state.”

“Yes ma’am,” I replied, “We’ve been the keepers of God’s country since 1863.”

Contrary to Midler’s short-sighted tweet, we hold a long history of substantive contribution to American

democracy that has helped move the country forward.

West Virginia is the home of Katherine Johnson, who was such a brilliant mathematician that her colleagues at NASA — especially astronaut John Glenn — trusted her more than their advanced computers.

West Virginia is the home of Woody Williams, who is America’s oldest living Medal of Honor recipient.

West Virginia is the home of James Rumsey, inventor of the steamboat.

West Virginia is the home of Booker T. Washington, who was born into slavery and yet became one of the leading American intellectuals of the 19th century.

West Virginia is the home of Chuck Yeager, who was the first human being to break the sound barrier.

West Virginia is the home of Pearl S. Buck, who remains one of America’s greatest authors.

Despite this rich history, do we struggle? Yes. One-quarter of our children live in poverty. Our overdose rate is the highest in the nation. Our greatest export is our high school students — they graduate and leave. As a pastor and state senator, these are the issues I spend every day working to overcome alongside my fellow mountaineers. 

Honestly, we could use Midler’s help, rather than her judgment. She’s a wealthy, well-known professional. Condée Nast recently named West Virginia one of the best travel destinations for 2022. I invite Midler to come visit West Virginia.

When Anthony Bourdain, God rest his soul, visited us in 2018, he said, “Here, in the heart of every belief system I’ve mocked or fought against, I was welcomed with open arms by everybody.” As a fellow New Yorker, I think Midler will find the same thing. We will welcome her with open arms. Apology accepted.

Yet, the nation remains divided — along partisan, cultural and geographic lines, as this incident exposed. What can we do about it? Hear me out. Rural America is often criticized for being out of touch with the modern world. I think the modern world is out of touch with the real America. The real America is a land of contrasts — big and small, rich and poor, black and white, young and old, city and

country. Most people spend time in both worlds, and most of us see the value in both worlds. The truth is that we need each other. America is not America without the country and the city. The country pastor and the city actress.

So, bless her heart. Seriously. I wish Midler all the best and God’s blessings this holiday season.

Let’s you and I do our part to heal this deep divide in America today. Come on down to West Virginia and see why it’s called “Almost Heaven.” We’ll save you a seat at our table.

West Virginia Senate Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin, D-Greenbrier, is pastor of the Ronceverte Presbyterian Church.

_______________________________________________________________________

 

The continuing story- 

After backlash, Ms. Midler tweeted this apology.

"I apologize to the good people of WVA for my last outburst. I’m just seeing red; #JoeManchin and his whole family are a criminal enterprise. Is he really the best WV has to offer its own citizens? Surely there’s someone there who has the state’s interests at heart, not his own!"

I have several things to say about her apology, but I'm not sure I can take the high road like Mr. Baldwin, so I won't comment. :)

Until next time...

More Sightseeing

Recently, Ward and I took a trip to western WV to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Most of it was spent enjoying the mountain scenery and trails, but we spent a little time also exploring man-made things. 

Here are a few more scenes from our recent trip.

On the way there, we stopped at Lonaconing Park in MD. The park was centered around a coal and iron furnace that was built in 1837. This is one of several furnaces in the area that is rich in iron ore and coal. BTW, this was the first furnace to use coke instead of coal for smelting.

Also, on display was this old coal mine car complete with the track.

And right on cue, a coal train went by. 

After one morning of cold hiking, we had a look around the nearby town of Thomas (population 550). This building greeted us as we entered the town.

Across the street was this carved Pegasus. 

We visited the local library. It was a small, but friendly space that served not only the community but the nearby school.  And yes, we did come home with a couple of books from their book sale. 

The first stop on the way home was a visit to the Fairfax Stone State Park.

There wasn't much to see, but I wanted to visit because I had heard about this surveyor's stone all of my life. The first one was laid in 1736. This replacement was erected here in 1901. The stone marks the boundary between West Virginia and Maryland and had been part of land disputes and court cases for many years.

We followed another road sign to this chapel which claimed to be the smallest chapel in the lower 48 states. The grounds and the inside of the chapel were very pretty.

On our way to our next planned destination, Cathedral State Park, I was intrigued by this old stone tavern. Unfortunately, it was a private residence, so I could only admire it from afar.

This trip proved once again that if you take the time to look around, there are always interesting things to see.  (Of course, "interesting" can have a very broad meaning depending on who defines it.)

Until next time...

Tuesday 4, Home Sweet Home

 Today's Tuesday 4 asks questions about where you grew up. Join me if you'd like.

An aerial view of my town when I lived there. You can see that the business part of the town was built in a valley but most of the people lived in the hills surrounding the downtown, including me.

What was your hometown like?   Or home state or both! I've talked here about my hometown and state many times. As most of you know, I grew up in a small town in West Virginia. My parents continued to live there until they passed away a few years ago, so I was able to keep up with the town and the people there. I haven't lived there full time since I was 18 years old, but I still get the weekly newspaper. So you might say, that I have a deep connection to where I grew up.

So what was it like? The town was the county seat of a county of about 14,000 and the town had about 3000 people. We had one stoplight in the middle of town, 3 grocery stores, and a movie theater (built in 1907 and one of the oldest continuously operating movie theaters in the country). The main employers were a state mental hospital and a plant that made hockey pucks and shoe soles.

While you might not know everyone, you knew most people, and things were done on a personal level.  One story I like to tell is that one summer I went to Girl Scout camp with a friend and after camp, another camper wrote a letter to me using my friend's address because she lost mine. However, the post office delivered it to my house. 

It was a town where my parents did most of their business by talking to people when they saw them instead of calling an office, and most local elections were determined by what people thought about the character of the person running rather than what they promised they would do.

My town was a place where you greeted everyone you met on the street. I lived in town and walked to school and most everywhere else. Friday night football games and Sunday church were a big part of the social life for many people including me. (I was a cheerleader, so I was at most of the sporting events by default.)  

Did you enjoy where you grew up?  Why? I did enjoy where I grew up because of the sense of community. It was also small enough to be able to get involved in many things. More than once, my parents told me that I had to cut back on my activities in both school and the community because they were taking up too much time. I would drop out of a couple things, but somehow a few months later, I'd be right back where I started. Luckily, I was able to keep up my grades and home responsibilities (Mostly. I won't say that I always completed everything on the worklist in the most timely manner but the important stuff got done.)

How much did where you grew up shape you? I was greatly influenced by where I grew up as I think most people are. I learned to value hard work and be genuinely friendly. I learned to appreciate the simpler things in life and the importance of being responsible for yourself. These were values not only present in my family but ones I saw around me.

What were some of the best and worst things about where you grew up? I think I've covered many of the good things, but one of the bad things about my county was the schools were not in great shape. At one point, money was misspent from a school bond issue and people had a long memory of that. No school bond issues passed the whole time I was in school and the top two floors of my high school were condemned. (Note: The pro votes were often over 50%, but they had to pass with 60% of the votes.) I had many classes in termite-infested portable buildings that another county got rid of. But it wasn't as bad as it sounds. They were just fine except in the spring when the bugs swarmed. Then we'd meet outside. However, I had some great teachers along the way and competed quite favorably with others in college who had gone to much more privileged schools.

This is a topic that is hard to cover in just a few paragraphs, but this will have to do for now because the cats are calling me.

Until next time...

And We're Off!

The group that started it all.
My father is the tallest one in the group.

 

This morning we begin another trip across the mountains to my family reunion in West Virginia. I'm up early waiting for Ward to join me so we can begin the loading the car. 

Besides visiting with family, we have two new-to-us parks we plan to visit. I'll share some of the details with you next week.

Until next time...

To There and Back Again, Part 2

Yesterday, I told you about the first part of my recent trip to West Virginia. Here is Part 2.

As you may remember, we visited Blackwater Falls on our way home.

We spent the night at the nearby Canaan Valley State Park lodge. 

The next morning we took the ski lift up to Bald Knob. This was a bit out of my comfort zone as I am afraid of heights.

After we got off of the chairlift, we had another mile to hike to get to the summit. The first part of the trail was in dappled sun.

I like these kind of forests--not much brush, but lots of moss and ferns.

As we got near the top, we went out of the trees and into an area that was covered with wild blueberries. Unfortunately, we didn't find many. However, the family with 7 kids who got there before us did find several containers full. 

The summit was at 4308 feet (1313 meters) and had great views of the valley and the mountains beyond.

Ward enjoyed the view, also.

On the way back down we saw a lot of butterflies on the sunny part of the trail, like this one.

And this one on the bear droppings.

And these two who were involved in some kind of mating dance.

We rode the chairlift again and Ward studied the engineering of the whole thing.

Then we got on the road to drive the rest of the way home. 

To There and Back Again

As I mentioned last time, I was recently in West Virginia visiting with my mother. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Although we drove through rain most of the way, were still able to make decent time--7 hours with stops.

It was still raining when we got there, so we spent a while outside with my mother just listening to and watching the rain. It was very pleasant and yet another thing that you don't think about missing until you realize it through someone else's perspective.

My mother's nursing home is on a hill surrounded by woods. There is a paved walking path outside that we took her on 2-3 times a day. We saw lots of birds, bunnies, deer, and this millipede. After seeing this creepy-crawly, I figured out the difference between a centipede and a millipede. Centipedes usually have one pair of legs attached to each segment. Millipedes usually have two pair of legs attached to each segment. If you look carefully at the picture, you will see two legs attached to each part. Sometimes of them are together and sometimes of them are apart 

Every time we go to visit my mother, we sort through some of the things in her house. This time I found old papers containing this Easter Card I made in 3rd grade. The interesting thing about all of this sorting is just when we think we have found all of something, we find more. Just like I thought I had already gone through all of my things and then found more of them this time.

We decided to take the back way home and make a few stops along the way. The main destination was Blackwater Falls. This is where Ward and I spent our honeymoon, so to speak. A better description would be this is where we spent our wedding night and was the first stop on our 3-day drive to New Orleans where we were going to live. Neither of us remember much about that time other than how tired we were. So we wanted to visit the falls when we had time to relax and enjoy them.

We also saw rhododendron in the woods. Rhododendron is native to West Virginia and became the state flower in 1903.

This is the base of a rhododendron and it brought back memories of geology field camp. There were huge thickets of rhododendron, so large that you couldn't find a way around them, so you had to go through them. However, the branches were just big enough that you couldn't bend them but big enough you couldn't break them making the traverse quite difficult. Oh, and to top it all off, there were usually greenbrier vines with thorns laced through out. Fun, fun.

There's the first part of the trip. Tomorrow, I'll show you the rest. Until then...

It's June 20th

Some day I really am going to write new content, but until then, here's another rerun. Today is West Virginia Day which I almost forgot about until Miss Landers reminded me this morning with the West Virginia state song. I was involved in another project last night and forgot all about today's significance. And since tomorrow won't be West Virginia Day and it's time for me to go to work, here's a blast from the past.

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Happy West Virginia Day!

Today we celebrate the day West Virginia became a state on June 20, 1863. As most of you know, I grew up in West Virginia--a fact that I'm very proud of. West Virginia is not large in either size or population, so not many people know much about it. Or they only "know" what they've seen on TV or in the movies. Let me see if I can give a brief summary of what West Virginia is like.


Like most other places, West Virginia has a many different kinds of people and ways of life-- especially since our two panhandles reach far into other areas. Go to the northern part of the state and it is like the Northeast. Go to the far eastern part of the state and you'll identify with Washington, D. C. Take a trip to the southern reaches, and you are definitely in the South. And when you're in the far west, you are in the Midwest. If you grew up in the middle part of the state, like I did, you can chose whatever you want to identify with because there are bits of everything.

Also, like most other places, there are rich people and there are poor people. There are well educated people and there are poorly educated people. There are people who like grits and ramps, and others who don't like them at all (that would be me). But I'd say that almost everyone likes biscuits.

Besides biscuits, there are other things that bind the state together. People here have a connection to the land. This is where they hunt and fish and where they grow their vegetables and graze their cows or goats. They also appreciate the beauty around them. Everywhere you turn there is a feast for your eyes. Whether it is hilly terrain of hills and hollows (hollers), or long mountain ridges with long stream valleys, it's all very scenic. They are also a very resilient group of people. Life has not always been easy for many people here, but they find a way to keep going.

But the thing that strikes me the most about West Virginia is the friendliness of the people. I have found friendly people everywhere I lived, but not always the comfortable friendliness that I have experienced with the people of West Virginia. I hadn't realized this until a young Theo asked me a question one day as we were traveling back to visit his grandparents. He said, "What makes everyone so friendly where Granddad and Grandma live? It's different from where we live." I started to notice, that he was correct.

So there you have it. I have just summarized 24,230 square miles of land, 1.85 million people, and over 150 years of history of West Virginia. Maybe another time, I'll tell you more.