West Virginia Road Trip: Charleston-1st Day

Goodbye Glamping World!

Glamping rule #1. BRING A FAN! There was an air conditioner in our room but I kept waking up due to being hot and not being able to find Travis.

Glamping Rule # 2. SLEEP IN THE SMALLER BED! Our glamping experience came with a king size bed which we are not used to. When I couldn’t feel Travis beside me, I would wake up worried he had gone outside to the bathroom and got eaten by a bear. Because yes, bears have been seen at our glamping site.

We were up, showered, packed and headed out by 7:30 on Day 2 of our West Virginia adventures. Deciding not to stop for breakfast, we headed into the fog toward the next stop of Huntington, WV. I ended up drying my glamping shower shoes on the dashboard…

LOOK OUT…..it’s Buc-ee’s!

Nug-ee’s & Nuggets for the Win!

This was the only unplanned stop of the day. 15 minutes and only spent $24 a record was set with being in and out! Orange cranberry muffin, an Alani-Nu, and a bag of Bold and Spicy Buc-ee Nug-ees for me. Coffee, Beaver Nuggets, and a Pecan Log for Travis.

Kentucky Blue Grass

Should you covet grass? We are going to have to retire to Kentucky so Travis can make these lines in the grass when he mows…and mows…and mows.

State Signs

Ok, so I have a compulsion to take pictures at the state line when I enter a new state. I’m not sure what I was doing when we entered Kentucky yesterday, but I did not get a picture. My husband is so sweet that when he realized I didn’t have a picture, he planned a quick u-turn at the state line. The u-turns got out of control and we hit 3 states (multiple times) in 17 minutes.

Ritter Park Rose Garden

Ritter Park in Huntington, WV was the first stop on Day 2 (May 24th). At peak from May to mid-June, there were more than 3,000 roses. They smelled amazing as we walked through.

Ritter Park has been voted one of the nation’s best rose gardens multiple times. We only stayed 30 minutes but I think we looked at almost every bush. Travis and I both voted the purple roses the prettiest.

Travis was about to bust a gut to give the man push mowing some advice… You can take the man off the mower, but not the urge to mow.

Blenko Glass Company

Second stop was Milton, WV at the Blenko Glass Company. We took a self-guided tour of the factory to watch how they used the heat, etc. to make each piece. Who knew there was a gatherer, blower, bit-boy, carry-in-boy, stick-up-boy, and a finisher. They have their art perfected and just twisted, turned, and moved like a well oiled machine with each other. They laughed and did their individual jobs that came together to make one piece. Travis was most amazed when they made a plate.

You can purchase seconds (imperfects) from the gift shop at a more reasonable price. At least for me it was better since I am not a glass fanatic or collector. I did purchase a few things but they had them all wrapped up before I thought to take a picture. I was more interested in how they used them in their garden. Travis said, “NO.”

Dem 2 Brothers and A Grill

This young man was so nice to us when we arrived. When I started taking pictures, he advised us to go to the downtown location for pics. He said it was more laid out for tourist. I had already researched places to eat and read about this restaurant. I learned that one of the two brothers had played football for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They started out as a food truck only and now have multiple restaurants that have been reviewed by The Food Network.

I loved the brisket that was recommended and the back porch was just what I needed to enjoy my lunch. After finishing our lunch, we went around the block to take a picture of the mural and say thanks to the guys who smoked and prepared our fantastic meal. dem2brosgrill.com/

JQ Dickinson Salt-Works

We were able to tour JQ Dickinson Salt Works. There’s no way to explain all I learned. It was a pretty neat experience if you ever get a chance to go to Charleston. Our guide was fantastic. I might have bought some Christmas gifts at this stop… If you ever get close, this is definitely worth a stop.

Travis finally gave up on my decision making and settled in on the porch. There is definitely a much used man chair at this stop.

Headed to the Country Road House and Berries by way of Bufflick Road

I couldn’t resist texting my friend Becky this picture of our map. For the past several years, we have traveled together with our husbands and had some amazing times. This year they had the opportunity to go to Germany and surrounding places to visit with their son in the army. I mean Germany? or Bufflick? They had a great time and so are we. I think we are planning to get back together next summer and head out west again.

We Have Arrived

Check out where we stayed at https://www.countryroadhouseandberries.com/. A family friendly West Virginia Bed and Breakfast near Elk River kayaking, fishing, swimming, ATV, and bike trails. They encourage travelers to allow themselves to step back in time and experience West Virginia by staying in the 1880’s Farm House, Cellar House, or Barn Loft. Near Charleston, WV (25 min) but located on a country road in Clendenin, WV.

Travis and I stayed in the Cellar House for two nights.

Barn Loft with an outhouse

The barn is a great place if you truly want a camping experience without the tent but add stairs and chicken smell (not glamping). The outhouse was behind where we stayed.

The Farmhouse

The Farmhouse is where we are supposed to have breakfast tomorrow morning. We asked to eat at 8:00 a.m. Based on her website pictures, I think it will be really good.

The Farmhouse seemed very cozy. I liked looking at the decor. She let us walk through all the rooms since no one else had checked in at this time.

Queen Shoals Trail in Clendenin, WV

After unloading our stuff and taking a tour of all the rooms at County Road House and Berries, Travis and I changed into walking clothes and headed out to Queen Shoals. We walked 3.5 miles in and out on the trail which Angela, our host, recommended. She said it had neat waterfalls but we had to sadly report back that there was currently no water in the falls. Guess they need more rain. We did manage to get 2 rocks along the way. I would have loved to get some of the super cute rocks that had been painted. I did take home some new ideas. Travis even liked them and didn’t say, “NO.”

Winding down after a full day

We arrived back at the Band B before 8:00 p.m. It was still very light outside so we wandered around a bit more. Travis might/might not be missing his mower. We saw Angela was picking strawberries for tomorrow’s breakfast. At least that is what I was hoping anyway.

I have to confess, we were showered and in the bed before it was all the way dark outside. This vacation stuff can wear a person out and it is only day 2.

Side note here…

We could not get connected to the internet so I was not able to post daily as I had planned. Better late than never!!!!