West Virginia Road Trip: Fayetteville Day 1
The Adventures Continue: So Many Places to be Today!!
Bright and early we get up. Travis wants to get an early start into the day. I had already told our host that we would not be eating breakfast with the group this morning. Just look at this yummy Brioche bread from the Charleston Bakery and Diet Coke. It is better today than the day I bought it. Breakfast on the go. We headed over the bridge for the last time at 7:00 a.m. and around the curvy roads with gorgeous scenery we go.
Gauley Bridge
Next stop is the town of Gauley Bridge. It sits at the confluence of the Gauley and New Rivers which join to form the Kanawha River. Its name is derived from the wooden, covered bridge that carried traffic on the James River & Kanawha Turnpike across the Gauley River.
https://www.nps.gov/places/gauley-bridge.htm Great info read for history buffS!
We see that the wooden steps and platform leading down to the river are in need of a little attention.
It has only taken us about 90 minutest to get to Gauley Bridge. There is not just a whole lot to look at so we read the signs, stop at the local gas station, and take a few pictures. Now, if we had just taken a right off of the bridge and driven 2.7 miles, we would have seen Kanawha Falls (stay tuned for that story). BUT, in my plans I have us seeing Cathedral Falls next so off to the left we go.
Cathedral Falls
About a mile from the Gauley River bridge, we see our first waterfall of the trip! I have the West Virginia Waterfall Trail passport downloaded on my phone and plan to see as many waterfalls as possible on this trip. I will check in at each one we visit.
Cathedral Falls does no disappoint. The falls are beautiful and the sound of the water running over the rocks is indescribable. Cathedral Falls is one of the tallest and most scenic waterfalls found in Almost Heaven and sits at 60 feet tall. Travis collects us a rock for a souvenir and it is just a short walk back to the car.
The only disappointment to this stop is the trash spread across the pathway to the falls. The tent in the pictures below is a couple of ladies preparing food to sell to tourist as they stop at the falls. They should buy more garbage bags or something.
Hawk’s Nest State Park
Only 15 minutes later and here we are at Hawk’s Nest State Park. I am loving that there is not a lot of drive time between our stops.
Hawk’s Nest State Park encompasses 276 acres that border the New River Gorge National River. There is an on site lodge, restaurant, and seasonal aerial tramway. Many people come here for one of the most challenging white water boating waterways in the nation. We first stop at Hawks Nest overlook to take pictures of the panoramic view of the New River, Hawk’s Nest Tunnel and all the surrounding mountains.
It is so early in the day that nothing is open so we are just wandering around like we own the place. First stop is the round tower bathrooms, next to the venue size amphitheater, then up to the lodge on the moss covered sidewalks. This has to be the back entrance but we don’t find a way to wander to the front. I can’t even do my normal walk through the visitor center since it is closed.
The Daily Jet Check in from Home Picture!
Too Early to be Open… Again
Travis saves money by starting so early each day!
Mystery Hole
http://www.mysteryhole.com/ They are not open yet for 2024 due to staffing issues (per website). Looks like a quirky fun stop.
Random finds, U-turns and Curvy Roads add 2 hours
This is kinda where it goes off course. It is a lovely drive and we see an old Exxon Station beside someone’s beautiful home place. Of course I want to stop and take pictures. At this point we took a turn and went backroads. We chatted with local wildlife and definitely stayed under the 55 mph speed limit shown on the map. This is one of the few times the map did me WRONG!
Bridge Closed
I won’t discuss the sigh’s, side eye looks and frowns at this point….but they were there! We just need to be on the other side of this bridge. We did get to the other side… about 35 minutes and many curves later. It was a lovely, very backroads kind of drive.
Kanawha Falls… at Last
Kanawha Falls, the largest waterfall in West Virginia, is an important natural landmark. It is just downstream from Gauley Bridge, where the New and Gauley rivers converge to create the Kanawha River. Yep, it was 2.7 miles from Gauley Bridge when you turn right (remember we went left). Live and learn! At 11:20 we have made a full loop and finally stretch our legs as we enjoy Kanawha Falls. The highest drop for these falls is 15 feet and it also has a small hydropower plant.
Tudor’s Biscuit World
You can find Tutor’s Biscuit World in West Virginia, Southern Ohio, Eastern Kentucky and Panama City, Florida, It is so largely advertised that Travis swings in and decides that we will have lunch here before heading into the New River Gorge National Park. Travis is having the BLT and I am taking the recommendations of the server and trying some type of bowl with eggs, potatoes, bacon and gravy. I live in the SOUTH and really am tempted to go back and ask for more gravy. It is a one and done for me. I can say I tried it.
New River Gorge Bridge/Canyon Rim Visitor Center
Fun facts about the bridge include: The New River Gorge Bridge is the Western Hemisphere’s Longest Single-Span Arch Bridge. The New River Gorge Bridge held the title of the longest single-span arch bridge for 26 years, but is now the fifth longest in the world, still an impressive feat! The bridge is a whopping 3,030 feet long.
The third Saturday in October they close the bridge to vehicular traffic for “Bridge Day.” People more adventurous than me come from all over to JUMP of the bridge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_River_Gorge_Bridge
We check out the visitor center, the short informational film, and then I dragged Travis to the boardwalk and the 178 steps that lead to a lower overlook of the gorge and the New River Gorge Bridge. I will just say here that he is not a fan of steps, but does sacrifice his knees and undertakes the adventure with me.
Fayette Station Road Scenic Drive
Fayette Station Road begins near the Canyon Visitor Center. It is an 8 mile drive on a small winding road (sound familiar to our theme) that takes you to a bridge at the bottom of new River Gorge. For about 100 years, this route was the only way to cross the New River.
There is an audio tour for this drive but the service is non existent in most areas of the tour. We don’t have it downloaded and I’m not digging through my notes to find the paper copy I printed before leaving home. Travis pulls in quite often and we take small walks for pictures.
Kaymoor Mine Trailhead
Yeah, don’t let the 1.8 mile sign fool you. At this end of this hike we had completed 4.11 miles. Just looking at all the mines and using your imagination brings history to life. As we get to the top of the stairs at 3:21 p.m., my phones dings with a message from our ABNB host that says, “Storms with a history of destruction are headed for the region between 4-8 p.m.” Travis does the happy dance in his head that he does not have to go down any more steps.
From the mine site, a set of 821 wooden steps continues down to the remains of the coal processing plant, coke ovens, and town site near river level. Instead of tackling the stairs, we head back to the car to try and avoid the storm.
Lodging at The Walk Up
The Walk UP is located in the quaint town of Fayetteville, WV, gateway to the New River National Park. It is in the heart of the business district that makes access to restaurants and shops easy and walkable. It is cozy and has everything that we need. There is a restaurant right next door with a live band that is warming up and sounds pretty good. I hope to try the food later tonight.
The Hobbit Hole
Preparing for this trip, I read countless blogs of people who had traveled West Virginia. I find that reading blogs is one of the best ways to plan a trip. The Hobbit Hole was mentioned several times. Since the storm is headed this way, I am leaving Travis in the room and walking around the corner to check it out. Such cute, quirky, fun, stuff.
The lights start to flicker and the thunder sounds closer so I am headed back tot he AirbnB. The current time is 5:19 p.m.
After the Storm Moves Through
We loose power at 5:25 pm on 5/26/24. Travis and I head out at 7:00 p.m. to see what all is going on. The storm seems to have rolled through, but no power. The host to our AirbnB has been so helpful with updates. The whole region is without power. I get a text from her while we are out saying that she is leaving us extra flashlights and the Appalachian power estimates that the power will be restored on 5/29/24 at 11 p.m. That is THREE DAYS!!! We will be long gone by then.
We head back into Hawk’s Nest to go see the tunnel that we missed when we were there earlier. Plans change when we pass a truck that stops to tell us that the fire department has the road totally closed ahead due to tree over the road. We had traveled these roads about 4:30 this afternoon. So glad we made it to the AirbnB before it all happened.
So no live band or good food for the evening due to no power and everything closing up. Not sure that Tudor’s Biscuit would be my one meal for the day if given the choice again.
Perfect Way to End Today’s Adventure
We head over to find the Endless Wall trail head for the hike we plan to do in the morning. While out wandering, we catch a gorgeous sunset when driving through a local cemetery.
Can’t wait to see what God has planned for tomorrow’s adventures. Some of today’s were definitely unexpected.
