Take me home, country roads… Did you know John Denver’s hit song may actually have been about westERN Virginia, not West Virginia. After all, most of Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River are located in VA, not WV. Either way, it’s a great song and worth sharing here, again.
Next up we stop in Alderson, WV where we stay at a very small 13 site campground. There was only one other camper there at any time.
Alderson is very much your typical small town but served as a good point between our two planned activities.
New River Gorge
Fun Facts:
- Despite the name and recent inclusion in the parks system, New River may actually be the second oldest river in the entire world!
- New River Gorge is the newest national park receiving designation in February of 2020. Maybe THAT is where it got its name.
- It is one of the rare rivers in the world that flow primarily south to north starting in North Carolina. Nothing like going against the status quo!
We put on our No Fear pants and took the adventurous Bridge Walk.
The Bridge spans over 3000 feet and the catwalk that runs under it reaches 851 feet off the ground! It’s taller than the Washington Monument and almost as tall as the Eiffel Tower. If you tend to prefer plenty of surface under your feet, this isn’t the activity for you.
I found the height perfectly comfortable all the way across. My only DIScomfort was the vibration from the trucks crossing the bridge overhead. More motion sickness from the movement than fear of falling. But then, I also thought jumping out of an airplane was the coolest thing EVER!
In the 80’s and 90’s, the local kids would climb through these access panels (see the oval sliver door) and throw parties! Multiple fears activated: Heights, tight spaces, getting busted by the local police…
We rode the motorcycle down the Fayette Station Road, a rather steep, twisty road down to the original bridge crossing the New River. Locals say the new bridge turned a 45 minute drive into a 45 second drive. While it was super hot and humid (and we always wear full gear while riding), the scenery was stunning!
The Bunker
From beautiful bridges and breathtaking heights we went underground. And bring Eisenhower back to the story. You can read about our visit to his home here.
During an illness, Eisenhower visited the Greenbrier Resort, famous for the White Sulfur Springs healing properties. He was so taken by the location that he hosted the North American Summit Conference here and, as the story goes, conceived of the idea for a safe place to house Congress in the event the Cold War took a critical turn.
The Bunker, aka “U.S. Government Relocation Facility”, was completed in 1961 and remained a secret for over 30 years. During that time, it was publicly used as an event center while maintaining its secrecy as an emergency fallout shelter, hidden in plain sight. Word got out when someone with clearance to the info leaked the details to an investigative reporter. There’s always that one guy that can’t be trusted.
This 25-ton steel and concrete blast door (one of three) was hidden behind a false wall. Visitors regularly passed it by on their way into the event hall. The event hall would be converted to offices for the congress members and their staff should the facility be activated.
Today the bunker is used for tours and as an off site data facility for 7 Forbes 500 companies. This second use is why we weren’t allowed to take photos or even have our cell phones with us.
Another Hobby of Mine
And I finally found an abandoned, I think, home worthy of a quick picture. I’ve already started thinking of stories to write to post on my other photo and a story blog.
From here we head to Virginia, possibly the real inspiration for John Denver’s beloved song.