When I left this morning, I figured I’d take the interstate for a while and, after about an hour, I was in such a zombie-like zone that I realized I could not stay on this track any longer.  So, I got off the interstate and changed the GPS to “No Highway” and “Scenic”.  OMG!  So much better.  The new route added almost an hour, but it was definitely worth it.  The mountain roads in this part of West Virginia are very well-paved and marked.  While there didn’t seem to be as many sharp switchbacks as I experienced in North Carolina, there were frequent steep slopes of 7% with warnings for trucks.  I even saw several run-offs for trucks should they get out of control.  I used to see that a lot when I was living in Utah.

But, the really special thing was the diversity.  Many of the roads were completely canopied by trees with sunlight winking through the leaves or completely rimmed by moss-covered rocky slopes.  As is becoming usual on this trip, when the road circled the outside of the mountain, the views were awe-inspiring.  There was one point (I think I was on WV-33) when the range in front of me sported majestic windmills as far as I could see.

Driving on secondary highways also gives one a glimpse of how others live.  I drove through Fayetteville, WV which claims to be “the coolest small town” and it did look vibrant and worth visiting.  Fayetteville is where I passed over the New River Gorge Bridge, built in 1976, which, at the time, was the world’s longest arch bridge.  It is one of the world’s highest vehicular bridges in the world and is depicted on the back of the West Virginia quarter minted in 2005.

Many small towns are tucked away in these mountains and oftentimes, you can see a lone house sitting atop a hill with a steep, curvy driveway.   Something else I saw here in West Virginia, which I also saw in Florida, were teams of inmates cleaning and pruning the roadways.  What a good idea.

So, now, we are in the mountains directly on the Appalachian Highway at the Canaan Village Inn in Davis, WV.  It’s a good thing I planned on today being a relaxing day.  I picked this town as a way-point strictly because I am on my way to Pittsburgh and needed a mid-point, found a hotel, so that was that.  I wasn’t looking for a touristy town nor a place with anything in particular to do.  To be honest, I never even looked at things to do until I got here.

Davis is, at an elevation of 3,100 feet, the highest of any West Virginia town.  But, it is a town of only 1.83 square miles with a population of 660 people at the last census.  The area surrounding Davis is known for its mountain biking trails and one of the annual races, The Revenge of The Rattlesnake, is considered one of the toughest bike races in the country.  Their most notable citizen is Frankie Yankovic, considered to be America’s Polka King, was born in Davis, WV.

We sat outside for a while enjoying the mountain air.  It is gloriously cool with a gentle breeze; I read while Chloe watched the world around her. There are fields and a pond with ducks that Chloe wants to explore.  I can see a general store across the street with gas at $2.959—yikes!  Also, miniature golf and two restaurants plus this inn I’m in.  Not much else.

The room is cute, with the requisite king-sized bed, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, an adequate desk area, and direct tv with hundreds of channels including the main one I watch (Fox News).  The owners told me they used to live in Jacksonville but decided to come home to Davis, WV and buy a business here.  I must say, there is something to be said for living in a small town.  They know everyone and they all help each other out.  I found this to be true first hand.

The Inn’s ice machine is broken so the owner told me the store across the street has ice.  I needed perhaps an ice bucket full and their smallest bag was 22 lbs.  Now, I do not mind paying $1.99 for a bag of ice but I hate waste so, I mentioned why I needed ice and she went to the back of the store, got a quart-sized cup, filled it with ice and gave it to me.  I had to practically force her to take $1.00 from me.  You gotta love the small-town solidarity.

So, my final thought for this evening…this morning at 8:00 AM, I realized that I have now been on the road for a full week.  I’ve driven through Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia many times in my past.  But, for this trip, I’m seeing completely different geography than I’ve seen before as I’m driving in different parts of the states.  It is fascinating and even quite educational.  I’m loving it!