Day 60 – West Virginia’s Midland Trail

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Day 60 of a Year Long Road Trip Along America’s Scenic Byways

Ok, so I couldn’t find Lucy’s last night, so I stopped by the local liquor store and asked where it was located.  The gentleman behind the register suggested if I wanted food that I should skip Lucy’s and go to the sports bar called Spare Time at the bowling alley.  Either he has a stake in the bowling alley, Lucy’s made him mad, or I ordered the wrong item. 

I’m always leery of ordering a chicken sandwich at places I haven’t been, but the bartender said they were good, so I went with the ranch chicken fillet sandwich.  I should have known fillet meant pressed chicken parts, not breast, GAG!  In their defense, the onion rings were good, and the quesadilla and wings that other patrons ordered looked tasty as well.

This morning I needed to review my long-term itinerary to make sure I was on track as I have made a handful of adjustments along the way.  As a result, I got a late start.  I believe, however, I have worked in a free day which I’ll need for maintenance (oil, tires, and engine inspection). 

City of Lewisburg

Once I was ready to start my day, I took a historic walking tour of Lewisburg which included a stop at the Carnegie Hall, the Old Stone Church, and the Confederate Cemetery.

Carnegie Hall

The Carnegie Hall is one of only three buildings named after steel baron and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.  The hall, built in 1902 with a large donation from Carnegie, was a gift to the former Lewisburg Female Institute, now the New River Community and Technical College. 

Old Stone Church

Carnegie Halls sits across the street from the Old Stone Church, which is the oldest continuously operated church west of the Alleghenies.  The church was built of limestone in 1796 and its surrounding cemetery contains gravestones dating back to the same time.  There is also a geocache on the edge of the property.

Confederate Cemetery

Originally remains of 95 unknown soldiers that died fighting in the Battle of Lewisburg on May 23, 1862, were laid out in the church and later placed in a trench on the south wall without ceremony.  After the war; however, the soldiers were moved to the Confederate Cemetery just up the road and buried in a cross-shaped common grave.  The vertical length of the cross is 80 feet while the arm is 40 feet.

Babcock State Park

After my tour of Lewisburg I took 60, also known as the Midland Trail, to Babcock State Park. Scout, Petey and I went for our afternoon hike past a reconstructed gristmill, aside a stream, and around Boley Lake.  The path, covered in fallen leaves, was extremely slick in the hilly areas, thus the dogs got to spend a large amount of time off leash while I focused on balancing.  The lake was almost an emerald green and especially peaceful.

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New River Gorge

My final stop along the Midland Trail before heading to Charleston, West Virginia was at the Canyon Rim Visitor’s Center at New River Gorge.  The New River Gorge Bridge, some 876 feet above the river, is the world’s longest single-arch steel bridge and the 2^nd highest bridge in America.  It took nearly four years to construct in the 1970s and cost $37 million to build.

Charleston, West Virginia

From New River Gorge I weaved down the mountain like kids zig-zag through cones during a soccer drill.  Upon reaching the water’s edge, I passed by several mining plants and mining towns before reaching Charleston.  I don’t believe I’ve seen a coal mining plant previously, thus I look forward to backtracking along Midland Trail again tomorrow.

My first Walmart destination turned out to be a pharmacy at the University of Charleston, so I had to find a second location.  Sometimes I wonder about my GPS.  But as soon as I pulled in the second lot and parked a good distance away from the store, a car pulled up next to me.  It seems as though someone inevitably parks near me every night.  I figured I’d just move after I go for dinner or a movie tonight. I’m conveniently parked by a Red Lobster and a theater, so I’ll see how the night unfolds. 

Anyway, I went about my business typing a few things in my GPS, looked over and found out the guy wanted to know where I got VANilla!  He has been looking for years.  I didn’t catch his name, but we talked for a while.  It turns out he is a car fanatic and was once married to “Mrs. West Virginia”.  I almost asked him if he wanted to join me for dinner, but he had his car running, and I wasn’t ready to eat yet.  Maybe next time! ETB

Map of My Road Trip Across the USA

For a summary about my road trip across the USA, click HERE. For the interactive map, see the below link.

Other Articles About West Virginia You May Like

• Day 58 – West Virginia’s Potomac Highlands
• Day 59 – West Virginia’s Potomac Highlands Part 2
• Day 61 – West Virginia’s Midland Trail Part 2

Shop

Check out the photographic note cards and key chains at my shop.  Each card has a travel story associated with it.  20% of proceeds are donated to charity.

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