Without looking it up does anyone know the capital of West Virginia?

And THIS is why I don't drink!

We left Little Beaver State Park and New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia Wednesday.  

Rain--was beginning to wonder if it did that anymore! I think it rained more here in West Vitginia than it has in over a year.  Didn't dampen our plans.

Only 3 states to go!!!

Pat putting new clamps on the unsecured pipe. Seems to have taken care of the engine rattle.

Sunday morning, before the rain was to start, we hiked 2 miles in New River Gorge N.P. just to get to the Turkey Spur Overlook.

I think this might be Chicken of the Woods fungi? Some say it tastes like chicken, others a crab flavor. For some (that probably means me) this mushroom can cause stomach problems. 

Then we climbed 150 steps to the top. There you could go to an overlook on the left and another on the right. It looked like two rivers going two different directions because of the switchbacks, but it was really the same river. Someone at the top jokingly asked if we wanted to go in on an Uber to get back. 

We were too tired to walk any more so we thought we would take the one-way, very steep road to see the New River Gorge Bridge. Although there wasn't a great view from below there were a lot of cars and people.

This was the third Visitor's Center we went to and definitely the busiest. They even had new flags and signs with the National Park designation. From here we could take a short trail to get a view of the bridge. 

Completed in 1977, it took what was a 40 minute drive to cross the Gorge down to one minute. It is the longest steel span bridge in the western hemisphere and the third highest in the U.S. In 2013 it took its place on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Lunch spot. It openned in the early 1940's and has been in the same family since 1955.  Like many other businesses it's struggling for employees. Comes complete with car-hops and food trays on your window. 

They make their own breads, buns, and pies. In 2004 it was voted one of the Top 55 Must See places to visit in W.V. In 2013 'W.V. Living" voted King Tut The Best Drive-in in W.V.

Little Beaver S.P. offers fishing, boating, hiking, biking, disc golf, and camping. It was a beautiful park. Downside: lots of gnats and no sewer hook-ups.

The overflow at the historic dam which was built between 1938 and 1942 by the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). It is faced with rough chiseled sandstone

Since it was going to rain all day we decided to drive to the fourth National Park Visitor's Center in Thurmand. Not sure if it was due to the rain we'd had, but on Monday we saw a couple of roadside waterfalls.

To get to Thurmand, a coal mining ghost town, we had to cross this bridge. On the left is the RR Bridge and on the right a VERY narrow, barely one-car, car bridge. It is owned by the railroad and has no signals on either side. If you don't notice someone coming from the other side, one of you has to back out. Oh, population of Thurman today? Four.

The old train depot is now the National Park Visitor's Center. Upstairs are various displays.  Amtrak still stops here but it does not use the old depot building. The Park Ranger told Pat that it is the second least used Amtrak stop, with the one in Big Ben N.P. being the #1 least used.  

Bridge from the Thurman side.

Coal chute

Former Post Office. 

It was at one time a bustling coal mining town of 500 with 2 hotels, 2 banks, a cinema, and offices. Commercial Row was never paved. Main Street was the railroad tracks.

With quite a bit of rain the creek waters were moving along. 

Wednesday morning as we headed towards Ohio.

Charleston. W.V.

Thank you Brewery 33,  in the Hocking Hill Region, for being a wonderful Harvest Host!  We enjoyed our evening, maybe too much.😉 Obviously, by their name, they make beer but they also make wine. Both of us would recommend the Diablo, Rojo Red, Chile wine. I swear I only had one glass but it hit me hard! On certain days they have food trucks and live music. Alas, this was not one of those days, but we did have Cristy's Pizza delivered right to our table. Boy was it good!

In the beer garden.

Where are the Piepers now? Logan, OH