Fayetteville, West Virginia: Stopover

About 10 years ago I met a guy named Dave through a mutual friend and we got along famously. Dancing, baseball, tie dye, drinks, and lots of laughs that weekend. We’ve kept in touch since then and when I was planning out my route for this trip, I wanted to visit some new states, like Ohio. That’s where Dave is from so I reached out to him to see if he would be around this summer when I come through. He tells me that it depends on the dates, because he and his wife bought an RV and are driving out west. Are you serious?! What are the chances! That’s my plan! We nerded out so hard the next few days about length, weight, route, cars, plans, family, life, etc. It’s refreshing having a connection to this lifestyle with a friend that won’t get sick of hearing you talk about it. As I narrowed the dates down, Dave confirmed that they will be in town when I come through. Yay! Off to Cleveland I go, but that’s a long drive from Asheville, so I plan to stop over in Fayettville, West Virginia.

It’s approximately half way and the New River Gorge Bridge is there. I searched unsuccessfully for someone to stay with overnight, but remembered that many Walmarts are camper friendly and will let you park out of the way for free. I contacted the local Walmart to give them a heads up and was on my way. The highways of West Virginia roll through the mountains and you are surrounded by enormous trees as far as the eye can see. Quite different from flat ol' Florida.

I see a sign for the ‘Coolest Small Town’ and we are here, safely arrived. I took a look around and noticed there was a lawn company working and a police car parked in a spot. Neville and I stretched our legs on a big grassy path on top of a hill and he ran his happy little heart out. We walked around the parking lot, scoping out what was around and who had wifi. Found a pizza place with cheap specials, cold beer, and service! Loved the bathroom decorations too. Caught up with one of my homies, got my bill, left a tip and walked out. The server came out after me telling me I forgot to pay. What’s he talking about? I just put the money down! And technically, yes, I did. I never paid though, just left the tip thinking that I had already paid. Whoops. I decided to move the Drag Queen to a different spot in the parking lot, a bit closer to the main road and closer to a street light. We settled in for the night and thanked the geniuses that created battery operated fans. At one point I heard what sounded like the weed whacker again and saw the same lawn guy from when I first parked. That creeped me out a little and I hoped he wasn’t there to kill me. He wasn’t. The next morning I walked into Walmart looking like a scrub, then I remembered where I was and didn’t worry about it. Truly every person in this store was so friendly, asking if they could help, making conversation, and telling me about what they tow. When I was in the restroom someone came in and started singing 'Jesus Loves Me'. Thank you, Fayetteville Walmart!

  

  

 

I looked up the trails where I could park the camper so we could get a hike and some site seeing in before driving the rest of the way to Ohio. The New River Gorge Bridge, according to nps.gov, reduced a 40-minute drive down narrow mountain roads and across one of North America's oldest rivers to less than a minute. The challenge of building a bridge through mountains was transformed into a work of structural art - the longest steel span in the western hemisphere and the third highest in the United States. Every October there is an official 'Bridge Day' where the bridge is shut down to vehicles and opened up to people for base jumping and spectating. The scenic overlook at the Canyon Rim Boardwalk was my first stop to get some shots of the bridge. You take a ramp down then about 180 steps to the bottom and there are signs along the way that tell you what you are looking at. The Burnwood Trail is across the highway so we drove over and walked the loop. It was early enough that the weather was still somewhat cool and no one else was there yet. 

 

The drive today was 4 hours on the same highway. Still beautiful, but looked a lot like it did yesterday. I made some phone calls to help pass the time (hands free, of course) and then I was left alone with my thoughts. What if people slept the way dogs do, with our feet by our mouths? How many strangers’ photos am I in the background of? Why are some rest areas 30 miles apart and others are 160 miles apart? Have I ever been around a murderer and never had any idea? This is one of the prime examples of missing Mom’s company. One of the things I have noticed since being out of Florida is that all of the gas station pumps have that thing that allows you to pump gas without holding the handle down. You know, the little metal thing that locks in so it will pump on its own? At home you’re lucky if you find one of those and literally every gas station I have stopped at so far has had them. It’s the little things… I have also noticed that my E-Pass doesn’t work up here. The first one I drove through never gave me the green light. The second one I came to I crawled through and still no green light, so I got the change to pay it; however, when I threw it into the coin spot, still no green light. What the hell? Oh, turns out I threw it right next to where it goes- that was deceiving. I figure the third time’s the charm, so I went to a booth with a cashier. The fee is $2 and as I am getting out the money she tell’s me it’s $.50 more for me since I’m towing a trailer. Sure it is. I paid successfully and was on my way. This really is the definition of fun-employment, though. It’s starting to sink in that this is my life right now. I ain’t mad at it :)