Catchin Up

Catching Up – 7-25-10

Waiting for a thunder storm to roll in brining some cooler breezes. When we awoke this morning it was 66 degrees but now if feels like 100. We are camped beside the New River just south of the New River Gorge. This is a Wild and Scenic River but this part of the area is overseen by WVA Parks and its shows that states are having budget issues. Robert C. Bryd is evident everywhere but not here. Every town, highway and bridge has a Robert C. Bryd somewhere on it. PORK reigns according to a local resident we ran across in a diner.

The river flows north from Blowing Rock, NC area and is truly a beautiful river; however, I just spotted a piece of a Styrofoam cooler floating down the rapids in front our site. We tried to take our daily swim but found the mud along the river almost like quick sand. Nearly lost Barry.

Before we left ME we found a great piece in the NY Times about how important it is to just BE – so we have had a great week of BEing and hiking, catching music events, swimming, reading and endlessly reading maps and brochures about W Virginia and finding our way to the next campground or site of interest.

Today we visited Tamarack which is a center for displaying the Best of W. VA in arts and crafts and they also have events there... It’s a modern circular building with a star patterned roof that emulates the stars in many of the local quilts. Studios are available to watch the craftsman and women make pottery, wood working and you name.

Also the cafeteria is staffed from the World Famous Greenbrier Resort where the rich and famous can hang out. And today there is a PGA tournament going on. Anyway – you get to eat great food cafeteria style – some of the great food they eat at the Resort. Like fried green tomatoes, fresh trout and corn pudding. Since I am reading The Chef about the CIA Culinary Inst. Of America and see how had it is to be a chef – it was a special experience. Take home was Green Briar Key Lime Pie and GB Delicious Chocolate Cake. _ Later on that. Too hot to eat.

Bake to the Greenbrier. Since 9/11 it is a forbidden place for the likes of us campers from ME. Seems that there is an underground vault build just for the US Congress in case of nuclear attaches etc. and unless you have reservations - it’s a no to even be onto the grounds. Of course we had to test it a little and understood that we should make a right turn onto the freeway. They have as many people working there as guest’s PAMPER!!
Maybe they are being too?

An early start tomorrow for breakfast in BOZOO – sounds interesting – then down to Tenn. Just north of the Carolina border near where our friends live in Mars Hill, NC.