Traveling E ...

 Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Trail "6.5 mile gravel trail in Amherst County, VA that's open year-round for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Follows the path of the former VA Blue Ridge Railway, which was a short-line railway that ran from Tye River Depot to Massies Mill. The trail was completed in sections between 2003 and 2010. " Not to far from our home ... hour or more ... is this nice slow or quick bike trail ... depending on how you are riding (driving, walking or horse riding??!!!) Bryan wished for a certain lunch spot but by the time we did the return trip it was packed with folks ... I joked that you should have taken it when you first went down but he said he didn't know if there was a better spot??!! Beggars can not be choosers ... is that not the saying??! Gorgeous farm land throughout the trails ... beautiful day ...not to warm or cool ... just right. We saw 2 snakes ... (1 black, Beth is cool with him but wishes him to move on ...the other one was try...

  This house in Dugspur, VA (we stayed for a week in end of August early Sept 2024) ... Carroll County, Route 221 ... such a beauty ... I think it was Air BNB or another such situation ... I forget all the names, the hubby is in charge there ...this was a location so quiet, off the beaten path (gorgeous gardens, enjoyed the decorative fencing, so well taken care of, the decor inside the home was so cute) ... surrounded by cows ... birds, all other critters. It such a nice time to just chill. Look at those views, those clouds ...the hosts were so kind, so friendly ... we have been so lucky to have found some of the best hosts ...really perfect ... she brought us homemade cake and tomatoes from her garden. We looked around her property ...so lucky are they ... glad they did share the views with us and what a blast!! A real welcome time to get there and just disconnect from the world and go to this heaven for the evening. After our biking trips and exercise it was nice to get out and ...

  A.J. Owens ... wondering who that is? I am guessing that it once was a store ... on a trip in late August early Sept of this year 2024. ... we saw these "store fronts" so fun ... just had to share. We were in southwest VA.  Puckett's General Store,  2903 Julia Simpkins Road, Hiwassee, VA 24347 (540) 315-2166 not sure you can zoom in ...but the "open sign" does say OPEN ...but when I tried to google this store it says CLOSED temporarily? I wonder??!! They sell Guns and Ammo from a sign lower there on the left side of the building ...in case you might be in need of that service?  Didn't get a head on shot of this beauty ... I enjoy the RED roof ... so eye appealing ... wondering? Didn't see any shoppers stopping in. This one when you zoom for me the writing gets really pixelized??! Oh well, Curious what the sell in there ... usually drinks and snacks. What do you find in local similar shops in your neck of the woods? On the side of the road, just a famil...

  New River Trail State Park, Virginia "New River Trail State Park is a 57.7 mile rail trail and state park located entirely in southwest VA, extending from the trail's northeastern terminus in Pulaski to its southern terminus in Galax, with a 5.5 mile spur from Fries Junction on the mail trail to Fries" Hey there, we took this trip early Sept 2024 end of August. Look at those gorgeous clouds, such fun days, several of them I could have taken a flannel but didn't and really was chilly at multiple spots on the trails, and when you arrived at the sunny parts I really had a chance to soak in the sun. So warm at those moments. Meet some great folks along the way, chatting about this or that. Meeting biking folks is always fun. There are several restroom stops along the way, no clue how or where they decide to put them but they are there for the important bathroom moments. So it wasn't too long ago. ... gorgeous temperatures. 3 total days, didn't take the whole tra...

Keeney Creek Railroad Bridge - Keeney's Creek Road Going towards  "Nuttallburg" , West VA, you go through (on) this really dirty gravel road and going back out we noticed this gorgeous "moss covered" bridge, so picturesque, can you see it there? it is almost hidden? I just caught it out of my side of the vehicle and the hubs said let's turn around and grab the view through our cell camera, it was a well traveled road (you are at times having to give right of way to allow passing because it is pretty tiny of a road, maybe that is just a West Virginia thing, I know some of the back road in VA or similar to that, but it is not the norm.) but we were able to get it before some else came down the road again ... would have really enjoyed getting a great view for like a calendar or such for Christmas photos and such. So picturesque. What a great state West VA is ... amazing!! Thanks, for stopping bye. Hope you are well. Beth ( ;

  2nd day - Brooklyn - Southside Junction Trail, West VA (6 miles long, below the Rend Trail) Not this was a super easy ride, unlike the rails to trails rides here in Virginia ...now I guess it truly depends on what you are hoping for ...I don't mind some bumps ...but these trails in West VA are nuts. So bumpy and rough. I ached for days. Look at that switch for the train ... it could be moved ... said "Bethlehem" which was a nickname I had as a kid, I didn't make it so ... others for some reason called me that? No clue why? lol!! We had never been down trails that we can recall that actually have the rails left. Now some of the railroad ties but not the melt parts and so on. SO DIFFERENT. Have you had a chance to see this in person, the railroad trails before? Thank you for stopping by. Hope you are well. Take Care. Beth ( ; 

  Rend Trail, West VA ( "Thurmond" view - 2 miles) first day of biking W.P. "Paddy" Rend, a determined coal operator, financed the construction of this to his mines at Rend (renamed Minden after 1905). Started in 1901, 4.83 miles, 5 trestles, and $350,000 later this line was completed in 1904. Soon after completion Paddy Rend sold the rail line to the C & O Railway and his coal rights to another mine operator for $1,250,000.  Construction of this line was anything but easy, Blasting rock necessary to widen the roadbase for the railroad line. Look drill marks as you cross some of the trestles. Last train in 1968 - a few years before the rocks separated from the hillside. today this trail serves in transportation corridor for determined hikers, bikers, and wildlife. Plants narrow the trail and gravity will always be in... (Please realize the sign was kind of curved so some of the words are not there, hope this make sense to you, if not maybe add a word or 2 to ma...

  Stone Cliff Trail - 2.7 miles  This was the 3rd bike trail we rode in West VA and let me tell you they are rough and make you bones and body ache!!! We did 3 different trails and 3 different days ...This was the most difficult or one which had us both going OUCH! It was fun but messed up my hubs bike ...he is working on it ... bringing it back to health asap, so we can ride again soon. Hope you are well. Take Care and enjoy the day. Beth ( ; 

  Thomas Burford Pugh Memorial Bridge Stone Cliff Bridge, route 25 Tunney Hunsaker Bridge, Fayette Station Road, New River Gorge We met the nicest couple on this Tunny bridge, from Georgia ...so friendly and we chatted for a good long while we were there. So fun. I really enjoy meeting like minded folks who just wanna see what you are up on your travels. Just a blast!! Fun times!! Hope you are enjoying these views from a trip we took in late August 2024. Thanks for stopping in ... hope you are well. Take Care. Beth ( ; 

  Sand Stone Falls "found within the nation's 63rd national park, sandstone falls is the largest waterfall in the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. spanning over 1,500 feet wide, large series of falls is divided by a collection of small islands." Such a gorgeous area, I know when we first visited this falls, it was not apart of the newly made national park ...so that is fun to see it now that the National Park is all fancy and so on. LOL! Really was a gorgeous day when we were there, a bit of a warmer day (humid) and we did get some water to drink ...but so worth the visit. amazing. Thanks for stopping bye. Hope you are well. Chat with you again soon. Take Care. Beth ( ; 

  Prince, West VA 1870, 2 brothers, William & James Prince, purchased 300 acres of land. Brought from General Alfred Beckley would become the town of Prince. The brothers arrived in the gorge before the building of the railroad in 1873. The earliest business were the Prince Bros General Store and a ferry crossing. As the construction of the railroad began, their businesses flourished. The Stretcher's Neck tunnel construction and nearby bridge construction especially provided good business. The C & O Railroad passed through the Prince Bros.' land ... sold the right-of-way agreement to the train folks ... agreement allowed C&O to pass through their lands so long as every train stopped in Prince. Prince was never a mining town, one of the only few in the New River Gorge. No coal company ever own the town.    17 people call Prince their home today. Amtrak still uses the Prince depot as a stop three days a week with over 1,000 passengers a year. Although the Prince...

Thurmond, Fayette County, West Virginia. on the New River. During the heyday of the coal mining in the New River Gorge. Thurmond was a prosperous town with a number of businesses and facilities for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway... ... shipments of coal from the surrounding coal fields. The town of Thurmond grew as the coal and timber industries expanded in the gorge. The railroad expanded the rail yard to meet the railroad's needs.  1910, Thurmond was the chief railroad center on the C& O Railway mainline. 1910, Thurmond was the 1st in revenue receipts. It produced more freight tonnage than Cincinnati, Ohio and Richmond, VA combined. Freight was not the only key to this town's success. 7,500 passengers passed through Thurmond in 1910. Some visited as tourists, delighting in all Thurmond had to offer. Other came for business or new job opportunities. Peak of Thurmond, had 2 hotels and 2 banks. downtown area had restaurants, clothing stores, jewelry store, and dry-good stor...

  Indian Creek Covered Bridge, 1898, Monroe County Historical Society US 219, about 4 miles away from Salt Sulphur Springs, Monroe County,  West VA, USA. built 1898 by Ray and Oscar Weikel ...   This 2nd covered bridge I can not get close enough, well I can but when you do that plague doesn't give you any info. it is either too old to be seen or suchness?? So for that reason I am grouping these 2 together, and hoping they can be covered bridge friends. LOL!! Both are so purdy. Enjoy. Thank you so much for stopping in today. Hope you are well. Tell me a thing or 2. How is life? Weather? What's happening? Laters. Beth ( ;