Grandview is GRAND (West Virginia)

One place we visited on our West VA trip in April of 2010 was to the southern end of the New River Gorge National River area.  That is when we saw Sandstone Falls (click HERE).   SO, because of that beauty, we knew we wanted to go back and see more of the New River Gorge area.

On our trip last month,  we did go back and visit two other areas of that scenic river...  Today I will feature my very favorite viewing area along that river...  This area is called Grandview ---and we were thrilled at the views we had there...  IF this particular area had a lodge or cabins,  I'd come back here in a heartbeat and stay for a week!!!!!  There are amazing trails to hike and they even built a huge platform at the very end where we could almost see 360 degrees!!!!  Yes---there were lots of steps to climb --but being up there made us feel like we were just a little closer to heaven. It was awesome.

I cannot tell you in words how beautiful this area is... There are miles and miles of pure forestland  and mountains---with very few towns in that entire area..  IF you enjoy being out in nature without all of the other life distractions,  you will love this place... Put it on your bucket list!!!!! I'm not sure I've ever been anywhere any prettier than Grandview.

The pictures are good---but this is just one place you have to experience in person to get the real effect...   The picture above shows how well-maintained the paths were to all of the different overlooks..  The morning started out cool--but it didn't take long for us to shed our jackets.

This is from one of the overlooks ---looking north at the river and surrounding areas.  See the rapids on the river below.  In some areas,  people enjoy kayaking and rafting on that river.

Railroading is still very important in West VA ---and we saw at least two, maybe three, trains traveling down there, paralleling the river.

This is George standing at one of the overlooks.   We were there on a very clear and beautiful day.

This photo shows our view while looking straight ahead.  I love how the river winds around the mountains with the railroad beside it.   That is just SO West Virginia.  (Can you imagine how gorgeous that area would be at the peak of the Fall colors????  WOW!)

And this is George standing at the end of one of the overlooks...  Now can you understand why we thought we were on the top of the world?  I don't know for sure --but think our elevation here was about 4500 feet.   I loved seeing these mountains --without cabins and homes and other distractions (even though I'd love to stay here)...  This is 'virgin' land ---and it is awesome.   I'm so glad that West Virginia has claimed this land for preservation.

We met a couple on one of the overlooks who had come back after a few years...  They had been to that exact overlook several years ago to drop his father's ashes over the edge.  The father had lived in West VA all of this life and worked for the railroad... His wish was that he be scattered somewhere over the New River Gorge area...  How awesome would that be!

This is looking south from one of our overlooks.  The views everywhere were great ---but looking into the sun didn't make for good pictures.  Here you can see more rapids below. You may wonder how they keep this area so pure... WELL---it's a national park and it's also so mountainous that there are almost NO roads going into the area, and very few people living around here for miles and miles...

Finally,   a blog post wouldn't be special unless I showed a picture of the two of us together at one of the overlooks... ha ha ha ......

I have more pictures to share from Grandview ----but in a word,  all I can add today is that it is marvelous!!!!!!

Hope you have a wonderful  day.
Hugs,
Betsy

Deer on Bald Knob, West VA

This is our guide.. The deer obviously know him.  He is taking them a 'goodie'!

On September 16, 2011,  George and I were in Cass, West Virginia riding an old steam engine train up to Bald Knob (elevation 4700+ feet).  IF you missed my post on this ride,  click HERE to read about it.   As I mentioned in that post,  when we got to Bald Knob,  we enjoyed watching some deer coming for some snacks...  Apparently,  they come every afternoon when the train gets there--because they know that someone will bring them some treats!  Here are my photos of the deer at Bald Knob!!!!

Mama Deer will come right up to our guide... The baby is not quite sure!!!!!

The guide walks closer to the train... Mama follows.. Baby stays behind!!!

Now --there are THREE interested deer around!!!

Looking up at us (on the train),  the deer is saying: "Anyone got any food for me?????"

Mom and Baby are leaving.. Guess they got enough to eat!!!!!

We are leaving ---but the deer is still standing there hoping for more food..  (The guide had told us to throw crackers/bread/popcorn out for them.  They got alot of snacks!!!)

This was just so neat ---watching the deer 'begging' for food...  Our guide was just marvelous.  He talked to us on a microphone the entire trip---giving us history of the area all along the way...  He'd tell us when to look a certain direction for great views... It was awesome!!!!!

IF you ever get to West Virginia,  be sure to go to Cass --and ride the train... SO much FUN!!!!!

Have a great day.
Hugs,
Betsy 

Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, West VA

On Sept, 16, 2011,  we had a wonderful day taking a  4 1/2 hour train ride  WAY up the mountain to Bald Knob, at over 4700 feet in elevation.  The Cass Scenic Railroad is a member of the West Virginia Tourist Train Association.

I love steam engines ---and seeing them (and riding on them) brought back so many memories of my childhood.  My Daddy worked for the railroad all of his life --and when I was young,  he would take me to work on occasion,  and I'd get to ride on the steam trains.  What JOY--and what fabulous memories.

Going up that mountain --and listening to that engine huffing and puffing was truly awesome for me.   These trains operate from the end of May through October each year.  The only problem we had on this trip was that the weather turned cold --and George and I were NOT prepared.... It was about 55 degrees --with a wind chill as we rode along on that OPEN train.  NOTE TO BETSY:  Put our coats and sweats in the car when we drive to the mountains in the Fall.... ha ha ....  We only had our THIN rain jackets... Luckily we did have long pants --but it was still COLD.  Some people on the train brought heavy coats, gloves, and blankets....

BUT----forgetting the cold day,  we had a wonderful time.  Today,  I will share some of the TONS of photos we took on that trip...   Above is a picture of the engine of one of the Cass trains we saw while waiting on our train to come.  Be sure to click on the photos for a larger shot.

Here is that train leaving the station ...  This train was just like ours except that it only went to Whitaker  (a 1 1/2 hour trip).  

This is our train..  We chose the LAST car (which was great) since we had a great view of the engine as it took us up that mountain... By the way ---the engine PUSHED us instead of pulled us --so technically on the trip up the mountain,  we were in the FRONT car!!!!!!

Each car had seats in the middle --and plenty of room to walk around on both sides...  Most of us stood up --hanging out of the train to get the best photos.

Here is one of the places where we passed one of the other trains as it headed back down the mountain.   We had a wonderful guide on our train.  He told us so many wonderful stories about the area, and about the train.   We could tell that he loved his job.

Here is a picture from our car ---as we were being pushed up the mountain.  The scenery was awesome all along the way --and we ran around taking pictures on all sides...

This  picture was taken at our first stop (Whittaker).   There were restrooms,  snack bars,  and picnic tables.  George and I took our lunch with us.

Here we are at Bald Knob.   The views up here are fantastic.   I have many, many more pictures to share (the views,  the Bald Knob area,  the deer at Bald Knob, etc.).. SO ---come back for more pictures from our Cass Scenic Train Ride.   AND--if you are ever in West VA,  be sure and visit this wonderful place!

Have a wonderful day.

Hugs,
Betsy

Blackwater Falls, West Virginia

Blackwater Falls, West Virginia

As you know,  we took some time off from Blogging recently... We did get some much-needed yardwork done,  visited George's father,  and finished some other projects which were on our lists...  BUT--we also decided to take a short trip to Buffalo, New York,  to visit George's daughter,  Kelly, and hubby Chuck.   We enjoyed seeing them --and on our way home,  we decided to take a few more days and visit some scenic areas (including waterfalls) in Ohio and West Virginia...

Believe it or not,  we did manage to see about 25 new waterfalls.  Some were 'waterless' --or almost waterless...  Others were huge... Today I'll share one of our favorites,   Blackwater Falls,  in the Potomac Highlands near Davis, West VA.  Thanks to blog friend,  ANGELA,  for promoting her gorgeous state on her blog... That's one reason we went there!!!!

We got to the state park on a rainy, wet, foggy day ---which is usually a good time to view waterfalls...  WELL--we definitely hit the jackpot.  It was still drizzling when we hiked down to the waterfall --but once we got there and saw that raging beauty,  we just forgot about all of the rain!!!! Blackwater Falls  (50 feet high) is on the Blackwater River.  The hike wasn't bad ---and there is a great boardwalk with steps leading down to the falls. 

Today I will share with you some of our photos around the state park.  Above is a photo taken near the falls,  from the boardwalk.  Below are more!  Be sure and click on each picture to see a larger version.

  

Here is a picture of George taken on the boardwalk ---as we headed to the overlook on the other side of the gorge.

Since Blackwater Falls State Park is about 3500 feet in elevation,  we got to see some beautiful Fall colors up there.

Here is another picture of Blackwater Falls --taken from the overlook on the other side of the gorge.   From here,  you can see the platform where we were when the first picture above was taken.

This is a funny picture George took of me while we were at the Blackwater Falls Overlook --on the other side of the gorge.

Fog seems to follow George and I when we are traveling.. On this rainy day at Blackwater Falls State Park,  we did have alot of fog around..  Isn't this a great photo of the mountains,  the fog and some Fall color?

This picture was taken from the Pendleton Point Overlook --and shows the Blackwater River as it rages through the gorge.

Finally,  here is one more photo of gorgeous Blackwater Falls taken from the overlook across the gorge. 

There are more waterfalls in this 2,456 acre state park.  We saw a few more here on this trip--but want to go back there in order to do more hiking on their many trails and to check out more waterfalls in the area.  This is a state park which we definitely recommend.

Hope all of you have had a great 2+ weeks.  I have not checked many blogs --so if I missed something really important,  please remind me to check  that particular post.  Otherwise,  I will start reading your blog posts this week.

I also enjoyed participating on Facebook while I've been gone.  IF you are on Facebook and haven't found me yet,  please go to my sidebar and click on my Facebook info.  I never thought I would enjoy Facebook --but my kids/grands are all on it.  SO-- IF I wanted to keep up with them and their busy lives,  I 'had' to join!!!!!   What I found out though was just how much fun Facebook is.  I have also caught up with many blog friends --some of which are not blogging anymore.

Hugs to All,
Betsy

A Very WIDE Waterfall

When we went to West Virginia in April (see other posts from that trip by clicking HERE) we saw an incredibly WIDE waterfall. It is so wide that we had to take three different pictures in order to capture it all. The waterfall is named SANDSTONE FALLS and is near the quaint little town of Hinton, WV.

Sandstone Falls is on the New River ---and this area is now known as the New River Gorge National River. People come here to hike, camp, fish and go whitewater rafting. We were there on a rainy day in April --but even with the rains, we enjoyed seeing this unique and fabulous place. They have built a large boardwalk --so that we could walk out quite far in order to see the entire waterfall and more of the wild and raging river. The New River is about 1500 feet across---and the waterfall encompassed the entire width. It's not a tall waterfall (only about 25 feet in height) --but just seeing the entire river was worth the entire trip to that mountainous area.

Here are some pictures we took of that waterfall and area. Above is me standing near the beginning of the waterfall --as we started walking out on the boardwalk. Below are more.

Part I of SANDSTONE FALLS

Part II of SANDSTONE FALLS; This is near the middle of the river... We enjoyed walking out on the boardwalk to see this river and the falls.

George is on the boardwalk. Hope you all get to visit this neat area if you are ever in West Virginia. It's awesome!!!

We are standing at the end of the boardwalk in order to see Part III of SANDSTONE FALLS. This is the prettiest end of the falls ---and I love seeing the mountains surrounding this beautiful river.

Using the zoom lens, here is a close-up of part of Part III of SANDSTONE FALLS. Isn't it gorgeous?

On the other side of New River, there are high bluffs. We had read that there was a look-out from up on the top where you can see the entire waterfall from above. WELL---we drove back to Hinton, crossed the river and took the road up that mountain. We did find the lookout ---but were disappointed in the overall look of the river and falls. Be that as it may, here is the best view we could find of SANDSTONE FALLS ---all 1500 feet across. My advice is to take the boardwalk and enjoy the waterfall in its 3 parts.

Besides seeing Sandstone Falls and the New River Gorge area, I was impressed with the small town of Hinton, WV. Hinton was a booming railroad town many years ago. Once the railroads began to disappear, Hinton almost disappeared also.. BUT--the people have kept the town alive --due to tourism, and history. When you visit Sandstone Falls, be sure and check out Hinton also!!!

Hugs,

Almost Heaven ---West Virginia--Part II

If you missed Part I of this post, click HERE. Yesterday I showed you 5 of the nine waterfalls we saw on our recent trip to West Virginia. Today, I'll share with you the other four. Above is LOWER PIPESTEM FALLS, located near the community of Pipestem. Below are more.

This is called BROOKS FALLS, located in the New River Gorge National River area.... Yes, it looks more like a cascade than a waterfall, but it's just one of those 'different' waterfalls which you need to see to appreciate. Huge rocks protrude all the way across the wide river --making large whitecaps as the water rushes through... This reminded me a little of the wild and crazy river near Niagara Falls. The sound of that water was awesome. Can you imagine the white-water rafting which happens here???? Wow!

I have to show you SANDSTONE FALLS in two photos --since the river is VERY wide (1500 feet) and we cannot get it all in the same picture. This waterfall is just down the river from Brooks Falls ---but is much larger and looks more like a waterfall. This is one side of Sandstone Falls.

After we walked on a long boardwalk about 1/4th of a mile, we finally came to the 'other' side of SANDSTONE FALLS. Can you imagine finding this beauty here in West Virginia??? Like Brooks Falls, Sandstone is one you just HAVE to see!! I read somewhere that when there is maximum water, there can be 246,000 cubic feet per SECOND of water volume recorded... We have LOTS more pictures of this waterfall to share --including one taken from the other side at the overlook above. That will be another post!!!

This beauty is named the FALLS of DISMAL---and this one can be found near Bland, Virginia. We saw this waterfall on our way home on Saturday.

I am trying to catch up on some of your blogs. However, a wicked stomach virus has decided to park itself inside of me... Yuk!!!!! I'll keep on plugging along --little by little.

Hugs,

Almost Heaven ---West Virginia--Part I

George and I had a fabulous and SHORT (Thurs-Sat) trip to West Virginia to find some NEW waterfalls.... We found NINE. I think we have seen about 425 different waterfalls now --since 2001. This was our first trip to West Virginia---and definitely will not be our last.

We only went into the southern part of the mountains of West Virginia --staying at a town called Princeton (north of Bluefield). The first day (after driving there), we saw two waterfalls in the Camp Creek State Park area. The second day, we saw four waterfalls in and near the Pipestem Resort State Park. AND--on that second day, we visited the New River Gorge National River area --seeing a couple of fabulous waterfalls there. Then, on our drive home Saturday, we saw one more waterfall near Bland, Virginia.

Today and tomorrow, I will share pictures of all nine waterfalls. It's so much fun searching out waterfalls because they are all different, one from another. I will go into more details about the areas and the waterfalls in future blog posts. BUT--today I share with you FIVE of the nine. Above is MASH FORK FALLS (located in the Camp Creek State Park). Below are more.

CAMPBELL FALLS (in the Camp Creek State Park)

INDIAN BRANCH FALLS (located in the Pipestem Resort State Park)

BRUSH CREEK FALLS (in the Pipestem Resort State Park)

UPPER PIPESTEM FALLS (found near the community of Pipestem)

Besides seeing all of the beautiful waterfalls, I also got to enjoy working on my Bruce Family History on this trip. Since we went through Bland, VA on our way home, I got to see some of the old stomping grounds of some of my relatives from the 1800's. You can only imagine how joyful that experience was for me.

Because I have working on Family History, I have not commented on anyone's blog since Wednesday.... I don't know when I'll catch up (since our beach trip begins this coming Saturday--for a week)---but I'll try my best!!! IF you have a specific post that you don't want me to miss, please let me know so that I won't accidentally miss it. Thanks!!!!

Tomorrow I'll post more of the Waterfalls of West Virginia... I truly did feel like I was almost in Heaven!!!!

Hugs,