September 28, 2008 - This was moving day - from Sugarcreek to Beckley, West Virginia - a distance of 250 miles. It was all Interstate highway, so an easy trip. We are parked on blacktop - the parking lot of the Raleigh County Convention Center - with full hookups about 3 miles from our first event at the Exhibition Coal Mine.
Once settled in, we gathered for a caravan outdoor dinner with leftover beans from the Sugarcreek rally. Afterward we played a few games of Joker with Mary and Mac Palmer.
September 29, 2008 - This part of West Virginia is in the heart of coal mining country. The history of coal mining is dramatically described at the Exhibition Coal Mine in Beckley. We carpooled to the mine this morning. The mine has been closed for over a year for improvements. Since the last time we were here, they've added a large headquarters and museum building, added to the antique coal town buildings which now include a school, a church, a bachelor's quarters, typical minors home, and superintendent's home. There's also a pioneer village with log houses, school, still, barn, etc.
The ride through the old mine was narrated by an old miner who described how the mine worked in the early days. This mine operated between 1890 and 1910. It was closed for many years before being purchased by the City of Beckley and opened as a exhibit and memorial to the old miners. Conditions in those early years were horrible. Men had to work in a tunnel just 28 inches high. They used picks while laying on their sides, sometime in pools of water, to dig out the coal. Lighting was poor. Aside from the backbreaking work, they had to buy their own tools - picks, shovels, etc. - and were paid $2 per day. They worked twelve hour shifts. They lived in company houses and paid rent. They even had to pay for the coal to heat their homes. What a terrible way to have to earn a living. Coal mining was and still is the backbone of West Virginia economy. With the advent of the unions, and a more humane work atmosphere, conditions have improved, but it is still a dangerous place to work.
Tamarack was our next stop with lunch in the Greenbriar cafeteria. Tamarack is a uniquely designed building that houses crafts and products of West Virginia artisans. Some remarkable products are there - with remarkably high prices.
It was Joker time again in the evening. This time it was Julia Wagner and I against Ann and Fran Perrucci. Ann and Fran took Julia and I to the cleaners.
September 30, 2008 - We joined Mac and Mary Palmer for the ride to Hawk's Nest for a jet boat ride on New River. The ride lasted about 30 minutes and took us upstream about six mile to the famous New River Bridge. The boat could handle only fifteen people at a time, so the caravan was divided into three groups of twelve for three separate trips. It was smooth ride on the only part of the river that is flat and smooth. An upstream dam has created a lake that's about seven miles long. We got within a couple hundred feet of the bridge before the rapids blocked further progress.
That bridge is an awesome sight. It is the longest single span steel bridge in the country - over 800 feet from the road surface down to the water. The bridge was opened for traffic on October 22, 1977. Every October 22nd, two of the four lanes are closed, and pedestrians are allowed out on the span. Parachute jumpers from all over the world come each "Bridge Day" and jump.
After the boat ride we gathered in the cafeteria at the Hawk's Nest Lodge for a "breakfast buffet" at lunchtime. Picture windows around the dining room afforded fantastic views of the New River Gorge - West Virginia's Grand Canyon. Then, on the way back to camp we stopped at the New River Welcome Center where we watched a 10 minute video about the gorge and viewed the bridge from a different level.
This night's Joker game was with Bill and Orv Hillson. Ann and Bill were winners.
October 1, 2008 - With no caravan activities scheduled for today, it was a good time to do laundry and such. The first chore was to find a coin laundry. That required inquiry at a nearby gas station. Their recommendation proved unsatisfactory - the place was closed - so we made second inquiry at a Krogers store. That proved fruitful, and an hour later, the chore was done. Not really done since Ann next had to get everything ironed. Meanwhile I found a Wi-fi hotspot at a Staples store to get this uploaded.
Other caravanners took off, some to play golf, others to the not too far away Greenbrier Hotel, and others just exploring. We'll be moving on to Gray, Tennessee in the morning.
Some of the ladies visited Sams Club and brought back moon pies, cookies, and packages of cider mix for a scheduled drivers meeting in the evening. Up to now the weather had been exceptionally good - lots of sunshine, cool and night but warm during the days. The weather deteriorated as we gathered outside our leader’s trailer for a drivers meeting. Heavy black clouds and cold winds shortened the meeting though, and soon rain and cold temperatures chased everyone inside.
All were glad to see the caravan moving further south to Gray, Tennessee the next day.
