We arrived in Charleston – West VA, not the other one – Monday afternoon and checked into the house we’d rented for the week of family activities related to the upcoming wedding of our grandson. It’s a doozy! Built in 1976, we think…
Trip #47 unloading the car
We’d been without internet or cell service at our friends’ cabin the week before, so after settling in, we spent the evening catching up on emails, downloading photos, etc. After all, we’d promised to be back in touch Monday.
And laundry, we also did plenty of laundry.
Turned out to be a good thing we’d jumped right on it because Tuesday morning, a tornado touched down in Charleston. (More time spent in the basement with the washer and dryer.) We were safe, but in the dark, along with approximately 125,000 other Appalachian Power customers.
After the storm passed, we explored the damages to our temporary neighborhood on the mountain.
Only a small tree hit our rental – noisy but no damageThe neighbors quickly cleared the roads they couldSome routes were in need of the professionals – oops, turn around!2-doors down, this was, unfortunately, the only way in or out of our dead-end, mountaintop road
We topped off the gas tank and spent Tuesday night by candlelight, charging tablets and cell phones in the car when needed, so we could keep up with the forecast and power outage predictions.
Wednesday night, however, was supposed to drop into the 30’s. Discretion being the better part of valor, we found a hotel for the night. Took some research and a few calls to find one with both availability AND power. After all, plenty of locals were seeking shelter, and more than 2,000 line workers from ten states outside of WV also needed rooms.
Clearly, Applebee’s had power!
Per Appalachian Power, damage assessment teams have so far discovered 1,279 spans of wire down, nearly 300 broken poles, 148 broken/damaged crossarms, and 65 transformers down. Most of the damage was due to trees.
As the estimate from the power company was pushed further and further out for restoring electricity to our little mountainside area (five days) – and with hotel rooms becoming more and more “Sold Out” – we quickly changed our hotel checkout all the way to Monday and returned to the rental house to collect our belongings (yes, back under the tree hanging on the wire).
We made the 47 trips to put everything back in the car,thanked the “local” for his help,and drove under the scary tree for the last time.
In the end, no one in the family even saw the quirky house with the great view we’d rented so we could get together. But, hey, our hotel room has a nice view of the Kanawha River…
After several days at End of the Road Retreat in Broadway, Virginia, we wound our way back down the gravel country road headed to West Virginia.
Through the quaint covered bridge, past the farmer and his harnessed team,a dozen miles or so & “Welcome to WEST VIRGINIA!”
It didn’t take long before we hit the steep grades, some marked at 55 mph. 55? That’s a laugh.
Although the day was a bit overcast, the drive was amazingly pleasant, along those winding roads.
Germany Valley Overlook – site of Hinkle’s Fort 1761-62
Our friends had advised us that the last five miles to the cabin would be on a gravel road. We timed it perfectly to travel those final miles in the rain! ha! (Well, at least it wasn’t dark…)
We had high hopes we wouldn’t need dentures when we arrivedOur new ride, affectionately dubbed “Pearl,” proudly showing off her muddy sides
It had been almost two years since we last saw James and Carol when we had the pleasure of spending a few days aboard their (former) boat, Excalibur, our own adventures having kept us south. So, warm welcome hugs were exchanged before stepping inside for the grand tour of Al’s Lone Pine Camp, i.e., the family cabin built by Carol’s father.
The next day, the weather cleared, and the exploring began. First up, a meandering circular hike through Al’s land, then on to the nearby property James & Carol own, then through a chunk of the Monongahela National Park Forest, and finally back to the Camp! Whew! Next, we climbed into James’ truck to go to Blackwater Falls State Park.
The stones are stacked where James & Carol might build a cabinCarol showed us how to identify ramps (more on that later)Blackwater Falls State ParkAhhh, back at Al’s , the evening was perfect for relaxing by the firepit & watching a few bats cruise by
There was plenty of soaking in the incredible scenery, watching the robins work the grass, and “let’s take that circle walk, again!” The walk is partially on National Park land with other more serious trails that we weren’t up to (“yet!” adds the one of us with the limp and the new hip). But it’s amazing to relax chatting and catching up, and not to mention games! Okay we won’t mention those. Especially since the guys kept winning… (Hey, Carol, do you think there was any cheating going on?? Nah. Next time, guys. Next time. )
High Falls Trail! (Alas, perhaps another time)In the meantime, where to next?Blankets? Why in the world are we sitting in the cold?It’s much better out here by the firepit!
On one of our driving trips, James surprised us with a stop at the Bowden Fish Hatchery before we explored Graceland, the historic Victorian home of Senator Henry Davis on the campus of Davis and Elkins College. At 16,000 square feet and built in 1893, she is beautiful. Her 10 rooms and suites will open very soon, complete with a restaurant. Heck, we were only about a week early. Had to go find our own lunch.
Carol is learning a thing or two, while Susie is totally distracted, gleefully feeding the fishLord & Lady of the manor 🙂
Back at the cabin, Carol showed us the spring up the road a piece, where we gathered water daily for the next morning’s coffee.
Telling tales by the springTodd accepted and beat the challenge to hold his hand under the cold water for more than 40 seconds – brrrrr
The days of eating too much, walking (thank goodness), game playing, and healthy laughter, lead up to Easter Sunday, our final day together. Once the rain stopped, we set out to gather the aforementioned ramps to add to dinner. What’s a ramp, you say? Think a cross between a small wild leek and an onion. Some say pungent; others say yum!
Harvesting the wild rampsSeparating and cleaningDrainingAnd finally, into the potatoes!
After a week of gastronomic indulgence put on by our talented hosts, what did we do for Easter dinner? Well, we ate too much once again, of course! BBQ chicken, fresh veggies, homemade sourdough bread, black raspberry jelly, pickles, peach cobbler… The list goes on. What a feast!
Monday morning, we waddled out of bed to help clean up the cabin, packed the vehicles, and headed off in our separate directions. Back out on those country roads, we twisted, turned, and did plenty of that up and down travel Todd enjoys, making our way to Charleston.
Some pavedSome notEven ended up behind the truck dumping the gravel!Don’t worry, little hula girl,the road way down there is paved.Although not in the least straight. James & Carol, thank you for sharing your piece of “Almost Heaven” down those country roads!
No, not our rockers (although some might argue the point), on our next round of adventure – Vagabonding, Chapter 1.
A special note to those who have been following along with us: if you are not interested in keeping up with our land-based adventures, please let us know by sending an email to saltymare@hotmail.com and we will remove you from the subscriber list so you won’t be bothered with unwanted emails.
For those who want to continue following along, we’ve added a tracker to theLocate Us page so you can see where we are at any point in time.
Now back to the story.
When we could, we studied, plotted and planned to come up with our first destination.
In the end, truth be told, overwhelmed by the studying, Susie sort of threw a dart.
First stop, a month in Texas Hill Country to see the spring wildflowers bloom and be in the path of totality for the eclipse on April 8.
Sounds idyllic, right?
O-o-p-s, not so fast.
A last-minute text from our soon-to-be granddaughter changed everything. “Guess what?! We’re getting married!! … April 7! … in… (wait for it) … West Virginia!”
So rather than TX, we’re heading to WV. It’s okay. There will certainly be a wildflower or two, and it’s not every day you add family. We wouldn’t miss it!
Note: They probably don’t know/remember that 4/7 was Todd’s father’s (interpretation: the groom’s great grandfather’s) birthday. A special day all around!
It’s called West VIRGINIA ’cause it’s just WEST of Virginia. Shorter first leg. Hey, that’s a good thing. Long week to get there. And we actually have cruiser friends out there somewhere; more on that later.
After pausing for one more family hug in Mechanicsville (and to dump the last pile of “too much” stuff! 😉 ), we headed for a three-night stop-over in Broadway, VA. We found the End of the Road Retreat cabin rental on the interwebs, and, as anticipated, it was a picturesque 155-mile drive. The last scenic mile was on a twisting, up and up-ly down (a new Todd phrase meaning mostly UP)-hill, gravel road. The 5-mph recommended speed limit was not exceeded!
Up we goAnd some moreThere are well-placed boulders to enforce the final right-hand turnSafe! Susie, you can turn loose now
Behind the cabin, while it’s not the ocean, there’s a spectacular view!
In addition to the shuffleboard hiding under that long table, there’s this contraption off the side deck:
Yep, it’s a slide!
Just where are all those grandchildren when you need them? Nana wants to push someone off the deck! LOL
Yes, this will do nicely.
To cap our first stop, we found this sign just inside the front door.
Thank you to the many, many folks who have kept us in prayer since the events of July 29. God is so good!
What’s next? Well, today we’ll head 12 miles west to enter WEST Virginia and then travel another couple of hours to join our first Selene friends, James & Carol (former owners of the beautiful Selene 57 Excalibur) for almost a week at their family cabin in the hills…no Wi-Fi or cell service…….. 🙂
Once the boat deal was done and that proverbial door closed, it was time to focus forward and figure out how to get moving again. Our lives needed quite a bit of organization if we were to pull this off – and remember “we” have a Todd. 🙂
How true!
First up, a week in Wilmington to check off a round of medical follow-up / “wellness” visits. The appointments were spaced far enough apart as to allow some time to wander about playing tourist. One day it was the downtown area, including the Riverwalk, Bellamy Mansion, and the Railroad Museum, where we learned – among other things – that the conductor, housed in the caboose, was actually the boss.
Engineer ToddConductor SusieSo, in a bit of role reversal, Susie decided to take the “helm” with Engineer Todd as “first mate”
She continued the role reversal that evening by trying to set up our camera self-timer and run over into the shot, which is usually Todd’s specialty.
Almost made itNot quiteWhew! That’ll do it!
A couple days later, we hit the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher (along with what seemed like two hundred small children – ha!) and Fort Fisher State Park for some chilly educational reading about the loss of the fort before warming up with a nice hike.
Beyond appointments, visits, and trips to the storage unit, there was the need for a family truckster, so all the while, we were hitting auto dealerships, both within a 500-mile radius online and in person while on the road. The search was on.
Then one morning during our coffee-time search, there it was, fifteen minutes from the rental “condo” – our new wheels, traded in the day before!
We are blessed with so much family in Hampton Roads. It was wonderful to spend time with everyone. Priceless!
With Kai, Ella, Caitlin & JeffWith Mom & Aunt JoyceWith Linda, Ray, Daddy & MaBettyWith MichaelWith Bill & BrendaUntil next time!
To establish some connections that we might use in other places, we explored and joined both the Norfolk Botanical Garden and the Virginia Zoo. Norfolk’s mascot provided Susie the opportunity to embrace her inner (landlocked) mermaid. Hey, Honey, what happened to that tan??
Balancing isn’t so easy with one bum leg and that large, awkward purse 😉
We mentioned trips to the storage unit. To whine completely (and with a visual aid), 22 miles one way! Total trips? 732,123,654 million! Or so it seemed. That was Todd’s estimate…
Every time, we thought we were almost there – surely we’ll fit in the car now. Test fit, and nope. More to storage. Test fit, and nope, yet again. After our lease ran out on the “joint,” we made several trips to stay an extra week in a hotel to cull through the load once again!
But we finally made it; we fit in the car with room to spare, as long as we didn’t want to add more than a dozen eggs or so…
Took the extra to you-know-where!
No, no, Honey. Not you. Get out of there & let’s lock it up. Don’t you want to go vagabonding?!
Transferring a whole LIFE from a boat into a small “condo/apartment” rental is tough. Moving all worldly possessions, fixing, cleaning, sprucing, crying, … yeah, yeah, heard all about it, la de da.
To us it was very emotional; let’s just end with that.
Point to this is that Susie’s second right hand (the camera) was forgotten and finally found whilst cleaning the helm! Hence not a lot of action captured.
Susie did capture one of Todd’s final Boat Yoga moves. Right hand, charger install! Left foot Yanmar surround!
On January 27, we cruised over to Portsmouth Boating Center and tied up to await the coming survey.
The prep was over. It was Show Time! (Susie, that’s enough already. Put down the cleaning supplies. She’s beautiful.)
Next up, was the very thorough inspection. When we say “thorough,” we mean rigorous, from bow to stern and flybridge to keel, meticulous two and a half days (approximately 23 hours) of inspection. Of course, knowing us, someof that time may have been spent chatting. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Mark, the JMYS broker who brought us together & Bill, the keen-eyed, knowledgeable surveyor (Thanks, guys!)Susie & Asher staying out of the wayCaptains Todd and Don during the sea trialWith buyers Ariel, Don & the ever-positive Asher – The old crew and the new, wrapping up the survey
The big girl showed well. However, after several months of non-use, the outboard on the dinghy wouldn’t start, so the Lil Filly had to make a road trip.
Tied on to maneuver her to the launch area for pick up by the forkliftGiven the line “handlers,” she looks like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float!Expertly lowered onto a trailer to be towed to the engine mechanic
After watching Mike from Portsmouth Boating Center (note to our fellow cruisers: he is a gem!) drive off with the dinghy in tow, we took advantage of the beautiful day to take SaltyMare back to a new slip at Tidewater Yacht Marina.
Captain Todd’s final turn at the helm – oh how he loves being there!SaltyMare sitting pretty in the slip
We then walked the 1.5 miles back to retrieve the car. These would have come in handy…
A week later, the Lil Filly was repaired and back in the water at Portsmouth Boating Center, raring to go. Todd bundled up and took off around Hospital Point to Tidewater Yacht Marina so we could load the dinghy back aboard the SaltyMare. It was such a short trip, however, that he got there before the first mate could – drive this time – back to the boat to ready the crane. (To be fair, one of us was doing uninterrupted donuts at 20 knots [whee!] and the other was stopping at multiple Stop signs.)
Girl, you ready to go for a run?!Forlorn last little ride…
All the details were finalized Friday the 9th, and the keys changed hands Saturday, February 10. Our dreamboat is now someone else’s dream come true.
Good luck, Don & Ariel. We are thankful she’s in good hands, and we know she will treat you well! Happy cruising!!
Also, thank you for the fantastic keepsake!
And with that, one door closes, and another opens…
Pssst, Honey, we really need to buy a car for this next adventure…
Our Travels 