Week 47 Nov. 18-24

Appalachia

So I was conflicted a little bit about counting a trip through Appalachia as a new thing for this week, but it was Thanksgiving Week, and we made a trip back to Stanton/Sheridan for the holiday, so not a lot of opportunity for "Brand New Things", but the most striking thing for me about this week was the route we took to Michigan and the vastness of the Appalachian region.

This was our first trip back to Michigan from Virginia.  On our way here, we took the northern route through Pennsylvania and to Richmond from DC.  With two cars, one with a trailer, 3 kids, a dog, and a cat it was truely a pioneering experience then and took 15 hours.  So, when we were planning our trip home for Thanksgiving, in the Pioneering Spirit, we sought a better route.

Growing up in Michigan, I never really thought much about the mountains of the eastern United States.  When I thought of mountains, my first thought would be of the Rocky's, but the Appalachian Mountain Range is quite impressive in itself. 

Everyone learns in early history classes about expansion in the United States, and how the first settlers stayed primarily on the east coast.  We learned that the Appalachian Mountains were a reason most people stayed east, but upon discovery of various routes, including the Cumberland Gap, pioneers could get their wagons accross the range and settle farther west.  Without much thought, I would assume that this was because they had only horses and wagons, yet today, in 2012, our travels and migrations are still affected in the same way the early pioneers were.

We took 64 east from Richmond through Charlottesville.  Charlottesville is the start of the mountains coming from Richmond.  Just past there, we hit 81 to the south for a while to connect again with 64 west out of Virginia into West Virginia.  From there, it was due west until we connected to 77, which took us north into Ohio.  Just past Athens Ohio, the land gets flat again.

This is the route we took, for the most part, both there and back, as it is mostly interstate highway.  It was on the way back, that we really got to experience the mountains.  Looking to improve upon the route, we thought we would take a "shortcut" in West Virginia to cut a corner from 77 south to 64 east.  US 60 is a two lane instate, sort of like M66 in Michigan.  In fact, US 60 is the Midlothian Turnpike about a mile from our house in Midlothian, a main road from the west into Richmond.  It crosses 77 in West Virginia, so we thought it would be fine to take to "save some time".  This proved to be an adventure in itself.

We left the interstate just south of Charleston, WV and followed, for a while the Kanawha River.  The road followed the river as much as possible, which is in a narrow valley.  There were many points when we would have to climb to the top of various mountains to the next mountain following narrow switchback roadways.  As we got higher, the roads got narrower, to the point where we were only traveling about 35 miles per hour. 

It was a beautiful ride, however it was terribly slow for a group who was trying to get home.  For me, it provided an appreciation for the early settlers who made their way accross this region.  It also provided an understanding about the remoteness of the people who live here.  It is just too damn tiring to travel very far.  Plus, it is so beautiful, I can see why people would think the midwest doesn't have much to offer in the way of scenery. 

From central Michigan, you can be in West Virginia in about 6-7 hours.  I would highly recommend, if you are looking for a small vacation destination, that you consider checking out the Appalachian Region.  It is vastly differnt than what it's like anywhere in Michigan or the coastal plains of Virginia.