Another Amazing Adventure in West Virginia

Another Amazing Adventure in West Virginia
Summersville & Lansing, West Virginia
October 17-19, 2014

Gauley Season in West Virginia is one of my favorite annual events.  In the late summer I started watching for discounts on websites like Groupon and LivingSocial and found a deal which included whitewater rafting the Lower Gauley and an adventure obstacle course.  As always, I made the most of the weekend by following country roads and taking in roadside scenic stops as I made my way into West Virginia.

My first attraction was the Big Muskey Bucket in McConnelsville, Ohio.  Although the sign says it is only 20-ish miles from the highway, I didn't know that it is along a 35mph winding country road- State Route 78.  Although it took me a while to get there, the autumn drive was just beautiful and I passed a bustling country flea market on my way.  When I got my first glimpse of the bucket (which is left of what was once the largest earth-moving machine in the world), I wasn't so much struck by the size of the bucket as I was the links in the chain which was attached- that was one giant chain.  To be fair, the bucket is big, too.  The area has views of the valley the equipment was once used to mine.  Although Ohio is not nearly as well known for mining as West Virginia, this area is Ohio’s memorial to mining, miners and the land on which it occurred. 

From there I took my time making my way into West Virginia, staying off the highway for the most part and following meandering mountain roads deeper into the state.  I made pit stops along the way enjoying the atmosphere of the little country store/gas station/community gathering spots I encountered. It was after dark when I pulled into Summersville and checked into the La Quinta. I had dinner at a Mexican place within walking distance and got to bed.

I’d chosen Bridge Day- a local festival held on the New River Gorge Bridge, which is closed for the day to allow rappelling and BASE jumping for the crowds enjoyment- for the date of my whitewater excursion.  Adventures on the Gorge is within view of the Bridge and was an amazing host for all the fun I had that weekend!  My rafting guide was fantastic, the other rafters were a fun bunch and the river on the last day of damn release was ruthless- I witnessed so much carnage!      

That night I met my friend Drew, who was passing through West Virginia on his way from Texas to Ohio, for dinner and drinks at a local spot, hit the hot tub to relax my muscles and fell asleep early.  The next morning Drew and I met up at TimberTrek Aerial Adventure Park for one of the highlights of the weekend- an obstacle course of bridges, swings and zip lines connecting platforms high in the trees.  Five options weave through the woods- I completed the yellow (Easy) course and two Green (Moderate) courses- my legs were shaking, I was sweating and at one point I fell but it was a blast and a half and I felt pretty accomplished to have made my way through.  Drew completed a yellow, green and blue (Advanced) which was quite impressive as the advanced course is about 50 feet in the air with some intense challenges.  I called everyone in my family as soon as I was finished to tell them of the awesome challenge I’d just completed and how I hope they can all do it one day! 

On the way home I stopped to take a few pictures at a scenic overlook and pulled off the highway at a small-town Custard Stand that boasted that they were what fast-food used to be. I concur- my chili cheese dog was delicious!  As always, my annual excursion to West Virginia proved to be a true adventure!

Sister Trip- Tour de Donut

Sister Trip- Tour de Donut
Arcanum & Dayton, Ohio
September 5-7, 2014

The Tour de Donut is one of my most anticipated events of the year!  We build a weekend around the occasion, visiting attractions in the Dayton area when not participating in the bike race/donut-eating contest. 

Last year Megan and I were late to pick up our race packets and almost missed out- this year we decided to pick up out bibs early on Friday afternoon.  When we arrived at the Arcanum Field House there was already a buzz of excitement in the crowd of fellow bike-riders.  We picked up our info, T-shirts and a list of nearby restaurants, deciding to dine at Pitsburg Pizza Grill just four miles away- we were famished.  We were not disappointed.  The pizza shop is a no-frills local spot with sparse décor, old booths and a bathroom door that was very hard to close but the service was friendly, the food was scrumptious and it was obviously a local favorite.  We loved it- we wolfed down quite a meal, carbing up for the race and all. 

Wegerzyn Gardens was our next stop, chosen mostly because it was on the way between the pizza place and our hotel.  But as soon as we stepped into the gardens we were amazed by the beauty of our surroundings.  Each garden has a different theme and we spent the evening exploring, captivated by the vibrant colors of the English Garden, taking in the tranquility of the succulent garden and wandering along the wooded paths that weaved between the garden plots.  From there we headed to our hotel to get some rest before the race.

We’ve done the Tour de Donut a few times now and have developed a strategy to optimize our performance.  No, it isn’t training heavily for the event.  We take a very relaxed approach to the whole thing. Instead of taking off with the pack when the starting gun goes off, we hang back for a while letting the crowd stretch out a little and cross the starting line about 15 minutes after everyone else.  As we were mounting our bikes to get our late start to the race, an older gentleman said ‘Are you two girls good and ready?’ We replied ‘We have a strategy!’ and set off.  It took just a few minutes before we were zooming past other participants in the 16-mile Mini Donut division of the race and we spent the rest of our ride focused on overtaking as many riders as possible.  About halfway through, the older gentleman we met at the starting line zoomed past us and commented that our strategy was working.  Megan and I enjoyed the ride through beautiful Ohio farmland at a good pace and ended up placing 11^th (Megan) and 12^th out of just over 120 women in our age group!

That afternoon we went to the Aullwood Audubon Center & Farm- I was pleased to find out they were currently hosting a quilt exhibit and was totally inspired by many of the amazing textile masterpieces.  We both relaxed in the bird observation area which had a huge picture window looking out to several bird feeders catering to many varieties of birds, including chickadees and hummingbirds.  Raptors were housed in an area a little further back.  We explored a few of the paths surrounding the center and followed one all the way to the Farm just about a mile away.  What a fun time!  I witnessed two pigs try to fit through one small barn door and get lodged in which was pretty funny.  They also had a huge vegetable garden, a culinary herb garden, horses, turkeys and goats- I love goats!  It was a crazy chill educational afternoon. 

At some point that weekend we’d gotten a crepe craving and, amazingly enough, Dayton has a crepe place in what has to be about the fanciest shopping center I’ve ever seen in Ohio.  That Crepe Place is one of many restaurants in The Greene Town Center in Beavercreek, Ohio- a multiuse complex that combines luxury living accommodations with high-end shopping and many dining options.  We parked on the outskirts of the commercial community and walked the few blocks past condos and retail stores to score two delicious crepes- one Bananas Foster and another Classic Parisian with butter and sugar.  They were worth the drive across town.

Our hotel, the Drury Inn and Suites Dayton North, hosts a happy hour each evening so we were able to enjoy a couple margaritas, glasses of wine and some snacks before settling in to relax after our full day.  We pulled chairs over to the window and enjoyed the view of the city in the distance as we relaxed for night.  As always, the Tour de Donut and the activities we use to fill up our weekend were a blast- we’re already looking forward to next year!