Almost Heaven..WEST VIRGINIA

New River Gorge National Park has breath taking views. Pictures just don't do it justice.I can't wait to return here for autumn leaves.
Sandstone Falls. Not very tall, but one of the widest in the US..spanning 1500 ft across the New River.
Helppp!
We did the Canyon Rim Trail for amazing views. It wasn't too bad, till the end.
The New River Bridge makes for great pictures! At the time of construction the bridge's arch made it the longest steel arch bridge in the world. It held that title until 2003, when a bigger on was built in China. Today, the New River Gorge Bridge is still the longest single arch bridge in the US and the 3rd highest bridge in the country.
Hiked up to Long Point for another perspective.
Afterwards, we visiting Thurmond, which was once a thriving coal town on the rail line...now a ghost town.
Notice the vines overcrowding the abandoned home.
Thurmond train station.
They offered 3% on savings. I can't even get that now from Wells Fargo!
Coal depositor at tracks
Thurmond was a thriving town back in it's day. The local hotel, which has since burnt down, was so close to the tracks that people on the porch could spit on the train as it went by!
Before leaving Beckley, we stopped at the exhibition coal mine to learn about the lives of coal miners in the early 1900's. That was a HARD job!
Then we saw how they lived in the communities where they were housed.
The old school house was fun to view.
Remember the Dewey Decimal system?
Teachers rules.
This was worse than those nuns at my Catholic school! 
Finally, the school DUNCE.
On to Maryland and Connecticut.





























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