Outdoor activities include an 18 hole golf course, disc golf and miniature golf. They have fishing, paddleboat and canoe rentals, numerous hiking and biking trails, an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center and sauna. There are basketball and tennis courts, horseback riding, sledding and cross country skiing.
These are all of course seasonal activities so call ahead to see what is being offered during your stay. We were here in mid-April so we were too late for the snow and too early for the water activities. The good news is the campground was less than half full and we had our choice of most sites. I imagine come Memorial Day Weekend this place is completely full!
We chose Campsite #7 in the full hookup section and thought that Site #39 in the electric only section would have been just as nice. If primitive camping is what you desire we feel Campsite #68 is the best. All three were long back in sites with no one behind or to the awning side on either site.
 THURSDAY |
TRAVEL DAY |
 |
 |
"The Mountain State"
|
 FRIDAY |
SIGHTSEEING DAY |
 |
Just outside the visitor center is a boardwalk staircase that descends just below the roadway of the bridge that crosses the gorge here. The New River Gorge Bridge was completed in 1977 and for many years was the world's longest single span arch bridge, it is currently now the fourth longest. Not only did we view the bridge from here, we drove what used to be the only way to cross the river at this location.
We drove down the winding switchback roads of the Fayette Station Road Tour down into the gorge, crossed a bridge just a few feet above the river and then drove back up the 876 feet on the other side along even more switchback roads. It used to take drivers 45 minutes to do this. When we crossed the new 1977 bridge earlier, to get to the visitor center, it only took us 45 seconds to cross the same river.
After the road tour we went upriver to view Sandstone Falls both from the overlook and from ground level on the boardwalk.
NEW RIVER GORGE BRIDGE
After exploring this area of the gorge we had something else planned to do, our new passion is cave exploration. Even before our visit to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky last week, we had visited several caves in Virginia and Tennessee. There is another cave tour near here and what really sounded interesting to us about this cave is that you are able to view the cave as a self-guided tour. That means no rushing through the cave at someone else's pace and being able to spend as much time as you want enjoying each formation. We weren't expecting much and man were we happily surprised.
Every cave is different and you can't really compare one to another to decide which one is better. Mammoth Cave is huge, that's what it has to offer that no other cave does. We hiked 9 miles on three different tours during our visit and we didn't even scratch the surface of the more than 400 miles of passageways that have been mapped there. But what Mammoth Cave doesn't have is a lot of formations, alive or dead, for you to view and photograph.
Lost World Caverns is just the opposite. The entire viewing section of the cave tour is only 1000 feet long. But in that 1000 feet are incredible formations of every kind everywhere you look. You can get up close and inspect each formation to see how they were formed. The other thing is that this cave is very much alive, water is dripping everywhere which means the formations are still growing and changing. Not that you'll notice any change, even if you visited here as a child, because it takes thousands of years for most formations to grow even an inch.
50 stairs to enter the cave and 50 stairs to exit the cave
300 stairs total on the half mile tour
 SATURDAY |
WORK DAY FROM THE POD |
|
The view from the top of the Observation Tower at Pipestem Resort State Park, WV.
 SUNDAY |
WORK DAY FROM THE POD |
|
When I got back to the campsite Tricia had taken a load of laundry up to get washed. Mostly the clothes we had worn while sitting around the campfire Thursday night. While I was sitting there with Tricia waiting for the clothes to be dry I saw a few people gathering at the entrance to the campground. Always the curious type I went over to see what was up.
I was told that in about an hour they were going to be participating in a qualifying round of the state championship tournament for Irish Road Bowling. There were going to be about 25 men and women competing for a spot in the West Virginia State Tournament. The sport is simple, yeah just like golf is simple, all you have to do is roll a small round iron cannonball one mile down the road, fewest throws win.
The thing is the road here in the park is a winding twisting road with some steep up and down hills along the most of the entire length. I was talking to one of the players and he told me this course record is 14 throws set many years ago and last year one of the players came within 10 feet of setting a new record with a 13. He pointed out to me which player he was so I could watch him and then he also pointed out to me last years State Champion.
Before the tournament got under way it started to rain and I naively asked if the played rain or shine? He smiled and said it rains everyday in Ireland, so yes, as long as there is no thunder and lightening they will play. Today they played in groups of five and I watched all five group's first three throws before it starting raining really hard. I then walked back to the campground, it didn't look like anyone was going to be setting any records today.
We did, as I suspected we would, brave the rain and take the aerial tram down to the lower lodge's restaurant for a couple gourmet hamburgers, some creamy potato soup and chocolate key lime cheesecake. The whole bill was just over $40 but the tram ride and the food were a real nice experience.
 |
• • • 100 MILE • • • |
 |
With a half mile of hiking inside of Lost World Caverns
and another half mile up to The Observation Tower in the park
it brings our annual total up to 14 miles.
 |
Who will be the first to correctly guess our next location?
• • • PLEASE USE THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW TO MAKE YOUR GUESS! • • • |
... if you wish to receive an email notice when there is a new blog post!
PLEASE NOTE:
After you subscribe a company named Feed Burner will send you an email to once again verify that you wish to subscribe to TWO PEAS AND THE POD to which you must reply before you will receive notices.
 |
We encourage everyone to use |
Until next time
