Stringband Festival at Clifftop WV, the famous Clifftop!

Spanning...the Stringband Festival
July 29 - August 2:  Babcock State Park
August 3-4: George Washington Carver State Preserve

Water wheel for the grist mill at Babcock State Park

We arrived in the area with the threat of rain and no clue as to the facilities or relationship between the music festival, Camp Washington-Carver (CWC), and Babcock State Park.  So we opted to camp in Babcock State Park, a short 1.4 mile walk from the festival grounds at CWC as Babcock provided easy access, high and dry camp sites, and relatively quiet.  

The next door neighbors introduced themselves and their dogs, a friendly couple with whom we shared hiking plans, camping ideas, and reviews of other parks.  

The next morning the sun peaked between the clouds and dried the ground from the evening showers so we headed out on a hike to CWC.  The trail is rocky, challenging, and scenic - yes an almost perfect trail.  Most trails in the park run along rivers or streams, climb and descend steep hills, and are frequented by deer and birds; thus you are not disappointed by the choices.

The plan was to move on Wednesday to the festival grounds as there was ample level and dry space in the 'generator' lot.  The GWC facility offers dry camping only and the prime camping spots are best for tenting.  With a 25 foot travel trailer the options are fewer which means we parked outside the main festival area...  the generator and overflow area.  This guaranteed exercise as we walked up and down the entrance road with banjos, chairs, and other stuff slung over our backs.  

Unfortunately there are no pictures of the Stringband Festival because I was too busy with the festival to bother with pictures.  It was grand catching up with friends, making new friends, jamming on the front porch, square dancing, and catching the master's concerts.  Will I go again?  Yes.

FYI:  Camp Washington-Carver and Babcock State Park are adjacent facilities both owned by the state.  CWC is mostly an educational center and used for retreats, camps, and special events.  Babcock is a standard state park with hiking, boating, camping, and related features.  The mailing addresses are different towns that are several miles apart and several miles from the actual facilities.  Lesson:  park offices are not always located on site.

Grayson Lake State Park, Kentucky

July 26-29

Exploring an area is wonderful as you meet the residents, learn the history, and experience the environment.  But it can be challenging to find a suitable 'home' for several days of exploring.  The new hitching post must be scenic, clean, safe, and have ready access to outdoor adventure space and the towns of interest.  We found a fantastic hitching post at Grayson Lake State Park.

 

The last available campsite at a busy park - still beautiful.

Yes, there are lakes at this park as a result of a 1964 Army Corp of Engineer dam built to improve the water quality and provide flood control.  The Little Sandy River retains it's beauty even after being controlled.

 

 

 

 

The park also offers several scenic and challenging hiking trails with views of the sandstone hills and beautiful forests.

 

 

As with most of the parks in the south east we encountered wary and beautiful deer.  It is good to see an increase in the deer population as they are graceful and lovely animals.  It is also good to know they respect humans and do not venture into the campgrounds for food which means humans respect their wild nature and do not attempt to domesticate them by making food available.

Ashland KY - A trip to Billy's place of origin

July 28, 2013
 

Mural on Port Wall

One reason to traverse Kentucky was to visit Billy's childhood town  of Ashland where he lived until the age of 6.  The town is lovely, well preserved, and appears to be thriving with an active downtown.  Our first stop was Central Park which was delightful on a bright sunny Sunday morning. 

 

Central Park Fountain

People were gathering after church for cook-outs, children's laughter filled the air, and couples strolled the grounds.  The park honored the past by preserving Native American mounds and a pioneer house.

 
 

 
The city is balancing progress and the convenience of strip malls and big-box stores with preservation of the downtown.  It appears the effort is worthwhile in this small but active city.

The old and new views of Ashland captivated my interest.  It is a city in transition but learning how to balance the two.

 

Ashland has an active downtown even on a hot Sunday afternoon.

 

We stopped for an fantastic lunch at the Lamp Post Café.  Smoked Meatloaf, green beans, and broccoli casserole for me!

 
 After lunch we strolled along the port and the rail line which have direct access to the Ohio River. 

 

 

The town was originally a shipping town which grew rapidly after the discovery of oil and coal in the area.

 

I was suitably impressed with the efforts to preserve the past while incorporating the future always striving to provide social support for the citizens and beauty for the eye. 

 

 

West Virginia State Parks – Almost Heaven

July 29th 2013

Yes it is true... West Virginia is Almost Heaven.  Our drive to Clifftop and West Virginia's oldest park was a predictor of scenes to come.  

Following I-64 from Kentucky was a scenic drive through roughly hewn mountains and rolling hills into the central western reaches of West Virginia.  A stop at the welcome station was helpful for selecting roads as the state is known for twisty, steep roadways through the mountainous coal mining regions of the US.

As usual, there was some item we needed from the store and today it was bread and milk.  Noticing a country corner market we stopped.  The market was at a cross-road and the top of a hill, it may have been Winona.  A short chat with the shop owner ended with her words, “Good luck.” I pondered her words as the road was quite curvy. 

Across the road was an old coal mine Company Store and stopped for a visit.  Reading the literature it was easy to understand how a miner soon “owed his soul to the company store”.  Time to journey towards Babcock State Park.