Winter
time of year
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We hiked Kaymoor Miner’s Trail, Fayetteville, WV (1.6 mile out and back, 869’ elevation). The first half is a steep descent mostly on jumbled rocks and dirt. Halfway down you’ll find find the first coal mine ruins with plaques explaining the history of the area. The mine is closed to protect the bats that live there and humans from the dangerous conditions inside. From there you’ll descend another 821 steps to the ruins of the mine processing area. There is little left of the town that was also down by the railway. What struck me the most was just how bad a shape everything was in considering that the mine was operational until 1962. Kaymoor Mining Complex was one of 80 industrial towns in the Gorge in the early 1900s.
7.5
difficulty: 8
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Driving along, we saw the Meadow Bridge Drive in theatre, Meadow Bridge, WV and decided to pull in and check it out. It’s very homey feeling with grass parking. Meadow Bridge Drive-in is West Virginia’s smallest drive-in. Built in 1953 with a capacity for only 180 cars, still boasts one of the lowest admission prices around for a double feature. Open weekends only from Memorial Day to Labor Day, cash only for admissions and concessions.
https://www.driveinmovie.com/wv/meadow-bridge/meadow-bridge-drive-in/
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On the way to our next stop we passed through the historic town of Hinton, WV. West Virginia tourism calls it a “remarkable Victorian-era railroad town, enveloped by the rolling hills of southern West Virginia.” The architecture is really something, maybe especially the roadways -there are spots where the pavement has worn off and the original cobblestone bricks peak through. Something about this town has a very warm and welcoming feel, a good energy. We stopped at their Kroger for supplies and when we walked in the checkout people were singing Happy Birthday to one of the customers that had just come in, like they were all good friends that went back a ways.
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We stopped at the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, WV. This 0.2 mile walk is 43 miles from the New River Bridge. Sandstone Falls is the largest waterfall on the New River spanning 1500’ across. This area has had a ton of rain over the past few days. The river was high and very fast. The boardwalk goes along a flatrock community that contains many plants that grow nowhere else in New River Gorge.
6
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We stopped in at Pipestem State Park, Pipestem, WV to get some information about it and pick up a park map. It looks like a good place to come back to and hike. They have an observation tower that should have fantastic views.
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We got dinner from Moon Dog Brick Oven Pizza in Wytheville, VA. Its pretty good, you can tell the dough is made in house.
7.5
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Wytheville, VA seems like an interesting town, with a well preserved historic downtown. I’d like to come back one day and go to the Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre, a 200-seat German-themed venue that presents Broadway style musical productions after a 4-course, themed dinner.
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We checked into Sleep Inn, Wytheville, VA
Price: $89/night
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