Day 18, May 3, A pleasant day in Morgantown, WV

We had some nice excursions today, all planned by my creative, adventuresome wife. We began by going to the Coopers Rock Overlook. Coopers Rock is the geographic feature for which this park is named and for which the park was created to preserve. The forest park was a product of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which President Franklin Roosevelt began as a part of his vast array of public initiatives to put Americans to work during the Great Depression. Coopers Rock is a natural feature, a rocky promontory overlooking the Cheat River Gorge. Here are some pictures from the morning visit to the overlook.

After viewing the gorge at the overlook, we left the park to head to Morgantown for the day. Morgantown is where the main campus of the West Virginia University system is located. (BTW, It is properly called West Virginia University, not the University of West Virginia.) Home of the Mountaineers!! Like other smaller towns with large universities, we thought it might have a college town feel. Our guess was right.

After a delicious lunch at an Indian restaurant, Fresh. Mint, we walked down the Main Street of the downtown area, seeing the buildings, shops, people, etc. The area of downtown with the government buildings (the public schools office, the county office, the county judicial complex) appeared like many downtowns, to be a struggling place -- not as much pedestrian traffic, many of the businesses closed, buildings boarded up. The part of downtown physically closer to a branch of the university was thriving -- more foot. and vehicle traffic, more modern and trendy shops, buildings appearing to be fully leased, etc. Along the way through this area and back to our RV, we stopped to get coffee at Zeke's and ice cream at a Cold Stone Creamery. We also dropped into a local women's boutique for Patrise to buy a blouse.

Take a look:

After browsing through the downtown district, we hung around the area for a while in the RV, while I finished writing and publishing yesterday's (May 2) blog. Then we went to a different part of town near the main WVU campus, to get a much-needed massage. Driving the RV can put a bit of tension in the shoulders, in particular. After the massage, we left Morgantown headed back to our Coopers Rock campsite and dinner.

Tomorrow, we will leave West Virginia, heading for Gettysburg, PA, to see that historic battlefield that was so important to our nation's future (at the time) and history. (in hindsight).

Before I show the last batch of pictures, here are some observations Patrise and I have about the state of West Virginia: There is no significance to the order or brevity of the statements.

> It is mountainous, much more so than any other state we've seen in the eastern U.S.

> It is very wooded and lush with vegetation.

> It's population is small and in most places, sparse.

> Many, if not most, of the state's highway bridges are named after fallen WV soldiers --

> more so than I've observed in anywhere else in the country.

> It's economy is very limited, except in some spots of concentrated activity.

> It's people have been friendly and for the most part helpful.

> It appears to have very few minorities.

> Doug thinks its population has more tattoos and body piercings per capita than any other state he's seen.

> People have to be hardy and creative to make a living here.

West Virginia was one of the three states we had never visited before. Now we can see that we have experienced it. The next such state we will visit is Maine, which will leave North Dakota as the 5oth and last state we have not visited. We're not sure when or how we will get to it, but is certainly for a future time and trip.

Well, I wanted to end this with a few last photos of the day. Now the internet has wigged out on me once again, and the photos I sent from my camera have not come through in the last 10 minutes. This leaves me to believe that, It is probably time for me to call it a night. (I am seated outside of the camp office where the internet signal is strongest. However, storm clouds are rolling in and at 8:03 pm it is growing dark.) So for now I publish. I'll add those other photos tomorrow.

I didn't get to publish last night before the storm rolled in, and it was a gully washer! So now, at last on the morning of May 4, Day 19, I am publishing the May 3 entry.

(Entering the main campus of West Virginia University)

(For basketball afficianados, this is the arena where the great Jerry West played his college basketball. This portion of US19 is named Jerry West Boulevard.)

(The Monongahela River, before it meets up with the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River.)