Dolly Sods Wilderness -- A hidden little treasure in West Virginia

The Dolly Sods Wilderness is certainly a little treasure in the Eastern mountains of West Virginia.   I have never been to an area with such diversity.  It was a bit difficult to capture it all in a photo, as it felt it was a melting pot of various eco systems all mixed into one.

Temps were a bit on the colder side....Andrew & I stayed warm in the tent, but our water had ice on it in the morning!!  But that didn't stop us from our 17 ish mile hike!  The trail was pretty rocky, so it was difficult to move fast, but that just added to the beauty of the day.

Parts of the trail reminded me of tundra in AK, while others felt like a birch then pine forest.....The river with its cascading water rocks was just amazing.....Doing this hike as overnight would have been AWESOME.  Lots of really good camping spots along the way....especially down by the river!!  Thanks to those who suggested this area to me!!  Certainly a worthy adventure!

Memorial Day Weekend -- Out of Town We Go!!!

Memorial Day +  DC = ROLLING THUNDER
= ME GETTING OUT OF TOWN
(not that I don't like motorcycles, but when they come in the 1,000's its a bit overwhelming!)

So out of town Andrew and I went.  We drove south to West Virginia to check out a rock climbing area called Seneca.  We didn't do any climbing, but I had heard the rock was really interesting looking....and it was!  A shark fin sorta piece of rock.  All trad climbing....I hear the grades are sand bagged as well.  We did a quick walk up the tourist trail....cool views of climbers topping out!

 

The Greenbrier - An Extraordinary Place to Spend the Weekend!

WOW, WOW!  Yep, this one definitely gets a WOW, WOW!  It took me about a day to digest this place!  I have never seen so many busy "Laura Ashley" - like patterns, with fanciful contrasting colors -- it was amazing -- and it was EVERYWHERE -- from the floors to the ceilings, from the walls to the couch, chairs, tables!!  Once again, Alison did her travel magic and had the weekend booked with all kinds unique activities for us to do!  Below is a photo of the bedroom. I was relieved to not find wallpaper on the ceiling!!  The curtains, with its fine detail, contrasting pinks, and beautiful heavy silk (??) material, was my personal favorite!

We went skeet shooting in the morning (maybe my favorite!!), followed by an afternoon at the spa!  Alison and I rallied for  a little trail run that gave you great views of the resort from above.  We also did a tour of the extra large bunker that was built during the Cold War, and is housed under the resort.  Below, Eric and Alison strike a pose at the hidden wall/door that grants you access inside.  We had an amazing dinner at the restaurant, followed by a night at the casino, in which Alison won big on the penny slots!

In the future there will be a dinner train that runs from DC to the Greenbrier, which sounds like a great way to get there.  It is about a five hour drive from the city to White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, home to The Greenbrier.  And if you drive make sure you watch out for cops!  Till the next adventure, and another HUGE thank you to Alison for making it all happen!  Where are we going next??