Rafting the New River Rocks - Don't Take It For Granite

 

    Our weekend in Charleston has been fascinating.  This capital city, likely a bit more populated during the work week, seems to be suffering from some of the population loss the state suffered, the worst in the nation, since the last census. While there is a thriving farmer's market, a wonderful little bookstore, and a handful of  hopping restaurants, the long blocks between those two areas of downtown are largely vacant.  

    Where the Capitol Building once stood, before the fire that demolished it many decades ago, stands a pretty historic sign.  Situated on the Kanawha River, it's easy to imagine this area thriving with shops and bars and, most importantly, pedestrians, but right now it is largely quiet when it comes to tourists.

    Ironically, there is apparently a bit of concern about their beloved New River Gorge becoming the country's newest National Park this past December.  While the river itself, among the oldest in the world, was designated a National River some time ago, there is worry that the state is not ready for the number of visitors that come with a National Park designation.  JV, our whitewater rafting guide today, told us that thus far they hadn't noticed any major changes, other than the additional signs that have been installed, but that many of them wonder if the designation will eventually bring rules and regulations that will have a negative impact on the locals.  Time will tell, but I have hope that the opposite will happen, and people around the country will come to discover what an absolutely beautiful state West Virginia is to visit, and, perhaps, for some, to live.

    Our Charleston time was devoted to enjoying some of those shops and restaurants and checking out a nearby theater to see Jungle Cruise, a movie that seemed particularly appropriate the day before our own river adventure was to take place.  While there was no official Capitol tour, we were able to walk around and learn a bit about the capital, which switched back and forth between Charleston and Wheeling so often that they joked the Capital actually existed on the river as all official business kept being transferred back and forth that way.  It is a beautiful dome, though the inside of the building is not all that spectacular.

A monument to the Coal Miner, an occupation held in much reverence throughout the state.

    As we headed into the movie yesterday afternoon, Maddie was concerned that they might not have integrated the puns for which the Disney ride is famous.  She needn't have worried, as Dwayne Johnson punned his way through the start of the film much to our collective delight.  When Doug (like the hole, if you "dig" me, you'll remember my name) greeted us today, after our gorgeous drive on the "Midland Trail" from Charleston to Adventures on the Gorge, the site where our whitewater adventure was to begin, we were treated to yet more puns and jokes.  Doug was a joke machine, so his dire warnings about how not to crash into the rocks once we hit the water, were made a tad more palatable.

    Still, I was nervous.  We had heard so much about the famed (and less regulated) white water rafting in West Virginia that I wasn't sure if we might be in for a bit more than we anticipated.  While this may have been our most gorgeous rafting trip yet, and had more rapids to navigate than we'd encountered in the past, we came away thinking it may have been slightly more tame than the trip we took in Idaho.  Of course, that was largely due to the time of year.  The later in summer, the lower the water.  The higher the water, the faster it is.  To do this same course in late spring or early June would likely be not just thrilling but, at times, terrifying. 

    We were excited to get the opportunity to both take in gorgeous views of the iconic New River Gorge Bridge, the longest steel arch bridge in the country (until 2003, in the world) and the 3rd highest bridge in America, from both the nearby viewpoint and the river below AND to get some rollicking fun rapids.

    Having not eaten since a paltry hotel breakfast many hours earlier, we settled into Pies & Pints, a local chain that served up some delicious pizza, made all the better by the appetites we had built up from working so hard on the very old New River, and by our new duds!  Tomorrow, it's off to the Greenbrier!