April 2, 2024
After a ride through the mountains I was at Lake Shawnee’s grounds for a tour. Long on my list, the grounds were teeming with life though dormant for quite some time. Read through its sorted past here.
April 1, 2024
Wheeler, West Virginia has an interesting lure… an overlook on Mt. Wood, next to Mt. Wood Cemetery, where an abandoned brightly vandalized decay sits. Construction of the Mt. Wood Castle, the would-be residence of a local doctor, had been underway when he was indicted for sale of narcotics. I made Read more…
If you ever find yourself traveling through West Virginia and need a quick respite from the road, Koolwink Motel is a darling motel in Romney with decor to die for. This mid century modern gem within the valley was likely the cleanest motel I’d ever been in, for one, but Read more…
July 22, 2021
Even more into the green now, I’d spend my third night without running water in the gorgeous Spruce Knob Lake within the Monongahela National Forest, driving up to the highest elevation of the state. With starry eyes, I thought I’d see the stars best here–but weather was uncooperative once again Read more…
July 21, 2021
Did you know there is a National Radio Quiet Zone? The National Radio Quiet Zone restricts Earthly radio transmissions to maximize radio data from outer space. This means NPR wasn’t coming in too clear on my drive to Green Bank Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. Similar to the field Read more…
New River Gorge National Park is the newest National Park. One of its scenic draws is the gorge’s bridge, the longest steel arch bridge in the world at the time of its construction. Now this gorgeous feat of engineering is the longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. Many Read more…
July 20, 2021
After staying two nights in a hotel, I had a massive neck ache from terrible pillows. But waking up each morning in my tent, I felt euphoric. Perhaps it was how isolated my campground was, The Brooklyn Campground (teehee) near the Cunard River Access area of New River Gorge National Read more…
July 19, 2021
The West Virginia State Penitentiary operated for more than 100 years (1876 to 1995), holding a peak of 2,000 inmates. The cells, which I roamed in and out of freely taking the Photography Tour, were mostly 5 by 7 feet. Shockingly during overcrowded periods of operation, those small cells held Read more…
Finally having electricity and running water at my will, here is a photo dump of some vegan eats from my days in West Virginia. Some sweet treats from the all-vegan Venerable Bean Bakery in Morgantown, part of the Mountain People’s Food Co-op. Selection was pretty low since it was later Read more…
July 18, 2021
To follow are some shots from the main Kirkbride building of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. A bit cleaned up and subject to large groups coming through for tours, many of the spaces were staged with artifacts and informational displays. A lot of ghost hunters have left toys for the spirit of Read more…
My favorite shots of the day at Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum were in this batch of photos–from the Greenhouse and the Medical Center. It’s of course color, light and texture that play so well in these structures. The effect of this combination is far more impressive than my next batch from Read more…
Opened in 1864, Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was designed under the Kirkbride Plan, aligned with the namesake’s views on best care practices: giving patients access to air circulation and natural light. Those long hallways that illuminate decay so powerfully are all his fault. As was the case with many large self-sustaining Read more…
July 17, 2021
Blazing a quick trail to West Virginia, I knew I would be picking up some seitan wings from Mountaineer Tap House to help settle me into my hotel. I was pleased to learn that they had just created a vegan ranch to accompany the seitan wigs and I’d be one Read more…
July 17, 2015
And now state 42 in the V.V. record blog: West Virginia. In the middle of nowhere, West Virginia–the “unincorporated community” of Vegan. Mission Savvy is the only all-vegan eatery in the entire state. It’s in Charleston, the capital city. The space is vibrant, like its food offerings–mostly raw, pressed juices, pure Read more…