Accident in Maryland

No, it’s not what you’re thinking. We’re okay…really. There’s actually a town in western Maryland called Accident. We would have stopped to take a picture of the sign, which would probably have included the entire town as well, but when one is pulling a 32 foot trailer it can be difficult to find a place to park.

So on we went to spend a few days in Canaan Valley, West Virginia. This is mountain country and we even spotted a few guys with long  beards who I assume are “mountain men.” A state park near here is called Blackwater Falls State Park, probably because the Blackwater River runs through it, and, lo and behold, there’s a Blackwater Falls.

Since there’s still some coal mining in the area we first thought the river got its name from coal dust, but a helpful sign told us the dark brown (so why isn’t it Brownwater Falls?) is from tannin seeping from dissolved plant life.

If you look closely at this shot you can see the brown color of the water as it begins its drop over the falls.

And speaking of coal, we were behind a coal truck a while ago with a sign on it’s back that read: “Coal: Fire Obama.” I understand the economic situation, but I like to breathe clean air. Penny and I drove through the West Virginia mountains about 40 years ago, and you could actually see (and smell) the air. It’s much better now, but there’s also a lot of unemployment.

The mountains here are lush and beautiful with a mix of deep forests and open farmland. We’ve spent a lot of time driving over and around the mountains on very narrow winding roads.

The campground in Canaan Valley Resort State Park is in the woods but has water, sewer and electric hookups.

It doesn’t have cell phone access, w fi, or 3g/4g, so I’m saving this entry to be posted tomorrow when we get to Lexington, Kentucky. So it’s now tomorrow and it’s great to be connected again.