Roanoke to Charleston (WV)

This morning I drove from Roanoke, VA to Charleston, WV. I did not try to stop anywhere along the way as I had blue skies and mild temperatures. Nice for driving, bad for photos. West Virginia is one of the few states in which I have never set foot. It is associated with many stereotypes and I was very curious what would be the reality.

I arrived at the Marriott Courtyard, Charleston downtown around midday. This is a very comfortable hotel which has been recently renovated. Unlike the Savannah Aloft, the manager actually used the funds for renovation rather than a large bonus. I have a room on the top floor with a view of the river. Brendan, the front desk person who checked me in, has lived here his whole life and was a font of information, both about interesting destination and local history. This is a small place and everyone knows everyone. He had worked at such and such an establishment, dated so and so, the daughter of the owner of another establishment, etc.

My first task was to get the oil changed in my car. The maintenance light went on yesterday, which I was expecting as I could see that I had driven about another 5K miles since Baton Rouge, where I had my first oil change of the trip. For those keeping track, that is about 10K so far, for just over a third of the trip. Fortunately, Mr. Tire was literally around the corner from my hotel and I was able to make an appointment for this afternoon. I left the car in their capable hands and went to explore downtown on foot.

At the recommendation of Brendan. I stopped first at Taylor books .  This is a lovely traditional brick and mortar bookstore, that also has a coffee shop and art gallery. West Virginians love their arts and crafts. The welcome center was the first one since Oklahoma that had a gift shop and it featured local crafts as well as the all important WV shot glass. At Taylors, I had a coffee, then when to explore the store. They have a nice section with old and rare books, and the art gallery was worthwhile. I met Billy after he asked about my camera and we had a nice conversation about places he recommended to photograph, and also about some local issues.

I stopped for homemade ice cream at Ellen’s (I think it was lunch?), then continued walking Capitol Street. I noticed Mountain State Distillery on a corner and went into check it out. I spent some time tasting bourbons and talking with Jeff, the owner. The bourbons were tasty and I purchased a bottle to eventually give to someone as a gift. I talked with Jeff for quite a while, both about bourbon and life. He has worked in other industries, but decided to legalize his passion for distilling spirits.

I then went over to photograph the State Capitol building. Charlestonians are very proud of their Capitol building, with its gold-leaf covered dome. When I arrived, I saw that it was the site of a pre-prom photo-op for the local high school. It provided a bit of local color to go with the building.

In just the one afternoon I have spent here so far, I a very much enjoying Charleston and West Virginia. It feels like a piece of the Deep South in that everyone is very friendly and helpful. There is so much natural beauty in this State that I will never get to it all. Another place to which I will return at a future date. For better or worse, the rain returns tomorrow. Less comfortable, better photos. Stay tuned.