On the 21st of March, I had the honor of presenting some poetry to the Appalachian Studies Association’s Writing Conference with a fellow writer, Cody Call. The location of the conference was just across the border in Huntington, West Virginia, on the campus of Marshall University. Since I was the one driving, I wasn’t able to capture the splendor of the Appalachians and the small towns that we passed, but it was by far a lovely ride through springtime in the mountains. For the purpose of this article, I will be accounting some of the sights and experiences along the way to and from the conference, as the sights were some of the best in the spring. As far as the campus goes, it was much like being on the Virginia Tech campus, with the memorial to the football team being the showcase of the quad.
One of the first things I had to do to get ready for this trip was to back-plan and time out the journey to Marshall. According to Google Maps, the trip itself with no stops is three hours and forty-five minutes. This meant starting at around one in the morning on the day of. I don’t quite recommend that anyone do this and return the same day, as the later part of this trip was a bit exhausting, but this is where I get some of my best travel advice. Get enough sleep for the trip. According to VDOT, you should plan to get one hour of sleep per one hour of travel time, or get eight hours of sleep the night before and be well rested. The nice part of traveling through West Virginia is that rest stops are in operation and offer a chance to get out, stretch, and if need be, get rest along the way.
West Virginia and even the Western part of Virginia, right around the Narrows-Pearisburg area, takes on a unique and ethereal look in the wee hours of the morning. A sea of yellow, white, and red lights shimmers amongst the small hamlets and villages nestled between the vast darkness of the mountains. Once on the other side of the West Virginia border comes the long and potholed road of I77 North. For this leg of the journey up, I had taken to avoiding tolls because of the scenic views and to experience the up-close look at the rural side of these mountain communities. Also, I didn’t feel like having to shell out $4.50 at the three toll booths between Radford and Huntington. As we neared the I-64 interchange, I broke my cardinal rule and stopped off at a McDonald’s for breakfast. While I prefer to try the local fare, it’s hard to find something open and local that early in the morning. Overall, the trip to and from Huntington was nice enough, especially once you get past Charleston; however, between Charleston and Glen Lyn, it gets a little bumpy.
A word of advice before traveling the roads of West Virginia: make sure your vehicle is up to date on its inspection. Check the tires and the alignment before heading out, mostly because the road maintenance isn’t the greatest. Given the flooding and the conditions of the back roads, I recommend that you also keep enough cash on hand for the toll roads. This way, the trip can be a little smoother, but if you can look past the road conditions for the mountain scenery, it is a pretty trip. I recommend at one point along the way to stop at the New River Gorge and looking out at the Blue Ridge Mountains at sunrise.
As a parting note, along the way up and towards the West Virginia- Ohio line lies the Kanawha River. When it is dark, you can catch the lights dancing on the surface of the water from the town on either side. Crossing over the bridge, you can see the split of the lights, which gives off this primordial living being underneath a sprawling town and eventually, to the Capitol building. I mention this here toward the end because as you go down I-64 to I-77, this river will feed right into the New River and the New River Valley.
Going on this trip through the heart of Appalachia really reminds me of just how connected to the land we are and how similar the landscape truly is between the two states. The natural beauty of a land where the mountain sides greeted trappers, native tribes, and coal miners. There is always a feeling of something more ancient and precious right beneath the soil, concrete, asphalt, and rubber of the road, and it watches over you when you pass through. Until next time, remember, your memories are the greatest keepsakes, and the best stories come from outside your door.
Edited and Reviewed by Rylee Lyons
