Cool Springs Park

Old Model-A Truck Cool Springs Park US 50, Rowlesburg, West Virginia I drove past this incredible roadside attraction last fall on the way home from The Rally To Restore Sanity in Washington D.C. and didn't stop, the second time I drove past I did. Located along US 50 near Rowlesburg as you pass you can't believe your eyes. A small field nestled between two mountains featuring a metallic garden loaded with turn of the century farm equipment, old railroad cars and decaying Model-T's. Called Cool Springs it was established in 1929, the roadside establishment is a dinosaur of an age before interstates ruled the roadways when weary travelers needed a rest from the twists and turns of the road as it crosses the mountains or to replenish their fuel reserves before heading on. Featuring a diner right in the middle of the shopping area, it boasts souvenirs from every state, dry goods and everything the fisherman or camper would need. If you're ever on US 50 this is a must stop because you've never seen anything like it. Watch out for the geese though, they attack and Jason who had fallen twice on this trip and could barely walk ended up being chased by them and it was hysterical.

Cass - 1

West Virginia Pulp And Paper Mill Cass Railroad State Park Cass West Virginia This is all that remains of the symbol of the economic power that once drove the valley that surrounded Cass. Several timber outfits operated the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Mill since it was built during the early 1900's. "The mill operation was enormous during its heyday 1908 to 1922. It ran two 11-hour shifts six days per week...Massive elevators carried up to 5,000 feet of lumber to the separate floors and machines. Some of the flooring machines were so big that it took 15 men to operate them. There were two resaws here that could accommodate boards up to 35 feet long. The large surfacing machines finished all four sides of a board in one operation."* Being the victim of two fires, one in 1978 and the other in 1982, all that remains is twisted and decaying metal and the foundation of a once proud wood products production plant.

Green Bank Observatory - 1

85' -3 Telescope National Radio Astronomy Observatory Green Bank, West Virginia The National Radio Astronomy Observatory at Green Bank has several massive telescopes that scour the skies observing the actions of the universe around us. This 85 foot telescope has been used since 1989 for monitoring of pulsar timing and brightness, about 35 pulsars are observed every day at frequencies of 610 and 327 MHz.

Green Bank Observatory - 2

National Radio Observatory Green Bank Science Center Green Bank, West Virginia Standing at 485 feet tall and two football fields wide the Green Bank Telescope is America's largest moving telescope. It weighs 17 million lbs. (7.7 million kg), but despite it's weight it can be pointed with an accuracy of one archsecond, the equivalent to the width of a human hair seen from 66 ft (20m) away, it collects radio waves from stars, galaxies and other objects in the Universe.

Green Bank Observatory - 3

43 Meter Telescope National Radio Astronomy Observatory Green Bank Science Center Green Bank, West Virginia Located twenty miles from Cass State Park, The Green Bank Science Center features 9 Telescopes scattered over a mile and 1/2. The 140 foot telescope is the largest equatorial telescope in the world, and was actually out of service for 6 years until recently. Even cooler, this isn't the largest on the campus.

Middle Falls - Hills Creek - 1

Middle Falls Hills Creek Cranberry Wilderness Monongahela National Forest West Virginia

Lower Falls - Hills Creek - 1

Lower Falls Hills Creek Cranberry Wilderness Monongahela National Forest West Virginia

Spruce Knob Lake - 1

Spruce Knob Lake Monongahela National Forest Spruce Knob West Virginia Last fall I got to experience some places in West Virginia I'd never been to before and one of those places was Spruce Knob Lake. Located in the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area in the Monongahela National Forest it is the highest lake in West Virginia at an elevation of 3,840 feet. The fall colors were absolutely stunning and although I prefer to shoot in even light, it didn't matter to me, the contrasting color of the sky, the trees and the reflection made for a truly beautiful scene.

The Dreamer

Hillbilly Hot Dogs LaSage West Virginia