Week 26: The Search for the Perfect Swimming Hole

New River Gorge

National Park, West Virginia

by Sam the Other Bean

Sunlight shining through the blinds and the sound of birds woke me up from my deep slumber. For a moment I had no idea where I was. Instead of panicking I took a deep breath and thought back to the previous day. I remembered driving a long distance, but from where? Not Kentucky, no we had driven from somewhere further, like . . . Missouri! Where were we heading though? West Virginia.. A national park.. That’s right, we were in New River Gorge!

My eyes shot open and I excitedly pushed the blinds to the side. I had no idea what to expect - we had set up camp at night, barely able to see the ground below our feet, much less the surrounding area. There’s really only one redeeming fact about arriving at camp in the dark, and that’s the surprise of looking outside when the morning finally comes. To me it’s a bit like opening a present on Christmas. Let me tell you, the view that was hiding from me past those blinds definitely did not disappoint.

A large tree, only about three feet from my door, took up a good chunk of my view. Past the tree was a sprawling forest that was just coming into her summer colors. Vibrant, almost lime green leaves seemed to be sprouting from everywhere, and as the sun shone through these newly formed leaves the forest floor was bathed in a kaleidoscope of yellowish hues. Birds fluttered above, squirrels chased each other amongst the trees, and other campers chatted in the distance.

Soon Kes and I, too, were contributing to the flurry of life outside. We made a hefty breakfast and took care of some chores before heading to the first logical stop of any national park. That is, of course, the visitor center!

Grits have turned out be our new favorite breakfast item. They’re cheap, tasty, and infinitely customizable. What more could you want from a food?

Driving along the twisting roads to the visitor canter, I was already blown away by the beauty of West Virginia. The state seemed to be made up entirely of massive rivers bookended by equally large bluffs. Almost everything here, especially the roads, were subject to this strange landscape. I soon learned that a place only a mile way as the crow flies could take the better part of an hour to drive to.

I don’t think I’ve ever been in a place where water has been so plentiful as in West Virginia.

Normally I wouldn’t take the time to talk about a park’s visitor center, but Kes and I agree that Sandstone Visitor Center, at the south edge of New River Gorge, was one of our favorite visitor centers. It seemed as though every exhibit there managed to include sustainability in some shape or form, which is right up our alley.

New River Gorge National Park protects a 50 mile stretch of the New River, one of the oldest rivers in the world. This section of the river is one of the only free-flowing stretches of the New River and was preserved for the enjoyment of present and future visitors. In particular, the New River is known for its world-class white water rafting, while the surrounding gorge is popular with rock climbers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts. However, there’s a lot more to the area than just that.

We also learned a lot about New River Gorge’s, and West Virginia’s, history. Most people know that West Virginia has a huge coal mining and lumber industry. The New River area, where the park is now, had vast forests and particularly high quality coal. Train tracks began to crisscross the landscape, carrying coal and wood to power the industrial revolution occurring in other areas of the country. Forests were clearcut and rivers were dammed up. Without the resources from West Virginia to power this era I’m sure this chapter in American history would have looked a lot different.

I would have loved to see the old growth forests in this area.

Unfortunately somebody had to mine the coal, cut the trees, and build the dams, and these people were usually slaves, poor immigrants, and children. Working conditions were horrendous and pay was almost nonexistent. Often times coal companies paid miners in their own currency, scrip, which could only be used in company stores. Worse yet, miners often had to go in debt just to afford food and housing in these company towns, making them defacto slaves.

While the immediate effects on the miners and their families is pretty obvious, the long term effects can be a bit more nuanced. Every mining operation was funded by outside money and the profits from these mines was also spent elsewhere. That meant that the land and her people were stripped of their resources and got absolutely nothing in return. Even today, almost two centuries later, West Virginia is still one of the poorest states in the country.

That being said, New River Gorge National Park shows how a land stripped of its resources can rebound and provide an alternative means of living for its people through tourism. Deforested areas are now lush and show almost no signs of logging days long past. Coal mines have been closed and are slowly being reclaimed by nature. The New River, while protected since 1978, became America’s newest national park in 2020. Talking to rangers, this designation alone has significantly increased visitation to the area.

Learning about New River Gorge’s history was heavy but also gave me a lot of hope. Humans are capable of a lot, whether that be destruction or regeneration. If a land as abused as the New River can rebound, well, I’m pretty sure any other place can return to its natural state as well.

We had learned a lot about New River’s past, and now I was getting antsy to finally explore the park for myself. We made one last stop to talk to a ranger about points of interest in the park, and then we were on our way.

Sandstone Falls were our first stop in the park. The falls span the entire length of the New River, 1500 feet total!

While only a few miles away from Sandstone Visitor Center, getting to Sandstone Falls required a 30 minute detour to cross the nearest bridge. I guess this is an inconvenience you pay for having so much water.

Hiking to Turkey Spur Overlook was next on our to do list. This trail took us onto one of the bluffs overlooking the New River.

The sheen on our skin from hiking was something I hadn’t experienced in a long time, maybe even since Florida.

You can see train tracks on the right side of the river. These tracks were put in place in the 1800s and still have trains running on them daily.

Our campsite in New River Gorge was actually right below where we had hiked, but again it took us nearly an hour to drive between the two points. We arrived at camp just in time for dinner. Turns out the warm weather was bringing everybody out to eat at the same time. As we chowed down we listened to birds chirping, frogs croaking, and kayakers packing up for the day. It’s times like these that remind me why I decided to take a gap year in the first place - not necessarily to travel, but to take a step back and enjoy life as much as possible.

I seriously couldn’t ask for a better place and a better person to end the day with.

The next morning we woke up to the same bustling life that had coaxed us to sleep. I was excited for the next few days not necessarily because of where we were going, but because of the gorgeous weather that had come our way. Temperatures were going to be in the high 70s with no shortage of sun. After being cold for so long there was no way I wasn’t going to make the most of this unexpected warmth.

The New River Gorge Bridge is probably the most photographed area in the whole park, and for good reason. This bridge is the longest single-span steel arch bridge and the third highest bridge in the US.

The New River Gorge Bridge is more than just an engineering achievement. It turned a 40 minute drive, down to the river and back up, into less than a minute. This helped unite communities on both sides of the river which had historically been pretty isolated.

Once a year they close the bridge for Bridge Day, a day where pedestrians take over the road and watch base jumpers parachute off the sides. We wanted to go to this event but unfortunately were too far away when it happened. That’s why there’s next time!

After completing the scenic drive under the New River Gorge Bridge we made our way to the ghost town of Thurmond. This town is just one example of the many boomtowns in the area that slowly withered away with the phasing out of coal.

Thurmond was actually one of the most prosperous towns along the New River. Fifteen passenger trains a day stopped in Thurmond, making sure that all of the saloons, stores, and hotels in town were never empty. As less coal was mined in the area and more people started driving instead of taking the train, Thurmond slowly closed down.

The NPS maintains Thurmond so that visitors like me can have a taste of what these once booming towns were like. You can actually still catch an Amtrak train from the historic Thurmond Train Station, although you’ll have to wait a while and flag down the conductor to stop the train when it does finally come around.

Visiting the New River Gorge Bridge and the town of Thurmond brought me a lot closer to the human aspect of the park - something I’m not really used to seeing in a National Park of this size. Reading about the park’s past was one thing, but actually seeing these places in person was a totally different experience. Driving 40 minutes to get between the two sides of the New River really put into perspective how difficult transporting anything, much less yourself, must’ve been even just 50 years ago, and visiting Thurmond painted a picture of what life was like when trains were king.

Kes and I were both worn out and sweaty by the time we got back to camp, but lucky for us I knew the perfect way to cool down and get back some energy - by jumping into the New River! Even though it was nearly 80 degrees outside, the New River was still nice and chilly. I thought the water felt fantastic but when I looked over at Kes she was already making a break for the shore. Oh well, there’s still plenty of time for me to make a cold blooded swimmer out of her yet.

You can tell this was taken a different day than our first dip as per the smile on Kes's face.

After our dip we spent the rest of the evening hanging out in our hammocks chatting, laughing, and doing our own thing. Today had been another picture perfect day, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with the New River Gorge even more. Luckily we had one more day to spend in the park, and I had a feeling tomorrow was going to be the best day yet. The weather was looking even better and our own plans were to hang around camp and find some nice swimming holes. To me it really doesn’t get much more perfect than that.

There's nothing like lounging around in a hammock.

The next day was spent soaking up the nice 80 degree weather while relaxing in our hammocks. Around midday we decided to beat the heat by walking up the creek that ran through camp. Personally I’d consider this creek a river if not for the fact that it was absolutely dwarfed by the New River. We were on the hunt for something special in these sapphire blue waters - the perfect swimming hole. I wouldn’t believe such a thing existed if not for a tip we’d gotten from our camping neighbor.

As we hiked further up the creek we couldn’t help but to jump into a few areas where the creek had leveled out to form nice deep pools. These swimming holes were plenty nice and Kes and I had no problem scaring away fish from local anglers during these little breaks, but we knew there was something more waiting for us further up the trail. I almost thought that any of these swimming holes could be the spot we were looking for, harmlessly exaggerated by our neighbor, and then we stumbled upon it.

A natural waterfall cascaded into a pool larger than several basketball courts put together. Unlike other swimming holes we had come across, the bottom of this hole seemed to go on forever, swallowed by the pearly blue waters and universe of bubbles created by the waterfall. We were in the middle of getting ready to jump in when I noticed a rocky ledge hanging about twenty or thirty feet over the falls. I looked at Kes and without speaking we both knew what was going to happen next.

I love that somehow Kes caught a butterfly mid flight right next to me. If that’s not a good omen I don’t know what is.

Scaling down to the ledge was sketchy to say the least. My bare feet had trouble gripping onto the gravely slope, but luckily there was a tree that I was able to cling onto to get to the very edge. I looked down at the water below me, then waved to Kes in the distance with a confidence that was quickly drying up. Crazy how twenty-five feet can look like so much more from the top.

I pushed out thoughts of colliding with some hidden object in the water, counted to three, and jumped. Air rushed past my ears and I clenched as my body accelerated way more quickly than I expected. Then it was all over as soon as it had started; the only thing that had changed was the quart of water that was now in my brain and the ice water that was shocking my system. I surfaced coughing up water, laughing, and wanting to do it all over again.

Kes came with me the next time I jumped, and the results were pretty much the same. We had a lot of fun at that swimming hole but unfortunately couldn’t stay forever. It seemed that we were leaving just as the day was starting, although now the sun was low in the sky and the hottest part of the day was well past us.

The next morning went just as quick, although I was happy to be looking into the rear view mirror with fondness instead of sadness. New River Gorge had firmly wedged itself into a tender part of my heart and surely wasn’t going to leave anytime soon. Until next time you gorgeous river.

Washington D.C.

by Kes the Photobean

I’m sure every person who visits the capitol of the United States has their sights set on one or two places in particular. Some people might really like Lincoln’s stoic gaze. Others may prefer to thoughtfully walk around the reflection pool. Me? I sought out the free museums.

Instead of driving into the city through all kinds of traffic, Sam and I decided to take the metro into downtown D.C.

Although the morning commute can be annoying at times, this morning was very different. We were so excited for the day ahead!

The Smithsonian is mostly funded through federal tax dollars. That means that you and I are welcome to walk within its exhibits free of charge. Knowledge from around the world, for anyone who walks through those doors. And the best part? There’s more than one museum.

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History was the first stop on our list. This particular place was one that I heard of for my whole life. Yes, Night at the Museum was one of my favorite childhood movies. But the most intriguing stories I’ve heard were told to me by one crazy woman: my mom.

My mom’s old jobs always felt unreal. I’ve heard a lot of stories from her, like how she almost became the astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s personal assistant, but her time at the Smithsonian was always the most fascinating to me. She only stayed there for a summer, in an internship set up by one of her professors. Passing Triceratops skulls on the way to her desk, she spent her days learning how to run a museum. Although my mom’s time at the Smithsonian was short, it kickstarted a wild few years jumping between museums in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Little Rock. I guess you could say my love for the natural world started with her.

Venturing around the Natural History Museum was slightly overwhelming. Standing in the center of the massive building, I quickly realized that we couldn’t see everything. Although the thought made me sad, I was still excited to explore as long as my feet would allow.

Who knew that I could mix my love of dinosaurs with my background in Neuroscience!

The resemblance is uncanny.

Just a guy hangin' with a distant relative.

We learned about the Earth’s various ecosystems from millions of years ago. I learned that it was common for coal miners to stumble upon and ignore fossils, and that the artic once looked like the floodplains of South Carolina. Sam learned that the fossils of our ancestors could give us incredibly detailed answers, like how homo sapiens cared for one another.

From mummies to asteroids to gemstones, I couldn’t get enough of this place. After hours of nonstop learning, Sam and I decided to take a break and eat. My brain might have been throbbing, but I was one happy bean.

We wanted to visit a few of the nearby monuments, but the rain outside quickly soaked us. Tired and waterlogged, we took this opportunity to see another museum: the National Museum of the American Indian. It’s no secret that I’m an avid supporter of indigenous history and perspectives, so I was beyond excited to see what else I had to learn. I’m really thankful that the Smithsonian has an entire museum dedicated to Native stories. In a way, learning more about the treaties and differences between tribes helped me gain a better picture of my home country.

I really have no idea how my brain didn't leak out of my nose by the end of the day.

Not a bad way to end the day, if I do say so myself.

Our second day exploring Washington D.C was spent hopping from memorial to memorial. Even though we walked close to nine miles that day, we still missed a few places of interest. If only my legs were made of steel instead of meat.

Enjoy this lovely photo of me embarrassing Sam.

A poignant quote from FDR.

To end our last day, Sam and I decided to splurge a little and get dinner in D.C. Of all the places this diverse city had to offer, we obviously had to eat one of Sam’s favorite cuisines: Ethiopian food. As if the option to eat with my hands wasn’t enough, Ethiopian restaurants always have a ton of tasty vegetarian meals. Ugh, I’m jealous of Past Kes just thinking about it.

Before yummy food.

After the yummy food has arrived. This man is absolutely having the time of his life at this moment.

As we waited for our metro to take us back home to the Jeep, I caught myself thinking about what we saw in D.C. I’m not sure why, but my memories are always drawn back to the Smithsonian’s museums.

I’m sure everyone has their own moments of pride while exploring our nation’s capital, whether it’s standing in front of the WWII memorial or MLK’s visage in stone. For me? I am beyond proud that the Smithsonian is open to anyone who cares enough to visit.

I can’t wait to go again.

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Our visit to Washington D.C. marks a notable milestone in our Gap Year travels. After our last day in the city, we were officially in New England. Sam and I both knew the least about this part of the country, and I’d be lying if I said we weren’t a little scared.

In a way, we were right to be afraid. From what I saw, people suck at driving in the Northeast. Or maybe that was just New Jersey . . . Regardless, I really enjoyed driving through the smaller states and along the Atlantic coastline. And even though I did not enjoy driving through bumper to bumper traffic with the Teardrop, I was excited to see a part of the country that I knew so little about.

On our way to Massachusetts, we passed towns established in the 1600s. The roads began to wind up and down hills in seemingly random ways. History seemed to ooze out of each corner, and I loved it. Although we didn’t get the chance to stop by any more museums, the drive itself was educational.

Finally, after a long day of dodging wannabe NASCAR drivers, we made it to my Uncle John’s house. This visit with family kickstarted a great month of visiting with loved ones in faraway places, but that’s a post for another day ;)

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Author’s Note

Thank you, as always, for taking the time to join us on our journeys! Sam and I really do put a lot of work into these posts, so it always means a lot to hear what you think. Some days are harder than others, but hearing your thoughts really does help remind me of how much fun it is to put these posts together.

With all that being said, I want to end this week’s post with a fun question for you to ponder:

What kind of museum would you most want to visit? What kind of knowledge would it hold?

Any and all answers are welcome! From the secrets of marshmallows to learning about the oceans on other planets, I want to know what makes you curious. I, for one, would love to see a museum dedicated to brains of all shapes and sizes. How cool would that be?

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HOUSEKEEPING

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Without further ado, I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.

Best,

Kes the Photobean