Smooth Ambler Distillery near Lewisburg, West Virginia
The primary purpose of our recent road trip was to meet up with our friends Jim & Lisa in Lewisburg, West Virginia. We had each visited Lewisburg previously, although not together. And because it is roughly halfway between our home in NC and Jim & Lisa’s in PA, it was a good place to get together for a few days. We had a blast wandering the shops of the town, and we visited the Smooth Ambler distillery. Kathy & I are distillery veterans, so we needed to show Jim & Lisa the finer points. 😉
Smooth Ambler Distillery near Lewisburg, West VirginiaSmooth Ambler Distillery near Lewisburg, West Virginia
Surprisingly, although I carried my camera around just about everywhere, I took very few photos with it. I actually took more photos with my phone, because it was simpler to hand off to someone and to share. We were just having too much fun to pay attention to photos!
The General Lewis Inn in Lewisburg, West VirginiaFlowers along Washington Street in Lewisburg, West VirginiaShops along Washington Street in Lewisburg, West VirginiaVW Bus on Washington Street in Lewisburg, West VirginiaPay phone on Washington Street in Lewisburg, West VirginiaTom and Jim in downtown Lewisburg, West VirginiaKathy and Lisa in downtown Lewisburg, West VirginiaThe New River Gorge Bridge is a steel arch bridge 3,030 feet (924 m) long over the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, West Virginia. With an arch 1,700 feet long, the New River Gorge Bridge was the world’s longest single-span arch bridge for 26 years and is now the fifth longest. The roadway of the New River Gorge Bridge is 876 feet above the New River, making the bridge one of the highest vehicular bridges in the world. It is the third highest in the United States. When completed in 1977, it was the world’s highest bridge carrying a regular roadway, a title it held until the 2001 opening of the Liuguanghe Bridge in China.The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel arch bridge 3,030 feet (924 m) long over the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, West Virginia. With an arch 1,700 feet long, the New River Gorge Bridge was the world’s longest single-span arch bridge for 26 years and is now the fifth longest. The roadway of the New River Gorge Bridge is 876 feet above the New River, making the bridge one of the highest vehicular bridges in the world. It is the third highest in the United States. When completed in 1977, it was the world’s highest bridge carrying a regular roadway, a title it held until the 2001 opening of the Liuguanghe Bridge in China.
4 thoughts on “Almost (But Not Quite) Heaven: West Virginia”
Isn’t New River Gorge a National Park now? I thought I saw something (or someone) doing some photography there.
Yes, it is now a National Park, covering quite a long portion of the river. The river is a long one, flowing all the way into North Carolina. But the valleys are steepest, and the bridges the highest, in this area of WV. They actually BASE jump off the US 19 bridge at a festival in October, when they close half of the bridge for a big celebration.
Such beautiful wooded landscape, dense forest and underbrush. Amazing the early pioneers could navigate through it all. In fact they took most routes via rivers. A real payphone with push buttons. Love it!
Most of West Virginia, at least the parts I’m familiar with, are lush and green. Especially in and along the New River Valley. I can’t imagine the obstacles faced by early pioneers and settlers, but they were a lot more determined than most of us are today!
I was surprised by the pay phone. I see lots of enclosures and boxes everywhere, but most of them have been stripped of the hardware. I should have called you! 🙂
Isn’t New River Gorge a National Park now? I thought I saw something (or someone) doing some photography there.
Yes, it is now a National Park, covering quite a long portion of the river. The river is a long one, flowing all the way into North Carolina. But the valleys are steepest, and the bridges the highest, in this area of WV. They actually BASE jump off the US 19 bridge at a festival in October, when they close half of the bridge for a big celebration.
Such beautiful wooded landscape, dense forest and underbrush. Amazing the early pioneers could navigate through it all. In fact they took most routes via rivers. A real payphone with push buttons. Love it!
Most of West Virginia, at least the parts I’m familiar with, are lush and green. Especially in and along the New River Valley. I can’t imagine the obstacles faced by early pioneers and settlers, but they were a lot more determined than most of us are today!
I was surprised by the pay phone. I see lots of enclosures and boxes everywhere, but most of them have been stripped of the hardware. I should have called you! 🙂