Our first destination was New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia. I love West Virginia; it’s a beautiful state, totally worthy of its own song. We learn from each trip we take. One of the reasons we start our trips in early-to-mid September is because school is back in session which (usually) means crowds are smaller at high traffic locations such as national parks. (Mount Rushmore and Glacier National Park in July were not for the faint of heart.)

The first step for us is to check out the Visitor’s Center. At the very minimum, we need a stamp and sticker for our National Parks Passport and I’m always on the lookout for interesting stocking stuffers and/or souvenirs. Then we grab a map of the park and determine what we want to see. We decided to check out the scenic outlooks near the visitor’s center followed by a scenic drive.

After completing our selfie attempts at the overlook nearest the bridge, we noticed people walking on the girders under the bridge. My first thought was, “What are those idiots doing?” We then realized they appeared to be wearing safety harnesses which were attached to an overhead cable. So, these weren’t just random people being careless. It turns out there is a company named Bridge Walk just before the entrance to the park. Per their website, “Bridge Walk offers guided tours of the New River Gorge Bridge from the catwalk 25’ beneath the Bridge.” If you are brave enough to do it, I’ll wish you well and wave goodbye as you begin your journey; this girl is not a fan of heights and my feet are staying firmly on the ground.

It was a beautiful day to spend at a beautiful park.

When we finished up at New River Gorge, we made the twenty mile drive to Babcock State Park. The scenery at the park was gorgeous; I’m sure when the fall colors arrive it edges into spectacular. (Water levels were really low during our visit.)

Next stop: Ohio!

Have you been to either of the places featured here?