Happy Birthday to Craig, Happy Birthday to Craig...

Sun. Oct. 24: Happy Birthday, Craig!! This was a day for mostly driving. We ate a quick bowl of cereal, took down the camper, and got back on the road by 10:00. We drove by Fort Boonesborough but when we saw that it was $8.00 each for admission and knowing that we would feel rushed, we decided to pass on touring it. We took a highway at an angle up to I64 and headed east. About two hours later we were at the Information rest area in West Virginia, where Jan and Lou joined us within half an hour or so. Together we decided to take a Scenic Byway called the Midland Trail out of Charleston into the New River valley area. The color along the way was nice but muted because of the drought here, too. But some of the views were spectacular as we followed the Kanawha River for about an hour before we climbed up to 1900 feet in a short time and then drove through some rolling countryside far above the rivers. It was mostly sunny and low 80s the whole way. We stayed at Babcock State Park, where we could have electricity because Lou and Jan seemed to be having trouble keeping a charge on their battery in the van. It is a nice park with lots of towering oak trees and only two other campsites taken out of 55 or so. We ate their chili and our marinated vegetable and feta salad for dinner, enjoyed a campfire and s’mores and went to bed just before midnight with the temperature in the high 50s.