The Battlefield Came to Us.

Creekside Estate
Weirton, West Virginia

Normally, when we are in an area, we are always looking to find something historic like a battlefield.  Yesterday was different.  

Normally, when we are going to visit our kids and coming from the south we take the West Virginia Turnpike.  I know I always say we prefer the US highways but if you've traveled much in West Virginia then you'd understand.  Yesterday we decided to come up US 19.  It was a great road that connected with I 79.  Bill was enjoying the drive and talking about going the whole way which would have been over 300 miles.  

I suggested since we haven't had the coach in that area that we stop at one of the Corp of Engineers parks for the night.  It was the usual 10 miles of windy, twisty, up a mountain road but the park was gorgeous.  

You can't tell from this photo how steep this embankment is. 

When we pulled up to our site, we didn't think we'd fit.  People walked by and told us we were to big for the site.

Bill had to walk over the hill to hook up our electric.

We'd seen this sign when we registered.  I suggested we check the historic area and then drive back down the road to fuel up and get some dinner.   It had been quite awhile since we fueled up and I knew we were running on empty.  

There were a couple of signs posted about the Bulltown Battle.

It didn't seem like much and I knew we'd be on our way in five or ten minutes.

Bill never misses reading any signs.

Then we noticed a small building with a museum sign and went inside to see what was there.  

The area was famous for salt.  

As we were leaving the small museum, a COE volunteer stopped us outside and wanted to know if we wanted to see the house.  

He ran back in the museum and came out with his "cue cards".  He said he hasn't been there long and started reading the cards to us.  

It was more than a tour of a house.  Here's the original grainary.

Here's the house we are going to tour.  At this point my camera battery was exhausted.  I didn't have a spare with me because I wasn't anticipating such an extensive tour.  

We ended up seeing where the grist mill was located, and touring three other houses.  Our 5 minute stop turned into two hours.  All of this in the COE park.  

By the time we returned from fueling the truck and our bodies, it was getting late.  

At 6:24 in the morning, I heard a beeping sound.  I went downstairs and the microwave was beeping with "off" flashing.  I couldn't get it to stop so unplugged the microwave and when I plugged it back in it quit.  Notice the outside temperature says 45 degrees.  No point in going back to bed now, I'm wide awake. 

We had about 40 miles of switchbacks but once we hit I 79 we thought it would be smooth sailing. 

It took over an hour to travel five miles because of construction.

Here's where we will be until the 20th.  Bill was setting up and I thought it was taking a long time.  I looked out and he was giving the truck a bath already.

Turtle Safely.........