Almost Heaven, West Virginia. Day 9

The sun rose on Pittsburgh with each Bullington armed with a suitcase and ready to depart. Our routine has become walk down your suitcase and leave mama the heck alone so she can pack the car in peace and restore some order to our road-torn chariot. By day nine, order is fleeting and things are usually looking pretty grim. The dust and grime of country roads and city streets cake the doors and windows. Many in number are the M & Ms melted and stuck in various nooks and crannies. And golden candy wrappers litter the floor as the game that Thomas created, "Marco Rolo", has wreaked havoc. That's when Thomas hollers out "Marco" and if you want an Rolo (we purchased a large bag when we were in Hershey), you reply "Rolo" and he hauls back and pelts you with a Rolo.  Sometimes it stings, but Rolos are delicious. It kept us entertained for tens of minutes until we ran short on Rolos and resumed poking and pestering one another.  At that point either Mr. Bullington popped a vein or mama hollered or somebody cried. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. 

In less than an hour we were checking off our 46th state! Almost Heaven, West Virginia! Did you know that West Virginia has the lowest number of teeth per mouth in the nation?  Not necessarily a stat on which to hang your hat. 

I guess the wood comes from a great distance? Lord, I hope so...

We zigged and zagged across the Ohio River making our way between the two states in route to our first stop of the day...Wait for it.... THE WORLD'S LARGEST TEAPOT!!!! Situated in the humble little town of Chester, West Virginia, this structure is such a local celebrity!  On August 7th, the little town even hosts a festival to celebrate their big ol' tea pot! Should've timed it better, I can imagine what a raucous party that must be! 

Teapot, the world's biggest! Sun, the world's brightest

We rode a wee-tiny bit out of our way to see our next stop, The West Virginia State Farm Museum! Now, my intentions weren't entirely pure on this stop. While the name may imply a simple living history museum illustrating farm living in rural West Virginia nestled in the shadow of a nuclear power plant, It's actually home to the World's Largest Stuffed Horse! The marriage of a World's Largest Thing and taxidermy is really something that can't be missed (by me). We met Tim who is the curator of this fine museum. He was a soft spoken lad with a wide brim hat and a quiet zeal for our past and its treasures. It was quite a collection! 

The General- World's Largest Stuffed Horse and a few of his less-in-stature friends

Let's put our heads together.....

Furred and Feathered

You can have ears that are even, eyes that look in the same direction, a smartly appointed nose, or teeth that are straight. Or you could have none of those things.

Our final location of the day was the ACE Adventure Lodge adjacent to the newest national park in our great nation! Welcome to the fold,  New River Gorge National Park! We will be camping and adventuring for the next couple of days. A rappelling trip down a sheer rock face was our first death wish du jour. It was not that scary if you didn't look down. I locked eyes with my new friend, Shauna.  She was the only other mom on the trip, she was there with her son and we chatted with each other about mom stuff.

Shauna also advised us on a cute dinner spot in adorable downtown Fayettveville.  And for that, I am eternally grateful. The Dining options at Ace Adventure Lodge left a bit to be desired.  We picked up our pizza and brought it back to the campsite. Roughing it! 

If you find yourself in Fayetteville, WV, you won't regret a stop by this place!

Food by Flashlight

We are lodging tonight in in a campground within the ACE Adventure Resort. Not much "resort" to our accommodations but, our tent situation includes a floor and a roof and walls of canvas. The sound barrier concept has not yet been applied to canvas tent homes, so we can hear the symphony of night sounds that echo through a public campground. The hoot of an owl. The chirp of a cricket. The drunk slur singing of the ENTIRE Grateful Dead's Greatest Hits album by a bunch of college kids. It's a good album. I didn't mind it.