7/30 Thoughts from West Virgina

Southwest West Virginia
We took advantage of a local theater group performing the “Hatfields & McCoys” at the Grandview spot of the National Park. It was an outdoor theater and they have been performing at this theater for over 40 years, including this particular performance.
Bob decided that he was going to go white water rafting. He chose to do it with a guide group that was doing the lower New River. There were 48 in his group along with 6 guides. Each raft held 8 persons and a guide. The float was about 14 miles and they put in at 11:00 a.m. and got out about 4:00 p.m. with an hour’s break for lunch. This stretch of the river had Class 2, 3, and 4 rapids. The guide group made sure that everyone got bounced or turned into the water. Bob’s raft flipped completely over and the only scary moment was being under the raft itself. Bob was the oldest person on the trip with most of the rafters being of the ages 14 thru 17. He was a little tired and sore but no worst for the trip taken.
As we have traveled in the U.S. we have seen many areas which rely on one industry for existence but none as great as West Virginia relying on coal mining. The controversy over the environmental effects of coal mining is very evident in West Virginia. As far as the coal miners are concerned you are either for them or against them. They do realize that coal mining will come to an end and West Virginia will be ever poorer than it is today. You can see West Virginia trying to build itself a tourist trade in order to exist but it is difficult with the negative feelings towards coal mining.