Small town America, continued

I have accidentally, slightly with purpose started following a bit of the West Virginia civil war trails as I explore small town America. I stop sporadically at places that look interesting on my road trip and they happen to have historical significance.

Okay the first stop is more out of curiosity since there seem to be a few covered bridges around these parts. They are old, they are wooden, they are a bit creepy. I can just imagine the headless horseman coming across such a bridge appearing at the mouth in a haze of mist. I am here in full sunlight but my imagination is vivid as I step on the creeking boards of the Indian Creek Covered bridge.

I continue down Route 219 and enter into the booming metropolis of Union. It is not hard to find a way through this one-horse town but I get distracted by my stomach. A quick stop at Nanny’s Bakery Cafe for some gourmet Mac ‘n Cheese, crunchy with subtle flavours of bacon, a walk to the local monument for confederate soldiers and Union is a spec in my rear view mirror.

Sharp turn to the right and I wind my way down to what promises to be a change from the typical sightseeing opportunities, namely Organ Cave. I am not appropriately dressed for wandering into the bowels of the earth at 44 degrees Fahrenheit (plus they are quite strict on their minimum of 2 adults for a tour policy) so I take in some of the artifacts in the museum, see the mouth of the cave and agree that I am not a mole. However, I do find out that the cave was utilised during the American Civil War to mine saltpeter used by the confederate soldiers to make gunpowder.

Interesting observation while I am road tripping,  the amount of churches of all denominations in West Virginia. A local pastor appropriately described this phenomenon – you can’t swing a cat by its tail without hitting a steeple. I don’t think I’d like to swing a cat by its tail but I agree on the possibility of such an action resulting in steeple damage.

So my actual destination for the day is Lewisburg. My arrival is quite delayed by all my pitstops but the sun only puts itself to bed at 8pm so there is ample time for discovering the sights before I need to head back.

I head straight to the historical centre which is a lovely main street scattered with coffee shops, bars, old cinema houses and restored homes. It is clear which shops are ready for business, as beautiful handmade flags of quilting flutter outside declaring OPEN in bold letters. I don’t see a single fast food or franchise store. It is all local and there appears to be a culture of supporting independents. I add financially to the coffee industry by loading up on a cappuccino at Wild Bean, Lewisburg.

This town has its very own Carnegie Hall, home to many a summer music concert. Outside they are preparing for someone that will be appearing in the next few days. Some side rooms sport art galleries and pottery classes, a multipurpose centre. In the same square I enter a museum providing my imagination with a representation of how a home looked in the early 1900’s. A display of old model steam trains and photos provide some fantastic visual entertainment.

Last call is a little local craftbeer and then a walk through the cemeteries, but not simultaneously, that would be odd and I think illegal. And yes, I said cemeteries. Apparently this is a thing in the US, see the famous dead people that lived and breathed and fought for this town as Lewisburg is the site of a famous American Civil War battle.