Among Ghosts
June 7, 2009
Filed under John's Posts, On the Road: Our Personal Blog
You may have noticed from the map box over there on the right side of the page that we haven’t moved around much in the last week or so. It’s because we’re at my Mom’s house as the family deals with a few things that have come up. Julie’s been wonderfully understanding of the situation and we hope to be back on the road by the end of this week. Read more…
Crossing Copper Creek
June 4, 2009
Filed under Detours
Driving through Clinchport on our way to Jonesville, VA we passed the Copper Creek Railroad Trestles. These double trestles span the Clinch River and are still in use by CSX Transportation.
A scenic marker says the upper trestle was built in 1908 by the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio Railway and stands 167 feet over the Copper Creek – Clinch River junction. It used to be one of the tallest railroad bridges in the eastern US and opened up coal delivery from Virginia and Kentucky to cities in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. An average of 18 to 24 coal trains still travel over the bridge daily. Read more…
Fighting Hunger at Home
June 4, 2009
Filed under People and Places
Their stories begin with the loss of a job, an injury or illness, or the simple realization that Social Security retirement income alone isn’t enough to feed a family. Whatever the circumstances, in the mountains of rural Southwestern Virginia, the stories intersect on the third Wednesday of the month at the Patrick County Community Food Bank. Read more…
Out of Dodge
June 1, 2009
Filed under People and Places
Nelson Automotive is known around Martinsville and in Henry County, VA as the place with those crazy TV commercials where the guy bangs on fenders. The gimmicks only get people in the door; something else brings them back time and again. After more than 30 years in the car business, selling 13 different lines in 6 locations, Nelson Automotive has become an institution. Read more…
