Want some 'shine?

Today I'm spending my time in the beautiful state of West Virginia. I don't say that sarcastically. The leaves are changing and the colorful mountainside is almost enough to make you overlook the crazy people here at TrailFest in the small town of Gilbert. Hillbilly, yes ... good people, most definitely.

I've always found the small economically depressed areas of West Virginia interesting. Gilbert lives and breathes ATVs, and without them there wouldn't be much draw to make a visit here in a town of 375 people. Sure, the hillbillies get a bad wrap, but they mean well. I wouldn't know what it's like to go through a coal boom and watch the entire state fall on its face when the coal mines start to dry up. You can see that throughout the ride down in small towns built on coal and right on the highway. The drive never lacks excitement. And, it quickly reminds you of how good you have it.

Abandoned properties and ghost towns are pretty much the norm. It's hard to believe what it's really like until you see it for yourself. And it's hard to believe towns as financially challenged as found here exist in America. The town of Gilbert has done a nice job of ATV tourism and has many of the basics. The whole foundation of the trail systems were built on abandoned old coal roads.

I'm in the southwest corner of the state near Kentucky. The moonshine was out in full force last night at the camp fire outside our motel. The Moonshine of Kentucky and West Virginia is no movie myth. It really does exist; it can be really good and super potent. Last night we tried cherry and apple pie out of a Kerr jar, just like you see it joked about on TV. I only had a few sips, but a few sips were more than enough. The power of the alcohol content can sneak up on you in a hurry when you're drinking the 'shine.

When you look back on the places you've visited in life, a few stand out for their own reasons. West Virginia stands out. For the most part the people are nice, be it a little strange. I'm sure I'm strange to them. But the landscape is so overwhelming. The forest feels like it is growing right on top of you everywhere here ... almost jungle like. And the abandoned towns and 'shine are impossible to forget.

After this trip, travel is just about done for awhile. It's occupied a lot of my time lately, so I haven't had the ambition to write a lot after a long day at work in front of the computer playing catch-up from traveling. Tracy is doing great. She planned to fly to Oakland to visit her friend Missy over the weekend but that fell through when Missy came down with the flu bug. Thankfully, Southwest Airlines is great with crediting back flights when plans change.