Tag Archives: Seneca rocks

Vintage At Harper’s Store

Posted on by
2

If you stop by Harper’s Old General Store across the road from Seneca Rocks, take note of some items on the front porch. Here you’ll see these two old fuel pumps. In the background, you’ll find a pay phone.

I was taken with the patina and shapes of the pumps atop the wide plank wood floor. The pay phone plays a practical role for the folks camping and traveling through the area. Cell service is poor so a pay phone may be their only access to the outside world.

Lots of people laugh at the ridiculousness of pay phones but they are a lifeline for many folks – either because there’s no cell service or because they simply don’t have a cell phone at all. After all, there are still people out there who don’t have cell phones. Still, they’re so uncommon I never hesitate to photograph them when I’m out and about.

So take a look when you’re at Harper’s and be sure to go in for a snack and a souvenir. Support those small businesses when you can!

Change Of Plans

Posted on by
2

My friend invited me to go hiking with her at Dolly Sods in West Virginia. We set a date, gathered a third friend and anticipated a fun hike that is supposed to be one of the most beautiful in West Virginia.

That was the plan anyway. Then life got in the way.

We never actually made it to Dolly Sods. Technically, we made it to the road to Dolly Sods before being turned away by a road closed sign. Before you stop reading to tell me that we should have done our research, my friend had been there two weeks before and the road was open.

In Ohio, we post detours. On the backroads to a wilderness area, they evidently assume you can fend for yourself and simply tell you to take an alternate route.

The alternate route we found would have meant a lot of extra driving and none of us were thrilled with that idea. After all, we came to be outside and we were surrounded by lots of nearby opportunities to do just that.

Plus, we all subscribe to the belief that things happen for a reason and that this detour may have prevented us from having an accident or getting eaten by bears.

Instead of forcing the matter, we agreed to return another time when either the road is open or we can plan better. We spent our day exploring Blackwater Falls State Park and Seneca Rocks.

Neither provided the long hikes that we all had anticipated but both provided much beauty and opportunity for short bits of exploration.

We ate outside twice that day – a sure sign of a good day. Plus, I got to show my friends what is probably my favorite covered bridge in the world.

The fresh air, gorgeous surroundings and camaraderie more than made up for the road closure and the change of plans. We’ll do that another time.

Best of all, we chose to live in the moment and be happy. Isn’t that what it’s all about?