Five Things I Learned on My Trip to West Virginia

The view from the lookout at New River Gorge Bridge

1. Despite best laid plans and travel routes, you'll probably inadvertently set your GPS to "Avoid Toll Roads" and take a detour through the depths of America. (Hey you, New Jersey!) It'll probably also take about two hours before you realize and start silently praying for a highway! An interstate! For all that is good in the world, anything without red lights!

2. I used to find it odd that European tourists come en masse to sightsee around Harlem on Sunday mornings. Then I went on a Sunday drive around the "real" West Virginia with a genuine local. Or, Jeff's Terrific Tour o' Trailers! Suddenly those tourists and I have a lot in common.

3. West Virginia really hates Ohio. Don't ask about it either. Although Ohio has a cool zoo with roaming kangaroos and I didn't see any kangaroos on my weekend in WV.

4. Three words: Acid Washed Denim.

5. Even with its insane ratio of Cracker Barrel's to residents, West Virginia isn't so bad. In fact, it's downright pretty.