Sunset view from the West Virginia Welcome Center on I64: Glynn Wilson

Secret Vistas –
By Glynn Wilson –

CHARLESTON, W.V. – After we left the campsite Monday morning by that creek in Maryland where I had the amazing spiritual experience in nature, what could be the last time in that enchanted forest by Camp David, Ramsey the Roadtrek Media Camper Van headed south and west.

Secret Vistas: A Spiritual Experience in Nature and a New Direction

We passed through the lovely and inviting town of Frederick, where some very nice, competent Maryland women processed the form needed to fix a clerical issue with Social Security. That should all be back to normal either by the first week of October, or November, and a lump sum payment should arrive in mid-December for the amount erroneously deducted for the Medicare Part B deductible. That will be nice two weeks before Christmas, when our direction could be taking us further out west by then, if luck holds and providence provides.

Meanwhile, we passed through Front Royal, Virginia one more time to save a little money. Topped off the gas tank for $2.77 a gallon at the corner station, the cheapest gas in the tri-state area.

The corner station in Front Royal, Virginia, cheapest gas in the trip-state area: Glynn Wilson

Siri the Apple iPhone A.I. voice muse sent us careening south on I81 for about 100 miles, then right toward the sunset and into West Virginia. Only the sunset was obscured by clouds as the afternoon wore on as we traversed the peaks up and down through the Allegheny Mountains toward the New River Gorge National Preserve, where there are at least three campgrounds with free camping.

My friend in Arkansas warned me it was a route full of ups and downs. Trucks slowly made their way up the mountains with their flashers on, then hauled ass past you on the way down the other side. It felt a bit like careening, or moving swiftly and in an uncontrolled way in a specified direction, as in down a long, steep mountain road. But we made it over.

As you may have noticed, the days are growing shorter as they do this time of year, so worried we may not make it to the free campsites in the gorge before sunset, I pulled off at a West Virginia Welcome Center and rest stop and chatted up the night attendant about the area.

When I told him I was a little tired and not sure about making it to the gorge by dark, he seemed surprised at first, looking at his watch, until I reminded him about the days growing shorter, checking the sunset time on the iPhone app.

He nodded.

“That’s right,” he said, and volunteered: “Heck, you can sleep here tonight if you want. Nobody will bother you. Now if people try to stay more than two nights, then…”

He didn’t have to finish the sentence. I said that might be a good idea. Boondocking, baby, in a West Virginia rest stop, with a view.

Down near the far end of the parking area by a picnic table, the van set up for sleeping, it was time for a turkey and cheddar sandwich with sliced tomato, dill relish, mayo and brown mustard, some Quaker cheddar rice crisps on the side. Then the sunset mountain view.

A picnic in the mountains of West Virginia on the way to Lexington, Ky.: Glynn Wilson

Tuesday morning, in a drizzle, we took on the mountains again headed for Lexington, Ky. It seemed too dark, cloudy and rainy to go for the scenes in the gorge, so another audible in the plan was called for – bypassing that scenic vista for now. There was already some nice Autumn color happening in the trees as we passed through along the interstate. If you’re in range, check it out. Sorry we had to miss it.

Another reason for the bypass. We began to detect a little vibration somewhere, making the ride a little rough. After we made it past Charleston, West Virginia, the terrain flattened out. But with 2 more hours of driving time to Lexington, another audible was called for.

Searching for RV auto repair shops in the area, Mohrs Roadside RV Resort was 20 miles ahead. A nice fellow named Doug took the van out with me for a test drive, and said it needed a right-front wheel bearing and maybe a break caliper was sticking. Back at the shop, after doing his research and making sure parts were available, he came out front with an estimate.

“Are you sitting down?” he said.

I did. On a bench in front of the shop.

He sat down too.

He explained the estimate, which was $972.91.

“Don’t you have camp sites?” I asked.

“We do,” he said.

“How much?”

“Forty dollars a night,” he said.

“Do you think I can make it to Lexington? What would happen if the bearing goes out?”

“Your tire would fall off,” he said.

Then I thought back to 1989, on the way to Gulf Shores from Birmingham, Alabama, when we lost a right-front wheel bearing almost to Montgomery at the Prattville exit. Brooks Boliek and I were riding in a 1961 Ford Fairlane I called Bessie Ford that looked almost like Any Griffith’s sheriffs car on the Mayberry show. I picked it up from the guitar player Rick Kurtz on Southside for $550. It had a huge trunk and back seat, so I loaded up my stuff to move to the Gulf Coast to cover the environment as a beat for a chain of newspapers.

Any Griffith’s sheriff’s car, a 1961 Ford Fairlane: NAJ screen shot

Right as we were approaching the Prattville exit, we heard the high-pitched screeching sound of sharp metal, and the right front wheel fell off, sending the car into a skid. Somehow we maneuvered to the side of the road right at the exit. No one got hurt.

But the axle was shot.

A 1961 Ford Fairlane 500: NAJ screen shot

We got a ride to Montgomery, and found a new axle for the Ford that afternoon. The next day, we were back on the road to Gulf Shores. I think it cost $150 plus $35 for the towing fee in those days.

Visions of crashing the van in the mountains with the interstate full of trucks crossed my mind.

“You don’t want to have a bad wreck and hurt a bunch of people,” Doug offered.

“No, that’s for sure,” I said. “Let me think about it.”

As I walked away to think, he sort of followed me. The place looked like it could use the work. Let’s just say the word Resort in the name on the map was a bit of an overstatement.

“Tell you what,” he said. “I’ll comp you on the campsite. If you will stay here and get this done, you can stay for free.”

I said OK.

“Let me go get setup and crank the computer up and get online,” I said, to see if I could move some money around and raise some.

Before 5 p.m., I called him back and he had found and ordered the parts.

“Are you an early riser?” He asked.

“If I need to be,” I said.

“We open at 7:30.”

He showed me the big rack lift for heavy trucks.

“We’ll get her up right there and see if we can get her going.”

I whipped up a plate of Cowboy Chicken and Pasta Salad for a late lunch and made some phone calls.

My special recipe of Cowboy fried chicken and pasta salad, with fresh tomato, dill relish, green tomato relish, pepper jack cheese topped off with apple cider vinegar: Glynn Wilson

We’ll see what happens in the morning. Hopefully we can get back on the road on Wednesday and make it down to Jonesboro. Siri says nine more hours of driving time to go.

With any luck, maybe I’ll find another rest stop to boondock in along the way, or find a free campsite.

Meanwhile, check this story out, and send the guy some money too.

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