Marooned in West Virginia

You know when you’ve got the “best laid plans,” and everything starts out amazing? Yes, I’m sure we all can recall a time when plans and excitement are paired together nicely in anticipation of everything going according to “the plan.” Plans that include no hiccups and wonderful discoveries and surprises along the way. Well, you probably also know that they don’t always work out that way, and we have to be ready for it. We have to be ready to find ways to pivot and “make the lemonade,” and to find the humor and goodness in it all.

That’s what happened to me and Nicole Deen earlier this month. The hiccup (the first one) came in the form of a “dead” vehicle in the middle of a very rural, and very beautiful, area in West Virginia. We were planning to do more scouting for next year’s “Chasing Fall Colors” workshop – revisiting some locations and visiting and exploring some new ones. We had high hopes of creating some wonderfully creative fall color images to entice others to join us.

First view of Seneca Rocks before the marooning

AND, SO IT BEGINS

Our story isn’t exactly over yet, as it turns out Nicole’s Hyundai needs a new engine. She has a cool ride for her rental (and for our Georgia workshop), but I know she would have preferred not to have to deal with what that now involves. However, she and I had an interesting series of experiences that tested our patience (not with each other), challenged our resourcefulness, our senses of humor, and our faith in people. We’ve already shared some of our story on social, and we were happy to have folks rally around us, offer help and root for our rescue. The five days we were “marooned” in Davis, West Virginia, were filled with fodder for future stories. I knew as we were going through it that our tale was going the be the subject of this month’s blog. Here’s hoping that you are both entertained and amazed at the complexities, challenges and blessings within the story. I know we were, and are.

Exploring Seneca Rocks area

MAROONED – SOME PERSPECTIVE

I think it’s important to understand the meaning of the word, and where we were when I said the “marooning” happened. The general definition of “maroon” is “stranded, trapped or isolated in a place from which there is little chance of escape or rescue” OR in an inaccessible place without means to escape or the necessary resources to do so. Our situation could have been just cause for drama, but we typically don’t fall into the category of “drama queens, so the element of overreaction was not a factor.

Again, for perspective, we were in Davis, West Virginia. There are no taxies and no Ubers, no Door Dash and no Uber Eats. Hotels and restaurants are limited, and isolation is real when you are two photographers who packed more gear and clothes and other miscellaneous things than we could roll up and down a mountain to get food or shelter. If you have wheels (not those on your roller bags), as in transportation, you’re good. When the wheels (or rather the engine) fail, things are apt to go downhill quickly. And, they did – sort of. Lest I forget, this area is full of what I refer to as “cellular potholes” aka no cell coverage. The above is the perspective from which our adventure is told.

Wonder in the rocks and reflections.

A GOOD START – TRAVEL DAY WITH SOME STOPS

Nicole and I usually take two cars when we are leading workshops. Because it was just us, we went with one – Nicole’s. Doing this gave us opportunity to talk in and not deal with the cellular potholes and to plan our trip more. Our first stop was some extended time at Seneca Rocks, which is an incredible rock formation that stands tall and rugged in the landscape. While there, we visited the river and found a magical spot with stone walls, river rocks and reflections. It was awesome. If we weren’t on a “mission,” we would have stayed longer. The colors were not really “turning” much, and we learned that the early color in some areas and none in others was due to drought conditions in August and September. The drenching rains of spring were past, and we could see that the water levels were low. Normally, we had picked a great time to chase color, a better time than on our previous visit the year before. We accept, of course, that we are not in charge of the weather. Conditions as they are – like them or not – push us to see more and differently.

After Seneca Rocks we drove to our hotel, the Inn at Canaan. We were to be here from Friday to Monday for this quick adventure. It’s a smaller property, but the rooms are clean and comfy. Nicole, by the way, really loved all the Halloween and fall decorations spread throughout the hotel. After checking in, we headed out to shoot some end-of-day light at Canaan Valley Resort before dinner at the lodge and made our plans for the next day. We had a few eyebrow-raising moments at dinner, but we just chuckled and moved on.

Playing with rocks, reflections and multiple exposures

Our first (and last) sunset at Canaan Valley

THE “ALMOST HEAVEN” TRAIL

There’s a trail on the Canaan Valley Resort that, for me, is beyond peaceful. When I think of it, I’m reminded of a particular spot where I stopped on our first visit. I stood in place, closed my eyes and felt a peace in the sun and breezes that was beyond magical. It looked different this time – less color, but the peacefulness and visual surprises on the trail were no less giving in the respite for my soul. Sounds a little bit over the top in this description, but it’s not, not for me. Nicole loves the trail as well, but maybe not as much as I do. The trail itself is an easy one to navigate. It’s 0.8 mile and takes you through very different areas of forest and water areas. We spent over two hours on it and, again, would have stayed longer, but we had places to go and scenes to see.

Leaf resting on a collection of “risers”

And, then, the trail offered motion magic …

BLACKWATER FALLS STATE PARK

Thankfully, we ate lunch in Davis before making a circle around the town of Thomas and heading to Blackwater Falls. Saturday is biker day, and who could blame them? We weren’t rushing the day since we already heard the color report and knew about the water levels. We explored the spots already in the Garmin that we had previously marked and bailed on making the falls trek since the light was bright with zero clouds. While at the lodge, we encountered a very talkative fellow who commented to everyone within range that the light was not great for photos, but he stayed there with his camera in hand and talked to anyone who would listen. More eyebrows were raised along with more chuckles.

Due to drought, this view from last year was NOT what we saw this visit at Blackwater Falls

WHEN THINGS WENT SIDEWAYS

After exploring Blackwater Falls, we started heading the eight miles back from Davis proper to our hotel. Midway on our trek, the Hyundai lurched and shuddered and refused to recover … not good timing and even worse on mountain roads. Thankfully, we made it back to the hotel and safely parked. In between some colorful words, we counted our blessings that we were not stuck on the side of the road praying for help to come. We had a comfy hotel room to wait in while AAA was, on that late afternoon, not sending help. The only food options available to us was a good barbecue restaurant a half mile away and the gas station across the street with a Subway inside. We hoofed it to the barbecue, ordered our dinner, watched them run out of food and walked back to the hotel to continue waiting for AAA. Both of us tripped and fell on thankfully very “plush” grass when we jumped the ditch in the dark on our way back with our dinners.

Motion from my “Almost Heaven” trail well represented our scrambled plans

THE BILLY EXPERIENCE

On Sunday the tow truck arrived and took our wheels to Davis (one of our only two options for mechanics in either direction). There were no rooms available at the Inn for Monday night. We found a room at The Billy Motel in Davis but then had to figure out how to get there. (Remember, no taxis, no Ubers) Enter kindness. Danyelle, the General Manager at the Inn at Canaan, was our first angel. She drove us to the motel in Davis with all our stuff and even gave us a big bag of goodies in the form of water and snacks. It was a huge blessing. The Billy was very close to the mechanic’s shop (stone’s throw and walking distance). Nicole’s car, however, was locked inside. We had real challenges in communication as in lack of response, timing, directions and diagnosis of the issues. Texting – sporadic at best – was the only communication we had for several days. We were marooned, and Nicole’s car was held hostage in the garage. Dinner on Sunday consisted of snacks and beverages. The motel restaurant was not open until Wednesday.

The vibe at the Billy Motel was cool, and the room was comfortable. However, on Monday morning we learned that we were being booted from our room and needed to regroup. We booked the only option – a King room – but we needed to be out of our current room so it could be cleaned. We couldn’t move to the new room until 3:00pm. Thankfully, another kindness was offered so we didn’t have to sit on the side of the road like hobos while we waited until three. One of the ladies at the motel said we could stay in the first room past the “11 sharp” get-out time. That was good.

We kept our smiles at “The Billy”

The cool booth vibe in the “Billy” bar and restaurant

Tuesday morning, we woke up to gloomy skies and rain. Instead of pouting in the room we had to get out of, I took my camera and Lensbaby Velvet 56 and photographed around the motel. I believe I had salad for breakfast from the gas station across the street. We were in the middle of a dreary, rainy day. Oh, and that night we borrowed one big umbrella from the bar and walked in the rain, another half mile, to get our dinner so we could be back in time to hold a workshop zoom meeting from “The Billy.” Our shoes were soaked, but our food was dry and better than more gas station fare. Tuesday night was secure, but Wednesday was a big question mark. No solid word from the mechanic and no rooms available at the Billy.

Are you laughing yet? We were. We had to for our sanity – that, and shaking our heads at every turn of events.

Self portrait outside our first room at “The Billy”

More flowers in the misting rain

HOPE FOR GETTING HOME

Finally, on Wednesday we got Nicole’s vehicle released, but it had real solid issues, and we would never get home if we tried the drive back to North Carolina. It was driveable for a very short distance. Next stop down the road outside of Davis we would call AAA again, and pray. We decided to stop at The Big Belly Deli in town for food (brunch-ish). This visit started with another “interesting” encounter with the man who took our orders and ended with the lady who made our delicious sandwiches offering to give us a ride to Harrisonburg, Virginia (which was our next target in the get-us-home trail).

While Nicole called AAA again, I walked across the street to a local park with my camera and made some lemonade. Suddenly, the tow truck appeared – the same one and same guy who got the vehicle to Davis on Sunday! TJ with All Ours Towing & Auto Services came again to save the day. Both of us have the 100-mile towing option with AAA, and one route would get us closer to home in 96 miles. It was awesome! We were able to ride in the back of the truck and listen to many cool stories, knowing we were on our way. Not only that, but at one point TJ pulled the truck off the road at German Valley Overlook on Highway 33 (Mountaineer Road). He absolutely didn’t have to do this, but I’m so glad and thankful that he did. The view was simply breathtaking, and that’s not a word I use often. In the beautiful light we had for this leg of our journey, we could see Seneca Rocks in the distance. Looking back on our prior trip, I seem to remember stopping here when the rain stopped and fog filled the valley, but didn’t hide its beauty. Nature gives us gifts at every turn if we slow down long enough to notice and appreciate what’s before us. TJ was another one of our angels.

We made it to Harrisonburg, Viginia, and the Hyundai dealership in under the AAA 100-mile limit. We dropped the “Sport” off and begged a ride from the dealership to our hotel. Amusement continued for Nicole as she laughed at my technical “innocence” while making me order dinner via Uber Eats (a first for me). She laughed again the next morning as she showed me the Uber car on her phone making all the turns to pick her up at the hotel so she could get to the rental car office. No shame here, but I have never Ubered anything. It is likely that it will be a while before I try either on my own.

Nicole and I both made it home on that Thursday after our crazy adventure. She got a fancy rental SUV. Her Sport needs a new engine, and it’s currently still In Virginia. We both were hoping that the story ends with good news and that Hyundai would do the right thing and replace her defective engine at no cost to Nicole. (Keep reading …)

This sign finally flipped on Wednesday!

What remained for us in Davis after wind and rains before the tow home

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are many times when the plans we make in life are “detoured.” Everything is not within our power to control or predict. In those times, it’s better to shift from “Type A” response to “Type B,” and handle it all as best we can with humor instead of angst.

Nicole and I had a lot of “bad news, good news, bad news and good news” experiences over the course of seven days. We also experienced a whole lot of unexpected kindness from strangers. We didn’t get to visit or revisit and photograph all the things we had hoped to, but we were always safe. We always found food to fill our bellies. We always had a place to lay our heads; and we learned that we both can “handle” a less-than-ideal situation with grace and humor. Best of all, for me, we began our journey and were blessed with over two hours on the “Almost Heaven” trail in Canaan Valley. That kept me thankful.

Yes, we were temporarily “marooned” in West Virginia, but that time has given us a story to tell and memories to look back at and smile (well, probably, also laugh). The story ends well … Nicole’s engine was replaced by Hyundai at no cost to her – a huge relief.

Next year, Nicole and I will be leading our “Chasing Fall Colors” workshop based in Canaan Valley. We hope you’ll join us! We promise that we’ll have two vehicles, show you beautiful places, and hope your adventure is more colorful than ours was this year. We know some good people in the valley, though, who are always ready to help out. Good people are everywhere. Sometimes, you just need the right opportunity to see that.

Do not forget to be kind to strangers, for by doing so, some people have embraced angels without knowing it.

—Hebrews 13:2

Fern memory from my favorite trail

Our last meal in Harrisonburg and my fortune cookie message.