Day 24 – September 28

Yesterday morning, we checked out of our motel later than usual—10:25 a.m. We were waiting for my daughter April’s flight to arrive at West Virginia International Yeager Airport, located about three miles east of downtown Charleston.

On our way to the airport, we drove right by the West Virginia State Capitol. One of its most striking features is its gold-leaf-covered dome. See pic below.

After picking April up at the airport, we stopped for brunch at Tudor’s Biscuit World. Then we made a quick stop at Mea Cuppa Coffee Lounge so April could get a cup of coffee from a local coffee shop.

I then pulled the reins of my Bronco to the left, and we were on our way to Beckley, West Virginia.

In the mid-1980s, my Air Force career took me to Beckley, where I was assigned to the Beckley MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station).

I was stationed there from March 1983 until March 1986. April visited me several times during those years, and that is why she flew up from Stuart, Florida—to revisit some of the places she remembered from her childhood.

After arriving in Beckley around 1 p.m., we went by the building where I used to work, the mobile home park where I lived, and the bowling lanes where I used to bowl. We also drove around town to see how much had changed.

For April and me, it was a drive filled with memories.

We planned this part of our trip several months ago, choosing a couple of days in September that best fit our schedule. To make the visit a little more special, we reserved a log cabin for two nights.

So, last night we settled into a beautiful three-bedroom, two-bath, two-story log cabin not far from Grandview. We’ll spend today visiting Grandview and a couple of other scenic places, doing a little shopping, and enjoying another night in the cabin.

Pics of the cabin are below.

A few more pics from yesterday are below.

Until next time…we’ll be traveling on the streets and highways around Beckley.