Coal's Trek WV Adventure

Cabela's at the Highlands

2009-01-27T18:03:00.000-08:00

I traveled with my St. Michael’s friends outside the city limits of Wheeling to a new retail center called the Highlands. It has stores, restaurants, and even a movie theater. More new places are being built there, but the place that I liked best was Cabela’s. It’s a store that also has huge animal exhibits and an aquarium in it. I saw life-size deer, elephants, cheetahs, moose, beavers, and several bears! Most of the black bears and grizzly bears look like me, but there was even a polar bear!

Howard Long Wellness Center

2009-01-27T17:58:00.000-08:00

My friends from St Michael’s took me to the Howard Long Wellness Center, a division of Wheeling Hospital. There are no video games at this exercise center, but I had a chance to ride the exercise bike for 10 minutes! Children should exercise 20 minutes a day three or more times a week to stay healthy. Shaping-up is hard work – and I want my friends to get moving and eat good foods.

Wheeling Suspension Bridge

2009-01-27T17:55:00.000-08:00

Not far from Independence Hall is the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, the oldest operating suspension bridge in the world! It was built in 1849 and is 1010 feet long and about 100 feet high. On May 17, 1854 it flipped upside down in high winds and fell into the Ohio River! It was rebuilt quickly because it was so important to many people. It was very exciting being so high up above the water! (And sometimes I could feel the bridge vibrate when the cars went by!)

Independence Hall

2009-01-27T17:52:00.000-08:00

Wow, there sure is a lot of WV history in this town! I visited the old Wheeling Custom House that was built in 1859. This building was the meeting place of the Second Wheeling Convention, which drew up WV’s Declaration of Independence from Virginia. The building also served as the first capitol of West Virginia on June 20, 1863. You know what happened on that date, don’t you!? It was renamed Independence Hall in 1964.

Traveling with St. Michael Students

2009-01-27T17:46:00.000-08:00

My friends from St. Michael Parish School took me to another place that was founded before West Virginia became a state. The Linsly School, founded in 1814 in Wheeling, Virginia, is the oldest preparatory school west of the Allegheny Mountains. It became an all boys military school to prepare young men for the Civil War.

Beginning My 2009 Travels

2009-01-27T17:33:00.000-08:00

I’m heading for St. Michael Parish School in Wheeling on this cold day in January. When I stopped at the Wheeling Coffee and Spice Co. near the Wesbanco Civic Center for a warm drink, I noticed this writing at the base of the pillars at the entrance. Wheeling was a city before West Virginia even existed! I wonder if Sweeney built parts for steamboats since I’m so close to the Ohio River?

My trip to Little Beaver State Park

2008-05-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

Do you want to know about my trip to Little Beaver State Park? I'll start off with this sign that I saw. First, I saw this sign that said "Little Beaver State Park". Next, I saw a picture of a dark brown beaver. It was interesting seeing all the people having fun. Another thing that was the most interesting to me was the waterfall. I got to sit on the side of the bridge that was above the river from the waterfall. Finally, I got to see people canoeing. That looked like fun. That was my trip to Little Beaver State Park.

Camp Creek

2008-05-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

My name is Coal and I went to Camp Creek. Camp Creek is in Mercer County and is also near Winterplace. While I was there I got my picture taken. Also, I got to ring a loud bell. It went "Dingalingalingaling!" realy loudly. Then I went on one end of the see saw and the person who took me was on the other end. And no matter how much I tried I kept landing on the high end! Then when I got tired we went to see a waterfall. But it was close for a horse run so I got to see a pony instead.

A Visit to the New River Gorge

2008-05-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

Thump,thump,thump! I'm Coal, a teddy bear. Do you want to know what that sounds is? It's the sound of my boots on the New River Gorge. I visited the New River Gorge located in Fayette County. First, I crossed the New River Gorge Bridge. Next, we went to the New River Gorge

National Park Visitor Center.

Then, I walked to the overlook for a closer look at the New River Bridge. I also drove down the mountain to the New River, where white water rafting takes place. It was wonderful! I had a great experience at the New River Gorge National Park.

At Grandview Park

2008-05-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

WOW! Do you want to know what I've seen today? Me and my friends went to Grandview. We went to the overlook!

My friends took 2 pictures of me. I looked through a type of telescope.

It was $0.25! Man, prices nowadays. Then we went back to the parking lot. In the middle of the parking lot, there was a big patch of grass. It had a few trees and a couple of light poles. They took out their Barbie™ kite and played. I was in my friend's hand while she flew the kite. I thought humans were tall... But after another one of my friends flew the kite he almost unwinded the whole entire string! But sadly, it got caught in a tall tree. We also went to the playground....I was kind of forgotten..but I was happy to sit back and watch. Then we went back to their enourmous car and took out the video camera making a goofy 3 minute video of going home. That was my trip to Grandview Park.

John Henry Memorial

2008-04-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

I am going to tell you about my trip to John Henry Memorial in Summers County. I saw the memorial and the tunnel.

It was a great trip. I wish I could do it again!

I am in Beckley, WV!

2008-04-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Today I have been a very busy little bear with my new friends at St. Francis de Sales in Bekley. Beckley is located in Raleigh County.

I traveled to the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, Mountain Homestead and Youth Musuem in Beckley, WV. While I was there, I was able to see wwat life was like way back in the 1800 and 1800's. I toured an old general store, and old home and a schoolhouse. I also got to see how cotton was made into cloth. Then, I toured an actual coal mine. I rode on a mine car and listended to a retired coal miner talk about tools that a coal miner used and what he did in a day's work.

Finally, I went to a planteraium at the Youth museum and saw the night sky and learned about the stars and planets.

This whole trip was very educational!

The Capitol building in Charleston

2008-04-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hi! A few days ago I went to the Capitol of West Virginia in Charleston with my friend, Matthew.

I was in Kanawha county. It was April 20, 2008 when I went there. I saw a big ( I mean big) dome. I also saw pictures of the governors. There were a whole bunch of stairs leading to the capitol. Luckily, Matthew carried me and I didn't have to walk.

The Mound

2008-04-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

Here I am with my 4th and 8th grade friends from St. Francis Xavier in Moundsville getting ready to “TREK” up the mound. After visiting the Delf Norona Museum and learning all about the burial mound we got to go to the top. The Mound is how Moundsville got its name.

Marx Toy Musuem

2008-04-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

Here I am with my friends from St. Francis Xavier in Moundsville at the Marx Toy Museum. The Marx Toy Factory was located in Moundsville. There were so many different toys with which to look. We even got to play with some.

Visting the Penn

2008-04-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

Here I am with my 4th grade and 8th grade friends outside the old WV Penitentiary. We got to tour the Penn and learn about the history of the building and its prisoners.

I don’t want to be a bad cub and end up like this!

A Trip to the Fostoria Glass Museum

2008-04-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here I am with my friends from St. Francis Xavier in Moundsville outside the Fostoria Glass Museum. The Fostoria Glass Factory was in Moundsville and they made over 6,000 different types of glass. We got to tour the museum and see a lot of the different types. We didn’t break anything either!

Coal

First day with my new friends in Moundsville

2008-03-31T08:15:00.000-07:00

Here I am with my new friends from St. Francis Xavier in Moundsville (Dress down Day). They tell me we have a busy two weeks planned learning about the history of Moundsville. There are four field trips planned and all are within walking distance of their school.

Coal

The GBT (Green Bank Telescope)

2007-05-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

We just drove a short distance from Cass to Green Bank. In the town of Green Bank, there is the Green Bank Radio Observatory. We took a guided tour that helped us learn a little about Radio Astronomy. We got to see some different radio telescopes. We rode a bus to go out to the GBT. It was so huge! We could not get a digital picture up close because digital devices are not allowed beyond a certain point because they cause interference. Here is a picture I took from an overlook. Look closely to see telescope....it was a misty evening!

Riding the Train at Cass

2007-05-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a great adventure! We explored the town of Cass which was an old lumber boom town. Much of the town has been restored so that vistors, like us, can see what it was really like to live in a town like this about 100 years ago. The coolest part of the trip was that we got to ride a train up the mountain. The two hour adventure was very neat. We learned what it was like to be in the logging industry so long ago. Amazing!

Mass at St. Bernard Chapel

2007-05-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

We just went to mass at Saint Bernard Chapel. It is a beautiful church located at the top of Snowshoe Mountain. St Bernard's offers Catholic and non-Denominational worship services each week. We celebrated Pentecost today. I am glad I got to go to church here today.

Spruce Knob

2007-05-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

After Cathy and Jenn's hike to the top of Seneca Rocks, we stopped to eat a great lunch at a restaurant that looked like a log cabin. That was the perfect stop before we made the trek to Spruce Knob, the tallest place in West Virginia! We drove up and up...and up!!!

The road turned into a narrow dirt road about 1/2 up the mountain. We all realized that this part of our state is very rural.

We stopped along the way and got some pictures of the scenery as we climbed the mountain.

We made it to the top and took a 1/2 mile trail that wrapped around the top of Spruce Knob. It felt much colder than it was at the bottom of the mountain. The view was great. I am glad Cathy and Jenn took me on this hike. I got to see many beautiful views. We ended the hike at the observation tower. I noticed so many of the trees had branches on only one side of their trunk. Cathy and Jenn told me that was from the wind and weather.

Seneca Rocks

2007-05-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Today we started our day by taking a nice long drive to get to Seneca Rocks. The road was very windy and we drove up and down mountains. I am so glad that I do not get car sickness! We spent a lot of time at Seneca. We went to the Vistor's Center and learned a little history. We spent some times looking at the huge rock formation. Check out the picture I took of the amazing geographic feature.

Cathy and Jenn decided to take the 1 1/2 mile hike up to the top of Seneca Rocks. They knew that they would probably have to carry me most of the way and decided to leave at the Discovery Center. That was fine with me because they have a bunch of chairs that you can relax on and look up at the Rocks.

Cathy and Jenn were gone for about 3 hours. They told me that the hike was so much fun. It was a great workout. They took this picture(right) of part of the trail.

Cathy and Jenn said the view from the top was well worth the hike! They said that they spent time looking at the beautiful view and eating a healthy snack before the headed back down the mountain! I am so glad they took pictures (left) to share with me.

Beartown and Droop Mountain

2007-05-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

We just stopped at Beartown. A little bear like me felt right at home! There was a great path through huge rocks that have been shaped over time. We enjoyed our hike. It was so peaceful and quiet. We stopped and listened to all the sounds of nature.

Our last stop of the day was Droop Mountain. This was the spot of the last significant civil war battle in West Virginia. The view from the Overlook tower was amazing. (below)

The Greenbrier

2007-05-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

The Greenbrier was our next stop. This is an amazing resort located White Sulphur Springs. The current hotel was built in 1913. We really enjoyed walking around the grounds. We found the springhouse(right). In the 1700's people came to the resort to take the waters to restore their health.

Lost World Caverns

2007-05-25T15:00:00.001-07:00

After a great lunch in historic Lewisburg, we decided to go explore the Lost World Caverns. This was one of the places our friends in Beckley wanted us to see. It was great! We took a self- guided 45 minute tour. Cathy and Jenn pointed out all the cool stalagmites and stalactites to me. Check out these pictures!

Lots to see on I-64

2007-05-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

Our first stop after the school was the Exhibition Coal Mine. We spent some time exploring the coal town behind the vistor's center. There was an exhibit called "History on the Road" from Jackson's Mill. It was neat. We were not able to take the trip down into the coal mine. It is closed until 2008. We will definetly have to make another trip here! This would make a great field trip.

Our next stop was Sandstone Falls. Wow- what a view. Check out the picture I took from the overlook.

We are headed to Lewisburg for lunch!

A Classroom Visit

2007-05-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

My friends, Jenn, Cathy, and I visited St. Francis de Sales School in Beckley this morning. The 4th graders taught me a lot about the state of West Virginia. There are so many things to do. I don't think we will have time to do it all. I trust Jenn and Cathy will take me to some great places today. Thank you 4th grade for all of the great information!

New River Gorge Bridge

2007-05-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

We have stopped at two scenic overlooks along Route 19 South. The first was at the top of a mountain looking into the valley below, the other was at the New River Gorge Bridge(left). The day is hot, humid and "misty". You can see that in the pictures. Everything is s0 beautiful and wild and wonderful.

Side Trip Along the Way

2007-05-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

We are on the road and headed south on I-79. We take a quick side trip to Stone Wall Jackson Lake Resort Park for a photo at the lake and now we are back on I-79 headed towards Flatwoods. Beckley here we come!

Let's get on the road!

2007-05-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

Hello! My name is Coal. I am getting ready to go an adventure around the state of West Viginia. I live in Wheeling and today I will be traveling to Beckley.It is a beautiful day for a drive. I am so thankful that my friends, Cathy and Jenn, will be the drivers so that I can sit back and relax. There is so much beautiful scenery as we travel from Wheeling to Beckley!