Aloha Everyone,
Our morning began with a very pleasant visit with Ralph and Cynthia from California. They were curious about our "roving-retirement" lifestyle and we shared the process we went through to transfer from Hawaii to South Dakota.
Passed by the brilliant gold capital's dome in Charleston.
The I-Pass attached on Honu's windshield automatically paid the toll road fee. The transponder is still working after more than two years.
All is well. J.J. and I sang along with John Denver's "Country Road Take Me Home." Up to our relaxing lunch at the Olive Garden restaurant in Raleigh Mall, this was an ordinary day.
New River Gorge National River encompasses 70,000 acres. The history of the New River goes back a millennium. The driving time was supposed to be 25 minutes. Allowing delays for driving on narrow mountainous roads, we figured that we could take a nap at the Visitor Center parking lot in 40 minutes.
One thing we learned is that when Siri gets it wrong, we are really lost. At one point I was very tense holding my breathe while J.J. tried to prevent Honu's front wheels from getting stuck in thick, slimy mud while making a u-turn. Several shabby looking huts stood nearby with evidence of inhabitants. Fortunately for us no one appeared. Estimated 150 ft wide New River was muddy and uninviting. J.J. slowed down enough for me to take a photo of the spillway at New River State Park before we proceeded to Virginia.
Virginia has one of the most effective and versatile state marketing slogan. The basic phrase "Virginia is for Lovers" has been adopted to:
Virginia is for History Lovers.
Virginia is for Art Lovers.
Virginia is for Food Lovers.
Virginia is for Mountain Lovers.
Virginia is for Beach Lovers.
Virginia is for Outdoor Lovers and so on.
With the bright 
️in place of the letter "v" possibilities are endless!
This day shall be a day to be remembered. "Buckhorn Country Store & RV Park has a rustic charm, but one of the most basic RV parks we have ever stayed. No WiFi or phone signal.
The staff were outgoing and friendly and suggested that I hang out in front of the store to get my WiFi and phone signal. No such luck. But the swift tributary of the New River with a stone bridge across were nice inclusion to our blog.
Aloha -- Cathi
