Text 17009, 97 rader
Skriven 2011-10-25 01:23:04 av Dale Shipp (1:261/1466.0)
Ärende: WV Trains, Day 3 & 4
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Day 3:
Breakfast at this hotel in the morning was more typical of what one
would expect from the chain.  There was an assortment of cereals, little
pre-made egg packets (I had cereal), bacon, hash, biscuits and sausage
gravy.  The fruit salad was pretty typical tropical/melon from a jar.
They got a B+ rating.

After driving for about one hour, they stopped at a little out of the
way restaurant called Grannies, where we were served huge blueberry
muffins and equally large cinnamon buns.  Both were very good, but we
were full enough that half of my cinnamon bun went into a clam shell for
later.  Between us, we did manage to finish Gail's blueberry muffin.
The cinnamon bun rode with us for a day or two before we had it -- it
was still good, albeit not quite as fresh as when first had.  Grannies
got an A for her mid morning snack.

About noon we got to the first train station, the Cass Scenic Railroad
State Park, http://www.cassrailroad.com/.  This rail line went up into
the mountains to haul lumber out to the mills.  The mill started in
1902.  The locomotives used here were specially designed for the steep
grades often 5-6% but sometimes up to 8%.  They were call Shay.  This
trip was quite nice, in spite of the constant drizzle and patches of
fog.  The fall colors were very good.  There was one plant of note
called the mountain ash.  It had brilliant clumps of bright red berries,
which contrasted with the trees yellow leaves and with evergreen
branches from nearby trees.  These trees seemed to only grow at limited
elevations on this rail line, i.e. not at the top peak stop which was
about 4500 feet nor at the initial train station.  I tried to get a
decent picture because they were quite pretty, but the train movement
blurred almost every shot I tried.  There is a wiki web page that looks
like it describes the same tree: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorbus

Lunch this day was a box lunch -- the first of several.  It had a ham
sandwich, a bag of chips, some fresh grapes, a brownie and a drink.
Nothing special, but filling -- gave it a grade of B.

After leaving the Cass railroad, we were taken to the Inn at Snowshoe.
This was a ski lodge about 20 miles over windy country roads from the
Cass station.  Again, the scenery was nice in spite of the drizzle rain
that was to plague us for most of the trip.  Dinner was on our own in
the lodge restaurant.  Gail had a buffalo chicken strip salad.  This was
like something she first had at a 99 restaurant in New England couple of
years ago, and has since figured out how to make at home.  Basically, it
is strips of chicken, coated in panko crumbs and a hot sauce -- then
either fried or baked.  The result is a flavor like the more usual
buffalo wings.   My order was called a Rocky Mountain Deluxe Burger.
Thick patty, with cheese, bacon and the usual lettuce and tasteless
tomato.  For side dish I had potato fries which were a combination of
waffle fries, curly fries and steak fries.  Only real problem was that
the bun did not hold up for the entire burger:-}}   Gail gives her meal
an A+ and mine got an A.

Day 4:
Breakfast in the morning was a decent and predictable buffet, with
nothing special to comment on.

We took in two different trains this day.  The first was the Durbin
Rocket, powered by "Old #3", one of only three Climax-geared logging
locomotives in existence,
http://mountainrailwv.com/choose-a-train/durbin-rocket.  This trip was
up and back along the Greenbriar river.  Views were nice, but not as
pretty as along the Cass line.  The seats in this train were a bit more
comfortable than the Cass train, but not much so.  I could not envision
doing a full day trip on either train, but for the hour or two of our
scenic rides the seats were acceptable.  

After the Durbin Rocket, we were driven to the station for the Cheat
Mountain Salamander,
http://mountainrailwv.com/choose-a-train/cheat-mountain-salamander. This
was the first diesel -- the other two were coal-fired steam engines.
This train took us on a one way trip north through wilderness areas.
Colors were beginning to get muted, and the ever present drizzle and
cloudiness did not help.  After the end of the train ride, the coach
picked us up and took us to a Holiday Inn Express in Elkins, WV.

Dinner that night was another buffet.  The entree items were fried
chicken, pot roast in gravy.  Sides were mashed potatoes and green
beans.  The fried chicken was not too good.  It had been cooked before
and piled into a deep serving tray where it steamed itself to make
whatever crisp coating there might have been turn soggy.  The breast
meat was dry and stringy, and over seasoned to boot.  The pot roast and
the gravy were quite good however.  This meal only got a B- grade from
us.

After dinner we went to a 2+ hour show at the American Mountain Theater,
http://www.americanmountaintheater.com/.  This is a family owned and run
group of entertainers.  A combination of banter and decent singing.
Members of the group seemed to have a lot of experience at places like
cruise ships, Branston, etc.  Most of them were related in some way. We
enjoyed the show.


... Shipwrecked on Hesperus in Columbia, Maryland. 00:37:21, 25 Oct 2011
___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30

--- Maximus/NT 3.01
 * Origin: Owl's Anchor (1:261/1466)