Day 352
8 hrs, 9 kms

The atmosphere is completely different as the Traveler now finds himself on a bus highway, heading up a steep hill . To his right is a massive quarry--the size of a town, with trucks loaded with stone rumbling out.

At the top of the hill is the town of Roaring Springs, where he comes across an unusual discovery: a factory, still in use, right on Main Street! Yep, one side of the street are your typical abandoned shops (the new "Main Street" being strip malls on the highway bypassing the town), but on the other side is a functioning factory with cars parked outside and smoke spewing from it smokestacks. "Appvion" makes specialized coatings for paper. Will it remain, or join all the other factories moving overseas? We'll just have to wait and see.

OK... so it is nice to see there are still some industrial jobs left in small town America... but right on Main Street? That smoke can't be good for people's health!

A block or two further is a more pleasant setting: crystal clean spring water feeding into a pond, with various waterfowl in it . Next to it is a cut stone building with castle like towers. Roaring springs was originally a paper mill town, and this paper mill wanted its town to look classy and sophisticated, as can be seen by the various architectural styles around.

It's refreshing to come across a town that's different from the rest...

1895 The In Between Valley
Martinsburg, Oct 7, Day 352
8 hrs, 20 kms
Day Totals: 16 hrs, 29 kms

The Traveler continues on east through a valley called Morrison's Cove. Surrounded by hills on all sides, this is "the world" for some who live here, like the Amish lady in a horse buggy that waves as she passes. The Amish rarely leave the valley that they live in, so this fertile valley is where they will live, marry, raise their children, farm their fields and die.

For most folks here, though, this is just the place they come home to after a long drive seeking work elsewhere. In Martinsburg, the Traveler finds a bench to rest on and strum his songs, with some local kids loitering around nearby. He wonders if they will join many others who have moved away from their native valley.

As he continues on down the road and up into the wooded mountains, a big sign reads "Morrison's Cove: a Great Place to Live and Work"... but the declining population seems to speak otherwise.

And so, the Traveler bids farewell to Blair County for a final time...