US ROAD TRIPS
BRIDGEDAY
FESTIVAL
OnthethirdSaturday
in October,hundreds
of BASEjumpers
parachutefromthe
267-metre-highNew
RiverGorgeBridge
(picturedbelowle ),
whichis closedto
vehiclesfortheevent.
Pedestrianscanstroll
thebridge,watchthe
actionandbuyfrom
themanyvendors.
It wasthelongest
single-spanarchsteel
bridgein theworldfor
years(it nowranks
fourth).Thefestivities
includelivemusicin
Fayettevilleoverthe
sameweekend.Forest is one of the state’s
most recognisable
natural features. Climbers
have scaled its walls
since the mid-1930s.
There are more than
370 mapped routes, and
1.5-mile trail leads to an
observation platform.
fs.usda.gov/mnf
ARTS, HISTORY
& CULTURE
) GREENBRIER BUNKER
TOUR In the 1950s a
top-secret relocation
centre was built into the
mountain below the posh
Greenbrier resort in
White Sulphur Springs for
Congress to use in the
event of a nuclear war.
Kept secret for 30 years,
the Cold War bunker is
now open to the public.
Tours of this nuclear age
relic last 90 minutes and
reservations are required.
greenbrier.com
) HARPERS FERRY
History lives on in this
cobblestoned town,
framed by the
Shenandoah Mountains
and the confluence of
the Potomac and
Shenandoah Rivers. The
lower town is an open-air
museum managed by the
National Park Service,
with many exhibits about
abolitionist John Brown’s
attempt to spark a slave
uprising here in 1859.
The Appalachian Trail
and the C&O Canal bike
path unfurl nearby.
nps.gov/hafe
) PURPLE FIDDLE
Bluegrass culture and
hipster day-trippers from
the urban South and
Northeast meet at this
rustic mountain store in
the hamlet of Thomas for
a stomping good time.
There’s live music every
night; consider buyingtickets for weekend
shows in advance.
The artsy Fiddle is an
unexpected but fun
surprise. purplefiddle.com
) TRANS-ALLEGHENY
LUNATIC ASYLUM
For maximum chills, join
the evening paranormal
tour at this former
hospital for the mentally
ill in Weston, 60 milessouth of Morgantown.
The Gothic 19th-century
building stretches nearly
a quarter of a mile.
Despite the name (itwas
later renamed Weston
State Hospital), daytime
history tours thoughtfully
discuss the inhumane
practices of yesterday.
transallegheny
lunaticasylum. com)MYSTERYHOLE
Stoppingat theMystery
Hole,wheregravity
andtheknownlimitsof
tackinessaregloriously
defied,is a must(though
it’sclosedseasonally).
In factthiskitschyspot
is oneof thegreat
attractionsof roadside
America.Everything
insidethiscrazyplace
tiltsat anangle!It’sopen
MaythroughOctober
in Ansted, 10 milesnorth
of Fayetteville.
mysteryhole.comGettingThere
& Around
WestVirginia’s
EasternPanhandle
begins 60 miles
northwestof
Washington,DC;
Morgantownis
75 milessouthof
Pittsburgh.Amtrak
stopsin Charleston
andHarpersFerry,
andCharlestonhas
a smallairport.You
willneeda carto
explorethestate.