As it turns out The Breaks is a forested canyon and not much different to what I've seen before. Not a desert canyon with rich, warm colors, but a cool, damp vibrant canyon. 
It looks much like where I'm from in WV. In fact, as we were driving through Grundy and Haysi, two towns in the Virginia coalfields, I remarked that we could be nearly anywhere on Rt. 10 in southern West Virginia. I guess the coal fields are the coal fields no matter which side of the border they happen to fall on, with their short, pointy, & humid hills, massive coal trucks terrorizing drivers on the road, and one-horse towns.
Though I liked the park, and highly recommend it to anyone who is unfamiliar with the mountains of the coal fields, after a day and night we headed off for higher grounds and clearer air in the Virginia Highlands. I would also recommend the Breaks as a economical family vacation spot as they have a lodge with motel rooms, a restaurant, and a pool.
We took a most lovely drive on Rt. 16 between Tazwell and Marion to get to Grayson Highlands State Park. When we got there I was struck with how much different things are when you get out of the coal fields. I've always been frustrated with where I'm from and thought it was just mountain culture, but no it is just coal culture. It is not mountain mist that suffocates, but dirty coal dust. I realize it is not politically correct to say so, but coal culture is messed up. Just a comparison between the parks (presumably both ran by Va.) reveals much. First, Breaks' lovely views are marred by what I have to believe is strip mining. WTF! Have these people, whomever they are, no sense of decency or beauty?! Secondly, the bathrooms. Now I am a bathroom snob and am most proud of our more perfect union because I believe we have the best bathrooms in the world, hands down. Though I haven't been everywhere, I've been enough places to see that we have exceptional toilet facilities. [Eric Jong has a funny discussion of this topic in her novel Fear of Flying.] So, anyway, the bathrooms at the Highlands campground were cleaner and less filled with bugs than the ones at Breaks. Finally, the noise level at higher altitudes was much different. Though the situation at Breaks was far from bad, they did not foster a sense of contemplative awareness of the majesty all around. The basketball court, for example, could be heard all over the campground. And when revelers kept at it until 2 a.m. at one site, the rangers did nothing about it.
At Grayson Highlands, things are quiet and peaceful. And even the storm that had us out of bed in a panic to get on our rain fly was a joyful experience.
I've heard hushed whispers and insinuations about coal culture Appalachia before, but I never quite got it. Now it is all too clear.
1 comment:
Nice pictures, Brandy! We drove through WV yesterday on our way home from Toronto and the mountains looked just like that, very beautiful. We stopped at a Buffalo Wild Wings somewhere in WV and Vaibhav was the only person of color in the whole place. People thought he looked pretty interesting, judging by all the stares we got.
Glad you had a good camping trip!
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