Bill & Beth White (20471)
West Virginia State Directors
We have completed all of the arrangements for our West Virginia State Rally for June 2-5, 2022, in Moundsville, West Virginia. We have several folks already signed up to attend; but we still have plenty of room for more. We would love to fill every spot!
Guess what you see in Moundsville? If you guessed, a mound, you are only partially right. However, the Grave Creek Mound was created by the Adena culture about 250-150 BC by moving more than 60,000 tons of dirt. It is a US Historic Landmark and the largest conical type mound in the US, standing 62 feet high and is 240 feet in diameter, on the bank of the Ohio River. Our rally is within walking distance of it and the Archaeological Complex which houses a museum, research center, and a great gift shop specializing in West Virginia made products. The museum begins with fossils and the ice age animals, archaeological sites in West Virginia, and has displays of the Adena people and the construction of the Grave Creek Mound. There’s a dugout canoe, life sized fossil casts including the state fossil of West Virginia, the ground sloth; and many other items related to our home state, all part of our tour.
Have you ever seen an albino peacock? There are some at the Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold, along with normal ones; and that isn’t part of the royal tour. The Palace is one of the eight religious wonders in the US. It is an unexpected and majestic tourist attraction, reached at the end of a four-mile serpentine road, overlooking the Appalachian hills and valleys. It is reminiscent of an Indian kingdom, run and built by the Hare Krishnas. The grounds have award winning gardens and a lotus pond. Inside the Palace, there are thirty-one stained glass windows reflecting in chandeliers and in the mirrored ceiling. Check out the marble floors and inlaid walls with fifty-two varieties of marble and onyx imported from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Want to see a 150-year-old chandelier from France, or wall murals, or walls and pillars of semi-precious stones and pure gold? They have it all, under a thirty-ton main dome with a 4200 piece crystal ceiling. And the peacocks, there are four peacock windows displaying more than 1,500 pieces of handcrafted stained glass. Windows have peacocks etched into them, and carved into numerous doors. The peacock, as you will learn on our tour, is associated with Royalty and Lord Krishna, who wears a feather in his hair.
If you are interested in history or the paranormal, we have that covered at our rally too. We will visit the Former West Virginia Penitentiary which was opened in 1866 and closed in 1995.
We will be guided through this gothic style structure, visit the recreation area and visitation rooms, and the new cafeteria that resulted in the riot of 1986. We plan to walk through cell blocks and see “The Alamo” that housed the most violent and dangerous criminals. You will be astonished at the history, the touches of art, and the cold hard facts and gain insight into the justice system. Cameras are allowed and even encouraged. But if you want to feel even closer to a criminal, you can take the optional “Escape the Pen: The Execution” escape room. We hope to have enough interest to join together and assist in saving Lefty Lafferty from the electric chair! There are also ghost hunts and paranormal investigations available to book, if our tour hasn’t spooked you enough.
We have some excellent food lined up, most catered; but look forward to a sit down meal along the beautiful Ohio River at Prima Marina, recommended by locals for delicious and relaxing dining. There will still be plenty of time to gather for “war stories” and Beth’s games. You don’t want to miss those with her fabulous prizes! This area has many more sights to see and things to do, shopping, trails, and much more history. We can’t fit everything into a rally, but Moundsville is definitely worth at least an extra day or two. Feel free to come in a day early or stay late if you want for an extra fee of only $30.00 per night.
We just returned from the “Mothership” in Nappanee getting a new shower installed in our London Aire. The old one had a leak around the drain and Newmar replaced it at their cost, because there was a mistake made during construction. You just can’t beat Newmar’s customer service. What do you do in Nappanee for a week? For starters, we took Bill’s grandfather’s roll top desk to a craftsman in the area, who will take care of the water damage and refinish it. That is the only piece of furniture that will be restored for our new home. We visited some of the Amish furniture and cabinet makers to help decide what we may want in the new house. We all know it is hard to beat their craftsmanship, another reason we keep buying Newmars. We dropped by The Kountry Klub office and got some recommendations from Linda Feece; she really is the “heart of the Klub” and is always welcoming to us when we “drop in.”
We also had the good fortune to meet up with the Indiana State Directors, Steve & Phyllis Thornburg. We had a wonderful visit and meal. We hadn’t seen them since the Tampa RV Show. So of course, we discussed the upcoming trip to Rock Springs and shared our joint anticipation. (Once you attend an International Rally, you will understand how the excitement builds as the date draws closer.) They introduced us to another restaurant in Rentown, which we have added to our favorite list; and as usual, had to visit the baked goods across the street. It is heartwarming to have friends to visit all across the country that we have met through our camping adventures. The Newmar Kountry Klub really is our extended family.
We have learned a lot about full timing in the past 3 months and realize we still have a lot to learn. We are fortunate that we have the RV garage, which allows us to have a full size range and another refrigerator. Bill has set up a little office with a computer and has purchased a TV. With the fireplace, chairs, and sofa we have switched out of our other Newmars, we have a “living room” space.
This coming week we should begin overseeing the demolition of the old house. All the permits and surveys have been done. Now, we are learning how to build a house. Our architect is working on a plan for us, which should be available in a few weeks. We are also learning patience. It’s been a real adventure.
Depending on progress here, we hope to attend several rallies in the area and, of course, the Region Six Rally. We have volunteered at the International Rally again this year and look forward to seeing everyone at Rock Springs. Beth has volunteered to help provide some activities for young folks who may be attending. She is also planning on having her resin jewelry class. It will be a fun rally! See you there!
Have a safe winter and spring. God Bless you all.
We can be reached by email: janelewbill@gmail.com.
