I forgot…April is the beginning of Orange Cone Season. Ugh. We lost at least an hour or two in stop and go traffic. (OK…maybe is was twenty minutes. I don’t remember. 🙄) My brain was zoned out. We stopped at the brand new rest area on the West Virginia Turnpike. Hokey smokes…they spent a gazillionty-teen dollars on the new Tamarack Travel Plaza. Located adjacent to the Tamarack Marketplace which broke ground on August 8, 1994.
Forward-thinking Governor Gaston Caperton had a vision. He wanted something more than the usual bathroom and vending machine rest area. He envisioned a place that would house artisans from around the state. An open area in the center of the building houses designated areas for artists and artisans to seek their wares. Surrounding the shopping are walls and halls for gallery exhibits. (The quilts and art are to die for!)
As the population of Appalachia ages out, fewer folks were stepping up and learning the skills of our forefathers and mothers. The Tamarack Marketplace offers educational opportunities. The works are juried to “insure [sic] quality and authenticity of WV-made items.” The food service is provided by The Greenbrier Hotel. It’s definitely a must-see place to visit should you be driving the I-77 corridor through our fine state.
Anyway, back to the new Tamarack Travel Plaza. The official Grand Opening was December 30th with the Governor and other officials present to usher in the $60M state-of-the-art facility. The building houses the only Popeye’s Chicken in Southern WV. Starbuck’s and Wendy’s are also housed in the building. There is a convenience store area on one end and at the other end, a small Tamarack Marketplace shop offers just a few of the beautiful items from the larger venue nearby. It has the usual fare of travel plazas…fuel and restrooms. FANCY restrooms. While the minimalist design didn’t appeal to me, the sinks were over the top. I’ve never seen anything like them. The faucet is a modern “wash bar” design. On the left end is the hand soap dispenser, in the middle the the water faucet, and to the right is the blower-style hand dryer. All motion-sensor, and resting over an angled sink with a slit for a drain at the back. I wanted to stay in there a play till my hands got pruny, but Mr. FixIt was waiting for me so I finished up and went out to meet him. (Pictures: Before and After, credit to sources on the internet.)
We drove through a lot of rain on the way and Fancy Gap didn’t disappoint with its pea soup fog. We only saw the evidence on one accident…a semi on its side in the median near Wytheville. It didn’t look like anyone was injured. I was so happy to pull into the campground last night. Oak Hollow Family Campground is beautiful and right off the interstate without sounding like a war zone. It was a fun drive. The further south we went, the more beautiful it became. The flowering trees are majestic. Our dogwood trees got bit by the hard freezes of the last couple of weeks, but they escaped that fate farther south. They look all the world like dotted Swiss fabric lying here and there against a black and new spring green backdrop. The azaleas are in bloom as are the magnolias and camellias. Stunning!
We arrived in plenty of time to have a light meal and stretch out on our comfy memory foam mattresses for a well deserved rest. Too late for a nap, but restful just as well. Today we’ll enjoy a nice breakfast and head to the Outer Banks. Tonight we’ll go to sleep to the sound of the ocean waves!
We don’t have to be in quite the hurry today as we were yesterday. If you aren’t checked in at the campground by 7:00pm at Oak Hollow, they lock the gates and you flat out do not get in. That kinda puts a fire under you. But it’s a totally different deal at the beach. That means we don’t have to be on the road quite so early. Which is fine by me!
🚙💨
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” Psalms 4:8 NLT
***Gratitude Journal*** Today I am grateful for safe travels…and that I didn’t scare Mr. FixIt more than once. Maybe twice. 😘