It's 263 miles from Goochland Courthouse to Independence, both in Virginia. The route is mostly via Interstates 64, 81 and 77, so it's an easy drive and the weather was good on Wednesday, April 19. I stopped for lunch at a Sheetz convenience store near Roanoke, and stayed at a cheap version of "The Usual Chain" off I-77, in Hillsville, Carroll County. I was able to use points to pay for the stay. Many of the people staying there were men my age on motorcycles, and people working in the area, parking trucks with company names on them, and leaving early in the morning. Carroll County broke off from Grayson, and the City of Galax took territory from both counties when it incorporated in 1953. I visited the former Courthouse, now on the very edge of the county in Greenville, or Old Town, last renovated in 1832.
There were restaurants and motels around the U.S. 58 exit from I-77, but I decided to go into Hillsville, the county seat of Carroll County. There isn't a lot there, so I ate at a Taco Bell, where I couldn't figure out the tablet you were supposed to order on.
Grayson County has a population of just over 15,000 people, and only seven places listed on the National Register. It's over 90% White and over 80% of the voters voted for The Previous Guy in 2020. It's also scenic and held my interest for a day. It took me some thought to figure out how to see the county, but there are only really three towns, Fries, Independence, the county seat, and Troutdale, up in the mountains.
I found a way to get to Fries on back roads- actually, most of the roads, like in many areas of West Virginia, are back roads. Fries is on the New River, which rises in the mountains of North Carolina, meanders back and forth between North Carolina and Virginia, then joins the Kanawha River in West Virginia. There's a dam and waterfall, from a defunct mill, two former boarding houses listed on the National Register and an interesting looking community center. They are rehabbing the one block business district. I found Spring Valley Road, part of a rural historic district, and the Stephen G. Bourne House, set back from the road, on the way to Independence.
It was downhill from Spring Valley to Independence, where the old courthouse, with the obligatory statue of a Confederate soldier, is now tourist offices and a museum of the county. The tourism lady loaded me up with pamphlets and suggested I visit a state park where there are wild horses that one is not supposed to interact with. Apparently, the horses are quite friendly and approach tourists. I asked her about the baby pine trees planted on many of the hillsides, and she told me that Christmas trees are a major industry in Grayson County.
She and another person working there suggested a restaurant halfway up the mountains to the north, but I wanted to see what was in town. I found a small shopping center with a Food City (original name) grocery store. There was a buffet and seating, with a line of people at lunch time. I got a cup of good tomato basil soup and tried out the salad bar. That was good for lunch. River North State Prison for Men is near Independence, and some of the diners wore insignia from the prison. Brookside Farm and Mill is on U.S. 58 near Independence.
I drove up into the mountains to Troutdale, a former mill and mining town, now mostly empty. I found Ripshin, the home of Sherwood Anderson for many years. I was planning to go to Grayson Highlands State Park, but then I saw that the Appalachian Trail ran through the national forest. I found an entrance and thought I would walk a half hour each way. Three hikers were near there, with backpacks and poles. I spoke to one, a young Englishman, who told me he had started in Georgia and was on his way to Maine. The trail went uphill, and I decided to only go fifteen minutes each way.
From there, I went back to the hotel, about forty minutes away. I napped for an hour, and had a hankering for Chinese food. I found Canton Restaurant in Galax. It reminded me of Chinese restaurants in suburban Baltimore circa 1960, lots of red decor, paper lanterns. It was set up for a buffet, but that night, I had to order from the menu. I got chicken chow mein, East-coast style, lots of cabbage with pieces of chicken, and crispy noodles on top.There was only one other occupied table, and when they left another group came in. When I visited Carroll County in July, 2018, I loved Galax. There was a furniture factory that had a sign that said they used "American workers," and a bike shop, where the friendly proprietor rented me a bike, and I rode far up New River on the trail. At 6 P.M. on a Thursday, only this Chinese restaurant and a barbecue place were open, the furniture factory was vacant and for sale and the bike shop was gone. Most of the stores hawked touristy things one could find anywhere. I was disappointed.
I had a long ride home Friday, and the hotel is right on I-77, which goes to Beckley, where one gets on U.S. 19 through several small towns to I-79 into Morgantown. Still, I went back to Independence and up U.S. 21 to Wytheville, where I caught up with I-77. U.S. 21 through the mountains was spectacular, so I'm glad I did it. It's 271 miles from Independence to Morgantown, and about 25 miles from the motel to Independence.
I stopped halfway in Summerville, West Virginia, on U.S. 19. Summerville is a famous speed trap with lots of traffic lights and fast-food outlets. I got off the road and rode into the minuscule downtown, where I found a small restaurant. I had a bowl of spaghetti with marinara sauce and garlic bread. It was fine. I was home by about 4 P.M., took a nap, made dinner and went to Shabbat services with Joe.
