Back Where It All Started...

We’re just home from a week’s vacation, essentially a driving tour of Appalachia. After dashing across Kentucky, we crossed WV on a diagonal, cut across SW Virginia (including Roanoke), Eastern Tennessee (Kingsport and Maryville) and Western North Carolina (Asheville). A little bit of Interstate, a good bit of “backroads” and a little bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Expect a slew of mountain photos over the next little bit! Anyway, the centerpiece of the trip (for me, at least) was an afternoon in Charleston, WV, where I was born. I expected massive changes, it’s been 36 years since we moved, and 28 since I last visited. But aside from the interstate running through town, and more buildings in the downtown skyline, I was amazed at how much it is the same! Except all the trees are lots bigger.

This is the house I lived in from birth (1960) until I was 7 or so… It’s been resided, and the parking area is new, but other than that, it looks like home!

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Our second house in Charleston, where we lived until moving to Pittsburgh at the end of 1970 (between Christmas and New Years). The backyard (WAY down a hill) used to be woods, now it’s more houses, but other than that, it’s almost spooky.

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Holtz Elementary School, Where I went to 3rd, 4th and (half of) 5th grade. There’s soooo many memories in Charleston, just driving around was awesome. Every turn brought another flood of recollections. Even the rain couldn't dampen my spirits!