Summer:

So, I finally have one thing in common with the few college students left on here; I'll have all summer off!

My first plan is to take a road trip back to WV and tour the former mineral springs resort circuit. Back in the late 1700's to (very) early 1900's, the southeastern portion of WV and southwestern portion of VA were chock-a-block with lavish Georgian and Greek Revival resorts centered around various natural mineral springs in the area. Only two remain in the form of the famous Greenbrier Resort and almost equally famous Homestead. Both of those were rivaled by several other massive resorts in the area which became popular due to the purported healing properties of their mineral rich waters.

By the end of the Civil War, many of the resorts had either closed due to financial hardships (they were in WV, but what was essentially still confederate territory) or because they had been seized and burned by Union forces attempting to prevent their use as hospitals and encampments by the Confederacy. In most cases, however, at least the spring/bath house still remains at most of the locations where the resorts once resided. There are even one or two where the ruins of the main buildings still stand.

Anyway, I'm going to try to document as much of these places as possible in photograps for Wikipedia and Google Earth as many of them are in private hands and at risk of being demolished before much longer. I'm going to start out in Union, WV and make the full circuit over 2 days snapping photos and bottling samples from the springs at each stop.

I'll be visiting:
Salt Sulphur Springs
Cook's Mill
Red Sulphur Springs
Barger Springs
Pence Springs
Historic Alderson
Blue Sulphur Springs
Historic Lewisburg
White Sulphur Springs
Sweet Chalybeate Springs
And Old Sweet Springs

It ought to be an interesting trip, and if you guys are interested, I'll post pictures when I do it.

Also, found an interesting article from the NY Times about the springs from back in their heyday: in .pdf


Edited by tallen702 - 24 May 2012 at 3:05pm

You know, one of these summers when I'm in Gettysburg for a few days, we need to pick a mid-point, meet up and get drunk or something.

Don't think I'm getting down there this year though, what with the 'no job' thing. Enjoy the circuit you're making, looks like it could be a ton of fun.

I'll be finishing up my Master's work with the hopes of finding a job I like towards the end of summer. I'm hoping to get out to Colorado Springs sometime after taking boards and before starting my job. I need a break!

No clue yet. Probably find a low-end IT job for the summer as it pays more than minimum wage. Hopefully pay off my 5-6 grand loan from the government. Next school year I'll look for another college to go to because the one I'm graduating from now was only a 1 year course. I'm thinking heavily about either going to a police academy or an aviation school to learn how to fly a plane.

So many options!!!

Oh - and I go in Tuesday to write the 2nd half of my CompTIA A+ exam. I'm confident I'll pass!

What is this "summer" you speak of.

(We just had 3 days of snow.)

^^*Funny enough choop, I'm sure plenty of people would be thrilled to not have to walk/drive to campus for a 5 minute meeting.