Breaks Interstate Park

We drove to Breaks Interstate Park on Friday. The final thirty miles were twisty roads through dirt poor coal mining country. By the time we got in and set up it was almost 4 and temps were brutally high. We walked the pups from our A loop site through the B loop, it was so hot that when I opened the dumpster to deposit the boys “packages” it actually burned my finger!

Saturday we got up early to walk the boys before the heat arrived. Chris and I then took off to walk over to the Stateline Overlook, about a mile & a half from camp. Pretty walk with tree tunnels almost the whole way! Mountain laurel & rhodedendrum are still blooming here.

At Stateline Overlook you can see where Virginia ends and Kentucky begins. A beautiful vista of mountain ranges, river, and railway.

We decided to walk on another 3/4 mile to see Pinnacle Rock Overlook. I guess the park has overlooked maintenance for Pinnacle Rock because we found it totally overgrown with no view at all!

Fortunately most of our journey was in the lovely cool shade of tree tunnels, because there’s no way we could’ve walked miles in the sun. Even supplied with ice cold gatorade and snacks! It was close to 11:30 when we arrived back at camp and the air was steamy…

After cooling off we took the boys out for a quick walk around the campground. All that exercise left us more than ready for todays feast: creole spiced 1 1/2″ thick bone in pork chops which I seared in the air fryer at 400 for 12 minutes. Let them rest for 5 and then we enjoyed the tenderest & juiciest pork chops ever! We accompanied them with steamed creamer potatoes, onion & snap beans! Truly fantastic, I *do* love my instant pot with its second lid which turns it into an air fryer ! Quite the handy little multipurpose beast! AND it doesn’t heat up the camper like cooking on the stove does! Bonus!

It’s late afternoon now and the pupsters have crashed. This crazy heat certainly wipes us all out.

Sunday we took our humble abode on the road so we could “do” all the remaining overlooks while the pups enjoyed the airconditioning in The Truuuuck (which we lock & leave on). First up was:

The path down to the overlook included about six flights of stairs(!) This was, unbeknowst to us, an omen of things to come…

Next up was Lovers Leap, a very poorly signposted overlook that we missed – forcing a 3 point turn on Virginia route 80! Fortunately traffic was super light on Sunday morning!

So Breaks is known as the Grand Canyon of the South… Maybe just a tad of an overstatement there? But this was a lovely view which we worked hard to earn.

This single overlook had the equivilent of TWELVE flights of stairs! All told we clocked over 30 flights if stairs?!? We certainly got our workout today!

We set up camp again shortly after noon so we could cool off, recharge & recover. Not gonna lie – it’s been a total scorcher all weekend!

Fascinating story – a glorious painting in the visitor center introduced me to Effie Waller Smith.

On Jan 6, 1879 African-American educator & poet Effie Waller Smith was born in Pike County, Kentucky, to former slaves. She was one of the first black female poets to be published in a prestigious national literary magazine. She’s also a native of central Appalachian whose poetry was inspired by the natural beauty of what’s now known as Breaks Interstate Park.

The Rainbow

Love is a rainbow that appears
When heaven’s sunshine lights earth’s tears.

All varied colors of the light
Within its beauteous arch unite:

There Passion’s glowing crimson hue
Burns near Truth’s rich and deathlessblue;

And Jealousy’s green lights unfold
‘Mid Pleasure’s tints of flame and gold.

O dark life’s stormy sky would seem,
If love’s clear rainbow did not gleam!
Effie Waller Smith

Another lovely long weekend camping accomplished! And we scored thirty-two state license plates!!!

And look what welcomed us home!!!

And a wonderful deck warming present arrived from Charlie as well! This adorable metal table mom had in our bathroom, so I sprayed clear rustoleum on it and viola!!! Sheer perfection!