Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia Original Sins and Autumn

 Autumn at New River Gorge National River, West Virginia (above and below) Twin Knobs Kentucky and Indian- Celina Lakes Indiana

New River Gorge, West Virginia

About Original Sins, Tornadoes in Beautiful Bluegrass Kentucky and South West Virginia:

Ok Original Sin usually refers to Adam and Eve and the Bible, but in this case I am writing about our Nation’s Original Sins (and why we must try to be a Nation of Welcoming to those oppressed and homeless from other countries in the 21^st Century.)  The Original Sins: Slavery and the Genocide of Africans and Native Americans. We did not encounter much about slavery on this trip until Kentucky and touched on the number of Civil War Battles fought in Kentucky, more battles than most other “southern states”. In the both wars Kentucky was considered essential to win for its strategic place.  In the Revolutionary War the Siege of Fort Boonesborough (named after its famous inhabitant Daniel Boone who also fought at the siege) was pivotal with the British taking the Shawnee as their allies, but failing to take over the fort and so loosing Kentucky which was then part of Va.  I wondered what the British promised if they should win. I know the new USA did not keep any of their promises to the Indians who fought on their side. Pat and I read much in the replica fort about how Native Americans were treated by different nations who explored and took over parts of America. There were actual laws about it from each nation. By the time of the Civil War there was no more Fort Boonesborough, Kentucky was a slave holding state but had strong abolitionists so brother fought against brother and because it was again strategic many battles were fought there.  A plaque set up by the Daughters of Kentucky on the original site of the fort in 1950s was to me very embarrassing because I was born in 1952 and it was telling of the times it listed the brave men who made the settlement of Kentucky for the “white” people possible.    

The replica fort has artisans working as in the times of Daniel Boone, weavers, black smiths, soap and candle makers. We meet one man (at least 75 years old) who recreated muskets in the fort just as they made them back in 1700s and did scrimshaw type art on bones and antlers.  He was very interesting because he said he actually lived in a 3 room cabin with no tv or computers built like the cabins at the fort, heated by wood in a fireplace. 

Kentucky was good and not so for us because we broke down and it cost us big bucks to replace a throttle board in Lexington, number one horse capitol of the US, we felt lucky because we didn’t have an accident, but then at the Twin Knobs in the National Forest that night we spent a lot of time in the bathroom due to severe tornadoes in the area. We were lucky again because the tornadoes hit down the road missed us and didn’t kill anyone.  The rangers said it was rare to have tornadoes this time of the year.  Eliza, the cat, did not like being carried out of the RV in the rain and wind.  When we got to New River Gorge National River Park in West Virginia, they told similar stories at Little Beaver State Park.  It has been raining for a week now so we are a little crazy not being able to get outside as much, but the change in leaves makes us miss home so.  I wish California could have some of this rain.  West Virginia was formed as a state by seceding from Virginia during the Civil War being strongly populated by abolitionists and is now trying to come back from its King Coal past as a tourist outside adventure state.  The part we were in is just beautiful, but no river rafting due to the rain! We walked through a rhododendron forest that reminded us of Avalon at home.  The next two bloggs will be a surprise to everyone.  We are visiting my Uncle Bobby and Cousins in Virginia and expect to be home soon.

Indian-Celina Lake National Forest, Indiana