Here’s something about travel that no one really talks about:
Sometimes a trip that looks good in pictures was actually a huge dumpster fire of a weekend.
This weekend humbled me. Not in a dramatic life-changing way. But it was a quiet reminder that, try as I may, I can’t control everything.
And maybe that’s the lesson I needed. To let go a little.
The First Wrench
I went into this trip with high expectations.
I had a hosted stay booked. It was my first, after many failed propositions. I was stoked to stay at a luxury cabin in New River Gorge National Park. I had an idea of what shots I wanted to get, and what I would write after.
A couple days before the stay, the host pulled out. He said he was double booked, and who knows if that’s true. But I rolled with it. I said, I’m still going down there. I booked a room at a hotel.
Bridge Day
I really don’t know how I missed this, but this weekend was Bridge Day. I’ve heard all about Bridge Day in New River Gorge. I know it’s an event where you can base jump off of the iconic bridge over the gorge. But I didn’t realize the magnitude of this event.
When I arrived at my hotel, the front desk gave me a copy of a town map on bridge day. Street closures, shuttle buses, parking, and hundreds of vendors lining the streets.
The biggest stressor, the bridge was shut down completely.
All the restaurants, shops, coffee places, and sights I wanted to see were across the bridge. I was going to have to rethink my entire itinerary fast.
Trying to Keep my Plans
I tried staying positive. I really tried.
I considered attending Bridge Day, even though huge festivals are definitely NOT my thing. My loving partner gave me a look that said “We can go, but I don’t think you’ll like it”
Message Received.
I googled restaurants on the north side of the bridge and humbled myself to eat at Ruby Tuesday when I knew there were creative, delicious, exciting restaurants just on the other side of the gorge.
Shocker: Ruby Tuesday was closed because of a system outage.
Once again humbled, we were left with the options of gas station dining, or a Japanese Steakhouse that was less than appealing.
I woke up the next day with optimism and sunny skies! We took a beautiful hike at the Endless Wall Trail, and drove to Grandview to see some seriously vast views. Nothing like some Trail Therapy to soothe us. By the time we got back to town, Bridge Day was over, the bridge was open and I could relax.
We had a delicious dinner at Creative Foodworks in Fayetteville. Warm lights, cozy drinks, and food that felt like comfort after a long day. Honestly, it was good enough to save any kind of disastrous trip.
If you’re planning a trip to this area when things are calmer, I wrote a full guide to New River Gorge in the fall.
The Low-Reward Adventure
Sunday, we had plans to ride on Cass Scenic Railroad. I had booked these tickets months ago, and I was stoked to score them. We drove on a rainy Sunday through the mountains, which on its own wasn’t that bad.
When I pulled into the parking lot of the state park to see that the train we would be riding on was open air, I nearly had a meltdown.
It was cold. Freezing. Rain blowing sideways. This train crawled about 10 MPH all the way to the top of Bald Knob. For five hours.
Wet jeans. Cold hands. Wind cutting through every layer I thought was “enough.”
I don’t want to be a hater. Cass Scenic Railroad was absolutely stunning for the first hour.
The fall foliage was perfect, the rain gave the scenery a moody haze. I guess what I’m saying is, if you book a train ride, the short 45 min route is probably best.
The Drive Home
Rain followed us home.
The dark backroads, water pouring out of the sky, my clothes still damp from the train, and no cell service anywhere. It all finally tipped me over the edge. My anxiety spiraled, my heart raced, and by the time we reached Rt 66, I had a full blown panic attack.
I tried to stay calm in the passenger seat while Hunter battled the DC traffic.
The Lesson
Not every trip is perfect. And that’s OK.
This trip didn’t give me cozy fall vibes. It didn’t calm me. It wasn’t the restful weekend that I wanted. But it did teach me something:
A reminder to loosen my grip.
Have a little patience with myself when I beat myself up for not planning perfectly.
A softer understanding that you can still have fun even when plans crumble.
I don’t need every trip to be flawless to love travel. I don’t need to love every adventure to call myself adventurous. And I don’t need to nail every detail to live up to the title of “meticulous planner” Sometimes the takeaway is simply: This didn’t go as planned, and it’s still OK.
If you’ve ever had a trip go completely off the rails, I’d love to hear about it!
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