© 2019 Rachel L. Shumate | All rights reserved.
In honor of Mother’s Day coming up soon, I thought I’d write about a place that is near and dear to my mom. Quite possibly it might be her favorite place on earth: Grandview, part of the New River Gorge National River.
Grandview park is actually a hop, skip, and a jump down the road from my house. When I was young, my parents and I lived even closer – about a mile away. The park holds a special place in our hearts, especially given that my mom was a Park Ranger there for 15 years before she and my dad moved away to Missouri.
Needless to say, I spent countless hours there. Grandview was like a second home, or a very large extension to our back yard. It was at the park that I learned to drive my first car (the tricky stick shift kind), where I found my passion for photography using my parent’s old Pentax camera, where I hung out with friends, hiked all the trails, and brought my mom sandwiches on her lunch breaks. We would go on family walks or picnic in the park regularly. If out of town guests came to visit, we would always end up at Grandview for at least one day while they were here.
All of which is for great reason. The park is an outstanding place. The scenery is breathtaking (hence the name), there are plenty of trails to hike and explore, playgrounds to monkey around on, shelters to host parties and barbecues, and fun nature activities provided by the Park Rangers. Although it’s not exactly affiliated with the park, Grandview is also the home of Theatre West Virginia, who provides spectacular outdoor dramas. I can’t even name all of the plays I’ve seen there. Yes, Grandview is the whole package for family fun. We are fortunate to have such a fabulous National River and park so close by.
I must admit, however, that I don’t often go to Grandview anymore. It’s not that it is any less special or wonderful, it’s just not the same since my mom moved away. I suppose it’s akin to my visiting our old house – it doesn’t quite have that “home” feeling once your family has moved out. I realize this is silly; however, I can’t help but to feel that way. Eventually I’m sure I’ll visit more frequently, particularly once Olivia gets older. I know she will love the park as much as I did, and we will begin a new chapter of memories. …Hopefully by then my parents will have moved back and they will once again join us.
