BAIT & SWITCH

We're like fish I guess, or maybe small animals. We respond to bait, something that is attractive in some fashion and draws us to a place, or way of acting, or even that waiting hook.

Those waiting geocaches are surely the bait. We enjoy finding them, dangling there attractively. Waiting to pull us in. Tuesday November 1 was the day Joyce, Sally, and I took the bait and went on another of our day long geocaching adventures. The switch comes later on.

First off was the Whipple Company Store, Whipple WV. I'm sure you know where that is, right?? It's an old coal company town outside of Oak Hill. The old building is the only one of it's type still existent and is an architectural gem. It's all wood and I'm sure it is an absolute tinder box, being over 120 years old. We found the cache and were quickly on our way.

Next stop Fayetteville, and the statue honoring the Marquis de Lafayette for the first stop on a three part multi-stage cache. No joy on this one. Some as yet unidentified mistake led us down an incorrect path for the third and final stage. Oh well, we'll check our math, recalculate, and return to the area in the future. "Multis", caches with more than one stop necessary to find the hidden treasure, are a welcome change from the normal way of geocaching. More work equals more fun, or more room for error in this case.

Not all caches seem aptly named. This one, outside Summersville WV is called "Nice View". What has happened here is that the Corp of Engineers, who have responsibility for operating Summersville Lake (I never knew you could operate a lake but there it is) have drawn the level down more than 50 feet below normal winter pool in order to inspect the Summersville Dam (aka the Gad Dam), a once every decade operation. So what we are seeing is something out of the ordinary as it turns out. Find it, sign it, and travel on.

Checking out the signage for the trail to another find.

Joyce heads out to seek another hide. This trip sent us in the direction of several differing types of caches--multis, the usual guardrail quicky, hides in the woods. Caches in new and shiny boxes, forlorn and soaking abandoned children awaiting adoption. Generally a good mix. Even a couple of DNFs.

Do you know where this restaurant is located?? Me neither, but I might be able to find it again. It's the Longpoint Bar & Grill outside Summersville and it's the switch of this post. We had planned to dine in Summersville at the, yep you guessed it, "Durry" Queen. Instead we happened to pass the Longpoint and noted that it was open. We really didn't expect too much when we pulled in, just the usual pre-prepared junk burgers and hot dogs. I suppose you can get that at the Longpoint, but why would you want to. We found a nice bowl of brown beans (hillbilly soul food no less), real honest-to-goodness home made corn bread and then actual honest to God scratch made cakes. I've never liked carrot cake--until now--and probably will never find the like of what we found at the Longpoint Bar & Grill again. Excellent food in a completely unexpected place.

Bait & Switch, geocaching the bait and the Longpoint Bar & Grill the switch. A great day in all respects.