It was a fun day with my mom!
We had a little mini-staycation starting with a stay in a hotel last night. After sleeping in a little while this morning, and breakfast at the hotel, we left on our quest to have a Hillbilly Hot Dog near Huntington, WV.
Rather than drive directly there, we decided to take a “scenic” route through Portsmouth. The weather was just right for the drive, not too hot with a few clouds here and there. When we took a leg stretch break at a rest stop, I saw a brochure about Portsmouth. In looking at the things to do, I saw mention of the Flood Wall Murals. In talking with my mom, we decided to go take a look as it was something she has wanted to see. Neither of us had ever been to Portsmouth before, so began a day of firsts.
When we arrived, we were both quite surprised to see the size and length of the murals. The murals depict two centuries of the history of Portsmouth. It is a beautiful piece of art. There is an app (of course), one can download to provide an audio tour of what one is seeing. We walked about half of it, then drove by the rest of it.
The detail, the size, and the storytelling was amazing. And, I have to admit, what was equally amazing was the pristine look of the panels. There is no graffiti or missing pieces—flawless is an appropriate word to describe it. Some of the panels make you feel as if you could just step inside them and take a walk. An interesting piece of trivia is the artists would often include actual local residents in the murals.
From there we drove across a fairly new bridge as we headed to Hillbilly Hot Dogs. Both of us were surprised to discover when we exited the bridge, we were actually in Kentucky. For some reason it didn’t dawn on either of us of our geographic location; we both thought we’d be in West Virginia.
As we drove through Kentucky, my mom realized she had never been to Kentucky that she could remember. This was a little surprising since it is so close to Ohio. I said it was also going to be a three state day. I have always enjoyed and get a little thrill of being able to travel through three or more states in a day. It is hard to do when you live on the Pacific Coast or in the Southwest as those states are huge to drive through.
When we stopped for gas, I placed our hot dog order so they would be ready when we arrived. My mom wanted the Buckeye Dog and I had the Out Wayne Dog (it had jalapeños), plus some fries and drinks. It was a to go order since we planned on driving back into Huntington to eat in a park by the majestic Ohio River.
Upon arriving at Hillbilly Hot Dogs, even seeing the pictures doesn’t prepare you for the ambiance of the place. It definitely has the Hillbilly vibe. The grounds even has a chapel should one be inclined to get married. I do wonder how many people have actually gotten hitched in the chapel.
We munched on the fries on the drive back to River Park in Huntington. In driving in, we noticed there were “porch” swings along the parking lot. Of course we had to sit in one while we ate our first Hill Billy Hot Dogs. It was very relaxing and soothing to swing, watch the water flow by, and listen to the sound of a barge heading upriver. After eating, and a little side adventure, it was time to head home.
For our little staycation, we put a few miles on the Pilot, but it was well worth it. Both she and I were able to get away for a bit, have some mom/son time, and visit a few new places. One can’t ask for a better way to spend a day.
Thanks for a lovely day Mom!❤️
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 