West Virginia As Written By A Real West Virginian, August 2008
Point Pleasant, Hillbilly Hot Dogs, Aunt Sandy's Porch, Charleston
Page 3
 Poor
Chief Cornstalk. This renowned Shawnee leader came to Point Pleasant to warn
the settlers about a possible Indian attack and they killed him. He was
later memorialized with this unflattering stainless steel sculpture. No
wonder he looks miserable.
More interesting is the legend of the Cornstalk Curse. As he lay dying, he
supposedly uttered these words: “May the curse of the Great Spirit rest upon
this land. May it be blighted by nature. May it even be blighted in its
hopes. May the strength of its peoples be paralyzed by the stain of our
blood.”
So maybe it wasn’t Mothman who was responsible for the Silver Bridge
collapse or the economic downturn. Or the jail explosion, chemical spill and
other bizarre events that have happened in that area… |
 |
 We
opted for the long way home from Point Pleasant so we could savor another
unique local experience. The Lesage (pronounced La-SAGE) branch of Hillbilly
Hotdogs has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, the Food Network
show hosted by Guy Fieri. The décor alone is worth the visit. Where else can
you eat hot dogs in an old school bus and write on the walls with markers? |
 One
of the owners of Hillbilly Hotdogs. We stop by once a year and she always
remembers us. I guess there aren’t too many tall Chinese guys who come
through town. |
 I
always get the West Virginia Dog – chili, slaw, onions, mustard. It took me
a long time to find a hot dog place in LA that offered slaw on hot dogs: The
Stand in Encino. It’s a southern thing. |
 Ken
really likes this house. It belongs to my mom's friend. |
 I'm
not sure how many times Ken has photographed my favorite breakfast, but here
it is: homegrown tomatoes, gravy and biscuits. I can't make gravy like my
dad does, but I suppose I'd better learn so I can keep the tradition alive. |
 Ken
likes this house, too. It also belongs to a family friend. |
 Sunset
over Charleston. |
 (Lisa
didn't write anything here, so I'll mention that these are the woods
directly in back of the house where she grew up, just on the other side of
the creek. I love these trees and the beautiful sound of the crickets
that you can hear drifting into the bedroom window while falling asleep.
This is also where her father walks around looking for branches to carve
into really cool walking sticks. - Ken) |
 Chillin’
on my aunt Sandy's front porch. She was my babysitter until I was old enough
to go to school, and we had the best times ever. She is very creative and
imaginative, and I'm grateful for her influence. If I ever win the lottery,
I'll give her a million dollars and change her life. |
 Aunt
Rose, my dad's other sister, and Carrie, my aunt Sandy's daughter, on the
front porch. This happened to be the anniversary of Elvis' death, and Sandy
made us observe a moment of silence at a nationally designated time. |
 Moth,
spotted on the wall the night after we visited Point Pleasant. Coincidence
or a warning? You decide… |
West Virginia As Written By A Real West Virginian, August 2008
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West Virginia 2008
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