Tag: bus service

Roadside Attractions, Pepperoni Rolls And A Bus On A Rock, Inside Appalachia

This week on Inside Appalachia, we travel to Dinosaur Kingdom II in Natural Bridge, Virginia. Also, we learn a possible theory about why pepperoni rolls got so popular in West Virginia. And we check out the backstory of a bus that sits at the confluence of the New and Gauley rivers.

This week, dinos fight Civil War soldiers at a theme park throwback — Dinosaur Kingdom II in Natural Bridge, Virginia. 

Also, if you’re hungry for a pepperoni roll in West Virginia, you can find one at just about any gas station. So — how did they get so popular? We’ll hear one theory.

And we check out the backstory of a bus that sits at the confluence of the New and Gauley rivers — and the man who put it there.

Hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

The Dinosaur Kingdom Of Natural Bridge, Virginia

A dinosaur-solider creation from Mark Cline’s roadside attraction Dino World in Natural Bridge, Virginia.

Photo Credit: Pat Jarrett/Virginia Folklife Program

Every summer, Americans hit the road for vacation. The tradition of summer road tripping dates back for as long as there have been automobiles.

On these long drives, people needed breaks. So they’d stop at fruit stands, or fireworks stores, or … bizarre roadside attractions. A lot of those weird old-style attractions have disappeared, but some have managed to hang on.

In 2020, Mason Adams visited artist Mark Cline’s Dinosaur Kingdom II, in Natural Bridge, Virginia.

The Riddle Of The Pepperoni Roll

The story of the West Virginia pepperoni roll is more than its creation, but also how it spread.

Photo Credit: Zack Harold/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Pepperoni rolls have been enshrined as part of West Virginia history through their connection to coal miners. They’re absolutely a favorite and available almost everywhere, but that wasn’t always true. How pepperoni rolls became a statewide convenience store staple might have less to do with coal mining and more to do with lunch ladies in Kanawha County.

Folkways Reporter Zack Harold took a bite out of pepperoni roll lore.

The Mystery Of The Bus On The Rock

Anna Sale in 2014.

Photo Credit: Amy Pearl

If you listen to the popular podcast Death, Sex and Money, you know Anna Sale. Back in 2005, Anna was a reporter for West Virginia Public Broadcasting. She got curious about an old bus that sits on a rock at the confluence of the New and Gauley rivers, just past the town of Gauley Bridge.

So Anna traveled by boat with producer Russ Barbour to meet the man behind the mystery.  

——

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Sierra Ferrell, Paul McCartney, Joe Dobbs and the 1937 Flood, Blue Dot Sessions, Yonder Mountain String Band and Hot Rize.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from folkways editor Chris Julin.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and Twitter @InAppalachia. Or here on Facebook.

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Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Bus Service Between Charleston and Morgantown Debuts July 1.

There will be bus service from Charleston to Morgantown beginning next week. The I-RIDE 79 service will make five stops at cities along the way.The bus…

There will be bus service from Charleston to Morgantown beginning next week.  The I-RIDE 79 service will make five stops at cities along the way.

The bus service begins Tuesday.  It will make stops in Clendenin, Flatwoods, Weston, Clarksburg and Fairmont.  The West Virginia Division of Public Transit is offering the service for as little as 3 dollars and up to 15 dollars depending on the length of the trip.

Buses are ADA accessible and equipped with WiFi, power outlets, reclining seats, seat belts, and restrooms.

The state has partnered with Barons Bus Lines of Cleveland, Ohio as part of a nationwide effort to connect rural areas and urban centers.

The service will be funded with federal money appropriated to develop and support intercity bus transportation.  One bus has been in service between Charleston and Huntington since 2009.

In celebration of the new service, I-RIDE 79 will be FREE July 1-7. The inaugural trip will depart the Greyhound Terminal in Charleston Tuesday morning at 10:15.

Credit Barons Bus Lines
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The I-RIDE 79 bus.
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