The Virginias
Mini-trip through VA and WV
In late December 2004, starting out in Jefferson, MD, my granddad and I headed up to I-81 at Hagerstown, then zipped down through West Virginia on WV 9. We picked up US 340 South and headed into Virginia, where we went east on VA 7 to Leesburg. Then back to Jefferson on US 15 North. The above pic is of WV 9 Eastbound nearing Charles Town.
 I-70
WB between Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland. |
 A
blurry shot of an I-81 shield with the Maryland state name inside. |
 Exit
1 SB on I-81. West Virginia is right ahead. |
 Crossing
the Potomac River as we enter the state of West Virginia. |
 A
scene from I-81 SB in northeast West Virginia. West Virginia is a nice
state because it lets its travelers go 70 mph. |
 Going
east on WV 9 and south on US 11 nearing Martinsburg. I-81 bypasses the
town to the west. |
 Some
utility work in Martinsburg on US 11 and WV 9. |
 An
overhead Little Green Sign on US 11 and WV 9 in Martinsburg. |
 Martinsburg
starts to get pretty after the previous picture. |
 The
scene on WV 9 east of Martinsburg. |
|
WV
9 EB in the middle of nowhere. |
 Another
nowhere, but pretty, scene on WV 9 EB. |
 WV
9 spreads out a bit before connecting with US 340 South to bypass Charles
Town. |
 Welcoming
US 340 to the roadway. |
 Now
just over the state line in Virginia. You can tell that the SB lanes
(the ones we're on) were the original road and the NB lanes are new
construction. |
 Historic
places are along the road. |
 Still
on US 340 SB in Virginia. |
 US
340 crossing VA 7. We turn left, or east, here. Interesting how
WV and VA sign US 340 as N/S while MD signs it E/W. |
 VA
7 EB. |
 VA
7 isn't quite a freeway, and it is only 55 mph, but it is still a pretty
quick way to get around. |
 Eventually,
VA 7 will climb those mountains ahead. |
 It
gets trafficky on VA 7 east of Leesburg. We stopped at the Howard
Hughes Medical Institute, where my uncle is the director of facility
services. See
www.hhmi.org for more. |
 US
15 NB north of Leesburg. It is quite heavily trafficked through this
2-lane stretch. |
 Verification
that we are actually on US 15 North. |
 US
15 goes through some pretty country in northern Virginia. |
 There
are some sharp curves coming up before US 15 crosses the Potomac. |
 Like
this curve on a blurry US 15. |
 About
to cross the Potomac into Maryland. |
 I
think I was starting to slack off here at the end, as all the pics are
blurred. The Maryland welcome sign is just past this intersection at
MD 28. |
 Another
blurred. US 15 North in Maryland. |
 Whoa!!
A non-blurry pic of US 15 North!! |
 Now
on MD 464 West. |
 Still
MD 464. |
 I
imagine this might be what it is like as a drunk driver-- all blurry and
such. But this road is really hilly and pretty and quite nice. |
 So
pretty... |
 We've
just about reached Jefferson again. This is on a back road that is
also hilly and curvy and follows a creek. |
That's all folks.