The Breaks and Elkhorn City KY Aug 29 2019

In 1767, Daniel Boone discovered and named The Breaks,  a 125 mile split in and  the only passage through the Pine Mountains.  It is a 1650 foot deep gorge created by the Russel Fork River over 180 million years ago. Known as The Grand Canyon of the South, it is the largest east of the Mississippi.  It is about 40 miles from Pikeville and spans Kentucky and Virginia.

The two way road down to the river access on the Kentucky side was not only very steep and winding, it wasn't more than a footpath.  Bob's long bed dualie barely fit on it, and we wouldn't have made it if we were towing the camper.  We  wondered what we had gotten ourselves into this time.

But at the bottom, it was a very pretty place.

White water rafting is popular here.

Further down the  main road through the park,  I climbed down these 39 steps...

to see this view of the river...

...and this one.

On the Virginia side, we stopped at the park visitor center which had a small museum.  Bob is checking out an old still to see if  there was some 'shine around.

Here at the overlook known as Stateline, the elevation is 1761 feet.

It offered a spectacular view of the river and surroundings.

On Hwy 80 heading back to Pikeville,  we stopped to pay respects at an unknown Confederate soldier's burial place in Elkhorn City, KY.



The rose bush is long gone, but the spot is now commemorated by this gravestone and someone continues to place flowers here.

The river walk  at Elkhorn is marked by an elk (of course).

Bob was in desperate need of a haircut, and this was the only barbershop we were able to find.

Back in Pikeville, we decided to fill up for the next day's travel.  We didn't want to end up like this poor guy who obviously didn't pay attention to his gas gauge!