Left Mooresville and headed north on I-77. I-77 crosses the narrowest part of Virginia (about 60 miles), so it was a very brief visit.
Continued north to Charleston West Virginia, then headed west on I-64 / The West Virginia Turnpike, again a toll road which felt like literally highway robbery.
About 4pm, I decided to go the Hillbilly Hot Dogs in Huntington, WV, rather than the more remote original Hillbilly Hot Dogs located in Lesage, WV. Hillbilly Hot Dogs has gained exposure from a number of television shows, such as Guy Fieri's Diner's, Drive-ins and Dives.
While New York and Chicago have their unique Pizzas, and Boston has their Chowder. West Virginia apparently has a love affair with the hot dog, and they have their own ideas about hot dog toppings. I never realized that there was such a robust culture built around hot dogs in West Virginia.
- There are blogs and websites devoted to West Virginia Hot Dogs.
- There are festivals devoted to West Virginia Hot Dogs.
- There are even unconfirmed rumors that a Robert C. Byrd West Virginia Hot Dog Museum and Library may be considered for development under the Economic Stimulus Package.
The Garlic Ranch Fries were covered with melted cheese (which most Asians probably are not wild about). The menu said the 'Scott's Man on Fire 5x Dog' was spicy, but I found it a bit bland (I guess I should have asked if they had any 10x or 20x Spicy Sauce). That said, the ambiance is truly unique, and my visit to Hillbilly Hot Dogs was definitely the highlight of my visit to West Virginia.
After my meal, I crossed the Ohio River on the Robert C. Byrd Bridge into Chesapeake, Ohio. I will always equate West Virginia with hot dogs and buildings, roads, and signs saying 'Robert C. Byrd'.
It was very brief visit to Chesapeake, and was really just done to add legitimacy to buying an Ohio Refrigerator Magnet.
I drove on to Grayson, Kentucky, where I spent the night at a Day's Inn across the street from a K-Mart.
