Roadside attractions come and go, but there's one along US Route 50 that has real staying power. Established in 1929, Cool Springs Park is a humble amalgam of mountain emporium, petting zoo, and open-air museum featuring various and sundry artifacts of the early industrial age, from lichen-encrusted agrarian workhorses to broken-down railroad cars, staged on long-abandoned railroad tracks that go nowhere. Who knows, you might find your great, great, great grandfather's steam-powered tractor basking in the pastoral splendor of this idyllic hollow tucked into the flank of Laurel Mountain. And even if you don't fancy mechanical contraptions as much as I do, you can still pet a burro and chase Guinea fowl while stocking up on local-made apple and peach butter and beating your partner with a cheap tomahawk.
