DanTraveling Rocket Boys October Sky Festival

[RBMusical]

Love this Dan, thank you for making it! Linda Hickam

[dmccoig]

@RBMusical Thanks Linda, we have such fond memories of our trip to Coalwood. We loved meeting so many wonderful people there. What a fun day..

[arooja97]

rocket boys rocks!

[octsky45]

Dan, I am the bearded guy in yoru video... we talked.. great job. I hope to be back in 2010. Ed

[ahnikaleroy]

the school out there is gunna be shut down... this its his last year...

[MerryGoRnd]

Dan..my husband and I just attended the 2009 October Sky Fest. IT WAS OUTSTANDING and the day went much too quickly with all there was to see and do. We love it. We plan to go back again next year---as we just could not take it all in during our first visit! we met the rocket boys and others and IT WAS JUST SO TOTALLY MIND BLOWING and enjoyable. I know you know what I mean!! We're read almost ALL of Homer's books. I enjoyed seeing this video again. The Coal Co Store is GONE NOW though!!

[dmccoig]

Hi Yvonne, Thats great that yall got to go.. It was a special trip for us as well.. Everyone involved with the festival and Coalwood are awesome!

[YTxUser]

You mentioned the artist of the song in the intro is Kevin Macleod, what is the exact name of the song though?

Thanks.

[dumbomama]

I guess I should watch this movie. "October Sky" is in the 9th graders' English textbook in Japan.

Miracle happens.

[Nassault630]

Wow, this is awesome. Great video.

[chrisbear08]

im from canada and i would love to head down there for the october sky festival great video nice shots

[redstone1963]

Thanks Dan!!!

[HarryPotterFanatic01]

i absolutley LOVE that movie and i think jake gyllenhaal iz soo HOT!

[alexl1001]

October Sky is SUCH a great movie!

[superepicawesomeness]

@alexl1001

the book is way better

[cowboyPWNR23]

love all your videos!

very interesting.

[hightech62]

Dan,

I've become addicted to your videos.

Dan

[airsoftsargent]

nice video dan........im from wv its one of the greastest places you may disagree with me but it is....

[dmccoig]

Ha, I wouldn't disagree at all, WV rocks

Thanks much

[lskin1]

Thanks for this great video.

[dmccoig]

Thanks so much Iskin,

nice of you to say :)

[jdawgsworld]

cool

[evilborg]

uhh this video is almost a year old and already seen it so why did I just now get a email about this saying its a new one?

weird

[qwertynads3]

Awesome vid, lived it!

[ajdpadbury]

An excellent video Dan, interesting and a pleasure to watch:)

[MerryGoRnd]

Thanks for your note advising me of this new video. I came across Coalwood online looking for books of my local libraries. I read all about it and about Coalwood, War and the other small mining towns around there. Funny thing is, the other day I just picked up a copy of The Rocket Boys just like the one you were holding from my library to read! I was interested in reading it. I know he wrote a second book and someone else recently wrote a different book about Coalwood too. Very interesting!

[bubbajimmy8]

been there plenty of times

[boomchickawowwow24]

i went to the festival. it was so much fun. homer hickam is my hero. ive read all his books. hes thre coolest ever. im only 12 lol.

[SuRihtanil]

Coalwood is still a small town and has people living there... not alot there its a very small town.

[tigerluv15]

me and my grandma are visiting Coalwood next week. I can't wait!

[dmccoig]

very cool tigerluv, let us know what your trip was like.

[cowbubbles]

hey guys my father tore down the olga coal company store building didn't . he owns the comp that tore it down an no he don't set in an office all day he gets out an helps work every day . you can see the building at 5:00-5:20

[clubpenguinnews204]

i relaly wanna go to Coalwood

ever sinc ei saw RBs i wanna go

[markbart7]

coalwood was shut down- it is basically just a ghost town now...

[cowbubbles]

you live close

[markbart7]

no... He mentions it at the end of Rocket Boys

[cowbubbles]

no its still their good lot of poeple still live their

[markbart7]

hmm... at the end of Rocket Boys, he said that the mine was flooded, the town was emptied, and basically it was a ghost town, with the tipple standing...

[cowbubbles]

no lot of poeple live their dont lie to me either i was on a job site of my dads comp 'he owns'

[markbart7]

Holy crap man, calm down. I was just going off of what Homer Hickam wrote at the end of Rocket Boys- he said it was being shut down.

[cowbubbles]

no lot of people live their so think before you speak an don't lie i was their last mounth on a job site of my dads comp

[cowbubbles]

nothing really be there 1000s of times work in mcdowll county

[cowbubbles]

you would not like it

[rockbaby1212]

i met homer hickam. he's amazing. and the "curve fest", as u put it, is NEVER over. especially in mcdowell. lol

[waffles8000]

i went to coalwood earlier in the year, its soo sad up there..war isn't as bad but its still pretty bad. anyway, its still cool to be up there!

[JainaMac]

Nicely done! I just read the book and thought I'd check YouTube to see if there's anything on Coalwood. Thanks for taking us along on the trip. You've got to love those boys playing Foggy Mountain Breakdown--they were good!

[lbmrmm92]

I just read the book too! Wasn't it awesome! I did the same thing I wanted to see if there was anything onn here. Did you read it for school?

[dmccoig]

Thanks, I looked on YouTube as well before we went to the fest! I enjoyed the book too.

I was on my way out of town and saw the Foggy Mountain Boys playing and had to stop!

[AmericasSons]

what a great video, thanks so much, is the town of CoalWood still active? I'd like to go and see it, maybe even live there one day, I love feeling the history around me, I lived in Oklahoma to learn about my Cherokee history, visited Old Fort Sumner to learn all about William H. Bonney. I would like to learn others past lives too. P.S- I am only 29 and barely know what an I-pod is or any of those new items they have out now... I may be behind the times but I like it that way

[dmccoig]

Sometimes I wish I didnt know what an i-pod was, or cell phone, or TV, ha I think thats awesome.

Yes the town is still active, but not many economic opportunities.

Thanks

Dan

[barryl8klnd]

My family is from Mc Dowell County WV.  Collins's from Caretta WV.

[dmccoig]

Awesome, we've been to both!

Beautiful country.

[AMDRULEZ]

Great video!

I would love to go to that festival sometime in the near future!

[dmccoig]

Thanks AMD.

Its pretty cool, and all the people there are very nice.

[Sylphadora]

I have just watched the end of October Sky on the TV. Homer Hickman must be a very talented person, he was a brilliant engineer, received commendations for his work in the army, and now is a successful writer!! O_O I wish I had his brains!! XD

[dscalkins]

I would love to go. Do they really have a celebration every year?

[dmccoig]

To my knowledge they have it every year, but check out the website, either Homer's or Coalwood WV and it will tell you.

Thanks for the comment

Dan

[mpcm58]

Great video!

I was born and raised in McDowell County and I knew the Hickam's quite well. Sonny is a very talented writer and speaker. He is living proof that one can make a better life for themselves if they stick to their dreams.

[dmccoig]

Thanks you so much for the comment and the info!

Dan

[jefferyb304]

I used to live in Iaeger. It took nearly 2 hours to drive from Iaeger to Bluefield. I assume you went thru towns Kimball and Keystone on your way there.

I am going to see my Grandmother in Iaeger this weekend and 'get this' its about an 80 mile trip from here ' near Beckley wv ' to her house in the same time it takes to go to Bluefield from her house. 1/2 as many miles.

[dmccoig]

Wow, Laeger sure is out there, yes we came through Kimball and Keystone, we left out of Coalwood through War.

I think the trip to Welch wore me out, good luck heading up to Laeger, hope you had a great Christmas

Dan

[kathymaja]

Dan, Thank You for sharing this with Us! It was so well done. We so enjoyed our trip to Coalwood, and will take the memories of this years' 50th anniverary celebration with us always.

[dmccoig]

Thank you so much Kathymaja,

It was a great time for all!

so many nice people up in WV and Coalwood

Dan

[milesonthetube]

Great work Dan!

[dmccoig]

Thanks so much Scott!

Always happy to hear from our Hollywood Friends!

(best of luck with both films, Little Chicago and Dismal, I know we'll be watching)

Dan

[StellarChi]

Another great treat from Traveling Dan

[dmccoig]

Always appreciated StellarChi,

Thanks

Dan

[latinapeacechick]

nice job! i love the movie october sky, one of my favorites ever

[dmccoig]

Thank you much LPC!

I enjoy that movie as well, I love the book more, its awesome

Dan

[marywinmusic]

I love traveling YouTube style : ) Thanks for sharing the great scenery of Coalwood with us. Wow it was crowded the second day! 5* tour of the festival : )

[dmccoig]

Thanks Marywinmusic,

It is wonderful up in West Virginia, and the people are awesome as well.

Dan

[ArtistIreland]

I enjoyed that.

Peace be with you always.

[dmccoig]

Thank You so much ArtistIreland

Peace be with you as well

Dan

[ASECONDCHANCEAROUND]

NICE VID !

[dmccoig]

Thank you so much a2ndchancearound

[StevisD]

Dan,

It was great to meet you in Coalwood. I love your website. What a great idea and you do it well. I appreciate you putting me in your October Sky video. Too bad that's what I really look like! Good job on this piece. You captured the flavor of the event very well.

Steve Date

Minneapolis, Minnesota

[dmccoig]

Steve, Same here on meeting you and thats the way I really look as well! ha

Thanks much and keep me posted on your documentary Coalwood project! I am sure it will be awesome

Best

Dan

[Makesagr8point]

I understand some of the movie, October Sky, was filmed in this area near Oliver Springs, TN. just outside of Knoxville and Oak Ridge. I could be wrong because it was something I had heard when I first moved to the area a few years ago. October Sky is a great movie and I enjoyed the story line.

[dmccoig]

It was filmed in downtown OS and parts of other ares as well in East Tennessee.

My kids were attending Oliver Springs high school at the time, that is how one of them got in the movie!

Thanks

Dan

[Rocketsilove]

I love the book rocket boys I love rockets and make my own also I live in WV so thats asome

[dmccoig]

Very much so!

Thanks Rocketsyoulove..

did you go to the festival?

[hogshead50]

Dan you have a certain style that just makes good video.Thanks for that history fix I needed.On the tech side what are you using for a camera and what software?

[dmccoig]

Thanks Hogshead,

Your comments are always a great boost.

My camera is a Panasonic GS-500 and I just use the i-movie program that came with my mac. (not very sophisticated)ha ha

Dan

[dmccoig]

Oh I forgot, when push comes to shove I get out the colored pencils and draw the "Shot" I need

Just like Hollywood!

[dburr13]

That was awesome Dan!...For me October Sky was a must see movie...Because i grew up during the space race...and remember the incredible power of the dream of space...That's the kind of dream that never goes away...And you paid good homage to it with this video.

[dmccoig]

Thanks dburr,

I remember that as well, I saw the Lunar Module? (spelling) at the Smithsonian a few years ago and it brought back memories.

Very cool, thanks

Dan

[nicole565656]

You really are something pop. You can turn events that others might view as boring and some how make them fun to watch. All joking aside, you honestly have a talent far beyond that of other people. You mind works in a magnificent way. And just so you know, I tell people all the time, "If I can become half the man my father is, then I'll be the second best man on the planet". And I couldn't mean it anymore. I love you dad. Keep up the inspireing work. And hey Janet, I love you too!

[dmccoig]

This comment by far is the Best I have ever read!

Love you too Bud.

(did you know that there are 5 generations of your family pictured in this video?)

[nicole565656]

I love it!! your gonna be famous in no time

[dmccoig]

You Are! ha ha

Dan (Dustin's Dad)

[evilborg]

OMG I read Rocket Boys when I was a just a little tike. I loved video Dan.

PS: Nice new DanTraveling logo.

[dmccoig]

Thanks Evilborg,

I love the book, I have to get around to reading some of the others.

Dan

[spheremaster]

Very good!

[dmccoig]

Thanks so much Spheremaster.

Dan

[ajdpadbury]

That was interesting, Dan. Well put together too:)

[dmccoig]

Thanks much ajd,

I see your back on the Earth! ha

dan

[stormannormancom]

Great Video, Rocket Boys one of my favorite books and I loved the movie. Thanks for doing this video.

[dmccoig]

Thanks Storman,

we had a great time

Dan

[mrrad1]

That was really good. I enjoyed that. I Look foward to more of your videos.

[dmccoig]

Thank You mrrad1,

I really appreciate your remarks!

Dan

[phillipah7]

Thank you very much for sharing this video with us. I saw October Sky's a couple of times. Best part is when the teacher is on the hospital bed and sees the rocket blast away into the sky. It was very moving.

[dmccoig]

Thanks Phillip,

I just watched it for the 8th time!

But you have to read the book! It is 10 times better than the movie, which I love. And there are more BOOKS so it ain't over yet.

Thanks

Dan

[enjoythevoyage]

Dan,

I love your videos because they take me to places that I've never been & may not get to bve there! You expand my world! Thank you for that! 5 traveling stars!

[dmccoig]

I understand, because I see the same from your videos!

It is very nice of you to say so, and getting up into the hills of West Virginia is always such a treat for us!

thanks again

Dan

[caseyjolalala]

I just wanted ya to know i watched!

[dmccoig]

Well thank you casey jo!

la la la

It is nice to see your comment

Dan

[judithorloffmd]

wonderful video. thanks for sharing! Judith

[dmccoig]

Thank You Judith for such a great comment!

All the Best

Dan

[jaredcicon]

Nice Documentary. Watched the whole thing. Your love of what you do really comes through Dan. Go Coalwood.

[dmccoig]

JC

Your comment coming from a TWO time national commercial contest winner/ runner up is making my head swell. As you can see in my video, its already a big old melon.

Thank You, Thank You, and really, Thank you

Hollar back

Dan