John Denver described West Virginia as Almost Heaven. He sang the of the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River. He did not visit West Virginia prior to helping to finalize the written song. This is evident because while West Virginia is mountainous, it's called the Mountain State, the West Virginia University mascot is the Mountaineer, the Blue Ridge Mountains do not run through West Virginia. The predominant mountain range along the eastern side of the state is the Allegheny River. Also. The Shenandoah River barely runs through West Virginia. The final fifty or so miles run through the eastern part of the state on the way to joining the Potomac River at Harper's Ferry. So John Denver just straight up lied. But it's still a beautiful state.
West Virginia may be more appropriately defined by the slogan on the state's license plate: Wild. Wonderful. It's wild. It's wonderful. It packs a lot in, in a tiny area, although the drives can be a bit tedious, even if they are beautiful. Your perception of the state could vary greatly depending upon the destination visited - there're areas that cater to visitors, there's areas that don't appear in any guides, you can chart your own course and be pleased with the results.
The highlight for me is the Coal Heritage Highway which showcases West Virginia in its most glorious past.
West Virginia may be more appropriately defined by the slogan on the state's license plate: Wild. Wonderful. It's wild. It's wonderful. It packs a lot in, in a tiny area, although the drives can be a bit tedious, even if they are beautiful. Your perception of the state could vary greatly depending upon the destination visited - there're areas that cater to visitors, there's areas that don't appear in any guides, you can chart your own course and be pleased with the results.
The highlight for me is the Coal Heritage Highway which showcases West Virginia in its most glorious past.
West Virginia areas:
Useful Research and Links
- West Virginia's Official Tourism Site - a well organized site with lists of things to do
- Food Network - West Virginia Classic Dining
- Famous West Virginians and their Favorite Meals - A more personal take on the Food Network list, such as Chuck Yeager's favorite meal
- Microbreweries - West Virginia's got 'em, it's just a pain driving afterwards on the hilly and curvy roads
TRAVEL NOTES:
Get A Rental Car: There's a joke about how mountainous and hilly West Virginia is - if you were to stretch West Virginia flat it would cover more space than Texas. While that's probably not true (emphasis on probably), it is certainly a phrase of caution while driving. Prepare to use your breaks. I did not rent a car for this trip and in hindsight that was not a good idea. I definitely put a lot more wear and tear on my car going up and down and around than I would have preferred.
Charleston is compact. There were plenty of reasonably priced Airbnbs in the city's center. Morgantown was a bit trickier to find accommodation. I passed through on Memorial Day, in between spring and summer sessions, so I had no problem finding a cheap hotel - the downside to my timing was there wasn't much activity in town.
Get A Rental Car: There's a joke about how mountainous and hilly West Virginia is - if you were to stretch West Virginia flat it would cover more space than Texas. While that's probably not true (emphasis on probably), it is certainly a phrase of caution while driving. Prepare to use your breaks. I did not rent a car for this trip and in hindsight that was not a good idea. I definitely put a lot more wear and tear on my car going up and down and around than I would have preferred.
Charleston is compact. There were plenty of reasonably priced Airbnbs in the city's center. Morgantown was a bit trickier to find accommodation. I passed through on Memorial Day, in between spring and summer sessions, so I had no problem finding a cheap hotel - the downside to my timing was there wasn't much activity in town.