SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA The rich offerings of Southern West Virginia range from great rivers to rugged mountains, from fine arts to fine dining, from fascinating history to great outdoor playgrounds. SUPPLEMENT TO: JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 1 By SU CLAUSON-WICKER ; Our favorite must-see places, to-do events, best-of experiences in and around the Shenandoah Valley of western Virginia and eastern West Virginia. Items grouped loosely into increasing activity levels. See = relaxed. Do = some walking/standing required. Play = option for longer activity. ; *Time of year key: Spring (Sp) Summer (Su) Fall (F) Winter (W) Year-round (YR) ; North House Museum (Lewisburg) North House offers eight rooms chock full of surprises, such as prison drawings by the “Greenbrier Ghost” murderer and the 47-lb. gun used by a slave to defend the town against Shawnees. YR (greenbrierhistorical. org) ; Pipestem Drive-In (Athens) Old drive- in shows family movies in the open air weekends May - October. (www.driveins.org/ wv-athens-pipestem.htm) ; Railroad Museum (Hinton) Displays dial back to C&O’s steam engine era. Wood carvings of the legendary John Henry working every railroad job is a must-see. YR(visitwv.com/company/hinton-railroad- PHOTO COURTESY VISITWV.COM museum) Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park, near Summersville, is one of the nation’s oldest state parks. ; Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State ; Wake Robin Gallery (Forest Hill) Marcia Park (Summersville) Set on the rim of Gauley Springston-Dillon produces stunning one- River Canyon, the park commemorates of-a-kind stoneware in an old general store. the 1861 Union victory that hastened the Handmade baskets, glass, and other crafts Confederate withdrawal from western by regional artisans also stock the shop. YR Virginia. One of the nation’s oldest Thurs-Sat ([email protected]) SEE state parks, Carnifex Ferry hosts Civil War reenactments on even years. YR ; Sweet Springs Resort Park (Gap Mills) (wvstateparks.com/park/carnifex-ferry- Thomas Jefferson reputedly designed ; Gary Bowling’s House of Art (Bluefield) battlefield-state-park) the 1839 Georgian Colonial lodge of this Whimsical, funny, and dazzling are how antebellum springs resort, which stands visitors describe this gallery that feels like a ; Coal Heritage Trail This driving trail empty as a nonprofit raises funds for its wild playroom. Recycled-art has a big role— visits coal communities, old company preservation through festivals, concerts, look for car parts repurposed as fish. Sat. stores, tipples, and other coal history points ghost hunts, and other events. April-Oct YR (gbharamseyschool.org) of interest. YR (coalheritagetrail.org) (www.sweetspringsresortpark.org) ; Canyon Rim Visitor Center–New ; Historic Fayette Theatre (Fayetteville) ; Historic Bramwell Tour of River Gorge National River (Lansing) This 1937 volunteer-run theater showcases Millionaire’s Homes (Bramwell) This village Interprets the natural and human history of regional talent, Appalachian art, and drama. boasted more millionaires per capita than the gorge and gives a spectacular view of YR historicfayettetheater.com anywhere in the nation 100 years ago. You one of the world’s oldest rivers. YR (nps.gov/ can still explore Millionaire Row, and during neri/planyourvisit/crvc.htm) ; Greenbrier Valley Theatre (Lewisburg) the annual spring and Christmas tour of West Virginia’s official professional theatre homes—held on the 2nd Saturday of June presents dramatic productions, concerts, and December—you’re invited inside these poetry readings, or live broadcasts of the historic homes. (bramwellwv.com) NY Metropolitan Opera most weekends. YR (gvtheatre.org) 2 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM EAT (& DRINK) ; Cathedral Café (Fayetteville) Formerly a Methodist church, the Cathedral serves locally sourced salads, paninis, quesadillas, brews, heavenly desserts, and all the books Lewisburg’s Stardust you can read in a lifetime of mealtime Café combines loves browsing. YR (thecathedralcafe.com) of bread and wine. ; Stardust Café (Lewisburg) A cozy farm- to-table delight with good wines and bread made by one of the state’s finest bakers. YR PHOTO COURTESY GREENBRIER COUNT CVB (stardustcafewv.com) ; The Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs) ; Sophisticated Hound Brewing Co. ; Maloney’s Pub (Summersville) The world famous, four-star, four-diamond (Princeton) Racer 8 American Stout and (facebook.com/maloneysWV) Margarita Greenbrier offers a luxury experience with 1863 Pale Ale are the favs in this homey Mondays,Wine Wednesdays, and good food a unique southern charm at the resort’s place that serves sumptuous pizza, all the time in this sports theme lounge with 20 restaurants, lounges, and bars. YR salads, and live music. YR (facebook.com/ a huge deck. YR (facebook.com/maloneysWV) (greenbrier.com) sophisticatedhoundbrewing) ; The Custard Stand (Summersville, Oak ; Chessie’s on Courthouse Square ; Dobra Zupas (Beckley) The name Hill) This family-owned eatery started with (Hinton) The culinary experience at translates from Slovene as “good soup” and soft ice cream and has become nationally Chessie’s is inspired by Appalachian culture it is – but don’t ignore the crab, fillet, and famous for its chili dogs and chili soup. YR and possibly also by the remarkable murals specialty burgers paired with craft beer. YR (facebook.com/theCustardStandSummersville) depicting local history. YR (chessieswv.com) (dobrazupas.com) EEO/AA Employer JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 3 VISIT SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA | BILLY BOWLING DO ; Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory ; Lost World Caverns (Lewisburg) (Gap Mills) Follow a 1.5-mile footpath along Adventure lies underground in both the spine of Peters Mountain to the rustic lighted and wild caving tours. An above- ; New River Gorge Bridge Walk Hanging Rock Observatory for a 360-degree ground natural history museum displays (Lansing) Walk a catwalk beneath the New view of hawk migrations and rural scenery. everything from castings of triceratops River Gorge Bridge (while safely roped YR (hangingrocktower.org) bones to petrified dinosaur poop. YR to the bridge) for the gorge view of a (lostworldcaverns.com) lifetime. Learn the history and engineering ; Hawks Nest State Park (Ansted) With details from an accompanying guide. YR a lodge perched on the rim of New River ; Smooth Ambler Spirits Distillery (bridgewalk.com) Gorge, almost 10 miles of trails, tram and (Maxwelton) Sip small-batch handcrafted jet boat rides, Hawks Nest offers options for whiskies at a distillery named America’s ; Exhibition Coal Mine/Youth viewing nature’s beauty. YR (wvstateparks. best by USA Today. (smoothambler.com) Museum of Southern West Virginia com/hawksnest) (Beckley) Tour a vintage coal mine and learn ; Sandstone Falls (Hinton) Get in the about the hard job of mining from a veteran ; Kirkwood Winery/Isaiah Morgan spray zone of New River’s pounding, 25-ft. coal miner. Step back into an old-time Distillery (Summersville) The family operation waterfall accessed by boardwalk to islands village on the grounds. Apr – Oct features almost 30 wines – and the uniquely below the falls. nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/ (beckley.org) WV ramp wine – as well as whisky and legal the-sandstone-falls.htm moonshine. YR (kirkwoodwine.com) ; Cranberry Glades/Cranberry ; Dinner Cruises on Summersville Mountain Nature Center (Richwood) ; Mystery Hole (Ansted) Gravity goes Lake (Summersville) Dine on board a 40-ft Particularly enticing during the May orchid berserk at this roadside attraction hidden in boat while viewing the sunset over West bloom, the glades features a boardwalk, a wildly painted Quonset hut with a VW bug Virginia’s largest lake. Late May – early interactive displays, snake shows and smashed into its side. Weekends May-Oct Sept (sarges.net) ranger tours. Apr–Oct (fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ (mysteryhole.com) regions/eastern/CranberryMountain) ; Tamarack, West Virginia’s artisan center (Beckley) See glassblowers at work; PHOTO COURTESY VISITWV.COM listen to master fiddlers, and dine on Greenbrier recipes in the quilt-theme food court. YR (tamarackwv.com) TOP: Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory, Gap Mills, provides a 1.5- mile walk to a 360-degree view. LEFT: Lost World Caverns, Lewisburg, offers both lighted and wild caving adventures. 4 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM Lewisburg’s STAY Historic General Lewis Inn combines a sense of history with ; (Hico) Whether Country Road Cabins fine cuisine. you stay in a cabin, yurt, or treehouse, you have the luxury of an equipped kitchen, satellite TV, and a hot tub on the deck. YR PHOTO COURTESY GREENBRIER COUNT CVB (wvcabins.com) ; Historic General Lewis Inn (Lewisburg) Cozy is the word here—a romantic, early seasonal Mountain Creek Lodge in the bowling, tennis, and 18-hole golf course. YR American-style inn with time-honed gorge, or McKeever Lodge with its indoor (gladesprings.com) antiques clustered around a flickering fire, pool, saunas, and access to the 18-hole sumptuous food offerings, and quilt-draped golf course. YR, Mt Creek Lodge May-Oct. ; Summersville Lake Retreat & beds. YR (generallewisinn.com) (wvstateparks.com/park/pipestem-resort-state- Lighthouse (Summersville) Five fully- park) equipped A-frame cabins look out over ; Guest House Inn on Courthouse West Virginia’s largest lake. Boat rental Square (Hinton) Choose between spacious ; Baker’s Hill Inn (Bluefield)Not only is and lighthouse tours are within walking houses in the town center or get away from this downtown B&B elegant, it also includes distance. YR (summersvillelakeretreat.com) it all at an