Shepherdstown dates back to 1762; Thomas Shepherd founded Mecklenburg, as it was known then, was a bustling little town of 100 by 1775, filled with millers, tanners, potters, smiths and other artisans who appreciated the six natural springs which feed Town Run as it enters the south of town. This small stream meanders through backyards, under […]
West Virginia
13 Great Ghost Tours: A Spooky Tour Through the Mid-Atlantic States
August, September and October are the season most folks check out ghost walks and ghost tours — one of my favorite activities! Ghost tours are always intriguing — they’re a little bit of sight-seeing, a little bit of ghost story, and usually a lot of history. Ghost tours are a good way to get to […]
Exploring West Virginia’s Best State Park: Watoga State Park
There is so much to see and do in and around Watoga State Park, that it seems like the ideal location to set up a home base for your exploration of the area. The park covers more than 10 thousand acres, and began as a state forest designated as a wildlife and timber preserve. Franklin […]
Fort Mill Holds the Best Preserved Civil War Battle Trenches
Believed to be the best preserved examples of Civil War earthworks still in existence, the Fort Mill Ridge Civil War Trenches are battle trenches just outside of Romney WV that were dug between 1861 and 1863. The onsite signs on site indicate that the earthworks were dug in 1863; however, other sources claim that the […]
West Virginia’s Best Kept Secret: The Highland Scenic Highway
The Highland Scenic Highway — WV 150 / WV 39-WV 55 — runs 43 miles through the Monongahela National Forest, meandering along the mountain ridges, reaching an elevation of more than 4500 feet. Along the northeastern part of the scenic highway — where it’s more a parkway than a highway. Like its more famous sisters […]
See the Secret Place Where Eagles Soar Aboard the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad
The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad based in Romney, WV. The railroad operates excursion trains over a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line that runs between Green Spring and Petersburg. Since 1991, Potomac Eagle has operated scenic rail excursions through the South Branch Valley in West Virginia. As you wind along […]
Taking the Healing Waters at Capon Springs and Farms Resort
The Capon Springs and Farms Resort is a family friendly, traditional resort nestled in the mountains along the Capon River, adjacent the George Washington National Forest. With a history dating back to pre-Civil War days, almost all the buildings on the property are historic, so it’s a bit like stepping back in time! Because the […]
Falls of Hills Creek — Highland Scenic Highway’s Hidden Gem
We fell for the Falls of Hills Creek! This was a delightful find, along the north half of the Allegheny Scenic Highway. As we drove by, we saw the sign for Falls of Hills Creek and wondered what we were missing, so we turned to check it out. Turns out, it was a breath-taking (in […]
Bear Town State Park — West Virginia’s Hidden Gem
Bear Town State Park is a relatively small state park in West Virginia, on the border of Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties. Its 110 acres encompass a really cool geological rock maze of deep crevices that form alleyways and rooms — all traversed by a boardwalk that leads you to cool vantage points in, among, and […]
Following in the Footsteps of a Virginia Pioneer Woman: The Ann Bailey Trail
The hike begins and ends with an outstanding view. With delight, we realized we were the only ones on the Ann Bailey Trail, which carries hikers 3 miles to a scenic view overlooking the Greenbrier River valley. This delightful trail in Watoga State Park almost guarantees you solitude as you follow an old roadbed across […]
Cranberry Glades Boardwalk, One of the Coolest Spots You’ll Encounter!
You should definitely check out the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area if you’re in Pocahontas County, WV. One of West Virginia’s largest wetlands, this 750-acre area features open bogs, with the surrounding moutains — Black, Cranberry and Kennison — creating a natural bowl. With an elevation of 3400 feet, the Glades resemble an Artic tundra, only […]
Bear Pen Hike Is All About the Journey
This enjoyable hike in Watoga State Park, near Marlinton WV, is all about the journey and not the destination. Some hikes show-off their payoffs — gorgeous views, outstanding waterfalls, ruins and the like — but this loop hike is all about the walk itself. You start just off of Watoga Park Road, near Cabin 11, […]
7 Amazing, Must-See Views in West Virginia
“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, ‘This is what it is to be happy.’ ” — Sylvia Plath Seeing the beauty of nature is good for the soul — and West Virginia has more than its fair share of beautiful forests and […]
Table Rock Hike in Monongahela National Forest
What’s a little mud when the view is this? Table Rock is a massive rock outcropping on the western side of Canaan Mountain, overlooking the Dry Fork and Cheat River valleys. The hike out to it will carry you through a hardwood forest as well as rhododendron thickets; it’s unlikely you’ll encounter anyone else, so […]
Let the Autumn Colors Inspire You to Daytrip Too!
We would see amazing things if we could learn to be travelers in our own neighborhoods, Henry David Thoreau said. Fall is a great time to explore your own neighborhood and see it with new eyes. Grab a camera and take yourself out for a fun afternoon daytrip! One of my favorite things to do […]