Wild and Wonderful
West Virginia is significantly larger than Maryland. With 55 counties, most of which I am not familiar with, it's easier to stick to discussing the state purely by the regions defined by the West Virginia Department of Tourism. Those regions are:
Potomach Highlands: This is where our WV place is located. Keyser, Romney and Ft. Ashby are the closest towns to us, with Keyser being the largest. Moorefield is also in this region, as are Davis, Parsons, Elkins and Marlinton.
Eastern Panhandle: This tiny area, relative to West Virginia's other regions, packs quite a wallop as far as places of interest go. Harper's Ferry and Shepherdstown both have quite a history. Charles Town (yes, it is two words), best known for its racetrack and slots gambling, is also in this region, as is Berkeley Springs, which has both history and a very well-known spa atmosphere.
Mountaineer Country: This regions biggest claim to fame is the city of Morgantown, which happens to be the home of West Virginia University.
Mountain Lakes: This region is pretty much smack in the middle of the state. Even as a semi-resident, I didn't know about West Virginia's lakes. Boy, were we ever missing out. Um, actually, we still are because we've only ever been to Tygart Lake, which is technically in the Mountaineer Country region. As gorgeous as it was, I can't wait to see more of West Virginia's lakes.
New River-Greenbrier Valley: As the name implies, this region is best known for the New River, specifically the New River Gorge Bridge, and the Greenbrier Valley, which is home to The Greenbrier resort. This region, in the far south of the state, puts the WILD in the state's current Wild and Wonderful slogan. The New and Gauley Rivers are worl-renowned for their whitewater rafting and kayaking. The New River Gorge Bridge, perched 850 feet above the river, draws significant crowds for that one day each year when the bridge is closed for people to walk across and a as a base from which, wearing parachutes, they can jump.
Hatfield-McCoy Mountains: Aside from the famous 19th century, 10+-year feud that raged across the West Virginia and Kentucky border, this region is known primarily as THE place to go for ATV and off-road motorcycle riders. The Hatfield-McCoy trail system offers riders over 500 miles of trails on which to tear it up daily, if so inclined.
Metro Valley: This region is so-named because it houses Charleston and Huntington, West Virginia's two largest cities.
Mid-Ohio Valley: Rolling hills and valleys are prominent in this region of the state. Parkersburg is this region's largest city.
Northern Panhandle: This often overlooked corner of the state is nestled between greater Cleveland, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Northern Panhandle is also home to two of the state's largest gaming facilities, the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack and the Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort.
The West Virginia Department of Transportation provides detailed county maps for your reference. West Virginia is a pretty big state, so these maps are definitely helpful. State highways maps never have enough detail to satisfy our preference for off-the-beaten-path travel
As with Maryland, while I could certainly go on about general stuff to see and do in West Virginia offer, I won't. You can get all of that sort of information from the West Virginia Department of Commerce. They publish a very comprehensive Official State Travel Guide, which can be yours for FREE by following this link.
As this Web site expands, I'll be adding more information on West Virginia. If there's something you'd like to see, or if you just have a question, feel free to drop me a line. I'll respond as quickly as possible. If you're writing in the middle of a nice day, though, chances are good I'm either out riding and/or taking more pictures. So be patient. I'll get back to you eventually. I promise.
