Wild, Wonderful, West Virgina
I love to travel, but rarely have the time or the funding, yet every time I adventure out I swear that I am going to make more travel happen. There are so many places close to home that are very different from where I live and there is no reason that I should not be exploring more. Life is too short to spend in my own back yard.
Recently I hit the open road with girlfriends to head to Canaan Valley, West Virginia. Typically we are a beach bunch, so this was a risky move, but the price and travel time was right so we did it. A house was found to rent (although I wouldn’t recommend it BOB is a jerk and the house was a dump) and the weather forecast was in our favor. Fall colors were in full splendor and the opening of the new interstate made travel quick and painless. I actually felt kinda bad because it seemed like no one was on that fancy new interstate and I imagine about 70 million billion trillion dollars had been spent on it.
No matter how you pronounce it (there were about 4 different pronunciations) this time of year was ‘almost heaven’ in the Canaan Valley. Leaves were turning amazing colors and the weather was perfect for hikes in George Washington National Forest and Horseback Rides in the Canaan Valley Resort State Park. I was blown away by the difference of terrain, one hike was rocky and filled with Moutain Laurel and Rhododendron, the other with wide open vistas and rocky slopes. Everywhere we turned there were hiking trails, biking trails, nature trails and more. I am kind of curious just how many acres of parks there are in Tucker County, I can only imagine a lot.
Every adventure is about balance, so the nature part was offset by dining and shopping in the nearby towns of Thomas and Davis. There were art galleries featuring local artists, antique shops, vintage vinyl and clothing shops. These shops had great finds and the prices were so great, I mean really great. There was even a little bit of bargaining, not used to that kind of shopping in Northern Virginia.
The hills of Canaan Valley are alive with live music, we discovered The Purple Fiddle and could not believe the names and tunes that had passed through those doors. We enjoyed good food, good beer, and some really great music. By the looks of the line up, I am pretty sure that we could have stayed for quite sometimes listening to a variety of high caliber entertainment in a super comfortable setting. Live music is so good for the soul and to be able to enjoy it in such an intimate setting is just what the Dr. ordered.
Beer, of course, is everywhere, there are quite a few craft brewery’s and local watering holes that featured a great selection of brews. Moutain State Brewery was centrally located to our rental house and offered a wide selection of craft beers, as well as activities.
Even with all the great things that Canaan Valley had to offer we were still able to pack in late night talks, dress up and hot tubbing. Just under 3 hours from the DC Metro Area this long weekend get away was one that I would do again, and again. I would have to say that this area could be a true 4 season resort and I look forward to testing out the ski hills in a few months time.
My Home Skillet 