Educate me on West Virginia

[Road Lizard]

I know it's a slow forum so I thought I would take the chance to let the locals educate me on the state of West Virginia. I'm going to post questions and please feel free to add anything you wish everyone to know about your state.

#1. Where's the one place in the state everyone must go to? Why?

#2. What's a good weekend for locals?

#3. Got any hunting stories?

#4. What do you want someone to know about your state?

I live in Mississippi and yep, I love it here but people that have never been here tell me it's a shithole. I've heard the same about West Virginia but I'd rather hear from the locals who actually know what the hell they are talking about concerning their state. Outsiders only see what they want to see, locals know their home.

[shambala]

I'm not a WV local but I'll get the ball rolling by sharing...

Must go to: If you like the outdoors, check out Dolly Sods Wilderness Area. It's described as a little bit of Canada run amuck in WV. It has the flora and weather conditions of Canada & has been rumored that hunters have been known to freeze to death on a warm day. (Although, I think the freezing to death story is a writer taking poet license in a hiking magazine article I read, which sold me on wanting to visit). During WW II, Dolly Sods was used as an artillery & mortar range for troop training by the Army. It's said that it's still possible to find a live mortar shell and if you do find one, mark it's location and notify the Forest Service.

Dolly Sods brochure: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE...rdb5090664.pdf

In the same area of Dolly Sods, visit Black Water Falls & Canaan Valley. If you drive through Canaan Valley resort in the evening you'll see hundreds of deer come out to feed. Because they can't be hunted there, they're pretty tame. It's discouraged to feed them, but I've seen people hold apples out of their car windows to have the deer come up to eat them.

I'm sure WV has plenty of depressed small towns, but there are some opportunties... Morgantown has West Virginia University, Ruby Memorial Hospital & Mylan Pharmaceuticals. Wheeling in the northern panhandle is known for Casinos/Gambling as is Charles Town in the eastern panhandle. OK, that the limit of my knowledge. Hey, I'm not a local ! What do you expect ?

What do I want someone to know about my state: I'd be proud to say I'm from WV (if I was). WV is one of my favorite states. I love mountains and WV does not disappoint. It's beautiful there and the people that I've met are nice and friendly.

Now for some real locals to share...

[Road Lizard]

Damn, I like the Dolly Sods area! Never heard of it before so thanks for educating me.

I look for places that aren't the usual tourist stops and has some sort of history...like being used as an artillery range. I'd make the drive for something like that.

Thanks and I'm going to read up more on that area!

[dickus]

The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs is as nice a hotel as you will find anywhere. It also has a first-rate casino for hotel guests.

www.greenbrier.com

[Road Lizard]

Nice place but I bet they would cringe to see me drive up in my old truck I travel in, lol.