Richmond Magazine....

FALLING FOR WEST VIRGINIA

Ask any Richmonder who's been there about West Virginia and you'll see a sparkle in their eyes and praise on their lips. It just takes one visit to fall in love with this wild and wonderful state. This fall is a perfect time to visit this colorful state so close to Richmond and the rest of Virginia. . .yet a world apart.

The number of West Virginia lovers in Richmond is growing quickly, as word spreads about what the state has to offer. Visitors are drawn to incredible natural beauty, a wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities, many historical attractions, an excellent state park system, friendly people, and a simpler and slower-paced way of life than that normally found in the city.

Coal may have once been king in the Mountaineer State, but statistics show that tourists are now treated like royalty in West Virginia. Tourism is the second largest industry (behind chemicals) and is the fastest-growing segment, as new and old visitors continue to explore the state.

Convenient interstate routes to and within West Virginia make access easier than many West Virginia-bound visitors may assume. The exploration possibilities are extensive, but are all within a one-day drive of half the population in the U.S. The state's beauty is definitely worth the drive from Richmond or anywhere else.

From friendly cities to rugged mountains, West Virginia is a welcome change. Each region offers its own outdoors and indoors pleasures, but the entire state definitely deserves the nickname, "Almost Heaven."

EASTERN GATEWAY

Virginia visitors love this little section of West Virginia. It's close to the urban hubbub of Northern Virginia, but it's far from the madding crowd.

The Harpers Ferry National Historical Park provides a perfect introduction to the historical richness of the state. Situated at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Harpers Ferry became an important industrialized transportation hub and arms-producing town in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The town came to national prominence on the night of October 16, 1859, with John Brown's infamous raid. John Brown was a staunch abolitionist who came up with a plan to liberate slaves through violence, setting up a stronghold in the mountains of Maryland and Virginia.

Brown and his men were captured on the 18th and he was tried for murder, treason, and conspiring with slaves to create insurrection. Brown was found guilty and hanged in Charles Town on December 2, 1859.

After the Civil War, many people left the war-ravaged town of Harpers Ferry, which suffered additional damage from a series of serious floods in the late-1800s. It fell into decay before a major restoration effort by the government returned the town to its former state.

Today, the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is a national treasure, perfectly suited for a weekend away from Richmond. The restored historic buildings, exhibits, shops, and restaurants are among the most-visited sites in the nation. The park map is an ideal resource for an extensive walking tour. For fall hikers and cyclists in search of pretty fall foliage, the Appalachian Trail and the C&O Canal are nearby.

The rest of the Eastern Gateway offers more scenic and historical possibilities. Cacapon State Park features a great golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones and plenty of other outdoor activities. Many small towns and villages, like Charles Town, Shepherdstown, and Keyser, offer quiet getaways.

For complete rejuvenation, head for Berkeley Springs. This historic spa town is a great fall weekend getaway. Relaxing spa treatments and much more are available at Berkeley Springs State Park, The Country Inn, and Coolfont.

POTOMAC HIGHLANDS

Heading into the heart of West Virginia means heading for the mountains. This natural wonderland is a great for fall wandering amidst many recreational opportunities.

Canaan Valley Resort State Park is the region's outdoors mecca. The unique park and other nearby outfitters offer golf, hiking, biking, and other activities ideal for crisp fall days; downhill and cross-country skiing in the winter; many accommodations options; and lots of sheer beauty to behold. Nearby, Blackwater Falls State Park has many park pleasures and beautiful falls plunging more than five stories.

Further south, more mountain adventures await. The Dolly Sods Wilderness Area lies on a high plateau in the Monongahela National Forest, featuring a unique landscape and climate similar to Canadian tundra. Nearby, Seneca Rocks towers more than 900 feet, offering world-famous rock climbing on Tuscarora sandstone dating to the Silurian Age.

The Snowshoe area is fast-becoming a four-season outdoors mecca, with great skiing, golf, and much more mountain madness. At the base of the mountain, Elk River Touring Center offers great mountain bike tours through the fall and cross-country skiing when the snow falls.

For a short break from the road, drivers should try the Cass Scenic Railroad. This steam locomotive train carries passengers through beautiful fall colors in the mountains to the summit of Bald Knob, the state's second highest peak.

MOUNTAINEER COUNTRY

The football team from West Virginia University has introduced the nation to Morgantown, but this area features much more than a great college town and atmosphere. Along with the cultural center of Morgantown, Mountaineer Country features many small towns and many big outdoors adventures.

Morgantown is a modern college city steeped in history and surrounded by the mountains. Along with the university, downtown Morgantown features lots of historic sites and many arts and crafts shopping spots.

Many small surrounding towns make for an ideal driving tour of the countryside. Grafton was the site of the first Mother's Day observance in 1908 and now is the home to the International Mother's Day Shrine. Clarksburg, Fairmont, and Mannington are other popular historic stops.

With so many mountains, visitors can expect to find lots of outdoor activities. Tygart Lake, the state's largest, is the base for many possibilities. Along with boating and lakeside pursuits, whitewater rafting is big business in the area. The Tygart and Cheat Rivers offer some of the most challenging whitewater in the east (see sidebar).

NORTHERN PANHANDLE

This sliver of West Virginia is still a big part of the tourism picture. This historic crossroads region played host to many pioneers heading west. Today, locals play host to the many tourists exploring this history.

Located along a beautiful riverfront, Wheeling was the hub of the state's western gateway. This lively city really thrived during a time when Victorian architecture was popular. Many of the homes and businesses have been restored, making for one of America's great concentrations of Victorian-style architecture.

Wheeling is also known for Oglebay Park. This municipal park is much more than a typical city park. It's more like a resort, with three championship golf courses, a par three course, swimming, hiking, boating, horseback riding, a zoo, and accommodations all spread over more than 1,500 acres.

While Wheeling is definitely worth at least a weekend, the rest of the panhandle also deserves attention. Historic towns, including Wellsburg, Weirton, Newell, Moundsville, New Martinsville, and Sisterville, are all draws to today's pioneering tourists.

MID-OHIO VALLEY

The frontier culture and pioneering spirit are also alive and well in the westernmost portion of the state. Many people were lured to the riches of the Ohio River and the surrounding Valley. They still are today.

Parkersburg serves as an ideal base for modern-day explorers. This historic city has always been the area's civilized center. Highlights include the Oil and Gas Museum, the middle-class Tillinghast Cook House, the Little Kanawha Craft House, and the Blennerhassett Hotel.

Just outside the city sits a monument to the early boom days of Parkersburg. The Blennerhassett Island State Park was once the huge estate of the region's wealthy early residents, Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett. Today, a sternwheel boat carries visitors to the reconstructed mansion and grounds.

The rest of the region's possibilities include historic Williamstown, the natural wonders of the Ohio River Border Islands National Wildlife Refuge, the bass fishing at St. Marys, and Ripley's huge Mountain State Art and Craft Fair on Independence Day weekend.

MOUNTAIN LAKES

The center of the state is all wet. The many lakes and related watersports are the centers of attention for this pretty region.

Summersville Lake, the state's largest, is a popular choice. Fishing, boating, water skiing, and camping are all easy to coordinate. Scuba diving in the lake's clear water is also quite popular, providing a unique look at the lake's rock formations. Whether your on it or in it, the lake provides a great way to enjoy the season's fall colors.

Summersville Dam, at 390 feet in height and 2,280 feet in length, is the second highest rock fill dam in the U.S. In the fall, water releases create one of the nation's great whitewater rafting trips on the Gauley River (see sidebar). A Gauley River rafting trip has become a fall tradition for many Richmonders.

METRO VALLEY

There's more to the Mountaineer State than the great outdoors. The state's capital, Charleston, and the inland port city of Huntington cast a cosmopolitan shine on the state.

Charleston has a friendly urban face. The gold-domed Capitol Complex overlooks the many restored buildings and the lazy Kanawha River. From Old Charleston Village to the East End Historic District, this city still maintains West Virginia's country charm.

To the west, Huntington has grown into a well-planned industrial city. The city is known for its port operations, beautiful homes, a thriving cultural environment, Marshall University, and the nearby historic community of Ceredo.

The rest of the region offers West Virginia's trademark mountainous beauty. This is coal country, with many of the nation's major coal fields and the historic coal town of Matewan.

NEW RIVER/GREENBRIER VALLEY

This region is a microcosm for the entire state, with outdoor splendor and historic heaven. The modern interstate system now makes this region easier to explore.

Many modern-day explorers head right for the New River. Ironically the second oldest river in the world (behind the Nile), the New River Gorge National River cuts a deep gorge through this part of the state. It's known for it's scenic beauty, history, rock climbing, fishing, and world-famous whitewater rafting (see sidebar).

It's also known for the New River Gorge Bridge, the second highest bridge in the country and the longest steel arch bridge in the world. Each year, the bridge is closed on the third Saturday of October for Bridge Day (October 15th this year), when parachutists and bungee jumpers can enjoy high-flying fun.

More subdued diversions can be found throughout the region. Some options include: the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine; the Lewisburg Historic Districts; the Hinton Historic District; and many state parks.

One of the state's most famous diversions is also in this neck of the woods. Located in historic White Sulphur Springs, The Greenbrier has been one of America's classic resorts since the early-1800s. The resort offers elegant accommodations, an old world atmosphere, first-rate cuisines, and the Greenbrier Spa and Mineral Baths and Salon. It's a great way to end a visit to West Virginia.

For further information about visiting the state, contact the West Virginia Division of Commerce at 2101 Washington St. E., Charleston, WV 25305, 800/CALL WVA.

SIDEBAR

GOOD GAULEY, SURF'S UP IN WEST VIRGINIA THIS FALL

Each fall, West Virginia is flooded--by Richmond-based whitewater rafters heading for the Gauley River. The Gauley is famed for its fall releases from Summersville Dam, which causes some incredible whitewater runs for Richmond rafters in the know.

At least 25 outfitters now cater to whitewater rafters and many have started offering great packages that include rafting, accommodations, meals, and much more. It's a heart-stopping bargain.

Every outfitter in West Virginia is unique. Their operations can vary from small buildings to elaborate base camps with stores, restaurants, campgrounds, and much more. Many companies offer popular, convenient, and discounted package arrangements, including rafting, accommodations, food, and other possibilities.

Class VI River Runners, based in Lansing, is typical of the fine outfitters found in the state. Its base camp is north of Beckley in a thousand-acre oak forest overlooking the beautiful New River Gorge.

Class VI's facilities include a general store, a popular restaurant, restrooms, and a viewing platform overlooking the gorge. A well-organized check-in quickly moves paddlers to buses and the Gauley River put-in just below the thundering dam.

On Class VI's Gauley River trips, each raft includes a guide who explains fundamentals, the river, the history, and the tall tales. The rapids include easy riffles (Class I) and some legendary Class VI runs (watch out for Sweets Falls, which is not always sweet to rafters!). Class VI includes stops along the riverbank for exploration and a picnic lunch that's so popular the company published a cookbook.

Like most outfitters, Class VI offers all sorts of packages for Gauley River trips. The Gauley season this fall started on September 9 and runs every Friday through Monday until October 16 (excluding October 14). The basic one-day trip starts at just $103, but their multi-day packages are more fun and a better deal. Class VI also offers great packages with meals, accommodations, camping, and flights with USAir.

Another popular outfitter with Richmonders is Mountain River Tours. The 1994 Gauley River season begins the 21st season of commercial rafting on the Gauley for the pioneering company. Mountain River Tours was the first West Virginia company to run commercial trips down the Gauley River and their trips continue to grow in popularity.

"I have been on whitewater around the world and I am always in awe of what the Gauley has to offer a rafter," says Paul Breuer, the founder and president of Mountain River Tours. "No two days on the Gauley are ever the same."

The other major river in the same area near Beckley is the famed New River. Whitewater rafters come from throughout the country to run this wide and beautiful river from the spring until the fall. When many people are rafting the Gauley in the fall, some smart Richmonders head for the colorful New River Gorge with Class VI, Mountain River Tours, and other outfitters.

Up north, near Morgantown, the Cheat and Tygart Rivers are the big draw (about four hours from Washington, D.C.). More than 50,000 people raft the Cheat (Class III to V) each year, most of them going between early-April and Memorial Day. The riverbed is littered with massive boulders and it can be a great raft trip at any water level. The Tygart (Class III to V) is less well-known, but its rapids are continuous and complex.

Contact the state tourism office at 800/CALL WVA or contact Class VI River Runners at P.O. Drawer 78, Lansing, WV 25862, 800/CLASS VI or 304/574-0704 or Mountain River Tours at Sunday Road, P.O. Box 88, Hico, WV 25854, 800/822-1386.