| Tips and photos of unusual, out-of-the-way West Virginia attractions, posted by real travelers and locals. Map |
 | West Virginia Off the Beaten Path | Tips 1 - 10 of 21 |  |
not just off the beaten path!
I'd bet good money that unless you were born and raised in West Virginia (or at least somewhere in the mountains of Appalachia), you have never heard of ramps (except as something connected with highways or skateboarding). If you are truly brave and adventureous, and you happen to be in West Virginia at the right time in the Spring, I dare you to attend a Ramp Supper and eat ramps.
So what are ramps, you ask? Ramps are wild leeks. They grow throughout the Appalachian woodlands near mountain streams. Ramps are among the first edible foods to appear in the early spring. These wild leeks reek of garlic, only stronger. Only stronger? Who are we kidding? Back in the dark ages, when I was a child, our school principal had a rule--if you ate ramps over the weekend, you were excused from school on Monday...the stink coming off 30 or so ramp-eating children confined to one classroom would have been overwhelmingly distracting...and April is too chilly to sit in class with all the windows open.
Throughout the Appalachian southern mountains, ramps are featured at ramp suppers and festivals. The Feast of the Ramson at Richwood, West Virginia is probably one of the best known and largest. Richwood, in fact, is home to the NRA--the National Ramp Association. But many smaller events take place throughout April and into the month of May. Holding a ramp supper is a time-honored way of raising funds for the volunteer fire department or local church, for instance.
Now, I'm gonna 'fess up here. I've never eaten ramps.... But thousands of West Virginians swear by them! Call the Richwood Chamber of Commerce at the phone number below for the current information on the Feast of the Ramson ramp festival dates.
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 by traveldave
The West Virginia Penitentiary was modeled after Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois, but is only one-half the size of Joliet's prison. Designed in a castellated Gothic style of architecture, the building has turrets and battlements like a castle. The first phase of the prison was completed in 1876, and later additions in the 1920s doubled the size of the building.
Inmates were given jobs in the prison's backsmith, wagon shop, carpentry shop, brickyard, stone yard, paint shop, tailor, bakery, or hospital. The penitentiary later added a prison farm and coal mine where inmates could work.
A total of 94 men were executed in the penitentiary: 85 were hung between 1899 and 1949, and nine were electrocuted between 1951 and 1959. Others were killed by fellow inmates. It is said that the building is haunted by the spirits of those who died within its walls.
The West Virginia Penitentiary closed in 1995 after the West Virginia Supreme Court held that the prison's five-foot by seven-foot (one-and-a-half-meter by two-meter) cells amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. The inmates were moved to other prisons throughout the state.
Nowadays, 90-minute tours of the penitentiary are available, and allow visitors to experience "Life on the Inside."
The West Virginia Penitentiary is located in the town of Moundsville, about ten miles (16 kilometers) south of Wheeling. Leave a Comment
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 Bluestone River, West Virginia by Stephen-KarenConn, 4 more photos
The Bluestone begins on East River Mountain in Virginia and flows 77 miles to its confluence with the New River at Bluestone Lake near Hinton, West Virginia.
The section preserved as a National Scenic River flows through the Bluestone Gorge between Pipestem and Bluestone State Parks. These parks offer the best way to access the River. The parks are connected by a great hiking trail through the rugged gorge and along the river. The views are outstanding. Leave a Comment
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 by lmkluqueLeave a Comment
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"God bless my mother. All that I am or ever hope to be I owe to her."
-- Abraham Lincoln
Nancy Hanks was born on February 5, 1784, in Hampshire County, Virginia in a log cabin along Mike's Run at the foot of New Creek Mountain in what is now Mineral County, West Virginia. Nancy grew up to marry Thomas Lincoln. One of Nancy and Thomas's sons, Abraham Lincoln, became the 16th President of the United States. The site of Nancy's birth has been marked by the Nancy Hanks Association, which placed a simple stone monument to mark the spot in 1933. Near the monument is a reconstructed log cabin, like the one in which Nancy Hanks was born.
The site is well off the beaten path. To find it, follow the signs which point off U.S. 220, just a few miles south of the Maryland/West Virginia state line in northeastern West Virginia. You will take a narrow, winding road through the mountains for more than six miles to find the memorial on a dead end one lane road, in a beautiful remote rural area. On one side of the road is the stone monument with a brass plaque, and on the other is the log cabin. When I was there the cabin was open, however the site is unattended and there are no interpretative displays. Still I found it somehow moving to stand for a few minutes, alone in this quite, out-of-the-way spot and contemplate the life of the remarkable woman who gave birth to one of Americaa greatest leaders. Leave a Comment
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 by traveldave
Construction of Grave Creek Mound took place in different stages from about 250 B.C. to 150 B.C. The mound is 69 feet (21 meters) high, 295 feet (90 meters) in circumference, and involved the moving of 60,000 tons (54,430,000 kilograms) of earth.
The mound was used as a place to bury the dead. There were multiple burials at different levels in Grave Creek Mound.
Grave Creek Mound is located in the town of Moundsville, about ten miles (16 kilometers) south of Wheeling. Leave a Comment
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Ritter Park
Huntington, WV
A stunning residential neighborhood with an award winning rose garden. Easy to find--follow signs posted downtown Leave a Comment
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 by marko727Leave a Comment
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For the truly adventurous go for a stealth mission to walk the catwalk underneath the New River Gorge Bridge. It's the tallest bridge in the East and I think the 2nd tallest in the country next to the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado. I'll put it this way, one weekend in October is set aside by the National Park Service for BASE jumping from the bridge. It's a sight. It's quite a feat just getting to the catwalk w/o getting caught. It's a $500 fine I think if the National Park Service people catch you. The catwalk itself it virtually idiot proof. You would have to work to fall off of it. It runs the length of the bridge which is about 3/4 of mile. Not that I recommend anyone do this, especially the faint of heart, but it doesn't get anymore off the beaten path than this in Fayetteville. Not that I've done this or anything ;) Leave a Comment
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'Rails to trails' is a trail that goes thruogh West Virginia that you can walk or ride your bicycle on. It's all gravel so the ride isn't too smooth. The cool part is - it's where old railroad tracks used to be so it takes you right through the middle of the woods, over bridges, through tunnels (sometimes you can't see the other end when you start into them - kind of creepy), and through some tiny towns. I'm not sure where it starts but I know it goes through places like Cairo (my favorite), Petroleum, Ellenboro, North Bend park, etc. It's beautiful scenery and good exercise. Leave a Comment
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