Hidden In A Small West Virginia Town, A Five-Story Marble Courthouse Rivals Any Big-City Capitol
A county courthouse from the 1890s still handles everyday paperwork like vital records and vehicle registration. The building is old, but it is still working.
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Hidden Under A Quiet West Virginia Hill, Lost World Caverns Holds A Stalactite Called The Snowy Chandelier
A 30-ton stalactite hangs from a cave ceiling in West Virginia, and it is still growing one drip at a time. Its name is the Snowy Chandelier, and it is reportedly one of the largest...
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This West Virginia Bakery Has Regulars Who’ve Been Coming Since Grade School For Its Pepperoni Rolls And Sweets
A pepperoni roll first, then a dessert for after. That simple combo has kept at least one West Virginia bakery fan coming back since elementary school, and now that grown-up kid...
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This West Virginia Buffet Still Lines Up Home-Style Cooking And Homemade Pie Like Sunday At Grandma’s
Butterscotch, coconut, cherry, banana, pumpkin and apple pie can all share one dessert bar here. That's before anyone mentions the cookies and ice cream.
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Hidden In The Hills Near Matewan, A Town Museum Tells The Story Of The 1920 Mine War Shootout
Bullet holes from a 1920 shootout still mark the brick walls of one small West Virginia town. They are real, they are still there, and you can walk right up to them.
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5 West Virginia Drive-In Restaurants Where Carhops Still Bring Food To Your Car
At one drive-in in West Virginia, you flash your headlights to get a carhop's attention. At another, you tap the horn. I love...
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This Small West Virginia Town Has a Neighborhood That Turns Into Whoville Every Christmas
A handful of neighbors in one tiny town turn their street into Whoville every single Christmas. Not a theme park. Not a ticketed...
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Here’s What’s Left Of Thurmond, West Virginia, The Tiny Rail Town Whose Depot Once Out-Earned Cincinnati
A single railroad depot in a mountain hollow once reportedly took in more freight money than Cincinnati. That means the whole city, not one busy neighborhood.
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Here’s How A 1920s Boys’ Prison In Moundsville Became West Virginia’s Spookiest Tour
Inmates built much of this prison by hand, and they gave it turrets and battlements like a medieval castle. Its stone walls rise 24 feet high, and today you can buy a ticket to...
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Old Mining Carts And A 1950s Diner Wait At This West Virginia Roadside Stop
A U-shaped 1950s lunch counter and a foot-long hot dog share one roadside property with steam engines, cabooses, and a few donkeys. That combination had me hooked before I read...
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From a Restored 1800s Train Depot to Fry-Stuffed Burritos, These 6 Charleston, West Virginia Restaurants Make Visiting Family Proud
One restaurant on this list sits inside a renovated train depot from the 1800s. Another brews its own beer in-house while rolling burritos stuffed with french fries.
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Nobody Expects A Racetrack Comeback In The Hills, But West Virginia Motor Speedway Roared Back
Cows once roamed a famous dirt track here while the grandstands sat quiet. Now race cars are back, throwing red clay into the evening air.
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Charles Town Races Has Been Running Thoroughbreds In West Virginia Since 1933
Thoroughbreds started racing here in the depths of the Great Depression. The track opened on a cold December day, and it is still running horses today.
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Folks Drive Out To This West Virginia Farm Store For Grass-Fed Beef Raised Right Out Back
The grass-fed beef at this farm comes from cattle grazing on the same land where you pick it up. No long truck ride. No mystery...
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This Growing West Virginia Rail Trail Turns An Old Railroad Into Miles Of Scenic Riverside Path
A pair of runners once headed south on this trail and kept going for 50 miles. They only stopped because a wide creek had no bridge, and the water was too cold to swim.
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A Two-Hour Ride Behind A Coal-Fired Shay Steam Engine Climbs A Mountain In West Virginia
A steam locomotive built to haul logs still drags open-air passenger cars up a mountainside in West Virginia, burning coal the whole way. The engine is a Shay, a geared climber...
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This West Virginia Shoney’s Still Serves The Buffet And Hot Fudge Cake You Grew Up On
A giant old marquee still towers over this restaurant, and it has stood there for decades. Underneath it, a breakfast bar opens every single morning at 7 AM.
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This Peaceful West Virginia Pilgrimage Site Hides A Marble Palace, Roaming Peacocks And A Swan Pond
More than 50 kinds of marble and onyx, shipped in from 17 countries, shine inside a palace on a quiet West Virginia ridge. Even better, the people who built it had never laid a...
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This Old-Time West Virginia Bakery Fills Its Hot Dog-Shaped Pastries With Cream And Sells Out Early
A West Virginia bakery sells something called a hot dog, and there's not a speck of meat in it. It's a soft pastry the size of a hot dog bun, split and filled with sweet cream.
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Every Christmas, This Recreated West Virginia Village Looks Like The Holidays Stepped Out Of Old Appalachia
Old log cabins hauled in from across the hills glow with Christmas lights, and a jingling wagon carries families past them after dark. Santa and Mrs. Claus wait inside, along with...
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Retiring In Buckhannon Gets You A Strawberry Festival Town, A College Green And Cheap Mortgages
Nine days every May, one small town throws a party for the strawberry. Parades, carnival rides, and berry treats take over downtown, and the festival charges no entrance fee.
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6 West Virginia Stops Between Charleston And Beckley That Turn An Hour Drive Into A Whole Day
A 60-foot waterfall spills down a rock face right beside a West Virginia highway, and a short walking path gets you there. Plenty of cars probably zip right past it without a second...
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The Little West Virginia Diner Where Regulars Get Recognized And Nothing’s Changed In 30 Years
A server at one little diner once reportedly drove home to grab a pair of pants for a kid who spilled a drink. That one story tells you plenty about how this place treats people.
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This Massive West Virginia Trail System Stretches Over 100 Miles Across 8,000 Acres And Roars With Engines
One ride pass here lasts a full year from the day you buy it. That alone made me sit up, because most trail passes run out long before the mud dries on your boots.
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9 Secret West Virginia Barbecue Joints Most Travelers Drive Right Past
One of my favorite barbecue finds in this state wraps its meat in red and white checkered paper, like a church picnic that never ended. Another sits in a coal town with fewer than...
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This West Virginia Puerto Rican Food Truck Serves Pernil And Mofongo In Seriously Generous Portions
Deep-fried pork with a slightly sweet and spicy sauce is being served out of a food truck in a West Virginia parking lot. That alone got my attention fast.
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Here’s Where West Virginia’s Tallest Waterfall Drops Through A Mossy Canyon In Fayette County
An entire river, not a creek or a trickle, tumbles over a rocky ledge just a couple of miles after it's born. That river forms when two famous rivers meet, and it starts working...
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You’ll Feel Miles From Anywhere Until This Remote West Virginia Diner Serves Hot Roast Beef And Homemade Rolls
Some of the best meals in West Virginia hide where the cell signal fades and the road keeps climbing. You pull in expecting a quick bite, maybe a cup of coffee, and nothing more.
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This Old Iron Furnace Hidden Deep In A West Virginia Forest Once Employed A Surprising Number Of People
Around 200 people once worked at a single stone furnace that now sits a mile down a rocky trail in the woods. Today, the loudest sound around it is a creek.
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This Locally Owned West Virginia Deli Slices Meats And Cheeses To Order While Chain Sandwich Shops Took Over
I almost drove right past it, a little brick corner spot that looked like it might sell stamps or fix shoes. Then the smell of fresh bread and peppery salami hit me when the door...
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Clarksburg’s Old Little Italy Still Has A Family Deli Making Its Own Sausage And Hand-Mixed Olives
Some of the best meals in West Virginia hide behind plain brick walls on streets you would never think to turn down. You walk in expecting a quick sandwich, and you walk out with...
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Is Helvetia Really A Swiss Village Hiding In The West Virginia Mountains? One Lunch Proves It
The road kept getting narrower, my phone lost its signal, and my stomach was growling louder than the gravel under the tires. Somewhere deep in the West Virginia mountains, I had...
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Weird Old Spirit Of Sutton’s Flatwoods Monster Museum Keeps West Virginia’s 1952 Sighting Alive
Some of the best stops in West Virginia hide behind plain brick and an old shop window you might drive right past. I almost did, until a towering figure with a pointed hood stared...
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Why Do Folks Still Drive Hours To Buy Fudge From This Old Candy Kitchen West Virginia
Some of the best stops in West Virginia are the ones you almost drive right past. You pull over for a quick snack, and suddenly you are standing in front of a candy you have not...
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Folks Cross Whole Counties Just To Fill A Box At This Little West Virginia Chocolate Shop
I only stopped because my sweet tooth outvoted my good sense on a long drive home. The building looked ordinary enough, the kind of place you pass a hundred times without a second...
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Seven West Virginia Hot Dog Stands Where Slaw And Chili Still Come Piled The Old Way
Some of the best meals in West Virginia come wrapped in wax paper and handed through a little window. You pull off a two-lane road expecting a quick bite, and you leave with chili...
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Watch Glass Being Blown By Hand A Few Feet From The Furnace At Appalachian Glass In West Virginia
I pulled off a West Virginia highway expecting a quick gift shop stop and a stretch of the legs. Instead, I found myself standing close enough to a glowing furnace to feel its...
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Seven West Virginia Roadside Produce Stands Where Fresh Produce Still Costs Less Than The Grocery
Some of the best food deals in West Virginia hide behind a hand-painted sign and a folding table piled high with tomatoes. You pull over on a whim, maybe just for a peach, and...
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Steam Engines Once Turned Around Inside The Oldest Domed Roundhouse, Still Standing In West Virginia
Some places look like just another old brick building until you step inside and look up. In the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, one round structure hides a ceiling of iron...
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Gas, Groceries And A Night Out Still Cost Less In These 6 West Virginia Towns
Remember when a full tank, a cart of groceries, and supper out did not wipe out your whole paycheck? In a few corners of West Virginia, that feeling has not completely faded away.
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Seven West Virginia Mountain Diners Where Beans And A Slab Of Cornbread Still Cost Pocket Change
Some of the best meals in West Virginia come from places you would drive right past if your stomach was not growling. A gravel lot, a hand-painted sign, a coffee pot that never...
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Wild Elk Bugle Again Across Old Strip Mines In Southern West Virginia Every Fall Evening
Picture a quiet ridge in southern West Virginia, the sun sliding low over a grassy field that used to be a coal mine. Then a sound cuts through the cool air, a high, wild whistle...
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Why Do Seven West Virginia Mountain Diners Still Serve Buckwheat Cakes Like Grandma’s?
Some of the best breakfasts in West Virginia come from places you might drive right past without a second look. A gravel lot, a hand-painted sign, a coffee pot that never seems...
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Families Drive Miles For Chili-Slaw Dogs And Warm Cobbler At This Old West Virginia Drive-In
Some of the best meals in West Virginia hide behind a plain sign and a small gravel-and-asphalt lot you could pass a hundred times without a second look. Then one hungry afternoon...
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Folks Drive Across Three Counties To Fill Coolers At This Family Meat Shop In West Virginia
I almost drove right past it, a big plain building that looked more like a warehouse than anywhere you would shop for supper. Then I noticed the coolers, folks loading them into...
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This West Virginia Train Turns A Slow River Ride Into Dinner With Bald Eagles Outside
Some of the best meals in West Virginia come with no neon sign and no fancy fuss, just a quiet spot you almost drive past. This one happens to roll.
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What Makes Coopers Rock In West Virginia Worth The Drive Is A Cliff View Over A Whole River Gorge
You pull off the interstate expecting a quick stretch of the legs and maybe a pretty picture. Then you walk a couple of minutes through the trees, step onto a rock ledge, and the...
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Seven West Virginia Mills Where The Old Water Wheel Still Turns Beside The Creek
You hear it before you see it, a steady splash and creak drifting through the trees along some back road in West Virginia. Round the bend and there it is, an old mill hugging the...
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Longer Than Four Football Fields, This West Virginia Railroad Tunnel Still Swallows Bikers Whole
You pedal toward a stone archway in the hills, expecting a quick shady moment, and suddenly the daylight just quits. Somewhere in West Virginia, an old railroad tunnel runs so...
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Seven West Virginia Pottery Shops Where You Watch The Clay Spin Into Shape Right In Front Of You
Some of the best afternoons in West Virginia start with a plain little building and a sign you almost drive past. Step inside, and a lump of wet clay starts turning on a wheel...
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Why Did Thousands Of People Once Pack A Tiny West Virginia Town For Hatfield-McCoy Trials?
Some of the biggest stories in West Virginia hide in the smallest places, tucked beside a river and a quiet set of railroad tracks. You might roll past a modest little depot and...
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Seven West Virginia Roadside Oddities That Make Every Road Trip Worth A Quick U-Turn
Some of the best memories from a West Virginia drive come from the places you almost passed by. A strange shape catches your eye, you tap the brakes, and suddenly the whole trip...
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This Peaceful Ohio River Sternwheeler Ride in West Virginia Is the Chillest Surprise Hiding in Plain Sight
Some of the best afternoons in West Virginia start with a boat you almost walked right past. You buy a cheap ticket, climb aboard, and suddenly the whole day slows to the pace...
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West Virginia’s Centre Market Has Been Home To Local Shops And Eateries Since 1853
Some of the best places in West Virginia hide in plain sight, tucked behind old brick and iron like they are waiting for you to notice. I came looking for a quick bite and a stretch...
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Is This The Strangest Building In West Virginia? This House Is Built From Blocks Of Coal
I pulled off the road in southern West Virginia hoping for a quick bite and a stretch of the legs. Instead, I found myself staring at a small, glossy black building that looked...
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Seven West Virginia Towns Hide Stories That Shaped Early American History
You can drive right past some of the most important places in American history and never know it. Here in West Virginia, quiet little towns with one stoplight and a good diner...
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Mother’s Day Doesn’t Close The Doors At This West Virginia Bakery Known For Its Macarons
Most folks figure every bakery in West Virginia locks up tight on Mother's Day, so the hunt for a last-minute treat can feel hopeless. Then you stumble onto a small shop along...
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Once A Crumbling Relic, This West Virginia Mountain Resort Now Glows Again With Rustic Charm
I went looking for a quiet weekend in the West Virginia hills and expected nothing more than a creek, a cot, and maybe a decent breakfast. What I found instead was a whole hollow...
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Seven West Virginia Church Suppers And Fire Hall Dinners Worth Driving Across The County For
Some of the best meals in West Virginia never show up on a restaurant sign. They happen in fellowship halls, fire station bays, and pavilions strung with lights, where a volunteer...
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Taller Than The Washington Monument, This West Virginia Bridge Lets You Walk Its Catwalk Underneath
I pulled off a mountain road in West Virginia expecting nothing more than a quick stretch and a gas station snack, and I left with the most jaw-dropping story of my whole trip....
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