This Small West Virginia University Ranked Among The Best For Value And Its Financial Aid Is Turning Heads
More than 95 percent of students at one small college here get scholarship help. That number stopped me cold the first time I saw it.
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This West Virginia Butcher Shop Sits So Close To The Farm You Can See The Cattle From The Parking Lot
The cattle grazing beyond this parking lot belong to the same farm that stocks the meat case inside. No trucking across three states.
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This West Virginia House Was Built In The 1700s, And You Can Still Tour It Today
A cave sits beneath the cellar of a 1700s stone house in West Virginia, and volunteers are reportedly working to dig it out. Tunnels may once have linked it to neighboring homes.
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Only People Who Grew Up In West Virginia Will Remember These Childhood Traditions
A coal miner's lunch from the 1920s still shows up in West Virginia lunchboxes today. It's a soft roll with pepperoni baked inside, and it may be the most famous snack the state...
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7 West Virginia Holiday Markets Worth Visiting Before The Christmas Shopping Rush Begins
One of the shopping spots on this list started life as a train depot, and now it sells Christmas ornaments instead of tickets. Another sits inside a market district that dates...
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We Ranked The Best Small Towns In West Virginia For A Winter Getaway And Here’s Who Made The Cut
One small mountain town here sits above 3,100 feet, and another treats visitors to spring water that stays around 74 degrees all winter long. I love that a single state can offer...
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This Small-Town West Virginia Movie Theater Still Charges Prices That Feel Like The 1980s
Three people reportedly caught a movie here, with popcorn, large drinks and candy, for about what one ticket costs at a bigger theater up the road. That sounds like a typo.
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Bring A Cooler To These 6 West Virginia Meat Markets Where Steaks Beat Supermarket Prices
One West Virginia butcher counter sits on a family farm, close to the cattle that end up as its steaks. That detail stopped me cold.
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Kids Once Rode Through Coal Country On Hatfield-McCoy Trails, But Now Grandparents Do Too
More than 1,000 miles of off-road trail now run through hills that once fed the coal trains. Many of those paths started life as old mine roads, logging roads, and industrial corridors.
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Tucked Into Pocahontas County, The Greenbrier River Trail Follows 78 Miles Of Old C&O Railbed
A 511-foot railroad tunnel from 1899 sits in the middle of the woods, and you can pedal straight through it. No train ticket required, just a bike and a little nerve in the dark.
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This West Virginia Town Turns Into A Christmas Light Wonderland With Over A Million Bulbs
More than a million bulbs light up a six-mile drive every winter, and you never have to leave your heated car. That detail alone sold me.
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Shoppers Keep Leaving This West Virginia Amish Farm Market With Homemade Pie, Fresh Bread, And Garden Veggies
One first-time shopper admitted to coming home with way too much, including bread and pie. Honestly, that sounds like the right kind of problem to have.
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Canaan Valley Holds The Largest High-Elevation Wetland In The Appalachians, And Rare Wildlife Lives There
More than 8,400 acres of wetland sit at roughly 3,200 feet up in the mountains. That's bogs, marshes, and swamp forest perched where you'd expect only ridges and rock.
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Green Bank Is The Quietest Town In America Because Cell Phones Are Banned Near Its Giant Telescope
Your cell phone can turn into a pocket-sized brick once you get within ten miles of one spot in West Virginia. That isn't a glitch, and it's actually backed by state law.
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Only In Helvetia Do Swiss Mountain Traditions Survive Deep In The West Virginia Hills
Every winter, a crowd in homemade masks burns a giant figure of Old Man Winter in a tiny mountain village. The whole thing happens to the sound of a band, after a costume ball,...
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This Little West Virginia Market Booth Serves Huge Homemade Pierogi That Taste Like Mom Made Them
A kielbasa sandwich topped with sauerkraut and red pepper cheese sauce sits on the menu of one tiny food booth. It shares space with oversized pierogi that people compare to the...
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This Old-School West Virginia Hot Dog Stand Still Serves Chili Dogs The Way Your Dad Remembers
Three hot dogs and two sodas for about the price of a fast-food coffee. That math still works at one tiny spot in West Virginia, and I can't stop thinking about it.
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Grandma’s Mason Jars Line The Shelves At These 8 West Virginia Amish And Mennonite Stores
Apple butter with extra cinnamon is sitting in a jar somewhere in West Virginia right now, and I can't stop thinking about it. One small bakery near the Virginia line even sells...
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You’d Never Guess This Quiet Lewisburg Hilltop Holds A Church Built In 1796 That Still Holds Services
Women once rode horseback four miles to a river, hauling sacks of sand for a church's mortar. That was 1796, and the limestone walls they helped raise still stand today.
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West Virginia’s Historic Lewis Theatre Still Screens Films And Hosts Performances In Its 1939 Building
A small-town movie house built from hollow glazed terra cotta blocks has kept its projector running since 1939. That alone makes me grin.
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West Virginia’s Seneca Rocks Holds The Only East Coast Summit You Need Climbing Gear To Reach
One peak on this rock wall can't be reached without technical climbing gear. It's the only summit on the East Coast with that claim, and it sits right here in West Virginia.
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7 West Virginia Church Supper Traditions That Still Fill Fellowship Halls Every Fall
Around 200 people reportedly show up for one free monthly church dinner in a small West Virginia mountain town. Even better, local restaurants sometimes volunteer to cook it.
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The Historic B&O Railroad Roundhouse Complex Still Stands Beside The Tracks In West Virginia
A circular railroad roundhouse framed in cast iron after the 1860s still stands, and historians call it the oldest of its kind left in America. Trains still rumble right past it...
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6 West Virginia Fall Festivals Still Ahead This Season Worth Building A Weekend Around
Once a year, people are allowed to stroll across a bridge that normally belongs only to traffic, hundreds of feet above a river gorge. I still can't get over that.
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Here’s Why The Smallest Church In The Lower 48 Sits On A Roadside In West Virginia
A roadside sign promises the smallest church in 48 states, and the building behind it backs up the boast. The whole stone chapel measures about 24 feet long and 12 feet wide.
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This Tiny West Virginia Diner Feels Like Going Back In Time, With An Old Jukebox And Homemade Pies
A jukebox sits inside a little country diner, and the owner reportedly has a family story tied to it. That alone had me curious. Old...
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This Old-School West Virginia Drive-In Still Shows Double Features For Just $8 A Person
Two movies, one cheap ticket, and sometimes a treat for your dog at the ticket booth. That alone made me sit up straight. This...
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Five West Virginia Factory Tours Where You Watch Glass Being Made
One glass studio in this state will take the ashes of a beloved pet and fold them into a piece of handblown glass. I had to read that twice.
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Retirees Get A Quiet River Town, Brick Sidewalks And Cheap Rent In This City in West Virginia
A shiny, red-eyed winged creature stands guard over one of the calmest downtowns in West Virginia. Nobody seems worried. In fact,...
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Seven West Virginia Spots Where Old-Country Dumplings Are Worth The Long Drive
Some of the best meals in West Virginia hide behind plain signs and gravel lots you might drive right past. You pull in hungry, not expecting much, and then a bowl of soft dumplings...
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Say It Like A Local: Six Words West Virginians Pronounce Differently Than Everyone Else
Ask someone from the Mountain State to point you toward a small valley, and you may get sent up a holler instead. That one word can tell a listener more about where you grew up...
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Folks Fill Whole Boxes At These 6 West Virginia Bakeries Before They Remember Saying Just One
You walk in planning to buy one doughnut, maybe a cookie for the drive home. Then the smell of warm bread hits, the glass case starts calling your name, and somehow you are asking...
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Lost For Decades, This Old Speedway In Fayette County Is Thundering Again On Saturday Nights In West Virginia
Some folks haven't heard that sound in twenty years, the low growl of engines echoing off the hills on a warm Saturday night. Tucked away in the mountains of West Virginia, an...
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Every Single Thing Is Gluten-Free At This West Virginia Bakery, Right Down To The Cinnamon Rolls
Some of the best food in West Virginia hides in places you would walk right past without a second look. Picture a small bakery tucked below a busy shopping center, where the smell...
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Tudor’s Biscuit World in Fayetteville Serves Up a Classic West Virginia Biscuit Breakfast
Some of the best mornings in West Virginia start in a building you would almost drive right past. It has a plain sign, a small lot, and a line of cars that seems a little too long...
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Seven West Virginia Bakeries Still Making Pepperoni Rolls The Way Fairmont Miners First Packed Them
Some of the best food in West Virginia comes wrapped in wax paper from a plain little shop you could drive past without blinking. Long before anyone called it a state snack, the...
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Homemade Flavors Like Dragon Fruit And Mocha Praline Fill The Scoops At This West Virginia Ice Cream Shop
Some of the best ice cream in West Virginia is tucked behind a plain little storefront you could easily drive right past. I almost did, until a cone in someone's hand made me hit...
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Prices Feel Like 1990 At This Main Street, Where West Virginia Retirees Stretch Every Check
I only stopped because I wanted a sandwich and a place to stretch my legs. What I found was a little West Virginia downtown where the storefronts looked like my grandmother's photo...
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In This City in West Virginia Retirees Keep Their Property Taxes Low and Catch Concerts at a Rare Carnegie Hall
Some towns in West Virginia hide their best qualities until you slow down and walk them. You park the car, grab a cup of coffee, and an hour later you are still strolling past...
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Seven West Virginia Butcher Counters Where A Pound Of Ground Beef Still Beats The Chain Store Price
I only stopped for a pound of hamburger, and I walked out with a paper-wrapped bundle and a grin I could not shake. Across West Virginia, small butcher counters are still grinding...
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Remember Saturday Matinees? Seven West Virginia Small-Town Theaters Still Sell Popcorn For A Couple Bucks
Some of the best evenings in West Virginia start with a glowing marquee on a quiet main street and the smell of hot butter drifting out the door. You walk in expecting nothing...
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Seven West Virginia Covered Bridges Where Grandpa Swore You Had To Honk Before Crossing
Grandpa always tapped the horn twice before the car rolled into that dark wooden tunnel, and nobody in the back seat ever dared ask why. Maybe it was to warn a wagon coming the...
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Seven West Virginia Pepperoni Roll Bakeries Where The Recipe Hasn’t Changed Since Your Grandpa’s Lunch Pail
Some of the best food in West Virginia comes out of buildings you might drive past without a second look. A plain storefront, a small window, a warm paper bag that smells like...
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Nobody Driving Past Would Guess This West Virginia Farmhouse Built The First Practical Steamboat
Some of the best stories in West Virginia hide behind quiet streets and shady trees, and you only find them if you slow down. Picture a small hilltop park above the Potomac River...
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America’s First Rural Free Mail Delivery Started On A Quiet West Virginia Road Near Charles Town
Picture a farm family in West Virginia, waiting days or even weeks for a letter because the nearest post office was a long wagon ride away. Then one crisp autumn morning, a few...
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Folks Drive An Hour And Grab A Number For Fresh-Cut Steaks At This West Virginia Meat Market
Some of the best meals in West Virginia start in a place you might drive right past without a second look. A plain building, a small parking lot, and a counter where people patiently...
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The Tiny Post Office In West Virginia Is A Charming Small-Town Throwback
Some of the best stops in West Virginia are the ones you almost drive right past. A small building, a flag out front, and a screen door that has seen more hellos than anyone could...
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Wooden Roller Coaster Fans Still Ride A 1920s Classic At This West Virginia Park
Some places look like nothing special from the road, and then the smell of funnel cakes hits you and the clack of a wooden coaster climbing a hill pulls you right back to being...
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A Cannon Once Guarded This Sleepy West Virginia River Town From A Confederate Raid
Some of the best stops in West Virginia are the ones you almost drive right past on your way to lunch. I went looking for a quick bite and a quiet stretch of river, and I found...
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Here’s What A Tiny Pension Actually Buys You In West Virginia
Some folks figure a small monthly check means sitting home and counting pennies. Out in the mountains of West Virginia, that same check can buy you train whistles, mountain views,...
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This Unassuming West Virginia Town Park Is Where Mother’s Day Was Actually Born
Some of the biggest stories in West Virginia hide inside the smallest, quietest buildings. You could drive past this one on a regular weekday and never guess that a holiday celebrated...
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Seven West Virginia Soup Beans And Cornbread Plates That Taste Like Grandma’s Kitchen
You pull off a two-lane road in West Virginia, hungry and a little tired, and the building in front of you looks like nothing special. Then a bowl of steaming beans lands on the...
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Glowing Salt Rocks And Zero-Gravity Chairs Turn This West Virginia Salt Cave Into The Calmest 45 Minutes Of Your Week
Some of the best surprises in West Virginia hide behind the plainest doors, like a small shopping-center suite you might drive past a hundred times. Step inside this one, and the...
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Seven West Virginia Hot Dog Stands Serving The Chili-Slaw Dog You Crave The Moment You Cross The State Line
Some of the best meals in West Virginia come wrapped in wax paper and handed through a little window. You pull off the road expecting a quick bite, and suddenly you are standing...
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Seven West Virginia Hobby Shops Where ‘Just One Thing’ Turns Into A Whole Afternoon
Some of the best afternoons in West Virginia start with a tiny errand, like grabbing a tube of paint or one replacement part for a remote control truck. Then you step inside a...
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Seven West Virginia Old-Time Candy Counters That Taste Exactly Like Your Grandparents’ Five-And-Dime
You probably drove past it a dozen times without a second look, just a plain storefront on a quiet street. Then one day you step inside, the door swings shut behind you, and the...
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The Oldest Steel Truss Bridge Still Standing In West Virginia Crosses A Quiet Wheeling Creek
Some of the best finds in West Virginia don't come with a gift shop, a ticket booth, or even a sign you'd notice at highway speed. You pull off a winding back road to stretch your...
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Walking Into This West Virginia Penitentiary Feels Like Stepping Back Into The 1800s
I nearly drove right past it the first time, thinking it was some odd old church tucked along a quiet street in West Virginia. Then the stone towers and jagged rooftops came fully...
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Locals Roared A Forgotten West Virginia Dirt Track Back To Life And Saturday Nights Came With It
Some of the best nights in West Virginia don't start at a fancy spot. They start on a hard metal bleacher, with a paper tray of something warm in your lap and the smell of clay...
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This Free West Virginia Arboretum Hides Miles Of Wildflower Trails Most Locals Have Never Walked
Some of the best walks in West Virginia start somewhere you would never think to look, like the edge of a busy college road. I went expecting a quick stroll and a few trees with...
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