{"id":4036,"date":"2020-09-09T02:42:04","date_gmt":"2020-09-09T02:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/travelgirlinc.com\/?p=4036"},"modified":"2020-09-09T02:42:04","modified_gmt":"2020-09-09T02:42:04","slug":"west-virginia-the-new-winter-in-spot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelgirlinc.com\/west-virginia-the-new-winter-in-spot\/","title":{"rendered":"West Virginia: The New Winter \u201cIn Spot\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mountain State Delivers Down home Charm and Outstanding Winter Activities<\/span><\/h3>\n

One of my dearest friends goes skiing in West Virginia every year. I thought it was a bit odd, since I didn\u2019t consider the state a particular bastion of winter activities, but then I thought, \u2018what does someone from Opp, Alabama, know about good skiing?\u2019.
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0But then another friend also mentioned skiing in the Mountain State, and I started to wonder if something was going on here. Is West Virginia the new \u201cin spot\u201d for skiing?
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cWest Virginia is great,\u201d my friend told me. \u201cIt\u2019s closer than flying to Colorado from Atlanta and it\u2019s so much cheaper. The skiing is awesome, the people are really friendly and it\u2019s beautiful. Did I mention that it\u2019s so much cheaper?\u201d
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0Yes, one might say that winter in West Virginia is \u201cAlmost Heaven.\u201d
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0My friends ski at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, which boasts the second highest point in the state with an elevation of 4,848 feet. Snowshoe is a four-season resort that covers 11,000 acres in the Appalachian Mountain Range. There is plenty to do including spa treatments, snowmobiling, golf, tennis, tubing, ice skating, horseback riding \u2014 not to mention speeding down on 257 acres of skiable terrain, 1500 vertical feet and 60 trails. A one-day ski lift weekend pass for an adult is $99; a three-day weekend adult pass is $237.60.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A
A lone barn in the West Virginia countryside.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 Accommodations at Snowshoe consist mostly of large, well-kept condos or townhomes and a few single-family homes. Mine, a one-bedroom with a living room, dining room, kitchen and a working electric fireplace, was located in the middle of the village. Others are scattered throughout the resort and most contain a variety of amenities such as hot tubs, pools, basketball courts and laundry facilities. There are hotels including the family-owned Corduroy Inn, which is adjacent to the Powder Monkey chairlift and offers ski in\/ski out options.
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0While most people cook at least some of their meals, there are restaurants throughout the resort as well as in town. The resort\u2019s \u201ctown square\u201d features several restaurants such as Cheat Mountain Pizza and the Junction (try the Elk River Burgoo, a stew of beef, chicken, pork and vegetables). It\u2019s perfect after a morning on the slopes.
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0Our first evening we were treated to a Backcounty Hut dinner, which meant going two miles up through the Cheat Mountain Ridge Trail that runs through a towering spruce forest in a Polaris RZR to reach a cabin in the woods. Dinner was delicious but the real thrills were the crisp cold air and being far away from civilization. The stars burst through the evening sky.
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0Our second dinner was the polar opposite from our backcountry hut experience; the Appalachia Kitchen is a sophisticated, white tablecloth farm-to-table restaurant that serves modern American cuisine with regional Appalachian flare. The bison meatloaf won rave reviews and the chef uses as many local ingredients as possible.
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0Another \u201calmost heaven\u201d experience was to be found in Davis, a charming town of fewer than 700 that is truly an outdoor lover\u2019s paradise. There are two state parks, a ski resort, more than 10 miles of cross-country trails and the longest sled run in the East. Davis is about equal distance between Washington, D.C. (162 miles) and Charleston (172 miles).
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0Nestled in the higher ranges of the Allegheny Mountains, the area features amazing skiing, (it averages 160 inches of snow annually) and beautiful scenery. We did a very manageable hike in Blackwater Falls State Park (there are several hiking trails of various degrees of difficulty) to view Blackwater Falls, where amber-colored water cascades 62 feet down to the river. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"The
The falls at Blackwater Falls State Park cascade down 62 feet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Dinner was at the White Grass, a resort that serves as a XC skiing information and rental center. White Grass offers 45 trails for cross-county skiing and snow shoeing while the caf\u00e9 offers wholesome, natural foods, soups and baked goods. It was a funky, almost hippie-type of atmosphere perfect for relaxing, making friends and having fun. One almost expected a jug of moonshine to make an appearance but, alas, it didn\u2019t. A day pass is $20; boots, skis and poles are another $20.
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 Other highlights included Blackwater Falls State Park Lodge and its SmokeHouse, which offers regional fare and an outstanding view out the back, and lunch at Sirianni\u2019s Caf\u00e9, a family-run pizza joint (where everyone seems to know each other). The restaurant boasts that \u201csome say that at Sirianni\u2019s freaks appear for free and no medium drinks are served.\u201d
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0Be sure to stop at Wild Ginger & Spice, which offers a little bit of everything. Housed in an old bank (the vault showcases local honey), WG&S sells clothes, spices, jewelry, toys, essential oils, musical instruments and CBD products. The real finds are the mostly organic Annie Mac Naturals skin products that are made in a back room by store owner, Annie McIntyre.
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0West Virginia is a state overflowing in unspoiled natural beauty, excellent outdoor activities and friendly down-home folks who love their state and aren\u2019t all that anxious to change it. It\u2019s an authentic, simple way of life that brings a sense of peace and freedom. After a few days, you understand it.
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0When looking for your next winter wonderland vacation, consider West Virginia. It is, indeed, \u201calmost heaven.\u201d
\n<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0www.wvtourism.com<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mountain State Delivers Down home Charm and Outstanding Winter Activities One of my dearest friends goes skiing in West Virginia every year. I thought it was a bit odd, since I didn\u2019t consider the state a particular bastion of winter activities, but then I thought, \u2018what does someone from Opp, Alabama, know about good skiing?\u2019.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":4034,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[137],"tags":[212],"class_list":["post-4036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel","tag-west-virgina","post_format-post-format-image"],"yoast_head":"\nWest Virginia: The New Winter \u201cIn Spot\u201d - Travelgirl<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Travelgirl Magazine was created to help every woman find her oasis. 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