ABC Guide to Summer Family Fun
Plan your summer vacation with our guide to family-friendly adventures that won’t break the bank. When it comes to traveling with children, sightseeing can’t just be a spectator-sport. From tried-and-true favorites like museums and state parks to new and unusual ideas, our guide will give you great ideas on how to reconnect with your family in relaxing and entertaining ways.
Written by Nikki Bowman and Alyson Murphy
A
When visiting the Philippi or Grafton area, add a historic tour of Adaland Mansion to your day. Located outside of Philippi on top of a knoll with incredible views of the surrounding country, this striking brick home was built in 1870 and has been authentically restored.
Tours run from May 1-December 31. www.adaland.org; 304.457.1587 or 304.457.2415.
B
Visit Blackwater Falls in Davis and be wowed by the amber-colored waterfalls plunging five stories into an eight-mile-long gorge. Fallen hemlock and red spruce needles give the Blackwater River its unexpected “black” color. Enjoy the impressive view of the gorge from the lodge, rent a private deluxe cabin, or stay at the tent and trailer campground to enjoy nature’s effortless amenities. www.blackwaterfalls.com; 304.259.5216.
C
All aboard the Cass Scenic Railroad—a refurbished steam-driven locomotive that barrels through history. Feel as if you have been transported back in time, as you enjoy unparalleled mountain views to Whittaker Station, Bald Knob, and Spruce. When you visit, stay at a company house in Cass or rent a caboose. Reserve your spot for the special dinner trains—Fiddles and Vittles Train and the Murder Mystery Train. www.cassrailroad.com ; 304.456.4300.
Keep cool this summer at Canaan Valley Resort, located in the highest mountain valley east of the Rocky Mountains. Geocaching, eurobungy, hiking, paintball, chairlift rides, wall climbing, and horseback riding are just some of the activities that this four-season destination offers. www.canaanresort.com; 800.622.4121.
D
The unique scenery and vegetation of Dolly Sods, part of the Monongahela National Forest, attracts outdoor enthusiasts from around the world.
www.grantcountywva.com.
E
Calling all animal lovers! The West Virginia State Wildlife Center at French Creek is a modern zoological facility of native and introduced state wildlife. Take a tour of the spacious enclosures, where the animals interact as if they were in their natural habitat. After touring the many exhibits, refuel beneath the sheltered picnic area and then visit the gift shop.
www.wvdnr.gov/Wildlife/WildlifeCenter.shtm; 304.924.6211.
F
Calling all animal lovers! The West Virginia State Wildlife Center at French Creek is a modern zoological facility of native and introduced state wildlife. Take a tour of the spacious enclosures, where the animals interact as if they were in their natural habitat. After touring the many exhibits, refuel beneath the sheltered picnic area and then visit the gift shop. www.wvdnr.gov/Wildlife/WildlifeCenter.shtm; 304.924.6211.
G
Want a luxury getaway without the expense? Then visit The Resort at Glade Springs, a premier, four-seasons vacation destination. Glade Springs offers an abundance of on-site recreational, dining, and shopping opportunities and is conveniently located to many more. Make sure you carve out time to rejuvenate at the luxurious Spa Orange. 255 Resort Drive, Daniels; www.gladesprings.com; 866.562.8054.
H
One of West Virginia’s true tiny-town-treasures, Helvetia is a small Swiss village first settled in 1869 by Swiss and German settlers, and its isolated location has allowed the Swiss and German traditions of dance, music, and food to thrive. Enjoy an unforgettable meal at the Hutte and stay at the Beekeeper Inn. www.helvetiawv.com.
I
Ice Mountain, located in Hampshire County, gets its name from the refrigeration effect that takes place inside its talus. For generations nearby residents would make weekend pilgrimages to Ice Mountain, where they’d chip off chunks of ice to cart home to make ice cream and chilled lemonade.
J
Once just a log cabin and grist mill, Jackson’s Mill is the first state 4-H camp in the nation. The grandparents of legendary General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson settled the land in 1801. The original mill is now a museum housing artifacts related to the Jackson family history, as well as the history of milling in West Virginia
WVU Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Camp, 160 WVU Jackson Mill, Weston; www.wvu.edu/~exten/depts/jmill/jmill.htm; 304.269.5100 or 1.800.287.8206.
K
Relive your own childhood favorites while letting toys and trains entertain the kids. Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum features tours, interactive displays, a scale model of downtown Wheeling, operating train layouts, a gift shop, and thousands of toys, from dollhouses to ride-on toys. There is even a restored railroad caboose on site! 144 Kruger Street, Wheeling; www.toyandtrain.com; 304.242.8133 or 1-877-242-8133.
L
In 2000, Allegheny Energy added a 20-acre park and 4.5-mile hiking and biking trail on the banks of the eight-mile-long Cheat Lake. Cheat Lake Park and Trail also contains a children’s play area, picnic sites, boat docking facilities, and a free motor boat launch at the Sunset Marina. Pack a picnic or grab a bite to eat at The Lakehouse at 165 Sunset Beach Road or at Lakeview Golf Resort and Spa that also overlooks Cheat Lake.
www.cheatlaketoday.com/parkandtrail/default.asp; www.lakeviewresort.com.
M
Take a road trip on the scenic Midland Trail and stop at the cheerfully bizarre Quonset hut that has a Volkswagen sticking out its side and a gorilla perched on top at Mystery Hole in Ansted. Experience the law of gravity and a “hole” lot more. www.mysteryhole.com
N
New River Gorge offers a little something for everyone, making it the perfect family vacation spot. Go rock-climbing, mountain biking, or hiking on one of the 1600 trails. Take a whitewater rafting expedition or spend a lazy day fly-fishing. The endless outdoor activities will certainly exhaust you, so check out all the lodging options, from a 100-year-old bed and breakfast to rugged campgrounds and everything in between.
O
If you are looking for a day filled with science, history, and adventure, then head into southeastern West Virginia to Organ Cave. Organ Cave offers 45 miles of mapped passageways and is the 29th largest cave in the world. Witness beautiful rock formations, stalagmites, and stalactites. Tours are offered Monday-Saturday. www.organcave.com; 304.645.7600.
P
West Virginia is blessed with an unparalleled state park system that offers inexpensive and unforgettable adventures. For more information, call 1.800.CALL.WV.
- With over 10,000 acres, Watoga State Park is West Virginia’s largest state park; www.watoga.com;
- Chief Logan State Park is a 4,000-acre park in the southern part of the state. With a campground, outdoor amphitheater, wildlife center, hiking trails, swimming pool with water slide, tennis, playgrounds, and miniature golf, it is a popular destination.
www.chiefloganstatepark.com.
- Whitewater rafting, breathtaking hiking trails, The River Nature Center, and the aerial tramway make Hawks Nest State Park a summer must.
www.hawksnestsp.com.
- Beartown State Park is located on the eastern summit of Droop Mountain. Pack a picnic and enjoy its massive boulders and unique rock formations.
- Located at the tip of the Northern Panhandle, Tomlinson Run State Park offers heavily forested hills, overhanging cliffs of sandstone and shale and an abundance of wildflowers. Bring the kids to the swimming pool—they will squeal with delight on the 182-foot figure-eight-shaped waterslide.
www.tomlinsonrunsp.com
Q
West Virginia has many quaint small towns that make wonderful get-away destinations. From Bethany, Berkeley Springs, and Buckhannon to Beverly, Shepherdstown, and Thomas, there’s a nearby gem awaiting your visit.
R
Get your staycation on track by experiencing a railroad adventure. Take the Potomac Eagle on a three-hour narrated excursion along the South Branch of the Potomac into the eastern home of the American Bald Eagle. Visit www.potomaceagle.info; 304.424.0736.
Or ride the Durbin Rocket, a rare steam locomotive that will take you along the Greenbrier River. Spend the night in the Castaway Caboose—a caboose outfitted with a refrigerator, range, heat, linens, towels, utensils, full-size shower, and restroom that is “castaway” in secluded wilderness.
The Cheat Mountain Salamander offers wilderness excursions as well. Visit www.mountainrail.meer.net for more information on unique rail packages.
S
Seneca Rocks is one of the best-known landmarks in West Virginia, rising nearly 900 feet above the North Fork. The beautiful rock outcroppings are breathtaking, and the 375 climbing routes attract experienced rock climbers from around the world. A 1.3-mile trail from behind the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center allows non-climbers to meander up the north edge of the rocks to a viewing platform. Two rock climbing schools are located in the communities of Seneca Rocks and nearby Riverton.
Seneca Rocks Discovery Center, at the intersection of Rt 28 and Rt 33; www.fs.fed.us/r9/mnf/sp/senrcks_txt.html; 304.567.2827
T
ThistleDew Farm in Proctor houses over 700 beehives, a gift shop, and the Mountain Craft Shop, where you can find unusual reproduction folk toys like the ones once passed down from generation to generation and an array of high-quality honey, beeswax, and bee products. Make sure you seek out Steve Conlon while you are there—deemed “The Bee Man” for his beard of live bees, he once appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
www.thistledewfarm.com; 800.85HONEY.
U
Take advantage of the summer lull and investigate what makes the state’s charming university towns of Fairmont, Huntington, Elkins, Morgantown, Bethany, Philippi, and Shepherdstown not just higher education destinations but attraction-packed summer vacation spots—and you won’t even have to crack a book!
V
Chosen as a National Geographic’s Prime Appalachian Destination Award, Huntington’s Heritage Farm Museum and Village is a treasure trove of Appalachian history and five antique-furnished log homes are available for B&B rentals, making it a perfect spot for reunions or family vacations.
www.heritagefarmmuseum.com; 304.522.1244.
W
Beat the sweltering heat by bringing the whole family to Waves of Fun Water Park in Hurricane, West Virginia’s choice water park attraction. The gigantic wave pool mimics the ocean, while the spiraling Aqua Tube will get your adrenaline pumping. 1 Valley Park Drive, Hurricane; 304.562.0518 or 304.562.2355.
Beat the summer heat indoors with a visit to Morgantown’s WOW Factory: a new, locally-owned craft-based fun center for the whole family. Paint your own pottery, or design your own jewelry and vases with the art of glass fusing. Create a unique mosaic, or take a pottery class to try something new. Offering party packages, summer camps, and workshops, the WOW Factory will become a weekly obsession for you and your children.
WOW Factory, 3453 University Avenue, Morgantown; www.wowfactoryonline.com; 304.599.2969.
X
Interested in the x-files? Then visit Green Bank Science Center, home of the world’s largest radio telescope that studies planets, comets, quasars and galaxies by recording the different amounts of radio emissions. With interactive exhibits, café, and guided tour of Green Bank Telescope, this will be an experience your family will always remember.
GreenBank Science Center, 304.456.2150; www.gb.nrao.edu/epo/aec.shtml.
Y
The Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia is located near the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and is made up of four railroad boxcars. Designed to entertain as well as educate, the exhibits range from “T-Rex”, “Bats”, and “Artist in the Studio” to “Page after Page,” an award-winning children’s authors presentation. Tours include a visit to the Museum’s planetarium.
www.beckleymine.com/ym/ym-overview.cfm; 304.252.3730.
Z
This summer take the kids to West Virginia’s only zoo—the Good Zoo in Wheeling. In addition to viewing animals from around the world, children will enjoy a train ride, the Indoor Discovery Lab, and the Benedum Planetarium.
www.oglebay-resort.com/goodzoo.
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