West Virginia offers an array of attractions near the ski resorts and across the state.
Enjoy state parks, view the state’s famous glassworks and visit a national wildlife refuge. A trip to the state may even make you want to stop and play a game of marbles.
Astronomy Observatory
Science and sky buffs will want to tour the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s (NRAO) site in Green Bank.
The NRAO builds and operates the world’s most sophisticated and advanced radio telescopes.
Visitors can view the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope, and tour the science center as well.
About 30 miles south of Green Bank, visitors will find the Falls of Hills Creek and Watoga and Droop Mountain Battlefield state parks.
For information call 1-800-336-7009 or visit www.pocahontascountywv.com.
Wheeling
While in historic Wheeling, tour the Victorian homes district, check out the Capitol Music Hall or go to the Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre and Cinema.
You can also visit nearby Oglebay — 1,650 acres featuring a variety of activities including a zoo, a glass museum, shops, an environmental education center and one of the nation’s largest Christmas light shows, the Winter Festival of Lights.
The six-mile light show tour offers a mix of traditional Christmas scenes, nursery rhyme memories and flights of fantasy.
For information call 1-800-828-3097 or visit www.wheelingcvb.com or www.oglebay-resort.com.
Marbles and Famous Glass
During West Virginia’s industrial boom in the early 20th century, coal mining communities sprouted up throughout the state.
Recreation was limited so adults and children alike shot marbles for fun.
The marbles are collectibles today, and visitors to the state can view a variety of these marbles at Tamarack, the state’s artisan center in Beckley.
Be sure to visit Paden City where a glass company makes the famous marbles.
“West Virginia is rich in industrial heritage,” said Matt Turner, national media manager for the West Virginia Division of Tourism.
“Visitors can tour family-owned glass factories that continue the tradition of producing fine hand-blown glass that is prized around the world,” he said.
“A wonderful glass museum in Wheeling and a special glass exhibit at the Huntington Museum of Art offer wonderful displays of state work,” Turner said. “Along the Ohio River on the western side of the state, there are also a number of glass factories.”
According to the division of tourism’s Web site, Fenton Art Glass, the largest manufacturer of handmade colored glass in the United States, is marking its 100th anniversary this year. To celebrate, the company has planned a variety of special events for visitors.
For maps and exact locations of glass displays throughout the state, call the division of tourism at 1-800-225-5982 or visit www.wvtourism.com.
Canaan Valley
Canaan Valley is a natural bowl-like valley that sits more than 3,000 feet above sea level.
The valley is home to state parks, ski resorts and the nation’s 500th wildlife refuge — Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
According to the refuge’s Web site, visitors can enjoy the refuge by participating in wildlife-dependent recreation, including wildlife observation and photography, hunting, fishing, environmental education and nature programs. The refuge covers more than 15,000 acres.
The nearby Monongahela National Forest includes wilderness and recreation areas such as Cranberry Glades Botanical Area, Dolly Sods, Otter Creek and Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area.
Be sure to visit Blackwater Falls State Park, which features one of West Virginia’s most photographed sites — the state’s largest waterfall.
The park boasts some of the most beautiful views anywhere in the Appalachians.
Visit www.canaanvalley.org or www.fws.gov/canaanvalley for information.
Share with others: