Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
What other opportunities should the state be focusing on with outdoor tourism? There's plenty of golf courses, hiking trails, camp sites, state lakes, ATV trails, fishing, skiing, hunting, rafting, etc. Maybe more all-in-one resorts/destinations could help draw more families. Maybe develop a "golf course trail" of the best courses.
In regards to advertising and marketing, you have to blame the short-sighted elected officials in Charleston for not providing more funding. Forest for the trees.
Our state government has a well established habit of ignoring the most promising, and throwing endless amounts of money into economic black holes. With an investment strategy like that, fighting it out with Mississippi for who gets to claim last place is a given.
I can't help but wonder who is paying for this project? It isn't mentioned in the article.
Generally, it is like the ghetto areas of large cities. You'll have few problems in the daytime aside from some stares, but don't get out of the car at night. Keep moving.
I can't help but wonder who is paying for this project? It isn't mentioned in the article.
I'd imagine the state of WV is paying for the land acquisition and the initial build, just as they appear to have done for the other rail trails throughout the state. Then other money from transportation grants, local governments, etc will go toward improvements.
Quote:
WV Department of Transportation, Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)– is the largest funding source in WV for rail-trail acquisition, engineering, building and maintenance. This is an 80% federal, 20% local reimbursement grant program for non-traditional transportation related projects. Examples include railway depot restoration, pedestrian and bicycle facilities and rail trails. This and other grant programs have also become part of West Virginia’s Federal-aid transportation program since passage of the original ISTEA in 1991.
I'd imagine the state of WV is paying for the land acquisition and the initial build, just as they appear to have done for the other rail trails throughout the state. Then other money from transportation grants, local governments, etc will go toward improvements.
Interesting. I wasn't aware of that program. I believe this is a worthwhile endeavor, but one can't help but wonder how the state is finding money (even 20%) for any frills when they can't afford to keep the highways maintained.
That's a valid question but one thing to remember is that a majority of the road maintenance funding is federal. That and there's no need to bring logic into how the state runs the transportation and highways programs.
Investing in Clay County (which virtually has nothing in regards to state funded attraction or institutions) is always a positive. These trails are fairly simple, so its not like the state is building a resort or college there. Sometimes people get a bit carried away on this forum when it comes to things that aren't being placed in their town. Even though, these types of trails run through all kinds of similar remote areas of our state. That is kind of the idea. The scenery along the Elk River isn't comparable to the New or Greenbrier River,s however it is nice and charming. I can see campgrounds and primitive cabins popping up along the trail for hikers and bikers.
I think this is a positive for an area of our state that is struggling. It might not see tens of thousands, but for people from Charleston and surrounding areas, this is convenient. Let me be the first to tell you that the Elk River Valley is rebounding well from the 2016 flood. As bad of an event as it was, it gave the communities and people along the river a chance to start over. Clendenin is getting a very nice new elementary school, and the new Herbert Hoover (although in Elkview) will also benefit the area tremdeously. Believe it or not, but both Clay and Hoover HS are among the highest ranked schools in the state according to the US News rankings. These things factor into people looking for new places to live. I often joke about Clay and the surrounding areas, but honestly it has a chance to be a charming place to live. Clendenin, as well. A trail running along the river won't be a cure for all of the problems associated with that area, but it can help.
Investing in Clay County (which virtually has nothing in regards to state funded attraction or institutions) is always a positive. These trails are fairly simple, so its not like the state is building a resort or college there. Sometimes people get a bit carried away on this forum when it comes to things that aren't being placed in their town. Even though, these types of trails run through all kinds of similar remote areas of our state. That is kind of the idea. The scenery along the Elk River isn't comparable to the New or Greenbrier River,s however it is nice and charming. I can see campgrounds and primitive cabins popping up along the trail for hikers and bikers.
I think this is a positive for an area of our state that is struggling. It might not see tens of thousands, but for people from Charleston and surrounding areas, this is convenient. Let me be the first to tell you that the Elk River Valley is rebounding well from the 2016 flood. As bad of an event as it was, it gave the communities and people along the river a chance to start over. Clendenin is getting a very nice new elementary school, and the new Herbert Hoover (although in Elkview) will also benefit the area tremdeously. Believe it or not, but both Clay and Hoover HS are among the highest ranked schools in the state according to the US News rankings. These things factor into people looking for new places to live. I often joke about Clay and the surrounding areas, but honestly it has a chance to be a charming place to live. Clendenin, as well. A trail running along the river won't be a cure for all of the problems associated with that area, but it can help.
Of course it can help. That is not the debate or even the topic. Is it the best choice and is this the best location for that choice. I would answer maybe and no in that order.
State Government is not a social engineering program with the mission to uplift the poor. It is to conduct the business of the state in the most efficient means possible. Building an attraction in an area that will draw no one beyond the locals who will have little to no use for a walking trail - West Virginia is one of the fattest and sedentary states in the nation after all, is unwise at best.
Build and they will come almost never works and the people are voting not on Clay County but the state as a whole. No one wants to live here if they have another choice and no one that chooses to live in the state is going to choose to live in Clay County or any where north of Clendenin. Some would argue that no one will move up Elk River past Pinch and Big Chimney.
The state has limited money to invest in these projects and as much as I wish all of the projects could be built in the Charleston metro, that would not be the best place to put them. West Virginians do not use the Outdoor Recreational assets in enough numbers to support them, outside of perhaps places like the Snow Shoe and the Gorge. Every other place and even those two top examples must have out of state visitors and none of them are going to be drawn to a spruced up railroad track in Clay County surrounded by a bunch of knuckle dragging mouth breathers.
The state needs to sit down and decide what will draw those people because no one is going to move to West Virginia for the schools, healthcare or industry. Even if we were notable among those fields, other places close by have a higher density of services and easier access. West Virginia has only one that that no other place has, West Virginia itself.
The only way to exploit that is through camp grounds, activities, state parks and targeted festivals, that do not depend on the local population to support them.
If I want to rent a 4 to 6 bedroom cabin at a state park because my relatives are coming in from around the country for the holidays, I can't. They do not exist. I can find a 3 bedroom in Huntington or south of Beckley or at Snow Shoe. I live in Charleston and being in the center of the state, everything is still an hour's drive from me.
Although he had his faults, Danny Jones pointed out that there was plenty of federal grant money to build things, that was not the problem. The problem was maintaining them after they were built. What could be more of a gem in the state than the Clay Center? Look at its façade and landscaping. Boring grass and an edifice lacquered in black streaks from crown to foundation. A waling trail in the middle of no where going no where is going to be forgotten as fast as it is completed. There is no draw for it.
What other opportunities should the state be focusing on with outdoor tourism? There's plenty of golf courses, hiking trails, camp sites, state lakes, ATV trails, fishing, skiing, hunting, rafting, etc. Maybe more all-in-one resorts/destinations could help draw more families. Maybe develop a "golf course trail" of the best courses.
In regards to advertising and marketing, you have to blame the short-sighted elected officials in Charleston for not providing more funding. Forest for the trees.
While I think there are many wonderful ideas of what we could do, we have seen prime examples carried out in other states. Dollywood, Gatlinburg, Branson, Adventure Forest in Sandy Springs MD, are some of the larger options but they need not all be big. We just need one of those. We need state parks every where, with maybe hiking trails and steam trains that connect them in a circuit. All of those mountain top removal sites would make a fantastic network of new state parks. Imagination is what we need.
Of course it can help. That is not the debate or even the topic. Is it the best choice and is this the best location for that choice. I would answer maybe and no in that order.
State Government is not a social engineering program with the mission to uplift the poor. It is to conduct the business of the state in the most efficient means possible. Building an attraction in an area that will draw no one beyond the locals who will have little to no use for a walking trail - West Virginia is one of the fattest and sedentary states in the nation after all, is unwise at best.
Build and they will come almost never works and the people are voting not on Clay County but the state as a whole. No one wants to live here if they have another choice and no one that chooses to live in the state is going to choose to live in Clay County or any where north of Clendenin. Some would argue that no one will move up Elk River past Pinch and Big Chimney.
The state has limited money to invest in these projects and as much as I wish all of the projects could be built in the Charleston metro, that would not be the best place to put them. West Virginians do not use the Outdoor Recreational assets in enough numbers to support them, outside of perhaps places like the Snow Shoe and the Gorge. Every other place and even those two top examples must have out of state visitors and none of them are going to be drawn to a spruced up railroad track in Clay County surrounded by a bunch of knuckle dragging mouth breathers.
The state needs to sit down and decide what will draw those people because no one is going to move to West Virginia for the schools, healthcare or industry. Even if we were notable among those fields, other places close by have a higher density of services and easier access. West Virginia has only one that that no other place has, West Virginia itself.
The only way to exploit that is through camp grounds, activities, state parks and targeted festivals, that do not depend on the local population to support them.
If I want to rent a 4 to 6 bedroom cabin at a state park because my relatives are coming in from around the country for the holidays, I can't. They do not exist. I can find a 3 bedroom in Huntington or south of Beckley or at Snow Shoe. I live in Charleston and being in the center of the state, everything is still an hour's drive from me.
Although he had his faults, Danny Jones pointed out that there was plenty of federal grant money to build things, that was not the problem. The problem was maintaining them after they were built. What could be more of a gem in the state than the Clay Center? Look at its façade and landscaping. Boring grass and an edifice lacquered in black streaks from crown to foundation. A waling trail in the middle of no where going no where is going to be forgotten as fast as it is completed. There is no draw for it.
Well said, and you could add the "Cultural Center", whatever that is, to that. Gulag type facilities that were obsolete the day they were completed. They had to have had Alfred E. Newman's brother as the architect.
Well said, and you could add the "Cultural Center", whatever that is, to that. Gulag type facilities that were obsolete the day they were completed. They had to have had Alfred E. Newman's brother as the architect.
I assume you are talking about the Cultural Center at the Capitol Complex. It looks like a survival bunker from the 1970s. How hard was to come with that design, brick makers have been doing it since Jericho was built.
In the beginning it wasn't too bad, it looked and felt like a real museum. I went last year. O.M.G. It is a train wreck!
I do not have words for what they have done to it. I used to point people to it so that they could get a beginner's handle on what West Virginia was all about. They came back later and said, I still don't understand. So I went to see what they had on display.
It is now a plastic molded tunnel in the basement area only, that uses maybe 25% of the total available space. It looks for all the world like some community haunted house slapped together for 20 bucks at Halloween. it smells. It is dirty. It has almost nothing to do with West Virginia history and just looks dumb. An entire building for West Virginia history and one must trek to the basement and walk through STORAGE areas that are poorly lit, auditoriums that do not seem to have ever been used and long hallways with locked doors like that scene in the matrix involving the key master.
I am ashamed to call it a museum and I send no one there now.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
