Moving to north-central WV with kids--suggestions? advice? (Elkins, Buckhannon: house, college)

[GottaHerdOn]

Originally Posted by LilyLaLa

Kingwood is giving Beverly a run for its money after another Google. From the website of the Preston County Buckwheat Festival (in Kingwood):

"King Buckwheat LXVII will also be named at the May 7 event and the escorts for the Maids and Senior Princesses will be formally introduced. "
Preston County Buckwheat Festival- Official Site

King Buckwheat LXVII...those are real roman numerals. I could so live in a town that uses roman numerals.

(My husband is asking if it's buckwheat the food or Buckwheat the Little Rascal, oh good lord...)

Has anyone been to the Buckwheat Festival? Is it as adorable as it looks??

The Buckwheat festival can't hold a candle to the forest festival in Elkins. Although it is my 2nd favorite!!! ha ha We use roman numerals as well.

Mountain State Forest Festival - Elkins, West Virginia

If you like history, as Snorpus mentioned Beverly could be perfect for you. It's a smaller town of around 1,000 or so within 10 minutes of Elkins (7,000 proper, 14,000 in outlying areas) You should really look into the Weese Street District of Elkins as well. It is behind the courthouse and over to the campus of Davis & Elkins College. Very beautiful houses, streets, sidewalks, trees!!!

If you have anymore specific questions about Elkins, Beverly, or any area in Randolph county in general. Please feel free to ask me. I've lived there 21 years, I'm just starting my senior year at Marshall University. But I'm actually heading back to Elkins tomorrow evening for the weekend. As for schools I would advise the Midland, and 3rd Ward Districts for elementary schools. There is only one middle school and high school in Elkins, that serves Beverly as well.

I found a really nice compilation of pictures you could look at.

Elkins, West Virginia pictures from mid atlantic photos on webshots

[LilyLaLa]

Ok, I know buckwheat (son can't have gluten) and I know Grandpa Jones, but ramps? **off to Google again**

Those festivals are exactly the type of community spirit, hometown fun I'm hoping to find--thanks!

So ramps are like wild leeks (says Wikipedia). I grow leeks...gotta try this! Yours look nothing like mine, but I do like good food. I never heard of ramps before, so when I saw it mentioned on the forum earlier, was too embarassed to jump in to ask "who he?"

Thanks!

[LilyLaLa]

Lovely pictures of Elkins, thanks! Photos are a huge help, but most of what I've found on my own are individual houses, and people, which don't tell much about a town in general.

If we found a place in Elkins, maybe I could convince my oldest daughter to apply to the college there (hoping to keep her with me a few more years) And the Forest Festival is a definite; I love trees trees and more trees.

I am loving Beverly too, but there aren't many houses for sale just now ... not unexpectedly of course, it's how historic towns stay so pretty I suppose. So thanks for pointing out areas of Elkins to look in--it seems to have a lot more choices in house listings.

A big plus in Elkins is also the train...forgot to mention, but our family (especially our son) MUST have trains close by. It's in the blood LOL

Thanks again!

[snorpus]

In addition to the train that runs from the restored depot in Elkins, there are three more in the area.

Mountain Rail, the company that runs the Tygart Flyer and Mountain Explorer out of Elkins, also operate the Cheat Mountain Salamander (which goes from the High Falls of the Cheat River, along Shavers Fork, to the ghost town of Spruce) and the Durbin Rocket (from the town of Durbin along the Greenbrier River).

Probably the most famous restored train operation in West Virginia is the Cass Scenic Railroad. This is actually a State Park; you've probably discovered by now that WV has a lot of excellent State Parks. Cass WV was a lumber town about a century ago. The railroad goes up the mountain, and was used to bring the cut timber off the mountain to the mill and mainline rails in Cass. When the lumber operation ceased about 1960, the state took over the railroad. Former company houses in town have been rehabilitated to become cottages for overnight accommodations. It has the largest collection of geared steam locomotives in the world. Cass is located about an hour southeast of Elkins, in Pocahontas County.

[David Kennedy]

Don't forget the 'Potomac Eagle out of Romney...see the bald eagles along the river as it meanders through the 'Trough to Moorefield and Petersburg...

Every single one of these Wv trains is an unforgettable experience...and worth every cent...

[snorpus]

I left the Eagle out only because it's a bit of an excursion from Elkins to Romney, whilst the others are in the immediate neighborhood.

We're planning on taking the dinner train on the Mountain Explorer some time this summer.

[David Kennedy]

And you've hit on a great idea Snorpus...a person could establish a base camp in the region and experience all those trains in a week...

What a guide service that would be...
makes the hair stand up on the back of my head...

[snorpus]

That's another one of those hidden business opportunities. Package trips on the trains with accommodations at B&Bs, get one of those big vans like the rafting operators use, maybe throw in some optional trips like Blackwater, Seneca Rocks, Dolly Sods, Cranberry Glades.

Elkiins would be an ideal hub for "Mountaineer Scenic Rail Tours."

[LilyLaLa]

Wow!!

You are two are the business!! Thanks!

I do have a stack of train brochures from our last trip to WV, but you've mentioned some I didn't have, so I'll look them up too.

Our family's very open to business ideas actually... while it's not necessary to our move, the ideas are not unwelcome either, and what a dream job this sounds like. I honestly feel that if you wouldn't do your job for free, then you shouldn't do it at all. And I can see us running a guest house on a 'train theme' with excursions ... and loving it.

hmmmm....

no, on second thought, no no no. It would be just too good to be true!

[GottaHerdOn]

Originally Posted by snorpus

That's another one of those hidden business opportunities. Package trips on the trains with accommodations at B&Bs, get one of those big vans like the rafting operators use, maybe throw in some optional trips like Blackwater, Seneca Rocks, Dolly Sods, Cranberry Glades.

Elkins would be an ideal hub for "Mountaineer Scenic Rail Tours."

Very good point guys!

The Randolph County Development Authority is modeling the whole former railyard around a tourist/railroad theme.
American Mountain Theater, which offers Branson, Missouri style entertainment just built a new large theater in the railyard. It is the only type of this theater in the state. Anyway, the American Mountain Theater is now offering packages for Elkins excursions if you will. The packages include a ride on the Tygart Flyer, lodging at local hotels (many to choose from, two that opened in the past year are Hampton Inn, and Holiday Inn Express) as well as tickets to a show. Brochures are also available mapping out downtown Elkins businesses. Kennedy and Snorpus if you are ever in Elkins stop by the Kissel Stop coffee shop on 3rd street!! Starbucks can't even compare!!

I'll let you look at this...

American Mountain Theatre West Virginia

The New Tygart Flyer, scenic train excursion in Elkins and Belington WV (broken link)

Also Kennedy you can now easily see Eagles on the Tygart Flyer. Which just blew my mind that we now have Eagles in Randolph County. But evidently on my grandfathers property my family has seen a dozen or so this year alone. Wait a few more years and they may be over to Clarksburg

Lily - Looking at some homes, I'd suggest taking a look at these realtor’s websites.

Amy Busch Schumacher, Broker **by Reveal Systems, Inc.

Lone Wolfe Real Estate - Elkins, WV

Johnson Realty: West Virginia Real Estate - Elkins, WV

Again, if I can be any help... just let me know