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In case there are any other suckers – er, tourists – out there reading the hype of the Greater Morgantown Visitors’ Guide, let me save you some trouble. Skip Morgantown. Spend your day doing something constructive, like hitting your head with a hammer.
The woman who “helped” us (and I use the term loosely) at the downtown visitors’ center never smiled. Not once. She looked like she’d just eaten a sour pickle. When I asked about nearby surface parking for the bike trail, she stared as if I’d requested directions to the Temple for Human Sacrifice.
The bike trail was OK, if you don’t mind biking 6 minutes in one direction to learn that one end of the trail is closed…returning to the midpoint…and biking 7 minutes in the other direction to discover that the other end is also closed. Yes, major portions of the trail are under construction at the start of the autumn biking season. Nice touch.
The guidebook makes the city’s Personal Rapid Transit system sound like the eighth wonder of the world. In reality, the PRT is a crumbling, inefficient and confusing operation that was probably auctioned off from Disneyland 30 years ago. You can’t actually reach many stops shown on the guidebook’s map. For a while we wondered if we’d even get back to our starting point. (If you ride the PRT, bring lots of quarters.) One highlight of the trip: seeing the quivering body of a dead – I hope – chipmunk electrocuted on the track. Later I learned that WVU students refer to the PRT as the Pretty Retarded Train.
When we asked a student how to reach the WVU Arboretum, she said: “You mean the place with the trees?” I hope she wasn’t a horticulture major.
Next I approached an older woman, who said the Arboretum was on the other side of the freeway. Referring to my Green Bay Packers cap, she said we’d get run over if we tried to cross the highway. Nice way to welcome an out-of-towner, eh? I hope all Pittsburgh Steelers fans aren’t such sore losers. Later it dawned on me: the whole state of West Virginia has just one sports team: West Virginia University. So they have to root for an NFL franchise in another state! Sad.
The tourist guidebook has other cute little bait-and-switches. One place described as a collection of artsy shops is currently being converted into legal offices. Another store supposedly has loads of Don Knotts merchandise; this amounts to one section of store shelving about five feet across. I guess the pickle lady at the tourism bureau is so busy snubbing tourists that she doesn’t have time to update the guidebook.
We finally gave up and went to nearby Cooper’s Rock State Forest, which was fabulous. It’s well outside the gravitational sucker-pull of Morgantown tourism. Go there instead, and you’ll have a fantastic day.
lmao...you actually thought a little tram system built specifically to get between 2 campuses was something worthwhile to take on vacation? I didn't even use that thing when I was a student. Most people I know hate the arboretum based upon its location. Hopefully, they bulldoze the thing and use the space for Coliseum parking.
Though you are right about a lot of this stuff. Morgantown isn't really "artsy." It's a decent place to live, though. The PRT is the most annoying mode of transportation ever devised. I'm amazed you didn't complain about traffic.
Though you are pretty stupid for thinking that a state with 1.8 million people would have an NFL team...or that it is "sad" that they root for one that is an hour and change to the North.
Oh well. Whatever. I hope you feel better now that you got all of that out of your system using the wonderful anonymity of the interwebs.
Yeah my grandparents got that guidebook when they stayed at the Residence Inn Marriott. I noticed the page with the map of the PRT was grossly inaccurate. I think they included a map that portrayed what was once planned for the PRT but never materialized. If you were looking for a cool little mountain town getaway, you won't find that here, although they do try to portray it as such. For take two, I strongly recommend making a trip to Western Maryland. It's the only mountain region in the state so it has a lot more and nicer touristy things to do.
In case there are any other suckers – er, tourists – out there reading the hype of the Greater Morgantown Visitors’ Guide, let me save you some trouble. Skip Morgantown. Spend your day doing something constructive, like hitting your head with a hammer.
The woman who “helped” us (and I use the term loosely) at the downtown visitors’ center never smiled. Not once. She looked like she’d just eaten a sour pickle. When I asked about nearby surface parking for the bike trail, she stared as if I’d requested directions to the Temple for Human Sacrifice.
The bike trail was OK, if you don’t mind biking 6 minutes in one direction to learn that one end of the trail is closed…returning to the midpoint…and biking 7 minutes in the other direction to discover that the other end is also closed. Yes, major portions of the trail are under construction at the start of the autumn biking season. Nice touch.
The guidebook makes the city’s Personal Rapid Transit system sound like the eighth wonder of the world. In reality, the PRT is a crumbling, inefficient and confusing operation that was probably auctioned off from Disneyland 30 years ago. You can’t actually reach many stops shown on the guidebook’s map. For a while we wondered if we’d even get back to our starting point. (If you ride the PRT, bring lots of quarters.) One highlight of the trip: seeing the quivering body of a dead – I hope – chipmunk electrocuted on the track. Later I learned that WVU students refer to the PRT as the Pretty Retarded Train.
When we asked a student how to reach the WVU Arboretum, she said: “You mean the place with the trees?” I hope she wasn’t a horticulture major.
Next I approached an older woman, who said the Arboretum was on the other side of the freeway. Referring to my Green Bay Packers cap, she said we’d get run over if we tried to cross the highway. Nice way to welcome an out-of-towner, eh? I hope all Pittsburgh Steelers fans aren’t such sore losers. Later it dawned on me: the whole state of West Virginia has just one sports team: West Virginia University. So they have to root for an NFL franchise in another state! Sad.
The tourist guidebook has other cute little bait-and-switches. One place described as a collection of artsy shops is currently being converted into legal offices. Another store supposedly has loads of Don Knotts merchandise; this amounts to one section of store shelving about five feet across. I guess the pickle lady at the tourism bureau is so busy snubbing tourists that she doesn’t have time to update the guidebook.
We finally gave up and went to nearby Cooper’s Rock State Forest, which was fabulous. It’s well outside the gravitational sucker-pull of Morgantown tourism. Go there instead, and you’ll have a fantastic day.
I didnt know Morgantown had tourist. It is a nice place to live, go to school, or watch a game, but I dont see it offering tourist much.
WVUPharm2007 said: you actually thought a little tram system built specifically to get between 2 campuses was something worthwhile to take on vacation?
Yes. The guidebook has a full page about it and also recommended it among the "top things to do in M-town"...which is one reason I'm so steamed about being duped by the guidebook.
WVUPharm2007 said: I'm amazed you didn't complain about traffic.
It wasn't bad, actually -- maybe because we avoided rush hour.
drs72 said: If you were looking for a cool little mountain town getaway, you won't find that here, although they do try to portray it as such.
The tourism bureau portrays Morgantown as THE place to visit in WV, with tons of things to do. But when the top items on our things-to-do list kept striking out, we got increasingly bummed.
I strongly recommend making a trip to Western Maryland. It's the only mountain region in the state so it has a lot more and nicer touristy things to do.
Right you are. We spent a day at Harper's Ferry; it was the highlight of the trip!
bobbycon said: Deep Creek Lake is fantastic.
I appreciate the info.
cry_havoc said: Ironically Morgantown is considered one of the better walking cities in the country and the best in WV. Tells you a lot about the country and the state if Morgantown is ranked so high.
To be fair, that may be due to the mountainous or rolling terrain throughout the state, coupled with narrow, twisting roads. We expected that before visiting and weren't dismayed by it.
It is a nice place to live, go to school, or watch a game
I'm sure it is. The tourism bureau simply oversold the tourist aspect of the city.
Thanks, everybody, for letting me sound off. I'd like to add that we found much to enjoy throughout West Virginia. We rode several bike trails that would be the envy of any state. The state parks are awesome. The freeways, country roads and tourist waysides are great, and they make getting around very easy. You have much to be proud of! I will keep those memories in my heart; a bit of disappointment about Morgantown won't change that.
Not sure what you're looking for, but you don't want to come to town for a backpacking expedition. Our town has great amenities as a place to live and work, nice restaurants, and a lively arts scene. We don't have the Empire State Building or Battery Park. And, as you discovered there are absolutely awesome outdoor venues right out the back door.
The PRT is not one of the seven wonders of the world. It is a somewhat efficient way to travel between certain places in our small town, but it is 40 years old and needs significant upgrades. Those are planned.
WVUPharm2007 said: you actually thought a little tram system built specifically to get between 2 campuses was something worthwhile to take on vacation?
Yes. The guidebook has a full page about it and also recommended it among the "top things to do in M-town"...which is one reason I'm so steamed about being duped by the guidebook.
WVUPharm2007 said: I'm amazed you didn't complain about traffic.
It wasn't bad, actually -- maybe because we avoided rush hour.
drs72 said: If you were looking for a cool little mountain town getaway, you won't find that here, although they do try to portray it as such.
The tourism bureau portrays Morgantown as THE place to visit in WV, with tons of things to do. But when the top items on our things-to-do list kept striking out, we got increasingly bummed.
I strongly recommend making a trip to Western Maryland. It's the only mountain region in the state so it has a lot more and nicer touristy things to do.
Right you are. We spent a day at Harper's Ferry; it was the highlight of the trip!
bobbycon said: Deep Creek Lake is fantastic.
I appreciate the info.
cry_havoc said: Ironically Morgantown is considered one of the better walking cities in the country and the best in WV. Tells you a lot about the country and the state if Morgantown is ranked so high.
To be fair, that may be due to the mountainous or rolling terrain throughout the state, coupled with narrow, twisting roads. We expected that before visiting and weren't dismayed by it.
It is a nice place to live, go to school, or watch a game
I'm sure it is. The tourism bureau simply oversold the tourist aspect of the city.
Thanks, everybody, for letting me sound off. I'd like to add that we found much to enjoy throughout West Virginia. We rode several bike trails that would be the envy of any state. The state parks are awesome. The freeways, country roads and tourist waysides are great, and they make getting around very easy. You have much to be proud of! I will keep those memories in my heart; a bit of disappointment about Morgantown won't change that.
The moral of the story is don't tourism bureaus. They are paid to make it seem like a tourist place. I second deep creek, and recommend going to canaan valley next tine you are in wv.
drs72 said: I strongly recommend making a trip to Western Maryland. It's the only mountain region in the state so it has a lot more and nicer touristy things to do.
Right you are. We spent a day at Harper's Ferry; it was the highlight of the trip!
Well Harpers Ferry is in West Virginia, but it is probably the coolest little town in the state and has a lot of history. Shepherdstown and Berkeley Springs are two other neat little WV towns in that area.
What I was referring to when I said Western Maryland was Garrett and Allegany County. Deep Creek Lake in Garrett Co. has been ranked as one of the top ten lake towns in the country and is really a gem. It is the largest lake in the state. Adjacent to the lake is Wisp Resort, a four season resort with what's probably the best skiing/snowboarding/tubing in the state. A couple miles away is Swallow Falls State Park. Here you'll find Maryland's tallest waterfall, Muddy Creek Falls, and some small, sloping falls that you can slide down if the water level is right. This is all located on the Youghiogheny River in the midst of an impressive old growth forest. Oakland and Grantsville are quaint little mountain towns worth checking out. I recommend Englanders (Dottie's Fountain and Grill) in Oakland (an old-fashioned soda fountain) and Penn Alps in Grantsville. The Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal Towpath meet in Cumberland in Allegany County and are truly top-of-the-line biking trails. While in Cumberland, be sure to explore Baltimore Street (a brick-paved pedestrial mall closed to traffic) and Canal Place. You'll find restaurants, ice cream, a theater, art galleries, antique shops, etc. Certain nights have live music, dining under the stars, and other events. I recommend The Crabby Pig/Baltimore St. Grill/Ristorante Ottaviani and Queen City Creamery. At the height of fall foliage, take the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad from downtown Cumberland to Frostburg. You'll have some time to check out Main Street in Frostburg before the return trip and it's really worth taking a look. As I said, Western Maryland is the mountain region of the state, so it's been taken to full potential as a "mountain getaway."
In West Virginia, Elkins, Canaan Valley, Blackwater Falls, Seneca Rocks, etc. play that role and they are nice too.
The place you went with all the trees is the Core Arboretum. It's full of trees, if you're into those. What you might have been looking for is the really nice West Virginia Botanic Garden. It's located near Cheat Lake...
Both have walking trails, but Core's trail is mostly dirt and takes you through the woods and down to the river where it connects with the hiking/biking trail.
That trail is interrupted in places where they are working on infrastructure, but the good news is they are putting it back in place in even better shape than before when they are finished.
If you're into history, except for The University, out area doesn't have as much as Harpers Ferry or Wheeling, as you pointed out. We have some, but it isn't our strong suit. H.F. and Wheeling go back to the colonial era, and they have lots of that. Next time you're in town, ask for advice from somebody on this forum rather than go to where they pass out commercial brochures. We can steer you in a direction that suits your particular tastes. At this particular time, the best biking is out the Deckers Creek Trail which, if taken for some distance, will take you into some pretty spectacular scenery and further out to Elenor Roosevelt's Arthurdale community, which has a nice little museum and plenty of history.
The Appalachian Gallery, which used to be located in the building now being converted into legal offices, has moved into a beautiful restored victorian about three blocks away. Welcome to Appalachian Gallery
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