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My wife and I are considering making West Virginia our destination for our Summer vacation. For lodging, we would be looking for a cabin to stay in near the nature of the state. We do also want to see some of the cities and towns, but don't even know where would be the best place to make our primary "hub" for the week. Charleston? Morgantown? Huntington? Somewhere else?
Which option is going to have the best of everything? Outdoor beauty, (a Minor League Baseball team for my amusement..lol), hiking, restaurants, bars, a great used book store of tea shop (for my wife's amusement), etc.
I have no idea what accommodations are as far as cabins go but if that was my desire I would probably stay in the New River Gorge/Summersville area. Just a short trip to Charleston and the WV Power minor league ball club. A lot to do and see if you take the time to find it.
I have no idea what accommodations are as far as cabins go but if that was my desire I would probably stay in the New River Gorge/Summersville area. Just a short trip to Charleston and the WV Power minor league ball club. A lot to do and see if you take the time to find it.
So, is West Virginia not quite as big of a hotbed for "cabin country" or outdoor adventure as, say, the Great Smoky Mountain area of Tennessee?
Not sure where I would make my central location, but I would definitely include Morgantown and surrounding areas on your to visit list, we have a minor league team, a ton of restaurants and bars, a true Barnes and Nobel plus 2 college location Barnes and Nobel's (not sure about used book stores though), have a tea shop (has a tea serving room that serves tea and sandwiches) in an old glass factory building in downtown, a very relaxed atmosphere during the summer while the majority of the students from West Virginia University are gone, plus there are a ton of outdoor activities in this area (coopers rock, rail trails, cheat lake, white water rafting on the cheat, a state forest with a bunch of trails). I would also make sure to go down to New River Gorge area. Regarding cabins, I know the state owns and rents them out at Coopers Rock.
The cabins are all very nice and have outdoor hot tubs and fire pits. In addition, they are pet friendly if that is important to you. We enjoy the proximity to Adventures on the Gorge, ACE Adventure Resort (both of which also have lodging options) which are the two outfitters we've used. In addition to rafting, there are numerous other tourist options close by including: the New River Gorge, Fayetteville, Summersville Lake, Hawks Nest State Park, etc. If you wanted to go into Charleston one night to attend a West Virginia Power baseball game, the drive is about an hour and 15 minutes.
So, is West Virginia not quite as big of a hotbed for "cabin country" or outdoor adventure as, say, the Great Smoky Mountain area of Tennessee?
There are probably plenty, I've simply not used any in that area.
The absolute best spot in WV to pitch a tent is Seneca Shadows, all the way in the back. There is an open field with tent spots. The view in the morning when the mist starts to break up is unbeatable.
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