Just coming off of a long weekend with my family in the mountains of West Virginia. If you love the outdoors and you haven’t had a chance to visit the Mountain State (aka Wild, Wonderful West Virginia or Almost Heaven, West Virginia), you need to get there. And get there quickly because the fall foliage is cranking up and is sure to be one of the best.
Our family visits West Virginia often. It’s definitely one of the prettiest states in the US. We can’t help but relax there, and it is only a few hours from our busy, conjested, Mid-Atlantic/East Coast metro area. Just last week we took advantage of a four day weekend and hopped down to the Lewisburg-White Sulphur Springs area (home to the luxurious Greenbrier Hotel) and rented a cabin. Our front yard spilled into the Greenbrier River, a favorite spot for many a fly fisherman, and our back yard bordered the Greenbrier River Trail, former railroad track turned biking and hiking trail, ranked one of the top 10 best biking trails in the US by some outdoor magazine that I don’t remember now.
But I learned something I didn’t know before the weekend…that “mountain biking” may mean something differently to different people. For instance, I loved the fact that the Greenbrier River Trail was relatively flat…no hills, whatsoever, beautiful fall foliage surrounding the Greenbrier River. My son, or the other hand, found it to be “BORING.” So the next day operating as peace-keeper, I suggested that we go to Watoga State Park (West Virginia’s largest state park which was less than a mile away) and bike the trails. Well, I can tell you this. My twelve-year old son and husband had a blast. I came back, however, covered, no caked, with mud (from landing in the biggest mud puddle on the mountain). The only redeeming factor was when we came off the mountain people thought I was a REAL mountain-biker (and I was!).
btw-did I mention that the people from West Virginia are probably the friendliest people you’ll ever meet? You’re tempted to ask them for directions even when you don’t need any. And the entire state is enjoying a very successful college football season from #4 ranked West Virginia University. Go Mountaineers!!
Susan of Women’s Work
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