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Bianca BosworthBianca Bosworth

Born in Charleston, Bianca Bosworth spent years traveling the world as a travel nurse and freelance writer. In 2009 she returned to West Virginia to pursue a career in writing and mountaineering. She now calls Putnam County near Charleston home. She can be reached at 304-575-7390 or bosworth@wvexplorer.com.
Dark, deserted road illuminated by headlights, with a stop sign at an intersection surrounded by darkness.
Arts

What is the scariest story ever written about West Virginia? One book makes a compelling case

by Bianca Bosworth

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — Of the many frightening stories associated with West Virginia, one book has a strong claim to being the scariest ever written. Published in 1975, The Mothman Prophecies by journalist John A. Keel recounts disturbing events along the Ohio River that preceded one of America’s deadliest bridge disasters. The book covers reports … Read more

White house with a stone chimney and flowering shrubs framed by two large mature shade trees.
Botany and Forestry

Why trees increase property values—and why wealthy neighborhoods have more of them

by Bianca Bosworth

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia’s wooded mountains and tree-lined neighborhoods are among the natural attractions drawing new residents, and research suggests that mature shade trees can also add thousands of dollars to home values, lower energy bills, and make neighborhoods more comfortable during summer. But those benefits are not shared equally. A 2021 national study … Read more

A model walks the runway during a fashion show. A West Virginia University researcher says the rise of weight-loss medications is coinciding with a retreat from size inclusivity in the fashion industry. (Photo by Yogendra Singh/Unsplash)
Health and Medicine

Weight-loss drugs are changing American bodies; Fashion may be changing with them

by Bianca Bosworth

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As weight-loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy reshape the bodies of millions of Americans, their influence may be reaching beyond doctors’ offices and into closets, fashion studios and clothing stores. A West Virginia University fashion researcher says the rapid rise of the medications coincides with a retreat from the body-size inclusivity … Read more

Historic buildings line German Street in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where Shepherd University will celebrate the 30th Appalachian Heritage Festival Sept. 24-26, 2026. Photo by Acroterion/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Festivals / Events

Near Washington, West Virginia festival marks 30 years of challenging Appalachian stereotypes

by Bianca Bosworth

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — About an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C., a West Virginia university will mark the 30th anniversary of a festival founded to challenge stereotypes about Appalachia and introduce audiences to the region’s cultural traditions. Shepherd University will celebrate its 30th Appalachian Heritage Festival Sept. 24-27 with music, dance, history, workshops, and other events … Read more

A surviving version of West Virginia Explorer from Aug. 18, 2000, shows the website helping readers explore the Mountain State months before Wikipedia launched in January 2001.
Travel / Transportation

Before Wikipedia, this website was helping people explore West Virginia

by Bianca Bosworth

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Before Wikipedia, WVExplorer.com helped people navigate the Mountain State. More than 25 years later, it reaches more than 100,000 monthly readers looking for places to visit, things to do, and communities to explore. “We bring businesses an audience that’s already interested in West Virginia,” said Lori Noble, the publication’s new advertising director. … Read more

August wildflowers in West Virginia: A butterfly feeds on blooming goldenrod during peak wildflower season in West Virginia. Goldenrod is among the state's most abundant late-summer native wildflowers, providing an important source of nectar for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators as autumn approaches. (Photo courtesy Michael Barrick)
Botany and Forestry

Peak summer wildflowers are blooming across West Virginia; Where to find them this August

by Bianca Bosworth

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — For many travelers, spring gets all the attention when it comes to wildflowers. Yet some of West Virginia’s most spectacular wildflowers don’t arrive until summer is nearly over. As August settles across the Mountain State, hillsides, mountain meadows, wetlands, and stream banks burst with a final wave of color. Brilliant reds, deep … Read more

An aerial view of the historic Pence Springs Hotel in Summers County, W.Va., shows the former mineral springs resort surrounded by the forests and rolling hills that made it one of Appalachia's best-known mountain retreats. The 138-acre property is now being offered for sale through Foxfire Realty.
Lodging and Real Estate

One of America’s forgotten mineral springs resorts is for sale and awaiting its next chapter

by Bianca Bosworth

PENCE SPRINGS, W.Va. — Across the United States, historic hotels are finding new life. Grand railroad resorts have become boutique inns. Former sanatoriums have reopened as wellness retreats. Long-forgotten landmarks are being restored for a new generation of travelers seeking authentic stories rather than manufactured experiences. In the mountains of southern West Virginia, one of … Read more

A tourist photographs a historic home in the Middleway National Historic District in West Virginia.
Landmarks / Museums

National Trust joins legal fight over proposed plant near one of West Virginia’s oldest villages

by Bianca Bosworth

MIDDLEWAY, W.Va. — One of the nation’s leading historic preservation organizations has joined the legal battle over a proposed industrial water-extraction and bottling facility near one of West Virginia’s oldest villages, arguing that the project would irreparably damage a nationally recognized historic district and could weaken preservation protections statewide. The National Trust for Historic Preservation … Read more

A family watches an Independence Day fireworks display from a designated sensory-friendly viewing area while wearing hearing protection. More communities are adding quiet spaces, ear protection, and other accommodations to help people with autism, PTSD, and sensory sensitivities enjoy public celebrations. (WVExplorer Illustration)
Health and Medicine

West Virginia’s America250 celebration reflects trend to sensory-friendly Fourth of July events

by Bianca Bosworth

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As thousands gathered at the West Virginia state capitol this weekend to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, organizers made a point of welcoming visitors who might otherwise avoid large Independence Day celebrations. Among the accommodations were designated sensory-friendly spaces to provide a quieter environment for children and adults with autism, post-traumatic stress … Read more