David Sibray
HOPEVILLE, W.Va. — Towering above the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac, Champe Rocks has drawn onlookers for generations. Along with nearby Seneca Rocks, five miles to the southwest, its sandstone fins are among the most distinctive natural landmarks in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. Unless they stop to read a … Read more
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — It happens often enough that locals know where the conversation is headed. A visitor walks into a shop or hotel and asks a front-desk clerk a seemingly simple question: “So, where is Bath?” The answer usually surprises them: “You’re in Bath.” Although the Morgan County community is widely known as Berkeley … Read more
WHEELING, W.Va. — Thousands of motorists pass it every day along the historic National Road. Many may glance up, see a stone woman carrying a child, and keep driving without realizing they’re looking at one of the nation’s most significant memorials to America’s frontier. Standing at the entrance to Wheeling Park along U.S. Route 40, … Read more
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — Travelers planning a whitewater rafting vacation in the East have no shortage of options. Pennsylvania is known for the Youghiogheny. Tennessee has the Olympic-tested Ocoee. North Carolina offers the Nantahala and French Broad. So why do experienced paddlers—and so many first-time visitors—keep choosing West Virginia? Ask the state’s rafting outfitters and tourism … Read more
GRANDVIEW, W.Va. — Most visitors come to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve to hike its rugged trails, paddle its legendary whitewater, or stand in awe at the sweeping views from Grandview. But on Tuesday evening, attention turns from the landscape to the people whose songs, stories, and traditions have echoed through these mountains … Read more
WHEELING, W.Va. — For nearly a century, a bronze Native American figure standing atop Wheeling Hill has greeted travelers arriving in the Ohio Valley. Known simply as “The Mingo,” the statue is among Wheeling‘s most recognizable landmarks. Thousands of motorists pass it each year without realizing that the monument represents a people whose history is … Read more
POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — Long before West Virginia became a state, a woman born in Liverpool, England, crossed the Atlantic, settled on the Virginia frontier, survived widowhood amid one of the region’s most violent conflicts, and became one of the best-known figures in Appalachian history. Her name was Anne Bailey. Known to later generations as … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In most parts of the United States, a hot dog is a simple meal topped with a handful of condiments. In West Virginia, it is one of the state’s most recognizable foods and a source of regional pride. The traditional West Virginia hot dog follows a formula familiar across much of the … Read more
ELKINS, W.Va. — A new outdoor recreation expo planned for August in Elkins aims to showcase the businesses, destinations, and experiences that have helped make West Virginia one of the fastest-growing outdoor tourism destinations in the eastern United States. The inaugural West Virginia Outdoor Expo is scheduled for Aug. 8-9 at The Railyard Event & … Read more
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — For many visitors, the New River begins and ends at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in southern West Virginia. They come to see the soaring steel arch of the New River Gorge Bridge, raft some of the most renowned whitewater in the eastern United States, and hike trails overlooking … Read more
