What to do in West Virginia

So you’re stuck in West Virginia. You’re getting ready to hop into a time machine and go where life moves a little slower, good old West Virginia. The home of the mountaineers doesn’t have too much to offer, but the second you set foot on the Morgantown campus, West Virginia pride won’t be too far behind.

No matter what season it is when you choose to venture to the West of the East, you will always be able to find the gold and blue playing some sort of sport with the passionate Mountaineer crazies not too far behind. Pride is the one word you will find entering your head when walking through downtown Morgantown. From pizza parlors to beauty shops to bookstores and churches, everyone will have the WV colors hanging proudly in their window.

Once you’re finished reliving your youth on their hilly college campus, the next step would be to explore some on West Virginia’s great golf courses. The two that stand out are the Lake View Golf Course and the Paradise Lake Golf Course. Both of which have their own pros and cons, but both can list their beautiful locations with lakes on site in their pro columns.

Lake View is ranked in the top 100 public golf courses in America and was given a four star rating by Golf Digest. The 18-hole course is a par 72 and costs roughly $100 for a full day of golf.

Paradise Lake is a great golf spot for beginners. This nine-hole course isn’t nearly as difficult as Lake View and creates a very relaxed environment that is more suited towards families trying to enjoy a vacation.

If golf doesn’t seem like it is exciting enough to fit into your itinerary, don’t fret, West Virginia has ample other attractions that are bound to leave you searching for your breath.

If you’re feeling extra adventurous you could go white water rafting down the rapid filled Cheat River. The Cheat River facilities will offer more than just white water rafting and for the land lovers, both paintball and rock climbing are available. All three of these excursions will all be held under supervision, which makes the margin for error very small.

To keep on pace with these exciting adventures, West Virginia offers some great rocks for climbing. One specific spot, the Coopers Rock State Forest, is a great spot for inexperienced hikers to get their feet on the ground and enjoy some serene wildlife. The hike lazily follows the Laurel Run and should take no more than three hours to complete.

West Virginia also offers some great annual festivals. My personal favorite takes place each January at the Lakewood Resort. The Festival of Food and Wine occurs in the resort overlooking the golf course and combines some of West Virginia’s top chefs to compete in a fun iron chef based competition that includes plenty of wine to easy the mood.

When taking the long trip west across I-95 there is always one thing to look forward to, the hospitality and inevitably good times that keep rolling along good old Country Road.

Richard is a student at Rutgers University double majoring in Journalism/Media Studies and English. He has been exploring various areas of journalism, but often finds himself inevitably returning to the subject matter that drew him to writing to begin with, sports. He tries to combine elements from both of his majors to create interesting, vivid articles that exemplify the imagery expressed in poetry. As a junior in college still trying to find his way, Richard plans to do a lot of soul searching during a summer filled with traveling to music festivals, Bonnaroo in Tennessee, and some adventures that would leave Jack Kerouac impressed.