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The Spirits of WV

January 25th, 2012

You’ll find plenty of West Virginia ghost stories in these parts, but the latest bunch of spirits around here are of a different kind. These spirits are of the bottled nature and are beginning to tell a tale all their own.

Appalachia is rich with tales of mountain men making their own alcohol. Pictures of mountain men often show a jug somewhere close by. Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew and hooch are all monikers for homemade alcohol.

Today, WV has quite a few businesses devoted to producing (legal) alcoholic beverages.  Here’s a look at some of the southern West Virginia wineries, breweries, and distilleries you can visit on your next trip to our neck of the woods.

Wine

Kirkwood Winery planted its first grapes in 1984, and not too long after became southern WV’s first winery. Located in Nicholas County, Kirkwood produces a variety of different wines that include flavors like blackberry, apple, plum,

The Vines at Watts Roost Vineyard

rhubarb, and even ginseng. Kirkwood Winery is also the home to the  “Grape Stomping Festival” held annually the third weekend of September.

 

Daniel Vineyards in Raleigh County is a must-see stop on your southern WV Spirits Tour.  This winery was opened in 1990 and has become a great place for not only wine, but for events, parties, and weddings. Stop in at Daniel’s beautiful tasting room, which overlooks the vineyard.  Their wines can be found in many places around southern WV, including nearby Tamarack.

Watts Roost Vineyard, southern WV’s youngest winery established in 1998, grows their grapes and bottles their wine in Greenbrier County.  The vines flourish at the foot of Muddy Creek Mountain near Lewisburg where you will find 9000 plants on 9 acres.  The tasting room at Watts Roost is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 1-6pm or by appointment.  Wines are also available at retail outlets in West Virginia.

 

Distilleries

The folks at the Kirkwood Winery decided a few years back that maybe wine wasn’t all they could produce on their little farm in Summersville. They formed the Isaiah Morgan Distillery in 2002 and started producing small batches of rye and corn whiskey for sale at state licensed retailers. Their products harken back to the whiskey that was produced in a different era.

A bit newer to the scene is Smooth Ambler Spirits, located in Greenbrier County. This small batch distillery got its start in 2009 and produces not only white whiskey and bourbon, but vodka and gin as well. Smooth Ambler’s location allows it to take advantage of excellent mountain water. This distillery is helping keep a WV tradition alive and well.

Beer

The newest offering for southern WV imbibers comes in the form of craft brewed beer from Bridge Brew Works, a small Microbrewery between Fayetteville and Oak Hill. In just a little over 2 years, Bridge Brew Works already has a great following and an expanding distribution area. Their signature beers, Long Point Lager and Bridge Brew Ale, are available throughout southern West Virginia.  Bridge Brew Works also creates special and seasonal beers.  In fact, Beer Advocate recently gave glowing reviews to their Dubbel and Tripel beers.

What’s your favorite southern West Virginia spirit?

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What’s Your Choice of Lodging in the Gorge Area

January 19th, 2012

Southern West Virginia has every type of lodging. From functional to elegant, and everything in between, you can find a place to stay that suits your needs (and your wallet). In fact, there are so many choices you may just have trouble making a decision.

We can help.  Here’s a rundown of some local options.

Cabin in the Country

Bed and Breakfast

There are many great B&B’s throughout the area, many with interesting history or cool surroundings. This type of lodging is perfect for folks who have a very outgoing personality and like to meet new people. The quaint nature and communal style of B&B’s isn’t for everyone, but if you’re up for the intimacy of this type of lodging, it can be a really special experience.

Remember, B&B’s are typically small.  They tend to work best for couples and small groups of travelers.

Cabins

Cabin stays have become very popular in southern West Virginia, and the inventory here  has grown tremendously over the last decade.  Area cabin types vary from small rustic models that are just a step above camping, to luxurious rentals that may be nicer than home. There are both privately owned cabins and those that are part of resorts or other facilities.

Cabins can work well for everyone; from couples who like their privacy to large groups looking to stay together in the same, homey place. Some cabin businesses have models that can sleep up to 20 people.  Most cabins have great access to the hiking, biking and other area activities. If you want a vacation that feels like home away from home, then a cabin stay is for you.

Hotels

Hotels have offered quick, easy, and convenient lodging here for decades. This area has plenty  hotels to choose from and most are located close to food and entertainment opportunities.

If you look at your vacation strictly as a getaway from everything normal (cooking, cleaning and the like), then a hotel stay will work really well for you.

And to really immerse yourself in the beauty of West Virginia, plan to camp!
Where do you like to stay when you visit southern West Virginia?

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Southern West Virginia Weddings – Your Perfect Venue

January 9th, 2012

The New Year has been rung in and is under way. A month of holiday activities and excitement has come and gone. Now that the tree has been taken down and all the other decorations have been stored away, it’s time for things to get back to normal, relax, and enjoy the winter season.

That is, unless you got engaged over the holidays and have a wedding to plan. If that’s the case then all the holiday

Outdoor Wedding in WV (The Confluence)

madness was merely a warm-up for what the next few months will be like.
In order to lend a hand, here’s a list of some wonderful places to get married in southern WV.

Southern WV Venues

When you’re planning a wedding, you should start by choosing a venue.  Envision the type of ceremony and reception you want to have, and then find a place that can fulfill that vision.

  •      Tamarack – With 12,000 square feet of space and full catering available, this is a great place have a wedding.
  •      Smokey’s – A “Gorge”-ous view and the ability to have an indoor or outdoor wedding makes this venue at Adventures on the Gorge a popular wedding spot.
  •      Daniels Vineyards – This venue features multiple areas designed to host and handle events, meaning that you’ll have lots of possible setup options.  There’s a beautiful view overlooking the vineyards.
  •     Opossum Creek Retreat – With beautiful, secluded scenery and the added comfort of being able to lodge the entire wedding party, Opossum Creek Retreat makes for a cozy wedding setting.
  •      The Confluence – Another superb outdoor wedding site, the Confluence will make sure you have a wedding you won’t forget.  Lodging is available on site, and there are lots of spectacular views.
  •     Creekside Resort and Spa – This spot in Monroe County gets Martha Stewart’s seal of approval as a wonderful spot for a wedding.
  •     Pipestem, Babcock, Hawks Nest and Twin Falls State Parks – These are four gems of the WV State Park System. With plenty of indoor or outdoor spots for the ceremony and lodging and activities for the wedding party and guests, you’ll be able to host everything (and everyone) all in one place.
  •     Glade Springs Resort – A great Raleigh County resort that can accommodate the wedding of your dreams, large or small.
  •     The Greenbrier – This iconic hotel is a grand venue for a grand wedding.
  •     Foxwood Bed and Breakfast – A wonderful B&B surrounded by 250 acres of southern WV beauty. Just one of     many B&B’s in this region that can host wedding events.

Do you have any other wedding venue recommendations?  Where did you get married in southern West Virginia?

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How to Ski: Tips and Tricks for Beginners

December 23rd, 2011

Christmas is here  and that means winter should be getting into full swing soon. That also means that ski season is, or very shortly will be, wide open at the resorts in WV.  There are plenty of different opportunities for taking to the slopes, but if you are a beginner and decide you want to go, there are a few things you may want to know.

Snowboarding at Winterplace

Before You Go

Before you just jump up and head to a local resort, there are a few things you should probably think about.

* Research- Taking a few minutes to do a bit of studying on what different resorts offer and looking for packages, deals or discounts can help you start the process.
* Resort- Different resorts offer more beginner terrain, cheaper rates, and may be located closer you.
* Timing- Certain weekends are busier than others, and if you’re a first timer the last thing you want to do is go when it’s super busy. If you can do a week day trip you might enjoy your first trip more.
* Weather- Paying attention to what the weather can be critical. Knowing how cold or how snowy it’s going to be is important to your preparations.

On The Slopes

The mountain is where the fun really begins. Figuring out the equipment, mapping out the resort, and getting a few tips are all things that you will want to do prior to attempting to go down a slope. Here are the basics:

* Equipment - Make sure your boots and skis feel right, you know how to operate them, and they were properly adjusted for you. Don’t just borrow skis from a friend and take off. Proper settings for your weight and skiing level can save you from severe injury.
* Terrain – Find the slopes that are designed for beginners. At first, you’ll want to stick to green trails.  Going into areas that you aren’t ready for can be dangerous.
* Technique – Learning how to move on skis (which usually isn’t hard due to gravity) and how to stop are the first things you’ll deal with. Everything else will come as you get comfortable.
* Determination – Some people are natural skiers and some people need more time to catch on. Don’t give up; it will get easier.

There are some techniques like the wedge or “snowplow” that you’ll want to learn; a ski lesson is the ideal way to get started. Some resorts even have beginner specials that include tickets, rentals and lessons for a very discounted price.

No matter where you go and how you decide to do it, just remember to have fun, be careful and don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with. Skiing is a great way to enjoy winter and West Virginia is just the place to get outside.

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Winter Theater Performances in Southern West Virginia

December 20th, 2011

Winter Theater Performances

When the weather turns chilly in southern WV, sometimes staying indoors becomes the best option. Sure, you could cozy up the fireplace, but there are still plenty of fun and entertaining indoor pursuits.

Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg, WV

And here’s one of them:  southern WV theaters and the great entertainment they offer is one of the best ways to enjoy a cold winter’s eve.
Here are some of the different performances that will be taking place in southern WV this winter.

Historic Fayette Theatre

This theater, located in Fayetteville, offers a great mix of musical shows and performing arts throughout the year. Scheduled so far this winter is a New Year’s Eve show from the Wild Rumpus, a local Bluegrass band.  In March, you can see a musical show called The Wild, Wild, Wildest West. Both of these shows are good family fun.

Carnegie Hall

This theater in Lewisburg is one of only four in-use Carnegie Halls in the world.  Besides New York City, Andrew Carnegie built theaters in Pittsburgh, Lewisburg, and his native Scotland.

Lewisburg’s Carnegie Hall has played host to a lots of different kinds of shows. This winter will feature the group Carbon Leaf in January, Ladysmith Black Mambazo in February and Cathie Ryan in March. Each of these acts are extremely different and should make for a wonderful evening.

Carnegie Hall also offers a free lunchtime concert and lecture series in February, March and April.

Bluefield and Princeton

Bluefield and Princeton have a few options for theater offerings. Bluefield’s Summit Theater just finished it’s 2011 season and the 2012 schedule will be out soon.
Princeton’s Chuck Mathena Center for the Performing and Fine Arts has a full schedule of events set for the winter months, including West Virginia’s own Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. at the end of December.  In February, Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” will hit the stage.

These are just a few of the many opportunities for entertainment this winter. Tamarack in Beckley often hosts live performances.  And the Clay Center in Charleston offers a variety of concerts, plays, musicals, and ballets throughout the year.

So don’t let the winter blues get you down.  Instead, get out and see some of the great entertainment in southern West Virginia. You’ll be glad you did.

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Spotlight on Bramwell

December 8th, 2011

With the town folk of Bramwell opening up their exquisite historic homes for a Holiday Tour this Saturday (December 10, 2011), a closer look at this former coal community seems in order.

Main Street in Bramwell

Founded in 1888 and officially a historic town since 1983, Bramwell, WV still exhibits a lot of the flair that millionaire coal barons brought to it over a century ago. In the early 1900′s, Bramwell was home to 14 millionaires.  In fact, in the late 1800′s, Bramwell had the largest number of millionaires per capita of any town in the United States.  Their historic homes are open for tours at certain times of year, specifically spring and Christmas.

Coal is a dominant industry in WV, and how much it influenced the WV economy through the years is evident in Bramwell.

Location

Bramwell is  in Mercer County, right on the Bluestone River, approximately 8 miles north of Bluefield. It is on the edge of 40 miles of the Pocahontas Coal reserves, which was some of the best and most productive coal in the state. The Bluestone River actually makes a huge horseshoe shaped bend around town.  In fact, Horse Shoe Bend was the first name of this community.

History

The town’s namesake is J.H. Bramwell, a civil engineer from New York.  He was Bramwell’s first postmaster and first bank president. He saw opportunity in the coalfields and became a very successful real estate developer.

And so Bramwell developed from the growth of the coal industry. Today Bramwell has fewer than 500 residents; in the early 1900′s, the town and surrounding areas had over 100,000 residents.

Bramwell is well-known for the Victorian style homes that were built by its affluent residents.  These homes were state of the art for their time and historically revered today.

Today

Today, Bramwell still embraces its historical past, hosting events to showcase the town’s history and beauty. The Millionaire Garden Club is responsible for many of these events.

Historic Home in Bramwell, WV

In addition to the Christmas Home Tour, Bramwell hosts an Oktoberfest event.  It’s been a popular festival for over 15 years; brewers and beer enthusiasts from all over the East Coast descend upon Bramwell for the event. Bramwell homeowners also open their homes for tours in the spring every year.

Bramwell has also seen an increase in visitation as the Hatfield and McCoy ATV Trail System has a trailhead 2 miles outside of town.

Have you visited Bramwell?

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Christmas Gifts, Where Art Thou

December 5th, 2011

Christmas season is here, and the yearly dilemma of gift buying is upon us again. Inevitably, there’s

WV Made Gifts @ Tamarack

someone on your list that has everything.  Where can you find a unique, creative, one-of-a-kind gift?  The answer to that problem may just lie in the hands of our local artisans.

Southern WV is home to many fine craftsmen and women.  Instead of settling for a zebra print Snuggie, or a Shamwow, try visiting one of the many local art galleries to find handcrafted gifts that show you care.  Bonus: you’ll be shopping local.

Here’s a list of some of the galleries and their locations in case you want to check out what they have to offer.

Tamarack

Probably the best known of all the local shops, Tamarack houses a great many artisans under one roof. Whether its pottery, hand carved bowls, hand blown glass, jewelry or any of a number of other items, Tamarack is THE place for WV goods.  With 59,000 square feet of crafts and studios for the resident artisans, it is conceivable to spend a couple hours there and not see everything. Located right of I-77/64 in Beckley, it is conveniently located for much of southern West Virginia.
Riffraff Arts Collective

Located in downtown Princeton, this gallery and performance center houses two live performance venues, a recording studio, 6 artist studios, a music school, and a fine gallery.  The gallery houses works from local and regional artists and includes paintings, photography, pottery and stained and blown glass. Located on the corner of Ninth and Mercer Streets, the Riffraff Arts Collective is part of a rejuvenation of downtown Princeton.
Harmony Ridge Gallery

Located on West Washington Street in Lewisburg, this gallery’s mission is to bring handmade arts and crafts into daily life. Offering handcrafted works from artists all over the United States, Harmony Ridge Gallery focuses on providing an outlet for artists to share their wares with the public. Specializing in art for life, the gallery has items like handcrafted clocks, garden art, furniture, lighting and jewelry.

So many others . . . .

And depending on where you are in southern WV, chances are good that there is a great little gallery or studio somewhere very close to you. Check out our website to learn about more local shopping.

Where are you shopping this holiday season?

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Winter Sports in Southern West Virginia

November 30th, 2011

Winters here in West Virginia are beautiful.  Gorgeous snowfalls and chilly sunny days mean we get to play outdoors year-round.  

Snow Tubing at Winterplace Ski Resort

And as long as you’re up for it, many of the activities that are popular here in the warmer months can also take place in the winter. With today’s fabric technology and cutting edge gear designed to protect users from even the harshest weather conditions, there’s not much that can’t be done in the winter.

So what outdoor activities can you do in southern West Virginia during the winter?  Look no further!

Traditional

West Virginia has elevations that are significantly different than almost all the surrounding states.  This elevation accounts for West Virginia’s main wintertime sport, skiing.

Skiing and snowboarding can be accessed in under a 2-hour drive from almost anywhere in the state. Winterplace, Canaan Valley, Timberline, Silver Creek and Snowshoe all offer skiing and snowboarding opportunities.  A few of these resorts have tubing areas.  Our favorite part of tubing?  The lift that gets you back to the top.

Canaan Valley also boasts the White Grass cross country ski area. But you don’t have to go to a resort to cross country ski.  Many skiers take to our forests and snow-covered areas because of the snowfall levels and varied terrain. Cross country skiing is a vigorous and intense exercise that is accessible to many fitness levels.

Snow-shoeing is also available in many higher backcountry areas.

Non-Traditional

Depending on the weather, the activities you may be able to enjoy here on any given day may change. Hiking, biking, and running are year-round activities, and now you can add ATV parks and Zip Lines to that mix.
Burning Rock Outdoor Adventure Park, Adventures on the Gorge, and ACE Adventure Resort all offer ATV riding and zip lines and canopy tours.  The Hatfield and McCoy Trail System offers spectacular off-road adventures every day of the year.

Kayaking and rafting are also year round sports. In fact, if you are an advanced level boater, the amount of streams that can be kayaked or rafted actually increases in the winter months due to increased water volume.
Do you have a sport you participate in year round?

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“WV Spirits” – Smooth Ambler

November 9th, 2011

Smooth Ambler

As much as rifles and hunting are a part of WV heritage, so are spirits, (and we don’t mean ghosts).

Look at any depiction of a mountain man, and you will probably see a jug somewhere in the picture

"Barrels of Fun"

that represented their preferred drink.  Shine, moonshine, white lightening, mountain dew and branch water are just some of the names used to describe that illegally distilled spirit, white whiskey.

Smooth Ambler Spirits, located in Greenbrier County, is committed to continuing the WV tradition of handcrafted, small batch production of white whiskey.
Whiskey 101

Smooth Ambler produces three distinctly different spirits: Vodka, Gin and White Whiskey. Even  though these spirits are all different, they are derived pretty much the same way; by distilling a fermented product. Smooth Ambler understands that in order to make a great spirit you need exceptional grains and exceptional water. The rest is the work of the craftsman.

The location of Smooth Ambler is essential to part of the process. The mountains of West Virginia are the source of some of the purest water anywhere in the US. Smooth Ambler has a distinct advantage of having great water within minutes of its operation.

White Whiskey

Smooth Ambler’s dedication to the WV tradition of White Whiskey may be a bit “corn-fusing” to some, so let’s elaborate a bit.

All whiskey is white when it is first distilled. The mash is made from corn, and when the process is

The Smooth Ambler "Still"

finished you are left with a completely clear liquid. What gives whiskey its caramel color and a lot of its distinct flavor is the process of aging it in oak barrels that have had the insides charred.  The taste and smoothness associated with many whiskeys is due to the length of time it spends in the barrels.

Since Smooth Amblers whiskey doesn’t include the oak barrel process, it has to rely on great water, grain and knowledge to produce a smooth, drinkable spirit. Just like the spirits that have been made here in the mountains of WV for many, many, years.

Small Batch Excellence

A good rule of thumb is that anytime you have the choice of something handcrafted or mass produced, odds are better that the handcrafted product will be the better choice.

Each bottle produced at Smooth Ambler gets a handwritten batch and bottle number, and the company tells you who inspected that bottle before it was allowed to go out the door. It’s a great way to feel connected to the people who made your bottle of Smooth Ambler.

Today, you can visit Smooth Ambler for tours and tastings.  Have you been?

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The myth, the man, the legend – John Henry

October 26th, 2011

Great Bend Tunnel

There’s plenty of history and folklore to discover here in southern West Virginia. One of those stories involves a man, a machine and a legacy left behind. It’s the story of John Henry.

The Story

It is told that John Henry, a former slave, worked for the C&O railroad driving steel, a job required when blasting rock. Between 1868 and 1870, the C&O railroad was building rail lines in southern WV when it had to tunnel through Big Bend Mountain near Talcott.

As the legend goes, John Henry was the best steel driver the railroad had and could drill through more rock than anyone. When they were part of the way through the mountain, C&O purchased a steam-powered drill for the job. The men were upset that they may be replaced by a machine, so they issued a challenge and pitted John Henry against this drill to see who could handle the job best.

John nearly doubled the amount of rock that the steam drill produced.  Legend is that John died right after it was announced he won.

The Site

Located 10 miles east of Hinton on Rt. 3, the statue commemorating John Henry sits on the hill just over top the Great Bend Tunnel opening. The Great Bend Tunnel is no longer in use, as C&O built the Big Bend Tunnel right beside it in 1932. There are future plans to move the statue to a proposed park closer to Talcott.

The Statue

In 1972, on the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Great Bend Tunnel, a statue of John

The Statue of John Henry

Henry was erected at the top of the tunnel near Talcott.

The statue has proven to be as tough as the man himself, surviving numerous gun shots, baseball bat blows and a trip or two down the road. The town now celebrates John Henry Days, a festival in his name, the second weekend in July. The statue itself is over 750 pounds of bronze and was sculpted in Michigan by Charles O. Cooper.

This is just one of many interesting stories in WV history.

What southern West Virginia legend is your favorite?

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