Posts Tagged ‘boating in wv’

The Top 50 Reasons To Go White Water Rafting In West Virginia

Monday, July 12th, 2010

1.    It’s hot outside.
2.    Rafting is the summer tradition in West Virginia (if you make it one).

New River Rafting

3.    Guides are ridiculously funny.
4.    White water brings people closer together.
5.    There’s no better way to see a gorge than from the river.
6.    Rapids are like roller coasters, but wetter.
7.    It’s really hot outside.
8.    You get great pictures of yourself doing something awesome.
9.    You’ll make memories.
10.     Butterflies in your stomach and a smile on your face.
11.     Amazing scenery.
12.     White water is the best way in the world to get back in touch with nature.
13.     Sometimes you watch the show, and sometimes you are the show.
14.     You can’t really wear the T-shirt unless you’ve been down the river.
15.     Amazing riverside lunch.
16.     Learning to surf West Virginia style (they really do surf rafts).
17.     It’s really incredibly hot outside.
18.     Swimming in the pools in between rapids.
19.     Paddling through the rapids in between pools.
20.     Getting smacked in the face with a wave is the river’s way of saying hi.
21.     You can push family members out of the raft.
22.     The family section of the New River (the Upper New) is perfect for kids.

Family Duckie Trip on Upper New River

23.     It’s also perfect for scaredy-cats.
24.     Summer rafting on the Gauley River is a sure fire way to have the whole place to yourselves.
25.     It’s really incredibly, insanely hot outside.
26.     Rafting is like being on a lake; a very narrow lake with huge waves.
27.     If you fall out of the raft, you’ll have a story to tell forever.
28.     If you stay in the raft, you’ll have a story to tell forever.
29.     Dinner tastes better after a rafting trip.
30.     You’ll meet people who are just as much fun as you are.
31.     Rafting leads to other stuff, like ATV rides, bike trips, and canopy tours.
32.     It will become an addiction (a good one).
33.     Rapids with names like “Scramble Like A Rat” and “Lost Paddle”.
34.     Your bus driver will be the most interesting person you meet all year.
35.     It’s really incredibly, insanely, ridiculously hot outside.
36.     You can show off that back flip at Jump Rock.
37.     It’s a scientific fact that there is no better way to make kids go to bed early than a day of white water rafting.
38.     You can show off those new river shorts/bathing suit.
39.     You’ll laugh harder than you have in a long, long time.
40.     Rapids on white water rivers make you feel alive.
41.     You can see deer, bald eagles, fish, and all kinds of other cool wildlife.
42.     It’s a great place to re-learn what poison ivy looks like and how to avoid it.
43.     Rafting lets you learn about the natural world and have fun at the same time.
44.     White water rivers are great places to challenge yourself.
45.     There’s no feeling on earth like paddling off the lip of a horizon line into a rapid.
46.     Rafting makes your vacation time really count.
47.     Your kids will think you’re the coolest person in the world (for a while).
48.     Best. Vacation. Ever.
49. It’s really, incredibly, insanely, ridiculously, stupendously hot outside.
50.     White water rafting is the best way in the universe to cool off.

5 Best Lakes In Southern West Virginia

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Lake Stephens Marina

Lake Stephens Marina

Ok, maybe not the best.  We should say 5 of  the best lakes in southern West Virginia.  Here are the ones we chose…

Bluestone Lake
Bluestone is probably one of the most well known lakes in the entire Mountain State.  Easy to get to from I-77 or I-64, Bluestone has boating, fishing, camping, and all the other stuff you’d look for in a lake vacation.  Start at Hinton, one of the most historic of America’s railroad towns (and don’t forget to get a hotdog at the Dairy Queen).

Summersville Lake
Right above the world famous Gauley River is the pristine  Summersville Lake.  Sometimes called the “Little Bahamas of the East” by divers, Summersville is probably the best place on the list to chill out a little.  There’s a nice beach there, too, if you’ve got the desire to hit the water, but don’t have a boat.

Lake Stephens
If you’re close to Beckley and looking to add a little play to your work, do not miss an opportunity to go to Lake Stephens.  It’s only nine miles away, and sits right in the middle of almost 2000 acres of hardwood forest.  Lake Stephens is the site of several fishing tournaments throughout the season- and there’s a good reason for that.

RD Bailey Lake
On the good side of the West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia tri-state, RD Bailey Lake is a beautiful mountain reservoir next to the town of Justice, WV.  Right on the Guyandotte river, RD Bailey is remote and folded within the steep mountains of Wyoming County.  If you’re wanting to really get away, game on.

Plum Orchard Lake
It’s actually Plum Orchard Wildlife Management Area, but what it can really be described as is secret.  Most people bypass Plum Orchard Lake on the West Virginia Turnpike, missing this small gem just outside of Scarbro.  There are three boat launches for easy access, and you’ll find plenty of room out on the water, too.

Well, those are our picks.  What are yours?