Staycation Directory

Posts Tagged ‘Staycation WV’

Moundsville, West Virginia

The West Virginia State Penitentiary sprawls across 11 acres. The prisoners built it, heavy rock by heavy rock, beginning in 1866. When you watch someone sentenced to “hard labor” in a movie, this place is what the judge had in mind.

That approach to justice lasted until the mid-1980s, when the West Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the prison’s 5×7 foot cells were cruel and unusual punishment — particularly because two or more convicts were often crammed into them. It was the beginning of the end for the prison as a prison. The WV State Pen closed in 1995.

Now the penitentiary is open again — as a tourist and local attraction. It also occasionally stages mock prison riots (for guard training), and hosts a surprisingly popular sleepover “ghost hunt” once a month, where people spend the night in the empty, unlit buildings.

Our guide, Tom, loves his job. He can easily stretch the standard 45-minute tour into one twice that length, peppered with stories of prison riots and revenge murders and of how the inmates in North Hall — known as “The Alamo” — would hurl urine and vomit onto the guards.

For such a vast, empty place, the prison is loud — concrete and steel don’t muffle sound. It’s clean but ugly, even if some prisoners did try to spruce the place up a bit. We notice a framed painting on the wall depicting the world’s longest single arch steel span bridge (which is downstate in Fayetteville). “Danny Lehman painted that,” Tom tells us. “He got stabbed through the eye in North Hall. Punctured his brain.”

If this is your kinda thing you will have tons of fun!

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
Submit it HERE under add the location form.
Have FUN!

Rock Climbing and Ropes Courses

The New River Gorge is a magnet for climbers from all over the world. But you don’t have to be an expert rock jock to enjoy this sport. Beginners can take half day, full day, or multi day courses from some of the best climbing instructors anywhere.

Ranges and Paintball

Shooting sports have long been a tradition in all 9 of our southern counties. There are ranges for all types of shooting recreation. Paintball courses take battle games to a new level of excitement, and offer a great addition to any visit.

Sports

We’re quickly becoming a sports destination. Our region is home to 3 professional baseball teams and a professional basketball team. We’re also known for tournament sports, with expansive soccer, basketball, and baseball complexes. With state of the art facilities, players are coming from all across the region to compete. The natural features of the region can offer a great reward or consolation for any team during their visit.

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
Submit it HERE under add the location form.
Have FUN!

Hiking Trails

Walking in the woods is a great way to spend time when you visit southern West Virginia. If you enjoy nature trails it’s hard to imagine a place with more to offer you. Between our 12 state parks and forests, as well as three areas managed by the National Park Service, there’s hiking to spare for everyone.

ATV and Motorsports

West Virginia is rapidly becoming the center of the ATV world. Much of that has to do with our passion for motorsports, and mountains. But also, we have the largest contiguous trail system, in the Unites States. Our southern mountains are the onramp for pure riding pleasure.

Mountain Biking

Come ride the mountains. Mountain biking on trails, singletrack, or old dirt roads is one of the great attractions in our area. West Virginia is a biker’s heaven, with great rides, great shops, and friendly local riders.

Horseback Riding

Getting on a horse is always a fun addition to a vacation. Here, you can see gorgeous vistas and ride through deep valleys, all with expert cowboys and cowgirls to help guide you.

Caving

Curious about getting underground? The porous limestone of our eastern counties has created some of the most well known and well loved caves in North America.

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
Submit it HERE under add the location form.
Have FUN!

Snow Sports

A lot of people would think that our part of the state doesn’t offer snow sports – and a lot of people would be wrong. There are some terrific ways to get outside and play in the winter, including skiing, snow tubing, and so much more.

Hunting And Fishing

For those looking for the thrill of outdoor sports, Southern West Virginia is the place. We’re a sportsman’s paradise, with wonderful whitetail and other game available for all seasons. Some of the best smallmouth bass and trout fishing ;you’ll find anywhere exists throughout our area, just waiting for you to come ply the waters.

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
Submit it HERE under add the location form.
Have FUN!

Water Activities

Time on the water isn’t limited to white water. There are fishing and boating opportunities all over our state. Spend some time on our beautiful mountain lakes, or float our rivers, and you’ll get the true feel of the lifeblood of West Virginia.

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
Submit it HERE under add the location form.
Have FUN!

West Virginia resident can have a staycation right in their back yard. Their are so many beautiful attraction to choose from. Start with the State of West Virginia National Park in West Virginia.


The Appalachian National Scenic Trail is a 2,174-mile footpath along the ridgecrests and across the major valleys of the Appalachian Mountains from Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in northern Georgia. The trail traverses Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia. The Appalachian Trail (A.T.) is used by day, weekend and other short-term hikers, section-hikers and thru-hikers. Thru-hikers hike the entire length of the Trail in one season. The A.T. began as a vision of forester Benton MacKaye and was developed by volunteers and opened as a continuous trail in 1937. It was designated as the first National Scenic Trail by the National Trails System Act of 1968. The Trail is currently protected along more than 99 percent of its course by federal or state ownership of the land or by rights-of-way.

Staycation Directory is a personal courtesy, I compile the venues on my own time for your convenience. Sorry if you area is not yet covered. If you have a staycation idea or know a cool place that you would like to share with us? We are looking for some great local ideas especially for your hometown!
Submit it HERE under add the location form.
Have FUN!