Apr 11th, 2013 at 10:00AM: If you want to feel better about your job, take a tour of the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine in Beckley, West Virginia. On a recent tour of the vintage mine we learned about the extreme dangers and hardships miners faced a century ago when hundreds of thousands of people in Appalachia eked out a living mining coal underground.
On a brilliant Saturday morning in March, I took a seat next to my ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
WestVirginia posts
Think Your Job Is Tough? Take A Tour Of The Beckley Coal Mine In West Virginia For A Reality Check
Apr 11th, 2013 at 10:00AM: If you want to feel better about your job, take a tour of the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine in Beckley, West Virginia. On a recent tour of the vintage mine we learned about the extreme dangers and hardships miners faced a century ago when hundreds of thousands of people in Appalachia eked out a living mining coal underground.
On a brilliant Saturday morning in March, I took a seat next to my ...A Journey To Sissonville, West Virginia, Home Of Shain Gandee And MTV's 'Buckwild'
Apr 8th, 2013 at 9:00AM: Tourism officials are always looking for promotional hooks, and using connections to popular TV shows has long been a common way to market a destination. In the '80s, television programs like "Miami Vice" and "Magnum P.I." boosted tourism in South Florida and Hawaii, while "The Love Boat" was a boon for the cruise industry. More recently a well-known PR firm is pushing Connecticut's "Mad Men" ...Under These Circumstances: Traveling For A Funeral
Aug 31st, 2012 at 9:00AM:
The twisting highways that cut through West Virginia and lead to my hometown, which is on the border of West Virginia and Ohio, are terrifying at night. The last time I made the drive, the fog was thick and low – a meteorological manifestation of my cloudy, burdened mind. Because the hills are steep and street lights are rare, the dim headlights were the only aid my vision had. I ...Photo Of The Day: Wheelie In Pennsylvania
Jun 13th, 2012 at 6:30PM:
The photos I pick for "Photo Of The Day" are normally photos taken by others. Friends and strangers qualify equally for my photo picks so long as a photo of theirs gets my attention and I feel compelled to share it. Rarely do I use my own photo, but this photo I snapped over the weekend seemed worthy of breaking the rule to me. While visiting my brother's family in Greensboro, Pennsylvania, ...Iconic Road Trips: Weaving Through West Virginia And Maryland On Interstate 68
May 26th, 2012 at 2:00PM:
I've driven Interstate 68 more times than I can count. It's one of the main roads I take any time I'm traveling from the east coast to my hometown (Marietta, Ohio) or the town where my family lives now (Morgantown, West Virginia). I am currently engaged in a longstanding love-hate relationship with this road. I love it because the scenery is outstanding. The rolling hills of Appalachia ...Gawker's Worst 50 States
Aug 25th, 2011 at 11:30AM: I've been following Gawker's newest series, The Worst 50 States. I've been enjoying following this series. In an effort to pin down not only the best states in the US of A, but, more importantly, the worst states, Gawker compiled a Gawker-invented rating system in order to rank our fair fifty. Granted, this rating system consists solely of the viewpoints of those on staff for Gawker, so the ...Civil War's first land battle to be reenacted in West Virginia
Jun 3rd, 2011 at 9:00AM: Today is the 150th anniversary of the first land battle of the Civil War.
After the April 12 attack on Fort Sumter kicked off the Civil War, there was a lull while both sides got ready. Some scattered skirmishes took place that had few casualties and no importance, but on 3 June 1861, the town of Philippi, in what's now West Virginia, became the scene for the first big fight.
Philippi stood ...Appreciating Winter in West Virginia
Jan 5th, 2011 at 2:30PM: West Virginia is about as Appalachia as Appalachia gets. For those of you who don't know, Appalachia isn't just a mountain range... it's an adjective that describes the culture of this sliver of a region in the USA. And of all the states the Appalachian Mountains pass through, West Virginia is the only one enveloped completely by these rolling hills. It's a small state. It borders several other ...Best college restaurant: Good Morning America wants your vote
Nov 19th, 2010 at 11:30AM: For most of us, college was a low period in our culinary lives. Ramen, macaroni and cheese, beer for breakfast. . .ah, the memories!
When we got tired of contributing to our freshman fifteen with junk food, there was always that one place that served up something a little better, a little special. If you've been to college, or even if you haven't, I bet you just thought of that place right now. ...West Virginia's scenic Gauley River: class V rafting, fall colors
Oct 8th, 2010 at 4:30PM: "Holy crap, what a sausage fest." This was my first thought, as I glanced around the crowded parking lot. It was a cool, drizzly September morning at Adventures on the Gorge, but that wasn't stopping 40 men--many of certain age and wafting last night's whiskey fumes--from preparing to raft the Class V+ Upper Gauley River.
I was in Lansing, (southeastern) West Virginia, fulfilling a 20-year goal to ...Veterans thanked with free bed and breakfast stays
Oct 7th, 2010 at 3:00PM: If you've served your country, there's a bed and breakfast waiting to serve you.
Many B&Bs already give military discounts of 10 percent to 20 percent, but a Shinnston, West Virginia innkeeper is about to up the ante. Kathleen Panek has gotten more than 525 inns in 48 states (and two in Canada) on board with her plan give rooms away to active and retired service members on November 10, ...Five states where you're most likely to hit a deer this fall
Oct 4th, 2010 at 3:30PM:
Leaf-peepers are about to hit the road in force – as they always do this time of year. While soaking in the burning foliage colors with your eyes, it's only too easy to forget you're behind the wheel, a situation that can lead to disastrous consequences. There are some states where beautiful foliage and deer prancing on the streets just seem to go together, according to a study by insurance ...Suit up: The best whitewater rafting in the U.S.
Sep 26th, 2010 at 1:00PM:
When it comes to whitewater, bigger is not always better. In fact, some of the best whitewater paddling experiences can be had on rivers that barely break the Class III rating. Those who love to run these rivers know the importance of the rush, but also appreciate the scenery, local culture, and accessibility of a river. Here are some of the best US whitewater destinations based on the overall ...Heading to West Virginia? Hit Hillbilly Hotdogs - Road trip tip
Mar 29th, 2010 at 6:40PM: Traveling through West Virginia? Why not check out the finest "redneck diner" you'll ever encounter? Just don't take the Homewrecker Challenge on a full stomach.
If your travels take you through West Virginia, and you happen to be in the vicinity of Huntington, check out Hillbilly Hotdogs. It's a small diner decorated in what the owners affectionately call "redneck chic."
The dining area ...Winter travel time: East Coast gets buried, disrupts travel
Dec 20th, 2009 at 8:00AM:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
A monstrous storm ran up the East Coast yesterday, burying parts of the country in more than a foot of snow and making life a living hell for road-trippers and airline passengers. As of last night, five deaths were reportedly caused by the storm. Fourteen inches fell on Reagan National Airport, setting a single-day ...
The best video of rafting trip crash and burns
Nov 30th, 2009 at 3:00PM: When picking a rafting trip like one down the Grand Canyon, whether it's the day long or several days version, make sure that the trip is a good fit for you. How much excitement are you after? How does the thought of dumping out of the raft grab you? Are you up for a crash and burn experience or is a leisurely float more your style?
For a rollicking look at what dumping out of a raft in white ...
A Classic West Virginia Resort Returns to its Roots
Oct 26th, 2009 at 3:00PM: Once commonplace in society, the ultra-luxurious retreats of the South were in abundance and served as the ultimate vacation spot for the well-to-do. Often found in off-the-beaten-track locales, such as sprawling alongside a private beach or set atop a lonely mountaintop, these lavish resorts served as private escapes for a variety of distinguished guests, from Presidents to wealthy businessmen. ...Weekend Drive: Retrace the steps of John Brown and the beginning of the Civil War
Oct 18th, 2009 at 11:00AM: Friday, October 16, in drizzling rain and cool temperatures, 300 people or so, many clad in pre-Civil War attire, at least four of them dressed like abolitionist John Brown, set out on foot for Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
The beginning of their five-mile walk, the log farmhouse in western Maryland, is the very spot where Brown and his raiders left for the Federal Arsenal in Harpers ...Hole breaks in fuselage, Southwest plane lands safely
Jul 14th, 2009 at 12:30PM: A Southwest Airlines 737 landed safely in West Virginia last night after a 1 foot by 1 foot hole opened in the fuselage. Passengers could actually see the sky through the gape. Cabin pressure dropped, and passengers put on their masks quickly. Nobody was injured.
The plane was flying from Nashville to Baltimore but diverted as a result of the hole. The pilot landed the plane, to the thanks, ...Tamarack: One-of-a-kind-center offers top-notch handmade arts and crafts
Oct 29th, 2007 at 2:00PM: A couple years ago, when I was writing a magazine article on best fall foliage places in West Virginia, a person working at a visitors and convention bureau told me that Tamarack Art Gallery is a place to shop. Actually, not a place, but the place. If you're looking for anything artsy, Appalachian and West Virginian, this is it. (Not all art is Appalachian in subject matter, but it does showcase ...
