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Charleston, WV – Our First Visit To The Mountain State

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 03:30:00 +0000

North America is filled with special places just waiting to be explored. As we move farther into our blogging life, our journeys have opened our eyes to new landscapes. This trip allowed us our first views of West Virginia, “The Mountain State”. Located in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, this capital city was once home to Daniel Boone. These days, travelers are drawn to Charleston, WV for its lively arts scene and natural beauty. With only one day to see as much as possible, we hit the ground running. Let’s see what this capital city has to offer.

We want to thank the Charleston, WV Tourism Bureau for hosting our visit. Rest assured that all opinions are our own.

Crossing the Line

Growing up in the heart of the Midwest has offered us a good starting point for adventures in every direction. When we started our blog, we knew our first readers would come from our region. Our approach began with trips to cities within four hours of our hometown. Over the years, we have started to travel farther distances. Since we primarily travel by car, we knew we would need some stops along the way. Our solution was to add One Day Stays to both ends of our journey. This adventure would ultimately lead to the eastern seaboard, so a Charleston, West Virginia stop was the perfect fit. After an 11-hour drive, we wanted a day away from the road.

Getting Our Bearings

Being our first excursion into the Mountain State, we wanted to learn more about its history. A great way to start our visit was a stop at the West Virginia State Museum. We knew the state had a significant coal mining history. The museum goes into substantial detail about this vital industry. With Crystal being born a McCoy, she was intrigued by the exhibit featuring their long feud with the Hatfields. It was our link to the Sunflower State that made us take notice of John Brown’s noose. His role in the “Border War” between Kansas and Missouri is well-known around the Midwest.

23 Karats of Beauty

The museum sits right next door to the West Virginia state capitol. It’s hard to overlook this attraction, as its dome is bedecked with 23-karat gold. We’ve begun focusing on adding new capitals to our growing list, so we were eager to see this one. It’s an impressive structure and the dome captivates your attention both day and night. When you visit Charleston, be sure to cross the Kanawha River for views after sunset. It’s well worth the short drive.

Heading to Capitol Market

For lunch, we decided to do things a little differently. We love a visit to the market and Charleston is home to a great one. Capitol Market is located in a refurbished freight station. This place is an eclectic blend of eateries, local shops, farmers market, and tourist attraction. It reminded us of our visit to Reading Station in Philadelphia. We snacked and sampled our way to full bellies. Before leaving, we had to stock up on some of those unusual foodstuffs we had never seen. This is why we like to travel by car.

Downtown Exploration

Charleston, WV has a well-designed downtown. Its grid-pattern streets make it easy to keep track of which shops you’ve visited. Crystal was pleased to discover that many of the local boutiques were open for business. Part of our afternoon was spent checking them out. As we crisscrossed the streets, we happened upon Slack Plaza. The oversized statues made it easy to spot. While we shopped, a local art event began their setup. We were hoping to make our way back down for some live entertainment, later in the evening.

River Views

Charleston, WV lies in a valley created by the Kanawha and Elk Rivers. The local CVB had secured us a room at Four Points by Sheraton Charleston. This location made the perfect home base for our downtown explorations. Our room afforded us views of the riverfront park, which is used for local events. Since our visit occurred on Labor Day weekend, we woke to a 10K run happening just outside the hotel. It helped us feel that local vibe.

Having A Slice

After finishing our shopping, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up for the evening. It also gave us a chance to drop our purchases at the car. During our afternoon walk, we spotted a place we wanted to try out for dinner. It was only about four blocks from our hotel, so we were there in no time. Pies & Pints is a chain that we have never sampled. The place was packed with locals, which is a positive sign. When we finally got seated, it took no time to decide on the Chicken Gouda pizza. Piled high with chicken, bacon, red onion, and Gouda cheese made this pie a surperb choice. The chipotle crema sauce added another level of flavor and made this pizza an endangered dish.

Hidden History

When we stepped out of the pizza place, we found that the sun was threatening to set on us. This signaled time for one more fun outing. Heading back toward our hotel, we caught up with April Morgan, our guide for an evening of haunted history. After telling us a little about herself, we began our education on the dark and mysterious side of Charleston, WV. She led us from stop to stop and imparted stories at each pause. This particular tour was named “Mortar Man”, which is a nod to an unusual architectural feature downtown. By the end of our tour, darkness was beginning to stretch across the valley. Time to say our goodbyes and head across the river for a night-time view of the capitol.

Charleston, WV in One Day

It’s always bittersweet when the day comes to an end. Exploring Charleston, WV had been a non-stop blur of activity. As we prepared for bed, it gave us time to discuss some of the day’s highlights. While this particular visit was drawing to an end, we know that the future holds more trips to the “Mountain State”. We’d love to hear about your visits to West Virginia and hope you’ll suggest some more great cities to see. Thanks!

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West Virginia State Museum – Our Doorway To The Past

Jeff & Crystal — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 09:34:26 +0000

A summer adventure led us down roads we had never wandered. Our first stop, on this eastern adventure, landed us in Charleston, West Virginia. Being our first foray into the Mountain State, we chose the capital city as our starting point. Situated just a few steps from the state capitol, the West Virginia State Museum would provide us with a good background on this region. In fact, you might say it was our doorway to the past.

The March Towards Statehood

Every state has it’s own story of how it came to be, but West Virginia’s is rather unique. Centuries before settlers arrived, the land was populated by an assortment of Indigenous people. It would be the 1670s before an excursion traveled along the Kanawha River to scope out the lands that would become the Mountain State. By the late 1700s, trappers like Daniel Boone had discovered the abundance of wildlife in the region. A burgeoning lumber industry created the need for improved river access and soon steamboats would traverse the waters. By the mid-1800s, Virginia was in the middle of the debate over the direction of the country. Many in the western portion of the state had different feelings than those in the east.

We're Not In Kansas Anymore

While the atmosphere in Virginia was changing, out west a spark was growing that would ignite a powder keg of conflict. In our home state of Kansas, John Brown was in the middle of a bloody “Border War”. Once the final vote brought Kansas into the Union as a Free State, Brown set his sights on a new goal. This one would bring him to Harper’s Ferry, in the fall of 1859. With 21 followers, they launched an assault on the armory. After a short skirmish, Brown was captured, tried, and hanged. It was a long way to travel just to fail. You can imagine our surprise to see John Brown’s noose on display at the West Virginia State Museum.

The War Causes Division

The spring of 1861 would see Virginia secede from the Union. During the secession vote, it was clear that the western region was opposed. Soon afterwards, the delegates from the western region of the state met to discuss the need to separate from the east. A series of political moves ended up creating two state governments in Virginia, one each for the Union and Confederacy. Over the next year, a new state would rise from the counties on the western end of Virginia. On the final day of 1862, President Lincoln would approve the admission of West Virginia, with the condition of gradual abolition of slavery.

Coal - The Future of West Virginia

The unusual beginning of statehood occupied a portion of the West Virginia State Museum, but it was not the only subject in their exhibits. After the war, an increase in rail traffic found its way into West Virginia. This offered a practical solution to the movement of the large amounts of coal that had been discovered in the region. Coal demand was high by the early 1900s. Industries relied on it, as did many households for heat. This led to many residents suffering from unsafe work conditions. Many of the battles for organized labor happened in West Virginia, as an effort to improve working conditions for miners.

Most Famous Feud

As we made our way through the West Virginia State Museum, we happened upon another exhibit that hit close to home. It’s safe to say that the majority of Americans have heard mention of the Hatfield and McCoy feud. With Crystal having the maiden name McCoy, I began to wonder if she was a descendant of this famous clan. While she doesn’t know of a connection, she certainly spent plenty of time examining this display. I was surprised to learn that this particular feud crossed state lines. The Hatfields were primarily West Virginia residents, while the McCoys mostly resided in Kentucky. This long-standing feud played out over the decades following the Civil War. As a result, it took the lives of over a dozen members from each family.

Music to Our Ears

The West Virginia State Museum would be incomplete without a nod to the music of the Mountain State. Appalachian folk music has a calming effect on the soul, and is often served up in ballad form. Being country music fans, it was easy for us to fall in love with the fiddles and banjos. In fact, during our visit to Charleston, we had the pleasure of discovering a music festival just a couple of blocks from our hotel. Our doorway to the past came with a warm welcome.

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