12/22/2023
This is a great article about West Virginia.
Please take time to read it. It best describes West Virginia as we know it.
Because of our mountains, we have rivers. The oldest river in
the Western Hemisphere, the New River (quite appropriately
named, don't you think) ends in West Virginia. We have the
Gauley River, which unites with the New River in a
magnificent cascade to form the Kanawha
River, which in turn flows through the center of the state, and
directly through the capital city of Charleston, the largest city in
West Virginia. These rivers in addition to the Cheat,
Blackwater, Tygart, Monongahela, Ohio and countless others
offer tremendous recreational
opportunities.
The tallest building in Charleston is barely 25 floors tall,
which, if you think about it, is a plus; how could you
possibly build a skyscraper more beautiful than a mountain?
The capital city stretches throughout the long river valley
encompassing both hill and dale.
The Charleston airport, the largest in the state, sits on
top of a mountain.
The crime rate in Charleston, including the entire
population of the Kanawha Valley (around 200,000), reflects
that of the entire state, the lowest in America. No more
than a handful of murders are committed each year.
Charleston has no subway systems, but, truth be known, you
can get from one end of town to the other, even in rush hour
traffic, in less than ten minutes.
There are three major interstate systems going through
Charleston, the smallest city in America to make such a
claim.
The entire state has six different interstate systems,
meaning, from Charleston, you can reach Cleveland, Columbus,
Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Louisville or Charlotte in four
hours or less....
Ah, but once you leave the interstates, the drive becomes a
thing of wonder. Two lane roads, winding up and down the
mountains, offer amazing views and historic places, small
towns, poor in wealth but rich in history.
West Virginia is the birthplace of Mother's Day, in
Grafton; and Father's Day, in Fairmont.
We have the oldest covered bridge still in use. We have
walnut festivals and strawberry festivals and apple
festivals and pumpkin festivals and buckwheat festivals, the
Italian festival and arts and crafts fairs and stern
wheel regattas and ramp dinners.
We have Bridge Day, on the New River Gorge bridge over 800
feet above the New River; the only standing structure in the
United States that, one day a year, allows parachuting and
bungee jumping.
We have college basketball, and minor league baseball and
hockey, and, just like all of America, Friday night high
school football.
We have white water rafting, and skiing, and hiking, and
caves, and waterfalls, and camping in every direction. We
have Sundays where a leisurely drive in the car can take
eight hours, and only cover 100 miles.
We have bed and breakfasts, and resorts, and golf courses,
and museums, and the Greenbrier Hotel. West Virginia has
more natural beauty and wonder than any person could ever
imagine.
We have all of this, and yet ... our greatest asset is our
people. West Virginians are good people. We care about each
other. We talk to our neighbors over the backyard fence.
We grow tomatoes for the entire neighborhood.
We turn around in each other's driveways, and yell
"howdy" when we do.
We sit on the porch on warm summer evenings, listening to
crickets, and watching kids catch fireflies.
We loan a hammer, or a cup of sugar. We don't take
two-hour lunches, but we do spend a few minutes each day
with a cup of coffee, and our feet up on our desk, shooting
the breeze.
We rarely get in a hurry. We have relatives just down the
street. We don't just loan someone a socket wrench, we
help them fix their car. We share recipes, and gardening
tips, and our last cup of coffee. We baby sit each
other's kids, we house sit each other's dogs while
we're on vacation, and we loan each other our cars if we
have to get to the drugstore.
We ask each other if we need anything as we're going to
the market.
We celebrate each of her accomplishments, and we cry over
each other's disappointments.
We are a friendly folk. We are West Virginians.
Mountaineers are always free! Free to take the time to
enjoy life, and hold each moment in our hearts,
forever!
If you are proud to be a West Virginian, as I am, then
pass this on. If you are ashamed to be a native West
Virginian, then shame on you...
