MAIN Travel West Virginia

Travel Basics - West Virginia
Where to eat, sleep and shop!

Tamarack in Beckley offers a fine selection of West Virginia juried handcrafts and West Virginia grown food products...

In West Virginia, it doesn't matter if you take the high road or the low road when it's time to make your choices for where to eat, sleep or shop. Travelers will find an eclectic selection of basics from five diamond to country comfort.

Dining

Consider the dining options. On Snowshoe Mountain, one of the highest peaks in the state, savor a fine gourmet meal and wine selection at The Red Fox Inn. In Shepherdstown, near the lowest point in the state, discover equally fine fare at the Yellow Brick Bank. 

Savannah's Restaurant in Huntington (named to the Wine Spectator's top restaurant list along with the Red Fox), The Tarragon Room and The Chop House in Charleston, The Greenbrier's great restaurants in White Sulphur Springs, Robert's at Glade Springs in Daniels and The Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown all provide guests with fine dining experiences.

It's an unusual setting for a fabulous restaurant, but at Rebels and Redcoats in Huntington, you go through the bowling alley to discover the charming colonial restaurant. And, in Charleston, the art deco flavor of The Blossom is reminiscent of its earlier life as a local's favorite for ice cream sodas and homemade pies. Food and Friends in Lewisburg is cozy and warm, a great place for lingering over your meal. The Char in Beckley is a long-time favorite for steaks and chops, while Northern Panhandle residents will point you to Muriale's or Julio's in the Clarksburg area for great Italian food. In Berkeley Springs, it's Tari's for fine fresh cuisine. In Fairmont, you'll need reservations for The Aquarium Lounge.

And out on the road doesn't mean out of dining options. In central West Virginia, you'll be glad you stopped at Café Cimino in Sutton. And in southern West Virginia, a stop to the Moxie Café in Union is never a disappointment.

Get a bite to eat and savor the history of our state at a selection of restaurants that will give you more than just a plate of food.
In the Eastern Panhandle, you'll love the atmosphere at the Old Pharmacy Café. In the Potomac Highlands, you can't beat the apple dumplings at the Front Porch Restaurant at breathtaking Seneca Rocks or the pizza selection at Sirianni's in Davis. Travel to tiny Helvetia, and you'll savor fine Swiss cuisine at The Hutte (the Sunday buffet is especially popular). On your way into the Greenbrier and New River Valley areas, take a minute to stop at Hillsboro's Country Roads Café, where repeat visitors crave the homemade vegetable soup.

The General Lewis Inn, Lewisburg, serves a mean country breakfast, lunch and dinner to those staying at the Inn as well as travelers passing through town. The Cathedral Café in Fayetteville makes a case for conversion as the owners have transformed the former church into a restaurant, art and bookstore.

Head to South Charleston for great seafood at General Seafood on the docked Edward's Moonlight sternwheeler or up to Chef Dan's in Charleston where pasta-any-way and great musical entertainment are favorites among the locals. Moving north, you'll enjoy La Casa's Mexican selections in Morgantown or Blennerhasset Hotel's charming historic atmosphere in its Harman's Restaurant.

Looking for spots where the locals go and visitors are always welcomed?

Try Calamity Café in Huntington, where black bean soup and super burgers share the menu with large soft drinks and cold beer. Have another Huntington meal at Stewart's Hot Dogs, an authentic drive-in still serving West Virginia traditional hot dogs with "the trimmings" -- that's secret chili sauce, coleslaw, onions, mustard and ketchup!

In Kanawha City, you won't learn if the chicken came before the egg at Southern Kitchen, but the rooster collection is as much to be crowed about as the 24-hour a day home-cooked menu. The Patio Plaza in Weston is worth the winding drive to savor good chicken salad and an unusual cornbread salad. Ruby and Ketchie's in Morgantown serves the best $4 breakfast you'll ever get. And, when you visit the PokyDot in Fairmont, you'll find a 50's food sampling sharing the menu with fresh vegetarian selections.

The Fat Tire Deli in Fayetteville offers great fresh deli sandwiches and soups. And pizza in any other shape must come from DiCarlo's in Wellsburg, Weirton and other Northern Panhandle towns where the square shape is only part of the difference you'll find in these pizzas. Coleman's Fish Sandwiches in Wheeling come on white bread and you can ASK for tarter sauce, but the cooks won't put it on the sandwich for you - try it "as is" before spreading on the condiment.

There are plenty of stops to shop for West Virginia specialty food products. Tamarack in Beckley offers a cafeteria run by The Greenbrier and a West Virginia foods shop. Perdue's Market in Charleston's Capitol Market offers a fine selection of West Virginia food products and The Wine Market has West Virginia wines. In Lewisburg, stop at the Stonehouse General Store and Wine Shop for a varied selection of local food products.

Buy honey products at Thistle Dew Farms in Proctor, fabulous Swiss chocolates at Holl's in Vienna, traditional and eclectic jams and jellies at West Virginia Fruit and Berry Farm outside of Fairmont, and Italian peppers at Oliverio's in Clarksburg. Romney boasts the prolific Gourmet Central, where Chef Harv devotes hours to devising great jams, jellies, barbeque sauces and condiments with the best West Virginia produce.

In Ansted, you can find crafts and foods at Blue Smoke Salsa where you won't only find salsa, but sauces, spreads and more. Any extra driving in southern West Virginia is worth the effort to get locally produced Mennonite cheeses from Cheese and More in Gap Mills. The bakery across the street is a must-visit stop as well.

Overnight Accommodations

Whether you want a rustic night under the stars or a luxurious overnight under down covers, the state's lodging industry can take care of your needs regardless of where you are planning to visit.

West Virginia State Parks

With state parks located around the state, travelers who want to experience a comfortable night's rest in country quiet are sure to find the right place wherever they visit. A quick visit to the state's web site, www.wvstateparks.com, will show you where the parks are and what they offer. Some have lodges, cabins and campgrounds. Others offer cabins and campgrounds. Still others are campgrounds only. State parks staffs can help plan family reunions and group overnights. If you're looking for the best places to bring everyone together for a great time, try a state park!

Bed and Breakfasts

West Virginia's natural resources industries once meant that around the state wealthy industrialists and landowners built wonderful homes for their families. Today, many of these, along with other large homes, have been converted to bed and breakfast businesses where guests will find a good night's rest and a wonderful morning meal. Each B&B is as unique as its innkeeper, so you'll find yourself learning more about the state and our residents at each location.

Inns

Historic inns, country lodges and quaint hotels can be found around the state as well. Larger than the Bed and Breakfasts, these lodging facilities offer more than breakfast and some have special meeting or conference areas as well. Enjoy the casual atmosphere of an inn and see if it doesn't open your team up to new ideas and plans.

Hotels and motels

You can select from the familiarity of a chain hotel to the individuality of locally owned hotels around the state.

From Embassy Suites, the Marriott, Country Inn and Suites to Holidays Inns to Microtel's and Red Roof Inns, the state's chain hotels provide a good selection of lodging options to suit any traveler's budget and tastes.

Locally owned lodging options like the Blennerhassett Hotel in Parkersburg, Oglebay Park in Wheeling and the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown offer the same services of the other hotels combined with the personalities and tastes of their independent owners.

Shopping

Shopping around for the right souvenir or special gift?

Try a glass factory. Blenko in Huntington, Fenton Art Glass in Williamstown outside of Parkersburg, and Homer Laughlin China Company in Newell are well known for their collectible works.

If handcrafts are more to your liking, stop at one of these specialty spots. Cabin Creek Quilts in Malden, outside of Charleston, offers shoppers quilts, table linens, baby gifts and more. In Charleston, Alex Franklin's South Hills shop includes fine giftware and stationery as well as a wonderful Mountain Artisans corner of fine local handcrafts. A Gallery Called: Made in West Virginia at Cairo includes West Virginia crafted works from furniture to jewelry to musical instruments. There's also Artists at Work in Elkins, the Art Colony at The Greenbrier and the Wheeling Artisan Center.

Antique shopping in the Lewisburg, Beckley and Eastern Panhandle areas is a sure bet for anyone searching for something old, while outlet shopping at the Flatwoods Mall makes shopping at the center of the state fun for everyone.

Tamarack in Beckley offers a fine selection of West Virginia juried handcrafts and West Virginia grown food products. The Capitol Market in Charleston also carries food and produce products for those with a craving for salsas, sweets and sours rather than quilts, toys and other craft items.

West Virginia Beaches

West Virginia Online

West Virginia Golf Association

The Mountain State Association of Bed & Breakfasts (MABB)