West Virginia Cabin Vacation Rental

West Virginia Family vacations can include a visit to the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine where visitors can explore underground in man-cars, and through an old company store turned museum. The history of Coal Mining is West Virginia is not just a history of digging fuel from the earth.  It is the history of the industrial revolution, the beginnings of unions in our country and the battle for worker safety. 

The story of coal is the story of mechanical and technological progress early in our country's history. Coal ovens, specifically, were designed and redesigned to continually increase efficiency.  The evolution of their design was a series of mechanical and brick revolutions that lead to greater effectiveness of heating systems, and coke production.  (Coke is the solid fuel material derived from the distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal.)  

To explore the effect of coal in West Virginia, its people and its history is to do more than just visit this state, it is to understand part of what makes West Virginia special. Within an hour from our New River lodging and Hawk's Nest lodging is a chance to walk into WV coal mining history.

Winter in West Virginia has been called the secret season, but it's becoming less so with each passing year.  People are discovering the fun that can be had beyond the summer rafting season.  A stay in our New River lodging puts visitors in the middle of winter adventures and is within a day's drive of most mid-atlantic cities.

Ski resorts, such as Winterplace and Snowshoe, offer great skiing for the entire family.  Mountain biking at the New River Gorge is a year round offering.   Treetops Canopy Tour ziplines are open all year with winter views like no other.    New this year, the New River Gorge Bridge Walk allows folks to experience the famous New River Gorge Bridge from a totally unique perspective.  At the end of a day of play, cozy West Virginia log cabin rentals with hot tubs await. In fact, you can find 19 different cabin options, all with private hot tubs, here. This is more than anywhere else in the New River Gorge area!

Winter is not a time just to stay inside and wish for warmer weather, it's a season that offers new and different options for exploring the great outdoors.

West Virginia cabin vacation rentals are the perfect places to 'do nothing'.  So many times we take vacations that involve planned events, activities and adventures.  Tickets need to be purchased, multiple reservations made, time is spent running from one cool attraction to another...  Sometimes it's difficult to let go of all the planning and organizing we do in our daily lives and just relax.  "Nothing" is a hard thing to do. 

The New River Gorge area is a perfect place to do nothing.  For all its many great attractions, like whitewater rafting, canopy tours, local arts and crafts, plays and festivals, this area is about quiet, rural living.  The nights are calm and peaceful, the stars easily visible.  Mornings start slow and simple, coffee on the porch, birds singing or geese flying overhead.  It's easy to do a lot here, and just as easy to do less.  Relax in the hot tub or in front of the fire.  Take a walk and enjoy the woods.  Sit and enjoy a view for as long as you like.  Doing nothing does a whole lot of good in our harried world.

New River lodging is starting to fill up because it's that time of year again - Bridge Day is almost here!  The Official Bridge Day Website puts it best: "We've got a bridge, and we've got a gorge - it's time to jump into it!" 

Yes, for those not already familiar with this event, it's like nothing you've ever seen before.  One day a year, one of the longest, tallest bridges in the world, a major travel route, is closed down, covered in popup tents selling food and goods, and people wearing parachutes jump off of it into the New River Gorge.  Seriously.  They do.  Would we kid you about something like this?

October 16, 2010 is the 31st Annual Bridge Day Festival at the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia.  This festival celebrates life on the edge and is spectacular to watch.  It's the B.A.S.E. Jumping party of the season - and the party of the season in general even if you're here on romantic cabin getaways or West Virginia family vacations and not planning on jumping.

West Virginia family vacations can include a little bit of everything, from high action adventure to horseshoe tossing.  Carnifax Ferry Battlefield State Park is just a short drive from West Virginia log cabins rentals and well worth the trip, especially from those with children.

There is no entrance fee to Carnifex Ferry Park, and while the park is not large, but has walking trails dotted with historical markers, and old buildings and fences to explore and discover.  There is a museum, a playground and three overlooks allowing visitors to gaze down on the Gauley River, world famous for whitewater rafting. The three overlooks offer different views ot the same Pillow Rock Rapid, a famous and exciting rapid to watch rafters and kayakers negotiate. The views are pretty distant. There is a newer trail, almost a mile long, called Pearson Hollow Trail that will take you down to Pillow Rock Rapid on river right of the Gauley. Call the Gauley National Recreation Area for more info on that trail (it isn't part of Carnifex Ferry Park).  Those numbers are: Headquarters (304) 465-0508, Canyon Rim Visitor Center (304) 574-2115, Sandstone Visitor Center (304) 466-0417.

A picnic area with grills and tables is near the horseshoe pits, and not far from the softball and volleyball areas.  Fall turns the Park into a riot of color and below on the river bright rafts take adventurers through spectacular whitewater. 

For families looking for a casual day out — with a healthy does of historical significance — Carnifex Ferry Park is the perfect choice.  Enjoy!

A weekend away is always a good idea, especially to a place as beautiful as West Virginia's New River Gorge.  There is much to do here all year round, but fall is a special time to visit Country Road Cabins.  The fall foliage colors of West Virginia are often overlooked in favor of places like Vermont or the Great Smoky Mountains, but the New River Gorge and Monongahela National Forest are stunningly beautiful and worth a visit.  Romantic leaf-peeping trips and cozy New River lodging go together like fall weather and fleece jackets!

An added twist for those coming to West Virginia the weekend of September 18th, Oktoberfest!  From 10am-10pm in Montgomery, WV the day includes tours of the local college campuses for those interested, cornhole tournaments, classic car shows, Sternwheeler river boat rides, and of course an Authentic German Beer Garden which opens at noon.

After the festival, relax in a private hot tub at our West Virginia cabin vacation rentals.  Fruit and cheese wlecome baskets, sparkling cider and catered meals are available to take away all stress.  Settle in front of the fireplace to finish out the evening...

Nicholas County West Virginia has a great tradition of potato farming and what better way to celebrate that heritage than with a Potato Festival.  Just a short drive from West Virginia log cabin rentals and New River lodging, Summersville is a great little town to visit for a true taste of West Virginia life.

The 41st Annual Nichalos County Potato Festival is happening September 9-11th, 2010 in Summersville, WV.  From potato sack races to potato eating contests, there is something for visitors of all ages.

• Thursday evening is Tater Tots time - with a selection of activities geared specifially toward children.
• Friday evening the festival hosts the Fireman's parade and a tailgating party to watch the WVU/Marshall game.
• Saturday is a full festival day with a 5k run, dancing, live music, and a Potato Weight Contest.

Take a day or an evening away from all the high-energy adventure activities available on West Virginia family vacations and spend a some time among the local folks celebrating our rural heritage.

Mornings on West Virginia family vacations can bring either wild excitement at the thought of what the day will bring - whitewater rafting - mountain biking - hiking in the New River Gorge - or a sigh of relief at the peace and quiet of being away from the everyday rush of life.

What visitors can always expect is the sound of a breeze in the trees, bird song and a home-away-from-home feel.  There is a quiet here that lets everyone relax, even those who are revving themsleves up for a day of action-packed fun.  Some fresh coffee and a sit on the porch of a West Virginia cabin vacation rental are a great way to start the day. 

Waking up in West Virginia makes it hard to remember how short a time it actually took to get here for a great getaway.

Hurrah for festivals!  The Taste of Appalachia Festival is a three-day event that draws people from all over.  Just a short drive from great West Virginia cabin rentals, the Festival takes place each year in Beckley, West Virginia.  August 27-29, 2010 marks the 14th year!

Each day starts off with home-style breakfast fare served at the festival.   Throughout the day, there are dozens of booths to explore, filled with local crafts and arts.  Among the great events happening are Coal Mine Tours and Ghost Town Tours, as well as live music throughout the day. 

More than 100 classic cars are displayed to the thrill of automotive enthusiasts of all ages, and Theatre West Virginia presents a Friday night show by Phil Dirt & the Dozers - sure to get the whole family laughing.

Great food, great fun - this Festival is worth the short trip from our New River lodging!

For those pets planning to stay in New River lodging on West Virginia family vacations with their people, we announce a special event around which to plan your getaway!  Beckley Art Group Inc, a non-profit organization in Beckley, West Virginia is offering PET ART DAY.  Pets can bring their person and create a colaborative work of art with him or her.  Professional photographers Ed Rehbein and John Blankenship, will then take a portrait of you, your person and your creation! 

Cost is $25.00 per pet - humans get in free!  Pet's you must leash your people or make them carry you.

All participants will be entered to win a pastel pet portrait by artist Rose Dobbins, a free professional framing of a pet's artwork, and a $75.00 gift certificate to Pet Supplies Plus. 

30% of proceeds will go to Raleigh County Humane Society.  Event to to place on August 21st, 2010 10am to 4pm at 6000 Johnstown Road in Beckley, WV


http://www.beckleyartgallery.com/

Finding great things to do on West Virginia family vacations is part of the fun.  Some outdoor activities, like white water rafting on the New River or the Treetops Canopy Tour are obvious choices, as is a tour of the Exhibition Coal Mine.  But some adventures take more planning because they happen on specific dates. 

Guests staying with children at our West Virginia log cabin rentals might consider planning their vacation or long weekend around the Beckley Classic Kids Festival.  Located throughout Beckley, West Virginia, the Festival includes a Parade & Uptown Fair, a Home Run Derby and Fireworks at Little League.  As a special treat, plane rides are offered at the Airport on one of the days.  Reservations are required for Plane Rides.

Festival Dates for 2010 are September 5-12:

• Sept 5
  - Sunday @ Two, Tamarack
• Sept 6
  - McManus Trail event - meet on the trail lot on 3rd Ave, 11 am, Hunt for heroes / one-mile walk
• Sept 7 & 8
  - One free game of bowling and shoe rental for a child accompanied by an adult
• Sept 8
  - Basketball shooting contest at the YMCA
• Sept 10
  - Baby Fair at Friday in the Park, 11 am - 1 pm, Word Park on Neville Street
• Sept 10
  - Activities at the Youth Museum & Mine, $5; exhibit; WVPBS character;
  - Clown Show at museum's amphitheatre (304-252-3730)
  - Karaoke at the mine
  7:30 & 8 pm - planetarium show
  8:15 - outdoor family movie
• Sept 11
  - Uptown Kids Fair, 10 am - 2 pm - United Games arcade, booths, food, Jr Firefighters Challenge
  - 11 am - Parade (Theme: American Heroes)
  - Noon - 3 pm - Shoemaker Square - Strings of Green recital
• Sept. 11
  - Plane rides & activities at the Raleigh County Airport, ages 6 - 16, 2 - 4 pm, pre-registration required - call 304-255-0476
• Sept 11
  - 4:30 pm - Celebrity Game
  - 6 pm - ESPN The Ticket hosts the Home Run Derby
  - Fireworks at 9 pm
• Sept 12
  - Hamster & Turtle Races, 1:30 pm, Pets N Things
  
  
    Call 304-256-1776 for more information.

Everyone loves hummingbirds, those little airborn jewels that zip by in the blink of an eye offering just enough of a glimpse to leave you thrilled by what you have seen.  Sitting on the porch of a West Virginia cabin vacation rental, you often hear the Ruby Thoated Hummingbirds flying by even before they see them.

The New River Gorge Hummingbird Festival, August 13-15, 2010, celebrates the uniqueness of these little birds with a variety of birding and nature presentations.  The Festival is an outreach program of New River Birding & Nature Center at Wolf Creek Park in Fayette County WV, born of the internationally acclaimed New River Birding & Nature Festival. 

Bill Hilton Jr., Hummingbird expert, Consulting Director of New River Birding & Nature Center, and cited by Discover magazine as one of “50 Best Brains in Science” , will lead the presentations.  Bird lovers should take a break from everyday life, bring the family to stay at some lovely New River lodging and spend a few days in hummingbird heaven.

Here is a song near and dear to our hearts, John Denver's "Country Roads" with its famous opening line "Almost Heaven, West Virginia".  We spotted this video setting the song to a slideshow of some of the beauty visitors can expect to encounter on their way to vacation at our lovely West Virginia log cabin rentals.   We even have a couple New River cabin rentals named after lyrics in this song!

Every region has its own legends, passed down through the generations and romanticised with each telling.  Some comminities have found a way to share those legends with anyone interested.  Logan County West Virginia, just an easy drive from our West Virginia log cabin rentals, is such a place.

All summer long, Tuesday through Saturday nights, at 8:30pm (box office opens at 7:30 pm), "The Aracoma Story" is presented.  This West Virginia historic drama tells the story of Boling Baker, a scout from General Braddock's Army who is captured by the Shawnee and adopted by them.  He marries Princess Aracoma and the Shawnee move to an island in the Guyandotte Valley, where the city of Logan is now located.  They live in peace for 20 years before the outside world catches up with them...

For a fun evening out during West Virginia family vacations, this drama is worth seeing.

One advantage to West Virginia cabin rentals with fully equipped kitchens is saving money on vacation by cooking meals instead of eating out every night.  For visitors looking to add fresh, local food to their evening fare, a visit one of the Farmers' Markets just down the road from your New River lodging in Beckley, West Virginia or Fayetteville, West Virginia, is a great option.  Buying local food means helping local farmers and saving money to because you're not paying for the cost of shipping the food across the country to a grocery store.

From Mid-July through September, the Beckley Tailgate Farmers Market is held 10 am - 1 pm  on Wednesdays at Trail Lot on 3rd Ave and Fridays at Word Park on Neville Street Beckley.  More information is available at WVU Extension Service 304-255-932.

Fayette County Farmers' Market is held in Fayetteville, West Virginia, beside the Fayette County Courthouse in the Courthouse Parking Lot from May 12 through October 12 on Saturdays 7:30am – 11:30am.  Contact Belinda Huebner at 304-574-0609 for more informaiton.

As the mercury hits record temperatures all the way up the coast we're even happier than usual that we get to spend our days near West Virginia's most beautiful Rivers. 

There are a dozen ways to escape the heat in West Virginia, from relaxing on hot nights in airconditioned West Virgnia log cabin rentals to playing in the water. 

Down in the New River Gorge, the rafting is adventurous and refreshing.  High up in the canopy, visitors create their own breezes as they fly along shaded ziplines.  Summersville Lake offers great swimming and boating. Visitors can even explore cooler temperatures underground in the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and Youth Museum.

In the evenings, front porches of New River Lodging provide great views of fireflies while cool drinks are sipped.  

West Virginia family vacations usually include a visit to the spectacular New River Gorge National River Park.  Located just a short drive from the area's most popular West Virginia log cabin rentals, this New River National River Park is famous for stunning views and wild areas to explore.  There are two information centers on the rim of the Gorge - one of them is the unique Sandstone Visitor Center - a building that serves not only as a source of information, but is also itself an educational tool. 

Sandstone Visitor Center was built to LEED™certification standards.  (LEED™ stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System. This voluntary point-rating system was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. The council rates sites on water efficiency, materials and resources, site sustainability, indoor environmental quality, and energy and atmosphere.)

The building was built using local materials on land that was once a quarry.  A geothermal heating and cooling system and solar sensors controlling lighting and insulation made from old newspaper make the building 60% more efficient than current standards.  The landscaping around the building is irrigated by roof runoff and has been created from native plants. 

Not only is the building an example of concious and thoughtful building, but it is actually an educational tool for visitors.  Signs and exhibits throughout the facility serve to inform visitors about the techniques used in construction and to express how the philosphy used to create Sandstone ties into the preservation of the New River Gorge as a National River.

The Fourth of July is almost upon us - a time to celebrate the founding of our country, often by going out to explore new regions of it!   For those coming to the New River Gorge for West Virginia family vacations or Romantic Cabin Getaways there are a wealth of outdoor adventures to experience during the day, white water rafting, canopy tours, rock climbing and hiking among them.  And for the night of the July 4, 2010, there are locations to see traditional fireworks displays:

• Beckley
  9:30pm near Raleigh County Convention Center
   
• Fayetteville
  9:00pm at City Park
  
  
• Summersville
  Dusk at North Side Development.   Starting at noon: live music (2 stages) & games starting. Music will be in sync with fireworks.

Who hasn't heard of the Hatfields and the McCoys and wondered what the heck that feud was all about?  Theatre West Virginia, just down the road from our West Virginia log cabin rentals is the perfect place to get a dramatic look at the infamous clash of families.  Weekly throughout the summer, Theatre West Virginia performs the play "Hatfields and McCoys" decribed by the Theatre below:

"Some say it started with a dispute over the ownership of a hog. Others say the ill-fated love of Roseanne McCoy and Johnse Hatfield caused it. Whatever the reason, there was bad blood between the Hatfields of West Virginia and the McCoys of Kentucky.

This historical drama chronicles the battles and bloodshed spurred by pride and politics. The story of the Hatfields and McCoys has been told and retold until the real men and women diffuse into myth, but they did exist."

This production contains some violence which may frighten very young children but it is great fun for adults looking to add a little bit of WV cultural history to any evening away from West Virginia log cabin rentals on romantic cabin getaways.

Baseball?  In West Virginia?  Oh yes!  While most people looking for a West Virginia cabin vacation rental are planning to spent time in the great outdoors, hiking, biking, or whitewater rafting, sometimes it's nice to try something a little diffferent - especially if there are kids along.

The West Virginia Power is a Minor League Baseball team that is the Class A Affiliate proving ground for future Milwaukee Brewers players.  Located in Charleston WV, just an hour from New River lodging, the WV Power offer ticket pricing from just $5 for general admission and a ton of fun for folks on West Virginia family vacations.  Bring the whole family out; sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", eat hot dogs and have a cold drink - a true traditional summer evening!