West Virginia Log Cabin Rentals

One surprising thing about arriving at romantic cabin getaways in the town of Fayetteville, West Virginia is discovering how many great restaurants there are in this little town.  Taking the one you love out to eat at the New River Gorge is easy.  Just a short drive from New River lodging are so many choices for dining no one will go hungry.

From Italian to Mexican to Southern Style, there is a place to eat for every food and taste.  For those looking to spice things up, there is Gumbos, voted Best Restaurant in the Area.  This great lunch and dinner spot specializes in Cajun, Creole and Low Country cuisine.  Visitors can dine on Cajun traditional fare such as crawfish and shrimp as well as unexpected entrees like alligator.  Spice and romance go together in Fayetteville.

Gumbos Cajun Restaurant
103 South Court Street
Fayetteville, WV   25840
304-574-4704
Lunch & dinner ~ Closed Monday & Tuesday
Enjoy our 1 to 4 bedroom, fully furnished rental log cabins with private hot tubs just minutes from Fayetteville, the coolest town in WV.

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.

The New River Gorge area of West Virginia is well known for its world class whitewater rafting and the internationally famous BASE Jumping Festival known as Bridge Day.  Bridge Day takes place in October and West Virginia whitewater rafting happens from spring through fall.  Our New River lodging — deluxe West Virginia log cabin rentals — are often used as the a luxury basecamp from which to explore these adventures.

In the last few years, however, the West Virginia's adventure offerings have come to include year-round activities.  Our New River cabin rentals have been discovered by folks undertaking new kinds of adventures in all seasons.

Mountain Biking trails are open all year, cool and shady in the summer, offering striking views when the leaves are down in late fall and winter.

The Treetops Canopy Tour operates year-round, allowing visitors to experience a bird's-eye view of new leaves in spring, lush green in summer, turning leaves in fall and snow-etched wonder in winter.

Brand new the this year is the New River Gorge Bridge Walk Tour, which takes the intrepid on a walk along a 24 inch wide catwalk beneath the New River Gorge Bridge.  Talk about breathtaking year-round fun!

We look forward to more people discovering year-round fun in our corner of West Virginia.

"The audience was on its feet . . . They were moved by Mr. O'Connor's journey without maps, cheering for the only musician today who can reach so deeply first into the refined, then the vernacular, giving his listeners a complex, sophisticated piece of early-21st-century classical music and then knocking them dead with the brown-dirt whine of a Texas fiddle." - The New York Times

When a musician who has received a review like that appears on the stage in Charleston, West Virginia, just an hour from our West Virginia log cabin rentals, we want to let everyone know about it.   (This makes a perfect night out on romantic cabin getaways.)  What has been written about about Mark O'Connor's brilliance and uniqueness could fill dozens of pages.  He has mastered many styles of violin, from clasical to jazz to Appalachian fiddle and his ability to blend his knowledge into a style all his own is world reknowned.  On November 12-13, 2010, he is coming to The Clay Center for the Performing Arts in Charleston, WV.  Tickets are $10.00 per person and the show begins at 8pm. 

New River lodging is a must if for those who want to experience the ultimate in BASE.  BASE is an acronym that stands for Building, Antenna, Span and Earth -- all the types of ojects that BASE Jumpers leap off.  BASE Jumping is the sport of jumping from a tall, stationary object with a parachute and landing  - hopefully - safely.  It is an extremely dangerous activity undertaken by only a small number of people and which should never be practiced by amateurs -- but it is wildly exciting to watch!  Even if the idea of hurling yourself off a perfectly good bridge makes your head spin, watching others do it is a rush.

Just a few minutes drive from our West Virginia log cabins rentals, the New River Bridge Day Festival is a Mecca for BASE jumpers.  One of the tallest bridges in the world at over 800 feet, the New River Gorge Bridge draws BASE jumping enthusiasts from all over the world.   Bridge Day is the oldest organized event in the history of the sport, and one of the most widely publicized.

This year's Bridge Day Festival will take place on Oct 16, 2010.  More information can be found at the Official Bridge Day website.

Many people come stay at West Virginia log cabin rentals this time of year to experience a rafting trip on the world renowned Gauley River.  The Gauley is a tough river requiring skill and experience to navigate and nothing about it should be taken for granted, but it is also one of the most exciting rivers to raft in the world.

For those interested in learning more about the Gauley River, there is a great website called Gauley River Rapids that not only describes each rapid individually, but shows video of them as well.  It covers the infamous Upper Gauley as well as the slightly less infamous Lower Gauley.

• Upper Gauley River: The Upper Gauley is a tough, technically challenging river dreamed of by the most experienced of rafters, kayakers and canoeists.  Steep drops, massive waves and serious consequences for mistakes mean this run is for experienced rafters only!
• Lower Gauley River: This is the still intense - but with time-to-breathe-between-rapids - lower section below the famous Upper Gauley. For those with rafting experience on rivers like the Lower New, who are looking to take it up a notch, the Lower Gauley River is the perfect choice. 

The Gauley River Rapids website is not a substitute for experience and trained guides and should not be considered a way for anyone to qualify themselves to go down the river. However, the website is a great resource for those curious about the location and order of rapids on the Gauley River, and also shows some great action of rafts and kayaks running these rapids.   Even for those in West Virginia on romantic cabin getaways who have no intention of rafting down the Gauley, the website Gauley River Rapids is a great way to find out what all the fuss is about.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In preparation for the coming of warmer weather, if is always good to find great guidebooks to carry on West Virginia family vacations.  One thing everyone always wants to know is "What is that flower?"  A great resource to answer that for West Virginia visitors is Spring Wildflowers of West Virginia by Earl L. Core.  Originally published in 1948, this book has been reprinted and is still a gold-standard of native wildflower identification today.

Whether it's a flower seen along the roadside on the way to West Virginia log cabin rentals, or one spotted on the edge of a visitor center parking lot, or best of all on a hike, this book will help identify those early season blooms.  And, for the adventurous, on the new TreeTops Canopy Tour just down the road from our New River Gorge area cabins, you can see those spring wildflowers in the woods long before anyone else! 

There is no denying the historical and cultural impact coal has had on West Virginia.  The Coal Heritage Trail National Scenic Byway is a perfect way to explore the history of coal.

Wind through stunning valleys and across ridge tops as you explore the heart of coal country.  Stop and visit the homes of coal miners, as well as the infamous "company stores", company offices, railroad depots You can even go below ground at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine where you ride through the mine in coal "man cars" guided by veteran miners.

A drive along the Coal Heritage Trail makes a fantastic day trip from your Hawk's Nest lodging, or a great scenic route to reach West Virginia log cabin rentals.  This road is a trip worth making during your getaway to West Virginia.

West Virginia family vacations are made special in part by the special sights, great activities and comfortable lodging found in our beautiful state.

We encourage folks who want to take a day off from rafting or biking near our West Virginia log cabin rentals to journey along the Highland Scenic Highway.  This West Virginia Scenic Byway travels through the stunning Monongahela National Forest, rolling through hills and mountains and offering striking views of mountain ranges, rivers and waterfalls.

Among the places to stop and explore along this beautiful stretch of road is Cranberry Glades Botanical Area, famous for its rare orchids and carnivorous plants.  Visitors love to stop and take a stroll along the boardwalk through the bogs and are usually amazed by the unique life of these mountain bogs.

Another favorite stop is the Falls of Hill Creek.  A partly paved .75 mile trail leads past three waterfalls.  The trail turns challenging after the first quarter mile, with a boardwalk and steep, slippery steps, but the beauty of the waterfalls makes it a worthwhile excursion. Want more info or free help planning your vacation itinerary, contact the owners of Country Road Cabins.

A little known fact about the New River Gorge National River is it is part of the US National Park System.  The park is huge - over 70,000 acres of land along the New River and offers the chance to explore culture heritage and recreational opertunities unique to this part of the country.  The views alone tend to make visitors think they have journeyed much further from home than they actually have.

Numerous hiking trails, overlooks and cultural points of interst fill the National River Park.  Ranger led programs allow visitors of all ages to learn more about the landscape, the river  that created it and the people who live with the river, both historically and currently.  Visitors between 7 and 14 years of age have the opportunity to become 'Junior Ranger' and earn a Junior Ranger patch and certificate.

The Park is open year-round, so no matter what season folks are planning a visit, this National Park is offers something to do for all ages.  Visitor's can play all day and return to the comfort of West Virginia log cabin rentals with hottubs and plan the next day's adventures!