From the moment we crossed over the Ohio River, we were completely taken in by the beauty of West Virginia. The lush rolling green hills, the charming small towns and the welcoming people of that state all served to make us wonder why visitors are not flocking there in droves. Particularly Ohioans like us, given the close proximity of West Virginia and the easy drive it takes to get there. On the other hand, now that we've discovered this wonderful place, I can't say I'd be sorry if the secret never gets out, since the state's peaceful serenity is a big part of its charm.
As noted, our time in West Virginia was spent at Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park. While there is a lovely main lodge at which hotel rooms can be had, we opted to splurge on a private lakeside cottage. Our little gem of a cabin was tucked amongst a small grove of trees just feet from the shore of the lake.
Inside, the two bedroom cabin with fully equipped kitchen wowed us from bottom (hard wood floors) to top (soaring cathedral ceilings). We loved the interior's exposed wood beams, fabulous stacked stone fireplace, and Arts-and-Crafts-meets-Adirondack-style decor.
Outside it got even better. The cottage had a back deck, complete with patio furniture and gas grill, from which there were amazing lake views in all directions. The perfect weather didn't hurt, and I could have happily spent all four days relaxing on that deck, soaking in the scenery.
However, the surrounding state park and resort offered far too many attractions and activities to spend the whole time lounging out back of the cottage. Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park was created just a few years back, when the U.S. Corps of Engineers built a large dam to control the nearby West Fork River. As part of that project, Stonewall Jackson Lake was created and, along with it, the state park. Construction on the resort began late in 2000, and the lodge opened its rooms to the public in early 2003.
The lake is spectacular, with over 80 miles of shoreline edging the sparkling water that twists and turns through acres and acres of the surrounding wooded hillsides.
The park features a 374-slip marina, miles of hiking and biking trails, and a gorgeous Arnold Palmer Signature golf course for those who (unlike us) enjoy that sport.
The resort itself is located right on the lake, and offers the aforementioned lodge, with indoor and outdoor pools, fitness center, full service spa, cozy library and three restaurants and lounges. Activity options obviously abound, and the resort has kayaks, canoes and bikes available free to guests, as well as pontoon and fishing boats for rent.
During our stay, we hiked and fished and boated. The hiking was great and it was fun to explore the lake by boat. As for the success of the fishing, a picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes...
We also enjoyed a little side trip into the town of Weston, about ten miles away. We took a stroll downtown, shopping for antiques along the way and admiring the century old (or older) architecture of the surrounding buildings and houses.
A drive outside of Weston led us to discover a small winery where, after we checked out the charming grounds, the friendly owners guided us through their wine-making facilities, and then poured countless samples of their various wines for us to taste. (Not a bad marketing technique, as it turned out.)
We also stopped at the nearby boyhood home of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, the famous civil war general. The Jackson family property was deeded to the state university nearly a century ago, and has since been used as the statewide summer headquarters and camp for the West Virginia 4-H program. The huge acreage there includes the original mill and pond, where we stopped to feed the waterfowl and fish, along with a great little country store, where we snapped up a jar of West Virginia red raspberry jam to bring home.
The final highlight of our stay, since it happened to be the Fourth of July, turned out to be the fireworks display put on back at the state park, over the lake. From the perfectly situated vantage point of our cottage's back deck, we watched as the brightly colored pyrotechnics exploded and dazzled right over our heads.
While taking in the fireworks, I thought about the freedom and democracy that the display was meant to symbolize and celebrate. Notwithstanding the troubles and turmoil of these modern times, it struck me that the founding fathers of this country really did form a more perfect union. A union that, in the smaller sense, thankfully continues to encourage and revel in the individuality of its people. From a larger perspective, we are blessed to live in a union of fifty wonderful states, each unique in its own way.
From our recent experience, I now know that West Virginia is one of the best of those states. John Denver definitely had it right.
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