Travel south to charleston, west virginia
what do you get when you assemble hundreds of southern travel destinations, throw in a handful of journalists, sprinkle with people who are passionate about the host state [this year, west virginia], and well, you've got a hot-bed of destinations that are sure to make it on your updated travel itinerary. it's a yearly event, hosted in different locations, that invites the best of what the south has to offer and dishes it out on a platter for others to feast upon. here's a look at our days spent in west virginia; these points of light should be your part of your days as well. find out more information on these venues and many others at the west virginia division of tourism.
day 1: welcome to bramwell, west virginia
located in mercer county, west virginia, bramwell is a small town [app. pop. 364] full of history and southern hospitality. with its own soundtrack, the bluestone river, bramwell celebrates its victorian and tudor style homes and shares them on self-guided tours as well as pre-arranged tours. located in the national coal heritage area, spend time at the coal heritage interpretive center depot [visitor's center] which shares the towns history built upon the coal industry. if you're lucky to run into mayor lee stroker, she will share with you the joy of living in bramwell. "it's a wonderful place," she says. "when i was a minute old, i said, 'can i stay here?'"
dining at the bramwell cafe in downtown
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the goodwill house
once belonging to the philip goodwill, general manager of the goodwill coal and coke, the goodwill house was built in 1895 and remodeled in 1905. sitting atop a hill overlooking the entire city, the home's stone was quarried in bramwell, the wood was hand cut on site, and tiles were even transported from wales. the entire third floor is a ballroom. current owners dr. michael and jackie sheehan open their home for pre-arranged tours as well as during the public home tours in may and december. 
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goodnight from pipestem resort state park
much about west virginia impressed me but nothing more than the wealth of state parks and resorts that are available. given the terrain of west virginia, the state has made impeccable use of their natural resources and placing visitors and residents alike in the heart of what makes them shine [50 state parks, 10 are resorts]. opened in the 70s, pipestem offers a tinge of that 'dirty dancing' feel which intrigued me all the more. the lodge is outfitted as nicely as any hyatt at half the cost. it doesn't stop with mckeever lodge or mountain creek lodge or even the 26-full equipped rental cottages, but adventure extends to fly fishing, camping, golfing and special events during the year. the icing on the cake: no admission fees to any state park.
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at pipestem resort state park: the dining room with a view of blue stone gorge
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day 2: beckley, fayetteville and logan
going into a mineshaft was on my list. i checked it off here.
visitors ride into the shafts, seeing various artifacts and hearing first-hand accounts of what it was like to battle the unknown. our guide veteran coal miner roger jarrall spent most of his life working just 30 miles from this spot. in this constant 58 degrees, miners earned $2 for 12-hours work with 120 feet of rock overhead; that's $.20 per one ton load. jarrall explained the tools, the responsibilities of miners, the daily struggle. he told of the canary in the canary cage and if it grew silent, it signaled trouble. plus, "the rats would let you know if there was trouble," he says. "they would head out. rats were coal miners best friend." the national coal heritage area is comprised of 13 west virginia counties, spanning more than 187 miles, in the appalachian mountains and tells the story of its coal industry since 1742. 
miner roger jarrall tells of a day in the life of a coal miner
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the kitchen in the superintendent's house
situated around the mine is the coal camp. the community of houses were built and owned by the coal company and included a church, a school, a company store, basically everything the worker and his family needed.
a wall of coal miners
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the new river gorge bridge was completed in 1977. not only has it given easier access for residents, but it provides a world class view. guided tours are available year-round.
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inside the coal jamboree in logan, wv
gene worthington and karen vuranch of the fayette theatre
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the 19-year renovations of the historic fayette theatre include building improvements, plus revamping the lobby, dressing rooms, better seating and the addition of a tech booth
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day 3: it's all about hatfield and mccoy
the coal house which serves as tug valley's welcome center and chamber of commerce is the only building in the world built entirely of coal - 65 tons worth. it's also the home to many artifacts of the hatfield and mccoy feud and the meeting point for the driving tours.
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boarding atv's in downtown logan to hit the hatfield and mcoy trails
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day 4-6: let the networking begin!
networking and celebrating at the showcase in charleston
a capitol idea
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moonshine and jalapenos
a young charleston greeting at the carnival
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mayor danny jones
winter carnival in downtown charleston
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strength, beauty and grace at the charleston ballet, in its 58th season
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the west virginia culture center at the state capitol showcases the state's artistic, cultural and historic heritage
taylor made and friends - "our mom taught us to sing."
next year, we're dancing all the way to shreveport, la.
one foot ahead of the other as visitors dig deep into the treasures of west virginia
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chicken and dumplings with oral lake potatoes, from gardner farms and green acres
pick your passion in louisiana
expect the unexpected next march at the travel south showcase - shreveport, la.
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kim pauley, artistic director of the charleston ballet
mardi gras king and queen
wherever you find david kemp, you find happy!
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travel south executive director liz bittner welcomes journalists and tour operators to explore the best of what the south has to offer
the capitol market
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