W ith air travel sketchy, budgets tight, and gas cheap, it’s obvious—the 2020 vacation season was made for a return to the road trip. What we all need now is a strong dose of roadside Americana and car pastimes like Twenty Questions. But it’s a little bit of a lost art, the road trip. It’s definitely not the shortest GPS route from point A to point B. The best routes offer scenery punctuated by surprising points of interest that reveal the local history and culture along the way—and they don’t double back on themselves. So for inspiration, WV Living turned to a brochure of “circle tours” the state Industrial and Publicity Commission promoted in the 1950s, the heyday of road tripping. We were delighted to find that most of the roads and lots of the attractions are still available to vehicle vacationers today. So we present to you these 1950s two-lane tours updated for 2020. Any of them, at 200 to 370 miles, canmake a long, pretty one-day drive with limited stops, a full weekend, or a relaxed, adventure-filled three or four days. All of themwill deepen your pride inWest Virginia. Fundamental to the art of road tripping is planning the big things in advance, but surrendering to little things in the moment. So choose a route, pack your car snacks, hit the filling station, and go find a 1950s-style adventure!
Destinations across the state are following state and local pandemic guidelines that may change through the summer. Check local conditions before you go, respect your hosts and fellow travelers by wearing masks and practicing distancing, and know that your business will be appreciated everywhere you go.
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