Northern Wes t Virginia
This tour carries the motorist through rural sections and heavy industry, centers of culture and opportunities for recreation. The journey begins at Parkersburg, which has served as a plastics, oil and gas, and manufacturing center. If you’ve never visited historic Blennerhassett Island , where Aaron Burr hatched plans for a military operation in the Southwest, the ferry ride and tour can’t be missed ( @blennerhassettstatepark on Facebook ). The drive northward along the Ohio River on State 68, then State 2 passes by industrial
operations and river towns. At Moundsville , experience the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex —the largest conical-type burial mound in the U.S., at 70 feet high ( @gravecreekmound on Facebook ).
Or tour the old West Virginia Penitentiary ( wvpentours.com ). Consider a visit to NewVrindaban Palace of Gold ( newvrindaban.com ), or ride the zipline at Grand Vue Park ( grandvuepark.com ).
Returning to Moundsville, take U.S. 250 southeast to Burton , passing through rich natural gas fields. Refuel at Lori’s Cup of Joe in Hundred ( @loriscupofjoe on Facebook ). At Burton, take State 7 east to Morgantown , home of West Virginia University . Stop here for a meal of any ethnicity, a musical performance or play, and an overnight stay. FromMorgantown, the tour moves south
A long side trip takes in the Northern Panhandle, where the former steel production powerhouse of Wheeling is well into a renaissance. Make your pilgrimage to West Virginia Independence Hall ( @westvirginiaindependencehall on
Facebook ), and visit Oglebay Park for swimming, a zoo, and even a glass museum. Or try your luck with the greyhounds at Wheeling Island ( wheelingisland.com ). Don’t miss the Centre Market area for shopping and good eats ( @centremarket on Facebook ). Continuing on State 2, just past New Cumberland , take the right on State 8 to get to Tomlinson Run State Park , where you can enjoy lake activities and stay the night in a yurt. Fiestaware collectors will want to head to the tippy top of the state for the factory tour and outlet at Fiesta Tableware , the former Homer Laughlin China ( fiestafactorydirect.com )—and if you like roadside Americana, go the extra few miles to Chester to see the World’s Largest Teapot .
on U.S. 19 to Fairmont . Give the kids a break at the splash park at Palatine Park ( @palatineparkwv on Facebook ), then find classic pepperoni rolls at Country
ClubBakery , the place that invented them ( @countryclubbakery on Facebook ). U.S. 19 continues south—bonus points for timing things around a double feature at the Sunset Drive-InTheater ( sunsetdriveinmovies.com )— to Clarksburg , a center of Italian culture in the state. Find an authentic Italian meal,
then try the locally famous homemade black raspberry at Toni’s Ice Cream ( @ tonisicecream on Facebook ). The last leg of this tour takes you along U.S. 50 westward to Parkersburg . Twelve miles on, you can pass through Salem , where the 1941 U.S. Post Office houses a New Deal mural celebrating the town’s industrial history. Check for an event at Fort NewSalem , a living history museum of nearly 20 frontier log structures ( fortnewsalemfoundation.org ). Continue 60 miles to return to Parkersburg.
Main route: 265 miles. Parkersburg to Moundsville on State 68 then State 2, 76 miles—Moundsville to Burton on U.S. 250, 41 miles—Burton to Morgantown on State 7, 35 miles—Morgantown to Clarksburg on U.S. 19, 40 miles—Clarksburg to Parkersburg
on U.S. 50, 73 miles. 80 wvl • summer 2020
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