This is worth a quick stop here, to see the memorial of a pioneer of country. It is in front of a…read moresmall library just up the street from where he was found passed away in the backseat of his car. It won't take up anytime. Be warned: I propped my hands on the cement to read it and I realized the thing was covered in chiggers (mites). They aren't harmful but still. Anyway, nearby is a place called pies and pints if you want a good meal before or after this stop.

I've listened to Hank Sr since I was little. I'm not sure what I was expecting and almost…read moreoverlooked the small memorial. Having heard the story of that evenings car ride I wanted to go. I was not disappointed as I stood there thinking of this country music legend and looking around at the small town. Hank achieved so much in his short life and I'd rather go and pay tribute to a real legend than to pay money and see a live show of today's country music want to be. I'll go every time I get the chance

Tony Vanoy and I stopped at Tater Mountain Lookout in Mullens WV area. It's free to go to park no…read moreadmission fees and the Swing is free to Enjoy! It's located at the top of mountain up a narrow one lane dirt road! Be very careful!! Lisa Diane Boyce-Vanoy #wvswings #2025endofsummerroadtrip #AlmostHeaven

Saturday, June 15th, 2019, hubby Tony and I crossed the bridge over the New River on Rt 20 and…read moreentered this old town. There are so many empty houses and empty commercial buildings, so sad. The historical Train Depot is located down hill off the main drag towards the river and it is still in operation today. Hinton is an Amtrak station in Hinton, West Virginia, served by the Cardinal. The station is a former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway depot, and is located in the Hinton Historic District. Constructed in 1905, the brick building includes wood canopies supported by heavy brackets featuring a wood-fan pattern trim. Tony and I parked beside the building and got out to walk around and enjoy the beauty of this old building. The train tracks are active so keep that in mind when playing around it and checking things out. I was able to peer into the windows, because the place is closed only open hours when the train is suppose to stop. Some of my photos are of some old photos of the location. Very interesting history for this building. It was the hub of the hub-lub in the area back in the day.... .

I was able to go inside the waiting room of the depot last week because the Cardinal was scheduled…read morethat day. Clean and historic. I only wish the city or someone would be able to open the rest of the depot as a museum.

On January 30, 2007, a leaking propane tank exploded at a convenience store here, killing four and…read moreinjuring several others. Two of the victims were volunteer firefighters, the other two were gas workers. Another victim was a firefighter on scene, who died three years later from his injuries. In 2018, a memorial remembering the disaster was officially dedicated by family, friends, and neighbors. A headstone is erected for each of the four men who passed. All of them center around a monument describing, "We Will Never Forget." There is a small parking area here. [Review 20391 overall - 109 in West Virginia - 1369 of 2023.]

What an amazing site in the National Park. This is an abandoned town from the early to mid 1900's…read morethat had quite the past. They do an excellent job of explaining the buildings and life when it was a booming steam engine railroad town. Take your time visiting the area. I could believe that it is an active Amtrak site today.

What an amazing place to stop and try to imagine this was once a place bustling with people…read moreworking, traveling, living .. it's so small and empty now that only the pictures can tell the tale! They did a good job putting up information and learned so much about what it was like to work here for the railroads way back when. It's incredible how times change, things become more efficient, jobs are reduced, and eventually eliminated. I spent a total of an hour and 15 minutes here for reference. There is a gift shop where I got my usual souvenir magnet, but there are other neat things here as well! I was tempted to buy the "dining on the railway" book (or a name something like that). A great piece of history here and I hope someday the interiors of the buildings can be brought up to code and replicated to look how they did in their heyday so we can get a real feel of walking into the businesses (also a rebuild of the Lafayette Hotel would be amazing, even if just a smaller scale). I'm glad what is there has been preserved by the NPS! I have to say, I left West Virginia with a treasure trove of history!

Tony Vanoy and I stopped at Stephens Lake in Beckley WV area. It's free to go to park no admission…read morefees and the Swing is free to Enjoy! It's located near the Frisbee Course! Lisa Diane Boyce-Vanoy #wvswings #2025endofsummerroadtrip #AlmostHeaven

After taking a tour of the historic town of Thurmond, located at the Thurmond Depot (they do tours…read moredaily at 11 am), we came across Dunloup Falls just down the road. Coincidentally, we were planning to hit up some waterfalls as part of the Waterfall Trail of WV and to our delight, Dunloup Falls was one of the falls on the list. Dunloup Falls is located along Route 25, do as you're coming out of Thurmond, you'll come across a pull off to your left. You have enough room to park and no need to hike it. You can enjoy from the road or walk down a little to get closer. It had been raining for the last couple of days prior, so the falls was just gushing with life! Waterfalls are just a sight to see, big or small, trickling or gushing! If you happen to explore Thurmond, definitely don't miss this gem on the way out!

Not far from where US-19 crosses with I-64, this marker points out that there was some history…read morehere. The road narrows a bit, so stopping to read the marker could be a challenge. The marker reads, "The ancient fortification in a bend of Beaver Creek was first surveyed by Alfred Beckley in 1837. Isaac Craig mapped it a year later and estimated then~fallen stone walls were 7 feet thick and 6 feet high. The walls of large enclosure, with design similar to Middle Woodland era "forts" are now gone and only trace archeological evidence links early Native Americans to the site." It was erected 2016 by the Raleigh County Historical Society and the West Virginia Archives & History Commission. [Review 20393 overall - 111 in West Virginia - 1371 of 2023.]

A local Princeton friend decided to take 2 days off work and drive me around to show me the local…read morearea. One of the stops we got to see is the New River Gorge and the bridge that crossed over it. I didn't realize that the New River Gorge is one of the most beautiful places in West Virginia. It's featured in various top tourist attractions to visit in southern West Virginia. The bridge is a working bridge that connects people from point A to point B. I also didn't realize that the New River Gorge is operated by the National Park Service. I assumed it was maintained by the local West Virginia county. With that said, my friend and I arrived here around 10am. We thought that the visitors center would be closed during the government shutdown of 2025, but it was not. We browsed through the visitor center and took in the short 10 minute visitor video that they had. It was cool to learn about the area and what conservation efforts are currently being done for the area. They had a small little area theater that they used to show this 10 minute video. It was comfortable and very much cute and enjoyable. After browsing the exhibits that they had to offer, they had a small gift shop area, where I browsed a minute or two before leaving the visitor center. There was a nice place to view the gorge and the bridge that allowed vehicle traffic to flow constantly every day and that. It was just a beautiful thing to see on a November 2025 morning. I was glad to be here to witness West Virginia's pride and joy. It was definitely a highlight of the day for me and I'm sure that my friend was happy to take me here to see such a natural splendor. The over experience here at the new River Gorge here in West Virginia was very beautiful and mesmerizing. It was definitely one of West Virginia's top tourist, destinations, and the most scenic. I always wondered if you could go to the bottom of the bridge gorge area, and we actually did that during my stay here. Although it was about an hour or so visiting, we did just that. We drove down as far as we can go and took a break at the Waters edge. We had to walk a few just to get to where we needed to go and we saw a river. It was nice to see all the forest the area down by the water edge and to see the natural surroundings that make up the gorge so many years ago. I think how the water carved out this beautiful landscape probably did the same with the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Natural forces that work here people. And so, after we head down to the waters edge, we looked at the bridge which was towering over us. It was cool to be here on a random workday, but I was on vacation. To be able to see such wonder and compare to other wonders of the world is interesting. Traveling makes it so much more fun and rewarding when you are doing with friends. We spent about 15 to 20 minutes, exploring the bottom of the gorge. It was nice to have available walking trails to explore and not have it closed off to people. As always is at your own risk if you injured yourself or whatever. For the most part though, it was a very enjoyable trip to see the gorge and the new River Bridge. Definitely recommend coming here if you're in the area and I would like to see the number one West Virginia tourist attraction. Not much in terms of choice attractions in the state, but if you're in the south side of the state, you'll be wow'ed beyond your wildest dreams. The New River Gorge is located in south West Virginia. The closest town is Fayetteville. The visitor center has limited amenities, but they do have knowledgeable national Park service staff that can assist you in anyway possible about the Gorge and the area in general. As far as food and concessions are concerned, your best bet would be to find something along the way in or out of the area because there is not much around. As far as parking goes, they have a generous parking lot situation at the visitor center. When I got there there was plenty of parking spaces at 9 AM in the morning. Best bet would be to have your own vehicle or rent one because I'm not sure if there is actual regional public transportation options to get here for cheap. You can luck out with something, but I don't know. There's always Uber or Lyft if you need them, but it can't get very pricey if you do it that way. And so, best thing to do is to make a friend or drive yourself because the new river Gorge is outside of any major town in West Virginia so it's quite a drive to get there. Along the way you'll see many beautiful things so enjoy the ride and the journey because that's life for you. It's true what they say about the area though. You can immerse yourself in the beauty of the area and still not be bored with it. 5.0 stars for the overall experience Support local! A+

Whether you're driving across or visiting the National Park, the New River Gorge Bridge is a…read moremust-see in West Virginia. You can visit the National Park center and collect stamps in your passport or take one of many trails that give you beautiful views of the bridge and nature. No matter what you choose, the scenery is stunning! If you're a Fallout 76 fan, add this location to your FO76 itinerary. We did a 4 day Fallout trip around West Virginia and we were glad we added this massive bridge and National Park to our itinerary.