West Virginia
Because of our mountains, we have rivers. The oldest river in the
Western Hemisphere, the New River (quite appropriately named, don't
you
think) ends in West Virginia. We have the Gauley River, which
confluences
with the New River in a magnificent cascade to form the Kanawha River
and
which in turn flows through the center of the State and directly through
the
capital city of Charleston, the largest city in West Virginia. These
rivers
in addition to the Cheat, Blackwater,Tygart, Monongahela, Ohio and
countless
others offer tremendous recreational opportunities.
The tallest building in Charleston is barely 25 floors tall! Which,
if
you think about it, is a plus. How could you possibly build a
skyscraper more beautiful than a mountain?
The capital city stretches throughout the long river valley
encompassing both hill and dale. The Charleston airport, the largest
in
theState,sits on top of a mountain. The crime rate in Charleston,
including
the entire population of the Kanawha Valley (around 200,000), reflects
that
of the entire State....the lowest in America. No more than a handful of
murders are committed each year.
Charleston has no subway systems but truth be known, you can get from
one
end of town to the other, even in rush hour traffic, in less than ten
minutes.
There are three major interstate systems going through Charleston,
the
smallest city in America to make such a claim.
The entire State has six different interstate systems, meaning from
Charleston you can reach Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati,
Pittsburgh,&
Louisville or Charlotte in four hours or less. Ah, but once you leave
the
interstates, the drive becomes a thing of wonder. Two lane roads,
winding up
and down the mountains, offer amazing views and historic places and
small
towns....poor in wealth but rich in history.
West Virginia is the birthplace of Mother's Day in Grafton, and
Father'
Day in Fairmont. We have the oldest covered bridge still in use.
We have walnut festivals, strawberry festivals, apple festival,
pumpkin
festivals, buckwheat festivals, arts and crafts fairs, stern wheel
regattas,
and ramp dinners.
We have Bridge Day, on the New River Gorge Bridge over 800 feet above
the
New River; the only standing structure in the United States that,one day
a
year, allows parachuting and bungee jumping.
Don't forget, we also have the "New River Train" that operates each
October during the height of the colorful fall season. I know of no
other
way to show off the beauty of our state to the folks who travel here
from
all over the country.
We have college basketball, minor league baseball and hockey and,
just
like all of America, Friday night high school football.
We have white water rafting, skiing, hiking, caves, waterfalls, and
camping in every direction. We have Sundays where a leisurely drive
in
the car can take eight hours, and only cover 100 miles.
We have bed and breakfasts, resorts, golf courses, museums, and the
Greenbrier Hotel. West Virginia has more natural beauty and wonder than
any
person could ever imagine.
We have all of this, and yet.... our greatest asset is our people.
West Virginians are good people. We care about each other. We talk
to
our neighbors over the backyard fence. We grow tomatoes for the entire
neighborhood. We turn around in each other's driveways, and yell
"howdy"
when we do.
We sit on the porch on warm summer evenings, listening to crickets,
and
watching kids catch fireflies.
We loan a hammer, or a cup of sugar. We don't take two-hour lunches,
but
we do spend a few minutes each day with a cup of coffee, and our feet up
on
our desk, shooting the breeze.
We rarely get in a hurry. We have relatives just down the street. We
don't just loan someone a socket wrench, we help them fix their car.
We share recipes, and gardening tips, and our last cup of coffee. We
baby-sit each other's kids, we housesit each other's dogs while we're on
vacation, and we loan each other our cars if we have to get to the
drugstore. We ask each other if we need anything as we're going to the
market.
We celebrate each others accomplishments, and we cry over each
other's
disappointments.
We are a friendly folk. We are West Virginians. Mountaineers are
always free! Free to take the time to enjoy life, and hold each
moment in
our hearts forever.
If you are proud to be a West Virginian, then pass this on.
If you are not a Mountaineer but are privileged to have friends who
are,
then please pass it on to them. If you are ashamed to be a native West
Virginian, then shame on you.
