Work keeps getting in the way of posting to this blog. Spent a good weekend in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. Stayed at the Canaan Valley Resort State Park. The place needs a little work; it reminds me of a 25 year old Econo Lodge. There has been almost no snow in the Canaan Valley this year, but we decided to keep our reservation and see what we would find. The area gets more snow than anywhere else in this part of the Mid-Atlantic, but not this year. White Grass Cross Country Touring Center had a little snow, enough for a lesson and to ski for a couple of hours. There was snow in their snow farm, where they have put up snow fences that trap snow. There was just enough for about a 3-4" base of icy snow.

We checked out the place on Friday and stayed for a great dinner. Any place that has two entrees, one of which is vegetarian, ranks high on my list. And the entrees were very good. It's the kind of funky place that doesn't exist around here and that I truly miss.

We had lunch one day in Davis, at Sirianni's Café. They make a wide selection of good pizzas. We also checked out Blackwater Falls State Park which has an extensive set of trails for cross-country skiing, hiking, and a few for mountain biking. Some of the best mountain biking country that I've seen is adjacent to the park in the Monongahela National Forest. Guess we'll have to return to check it out.

The one downside to Canaan Valley is the harrowing drive to get there along the main highways of West Virginia. There are no straight roads and nearly everyone feels compelled to exceed the absurdly fast 55 mph speed limit, especially the dump trucks. I've never felt so glad to be back in Virginia.
posted by Bruce Wright at 9:27 PM #