...
....
Fire My Words... ........
center
....... .... ....... ....................
wolves ..... .......... ..... ....... ... .............
Myspace Layouts by Pimp-My-Profile.com
Flags from TWIZABOO.com ... ........ 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
the
State, 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 th e time to enjoy life, and hold each moment
in our hearts forever.
Make photo slide shows at onetruemedia.com ............... .....
