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While there are literally dozens of wonderful little towns
in
West Virginia
, here’s an in-depth look at five chosen for their especially quaint nature.
Privately owned shops, unique attractions, and small-town warmth permeate the state
but Berkeley Springs, Elkins, Fayetteville, Lewisburg and Shepherdstown are especially
known for their delightful hospitality and charming atmosphere. Visitors can
take a quick weekend jaunt away from the big city and feel truly refreshed by the
clean air, warm greetings, and slower pace offered by these “gems”.
Many visitors turn into residents when they find out how close some of these little
towns are to major cities. In fact, Shepherdstown is only about eighty miles
from both Baltimore and Washington DC.
 If
you’re looking for something even smaller, check out Hinton, Summersville, or Charles Town. Hinton, the quintessential historic
rail town, is nestled between the New, Greenbrier, and Bluestone Rivers. This
quaint little town has examples of Victorian, American Gothic, and Greek Revival
architecture and with three rivers at its doorsteps, the fishing, kayaking, and
rafting around Hinton is legendary.
On the shores of West Virginia’s largest lake,
Summersville is filled with activities for water-lovers including scuba diving,
water skiing, swimming, boating, and fishing. Nearby Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park marks the spot of
the Civil War battle that saved the salt mines of the KanawhaValley from the Confederates
and made it safe for western Virginia to take steps towards statehood. During
the fall, the water released from the Summersville Dam makes the world-class rapids
on the Gauley River possible.
In the Eastern Panhandle, Charles Town has numerous African-American heritage sites
including a historic church and school. For a night of fun and excitement,
Charles
Town Races & Slots offers live thoroughbred horse racing as well as
thousands of slot machines waiting to be played.
Don’t
mistake small towns to mean boring towns; there’s always skiing, whitewater
rafting, spelunking, world class dining, gaming, and unique shopping right at your
fingertips.
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