Summer Vacation in Almost Heaven WV

Of all the beautiful places in America where I love to visit, West Virginia is my favorite in heart and in soul. I have spent most of my life living in the mountain state and there are many reasons why it is what I consider one of the most scenic vacation destinations in all of America.

Rightly deserving the name "Almost Heaven", West Virginia offers a combination of scenic countryside and rugged high mountain vistas. Throughout the mountain state, unique areas of exploration and adventure await visitors seeking both relaxation and excitement in their annual vacation plans. The scenic picturesque landscape throughout West Virginia need not be reserved to only visitors to this area, the beautiful sights and locations are here for residents of West Virginia as well. Often many who have spent their entire lives living amongst Heavenly places realize that they have overlooked and missed the hidden treasures of the forests and mountains.

Come with me as we walk through some of the most wonderful places you can imagine on Earth. Then be sure to get your camera ready to take the some of the most beautiful scenic vacation pictures you have ever captured.

Spruce Knob is known as the highest point in West Virginia and in terms of physical elevation this is true. Here the wind is almost constantly blowing because of the high altitude and the limbs of the spruce trees all point in the most common path the wind travels. The sunrise and sunsets are so beautiful on Spruce knob, as there are tremendous views of both the Eastern and Western sky.

During the night the show is not over, but rather is just beginning. During the clear summer nights nature's literal planetarium lights up the sky with stars shining and planets all a glow. Spruce Knob is knob as one of, if not the best place to experience the night sky. With very low levels of light pollution from distant small country towns, Spruce Knob allows the lights of the Milky Way to thrill you and your children's imagination.

Spruce Knob is a wonderful place for a picnic and then afternoon hike with your whole family. I recall recently when my children and I ate an afternoon lunch, then took a little nap as we listened to the breeze blowing across the mountain top. We then later walked down the huckleberry trail where my children and I picked wild blueberries and huckleberries, eating them right there on the trail. This was a very memorable family experience.

Around the Spruce Knob area are many other wonderful places where you and your family can build scenic vacation memories. Spruce Knob Lake is a great place to camp, hike, fish or even swim. The water is very clean and clear. This beautiful mountain lake provides an amazing mirror for the stars at night below the clear mountain skies.

Seneca Rocks offers rocks climbing adventures and wonderful picturesque scenery from high atop the mountain trail. There are many guides and tours available for those whose wish to brave the step jagged rocks of Seneca. However, the entire family can visit the very top of the rocks and view the valley below by taking a mile long hike along the side of the mountain to a maintained platform above.

North Fork Mountain Trail is a wilderness adventure only for the dedicated and true outdoors family of thrill seekers. When you have hiked and experienced the scenic beauty of North Fork Mountain and Germany valley below you will dream in the days and weeks to come that you have visited a little piece of heaven.

Both Smoke Hole and Seneca Caverns are interesting tourist attractions in this area where the whole family can see underground waterfalls, as well as underground creeks and rivers. There is a lot of Indian heritage in this area and children will love to hear the stories and legends of the old Indian civilizations.

Canaan Valley with Blackwater Falls State park and the beautiful hidden Elakala Waterfalls just beside the Blackwater lodge are an amazing sight to behold. The State park is a great place where your family can spend days hiking, kayaking, fishing and exploring; while husbands and wives are relaxing on the deck behind the lodge overlooking the scenic Blackwater Falls gorge.

During the late weeks of June and the early months of July, wild mountain laurel and beautiful azaleas cover the high mountain reaches of Dolly Sods wilderness, especially around the Northland loop trail. This area which is seemingly bleak and uninhabited is very beautiful when time is taken to visit the scenic valley overlooks. Along this 15 miles stretch of mountain road are many stops where the valleys and mountain vistas offer excellent opportunities to take perfect scenic family vacation pictures.

Just a little way from the West Virginia Highlands area, is an outdoor wildlife experience that the whole family will simply love. The wildlife center just outside of Buckhannon will certainly thrill adults and children alike. The West Virginia wildlife center provides families with a unique up close view of the wildlife found today and throughout history in the Allegheny Mountains. Mountain cougars, Bobcats, Black Bear, Wolves and Coyotes as well as Elk, Buffalo, Hawks, Owls and Eagles are just a few of the creatures that will excite children who rarely experience such up close encounters with wild animals. These mentioned are just a few of the scenic vacation attractions found in West Virginia, and are all able to be visited in a few short days. Often families may overlook the scenic beauty and rural hospitality found in places such as West Virginia. Many plans only include the same busy beaches for their summer vacation. But those who visit some of these heavenly places return home from their vacation with an uncommon experience that everyone in the family will carry in their hearts for years to come.