Situated in one of the most scenic and tranquil settings in the Mid-Atlantic – with unlimited recreation and family-focused activities - Canaan Valley Resort in West Virginia is a four-season destination providing the perfect escape from the pressures of daily life. Fifteen miles long by three miles wide, Canaan Valley is the highest mountain valley east of the Rocky Mountains, with a base elevation of 3,100 feet. Canaan Valley Resort is nestled on a plateau overlooking the valley, offering sweeping views of the surrounding peaks.
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Last weekend we headed for Canaan Valley Resort which is owned by the West Virginia State Parks. It's 3 hours from Arlington and the best part is that you are up in the mountains so the temperature is about 10 degrees cooler! We went for 2 days and 1 night. I would use the term "resort" loosely because this place is much more relaxed and "campy" than say a Four Seasons. There are tons of hiking trails, mini golf or a round of real golf on their beautiful course, indoor/outdoor swimming, a nature center, tennis courts, chair lift to the top of the mountains, tubing, etc. It's also very popular in the winter and would be a good place for William to learn to ski. All in all, it is a great family destination with breath-taking views of the mountains. And the leaves were turning too which would make even Norman Rockwell jealous.
Road trips through VA are one of my most favorite things of living out here. It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL to drive through the countryside on the dirt back roads. You pass through some OLD OLD towns, some ghostly and some that you know were adorable during their hay day. The buildings are falling down, the architecture is incredible, and the farmland stretches as far as your eye can see. It's just fun for me to daydream about living in the 1800s in one of these tiny towns. Anyways, we drove through Moorefield, West Virgina and the town was having their heritage festival to raise money for the Moorefield school and it's band. So we stopped. We bought a fresh squeezed lemonade, a few fried oreos, and toured the home spun craft fair in the gym. We hope our $5 contribution helps out the Moorefield Yellow Jackets!
William was desperate to participate in the tractor display too. So, we let him climb all over them for awhile and he pretended he was a Moorefield farmer.
We also went for a short hike along the trails in the hopes of spotting the resort's resident beaver. We didn't see the beaver, but we did get to see his dam.
Dan found a fun little spot for dinner Saturday night. We drove into the neighboring town of Thomas for a family fun night at The Purple Fiddle. The Purple Fiddle Cafe, Brews and Stage is a family-friendly and non-smoking music venue and deli-style restaurant. They are located in the old DePollo General Store in the beautiful Allegheny mountains. Every week, and always on Friday and Saturday nights, the Purple Fiddle presents professional, touring acts. The music lineup is diverse: old-time, bluegrass and traditional bands, rock n' roll, jazz, funk, reggae, old-country, blues, Celtic, folk, and even Latin bands. We grabbed a bite for dinner and got to hear the band practice for their show. However, we left before it really got rockin'.
We woke up on Sunday and had a great breakfast before heading back home. We did make a pit stop at the Dolly Sods for a quick little hike and a moment to take in the views. William made a few paper airplanes (see picture above) and was excited to launch them in the great outdoors. Our little get away was great fun and the perfect place to spend a relaxing weekend.
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