Su Clauson-Wicker - West Virginia Off the Beaten Path®: Discover Your Fun

Mountaineer Country, probably because of its industrial and coal-mining heritage, is also the most ethnically diverse part of the state, with particularly large Italian and Polish populations. Of course, ethnic festivals and eateries are popular here, and the astute traveler wont ever leave hungry.

Traveling north on I-79 into Harrison County, have a look at what early American farm life was like. Between Lost Creek and West Milford lies Watters Smith Memorial State Park (wvstateparks.com/park/watters-smith-state-park), a 523-acre farm established in 1796 on land originally patented by Patrick Henry and owned by four generations of the Watters Smith family, pioneers in this region. It still contains a hand-hewn 18th-century livestock barn, carpenter and blacksmith shops, a modest 130-year-old home built by a Smith family descendant, and a small museum with frontier farm equipment. Start at the visitor center, then take the self-guided tour. After youve learned a bit of history, cool off in the swimming pool located in the parks recreation area. Docent tours are conducted most days from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Tours at other times of the year are available by reservation only. Small donations are accepted. Call (304) 745-3081.

MOUNTAINEER COUNTRY

From here, youre only about 10 miles south of Clarksburg, one of the prettiest and most historic cities in the state. Just off the interstate, its at the intersection of US 19 and US 50. Clarksburg was established in 1785 and is, among other things, the birthplace of native son Stonewall Jackson. One of the best places to get started on your tour of the city is downtown at Waldomore, an 1839 Greek Revival mansion that houses exhibits and information on West Virginia history and culture. Its chock-full of museum-quality pieces from the mid-1800s and holds works by local authors and historical documents from the life and times of Stonewall Jackson.

Also of note at Waldomore is the Gray Barker UFO Collection, one of the nations largest unidentified flying object exhibits, featuring 29 file drawers of documents from investigations and sightings as well as a slew of provocative photographs, official records, and correspondence among various international UFO societies. As you might imagine, West Virginias rural natureand amazingly dark nighttime skiesmake it a treasure trove for all things UFO.

Buckhannon native Gray Barker amassed this large personal collection, and after his death Waldomore assembled it into a museum-quality collection, one that attracts folks from around the world. Barker entered the field of paranormal speculation in 1952, when he went to Braxton County to collect reports from residents who claimed they saw the infamous Flatwoods Monster emerging from a glowing object that landed from the sky. He also investigated the Mothman creature at Point Pleasant, West Virginia, which resulted in his book, The Silver Bridge. His final book, MIB: The Secret Terror Among Us, became the inspiration for the 1997 summer hit movie Men in Black. Clarksburg residents say Barker was not necessarily a believer in UFOs, but was more of a folklorist who would record and publish other peoples stories.

BEST ATTRACTIONS IN MOUNTAINEER COUNTRY

Cathedral State ParkAurora(304) 735-3771wvstateparks.com/park/cathedral-state-park

Cheat River Whitewater RaftingAlbright (304) 329-2024Cheatriveroutfitters.com

Pricketts Fort State ParkFairmont(304) 363-3030wwvstateparks.com/park/pricketts-fort-state-park

Valley Falls State ParkFairmont(304) 367-2719wvstateparks.com/park/valley-falls-state-park

Dont Worry; Youre in West Virginia

When I considered walking the West Fork River Trails 16 miles between Fairmont and Shinnston, I wasnt as concerned about my physical ability as my safety. Fairmont State College cyclists patrol the rail trail on bicycles daily, I knew; but would a solitary hiker be safe from human harm in the long stretches of lonely forest?

Oh, honey, youre in West Virginia, said Kathleen Panek, owner of Gillum House B&B in Shinnston. If you see a man on the trail, hes just going to ask if youre doing all right and if you need anything.

OK, I said, if you say so. But I pocketed my mace as I headed out of town along banks quivering with white trilliums. I saw kingfishers and a green heron trolling the West Fork River. (West Fork of what? It should be the Monongahela, but nobody says so.) I spied wild turkeys and a nesting goose, but no humans until I approached Monongah.

There, beside an abandoned coal yard, a young man with big tattoos on his arms was approaching me at a fast clip. Nobody else was in sight.

I clutched my mace in my pocket. He smiled. How are you, maam? Been hiking long?

An hour or so.

Bet youre thirsty. My house is right behind the fire station. Nobodys home. Just go in the front doorits unlockedand get you a drink out of the fridge.

I thanked him and unclenched. Honey, youre in West Virginia.

Waldomore and the Gray Barker UFO Collection are open upon request on Tues, Wed, and Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thurs 1 to 8 p.m. David Houchin maintains the collection. Call ahead (304-627-2236) to be sure he is there; the hours fluctuate with his schedule.

Also in the 16-block downtown historic district is the 1807 Stealey-Goff-Vance House, 123 W. Main St. (304) 709-4902), with its large collection of American Indian artifacts. This was the home of Cyrus Vance, former secretary of state to Jimmy Carter, during Vances teen years. Nearby on Main Street on the courthouse grounds is an impressive bronze sculpture, The Immigrants, a tribute to the Belgian, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Romanian, and Spanish immigrants who came to the Clarksburg area during the 1880s to work in the glass factories and coalfields. The monument conveys the spirit in which these diverse immigrants pulled together to form a harmonious community that still exists today.

Just north of Clarksburg on US 19 is the historic town of Shinnston, settled in 1778 when Levi Shinn built a home in the area. Today the town has a population of about 2,200. It supports several pizza places, a museum, and a park with a bocce court as well as the Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, where people of all faiths can go for prayer any hour of the day on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Shinnston is located at the southern terminus of the West Fork River Trail, a 16-mile path running north to Fairmont. On the north side of Fairmont, you can connect with the McTrail to Pricketts Fort State Park, and from there to the Mon River Trail through Morgantown to the Pennsylvania border. Someday soon youll be able to pedal a network of trails all the way to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, or Washington, DC, should you choose such an aerobic holiday. But for many the West Fork River Trail is plenty, thank you, as it wends along its flat course past wildflowers and waterfalls through the company towns of Worthington, Enterprise, and Monongah.

BEST ANNUAL EVENTS IN MOUNTAINEER COUNTRY

Cheat River FestivalAlbright; May(304) 329-3621Cheatfest.org

PattyFest Music FestivalFairmont; early June(304) 641-2376Pattyfest.org

Preston County Buckwheat FestivalKingwood; late September(304) 292-5081

Feast of the Seven Fishes FestivalFairmont; December(304) 366-0468Mainstreetfairmont.org

With the active traveler in mind, Gillum House Bed & Breakfast can set up bicycle rentals, horse boarding, and shuttle services for those who want to do the scenic trail one-way. Horses get to enjoy the horse B&B (Wade Maley Stables) right on the rail trail, just minutes from the Gillum House. Hosts Kathleen and John Panek also offer motorcycling inn-to-inn packages and will give you an itinerary of covered bridges, craft shops, glass outlets, and other interesting places to visit. If you want to spend a working holiday, the Paneks will even do a three-day seminar on how to run a bed-and-breakfast. The Paneks love the challenge of making breakfasts for special diets, so throw your requirements at them, whether theyre sugarless, low-carb, low-fat, or gluten-free. Call (304) 592-0177.