This story was originally published in the June 2018 issue of Wonderful West Virginia. To subscribe, visit wonderfulwv.com. West Virginia’s world-class waterways are becoming recognized as destinations for stand-up paddleboarding. Birthplace of Rivers. Wet Virginia. The Whitewater Capital of the East. There’s certainly no shortage of sweet superlatives when it
Saving the Sentinels
This story was originally published in the July 2017 issue of Wonderful West Virginia. To subscribe, visit wonderfulwv.com. Tiny bugs have put hemlocks—some of West Virginia’s oldest, biggest trees—in danger. But biologists are fighting back. The meeting started on an ominous note. “The guy came to me and said, ‘Do you want
On the Grapevine
This story was originally published in the July 2017 issue of Wonderful West Virginia. To subscribe, visit wonderfulwv.com. West Virginia’s wild grapes offer unique flavors not found in the supermarket aisles. Anyone familiar with the story of Adam and Eve knows about the temptation of fruit. But in this case,
A 17-Year Chorus Returned
This story was originally published in the June 2016 issue of Wonderful West Virginia. To subscribe, visit wonderfulwv.com. Love them or hate them, billions of these strange creatures appeared in West Virginia in 2016. Imagine it’s late spring in Virginia, sometime in the 17th century. You and your family, colonists
The Marshall Expedition
A modern tale of historical adventure Imagine yourself poised at the stern of a 47-foot-long wooden boat, arms braced about the rudder’s wooden handle, shouting commands to your crew as you crash through the 10-foot waves of the New River Gorge, seeking to steer your vessel through the treacherous Class
Lantern Beetles
The spellbinding, though misnamed, lightning bug is much more than just a pretty light show. When it comes to childhood high-summer fun, catching lightning bugs may occupy the nostalgic pinnacle—even above chasing the ice cream truck and running through the sprinkler. Fireflies turn an ordinary backyard into a fairyland. On