Last week, I got invited by West Virginia Tourism Office to join them and other travelers in exploring West Virginia during fall. I was pretty excited because I have never explored the east coast before other than New York City. I got mixed reactions from friends and family after I told them I was going to West Virginia. Most of them asked, “What’s in West Virginia?”. I know, right? And that’s why I wanted to go – I really wanted to discover what’s in the state.
If you are also curious what West Virginia has for you, or you wanted to go but don’t know where or how to start, or if you haven’t even put it in your map as one of the places to go to, this post is for you! Here’s a detailed itinerary of our time in the Mountain State!
Day 1:
I left San Jose Airport at 7AM and arrived at Dulles International Airport at around 5PM (after a layover and the 3 hr time difference). After meeting up with the rest of the crew, we drove for an hour and arrived at the cutest European inspired boutique resort, the Bavarian Inn. I instantly felt like I was transported to Germany!
Tell me how magical this is!
After checking in and settling into my room, we met up at Bavarian Brothers Brewing, which is their onsite restaurant and pub. The food was heavenly! I ordered their Famous Lump Crab Cakes which filled my hungry soul after a whole day of traveling. It was then time to call it a day and get ready for a fun day ahead!
Day 2:
We departed Bavarian Inn and drove to Harpers Ferry Historical National Park where we met our very informative rangers and guides, David and Autumn. We did an exclusive tour visiting battlefields and hiking trails, and strolling the picturesque streets that is rich in history. For the history buffs out there, I highly recommend this tour called “Harpers from the Top Down” which they offer three times a week. Check out their website for more information.
One of the historical mansions in the park. Hearing about the things that happened inside this place gave me goosebumps!
Inside the mansion, they are currently working on preserving the place and planning on making it into a museum.
After a very informative morning, we had lunch at Potomac Grille which is a small restaurant that serves classic American foods in a very homey vibe. We then checked out Bloomery Plantation Distillery, and it’s safe to say that their historic 1840s log cabin captured my heart.
Look at all those awards! You know they’re good when they have won so much competitions! My favorite was the Seasonal Cranberry Clementine.
After the tour and tasting, we went back to Bavarian Inn for some downtime before dinner, where I spent the afternoon in my patio, and looking out this view.
Just look at the fog that made it even more magical.
We had dinner at Bistro 112 and indulged ourselves in French cuisine.
Day 3:
12 minutes walk from Bavarian Inn was our breakfast spot, Sheperdstown Sweet Shop Bakery. They serve pastries, breads and more. I had the pepperoni roll and a blueberry croissant and my day was made.
After checking out of the hotel, we started our road trip to Wardensville, stopping at the Lost River Trading Post as well as the Wardensville Garden Market, a non-profit farm and bakery, whose mission is to teach local youth how to run a small business. Hearing about their story and what they do was just so inspiring! I also love how the owners talked about traveling everywhere and deciding on staying here in West Virginia. That same day, we met two other persons who had the same story – traveled and lived everywhere only to call West Virginia their permanent home. And I can truly see why!
We had some good organic foods and now we’re ready to hike the Seneca Rocks! We hiked in the rain but it was okay because we were rewarded by a very scenic view at the top. Pictures can’t do this place justice!
After 2.5 hours of hiking, we continued our journey to our next hotel and checked in at Canaan Valley Resort. I loved my very spacious room and I even had two beds! We headed to Sirianni’s Cafe for a late dinner where we had variety of pizzas and Italian bites.
Wish Johnrick was here!
DAY 4:
We woke up into a rainy morning but this didn’t stop us from exploring. Today’s scenic adventure brought us to Blackwater Falls and Lindy Point Overlook. It was a short leisurely and muddy hike. So glad I was wearing my Hunter boots!
I don’t know what we did that day that made us worthy of all the foods we ate. LOL. I just remember being so full that day from all the eating. It was hard to say no to good foods! It started at Hellbender Burritos where I had the Goofy Foot burrito which has a tofu grilled in soy sauce with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, jalapeno jack cheese, & garlic mayonnaise. YUM! Afterwards, we went to Stumptown Ales where we were able to sample their award winning beers. We had dinner at Purple Fiddle, but I was too full to eat dinner and just had their strawberry ice cream which was so good! I recommend checking out this place if you ever go. They offer daily live entertainment and the owner is really nice. We spent the night talking about the place and its story.
DAY 5:
We left Canaan Valley and drove 2 hours and arrived on our lunch spot, Mainstreet Grill, where we had American foods. After lunch, we went on a Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad Through Trip. It was 35 miles round trip and took 3 hours. We were the only ones on board the train and it was fun to actually go around the whole train and enjoy the scenic ride.
The weather was surprisingly so nice that day and I just let the early autumn breeze ran through my face.
After an enjoyable ride, we drove to our next accommodation, the Country Inn of Berkeley Springs. I love the charming vibe of this place and yet they have all the modern amenities. They were situated to a corner beside the spa where President George Washington used to go. We walked 5 minutes to dinner at Lot 12 Public House where I had my most favorite meal out of the trip. I ordered for a Veggie Pot Pie and it was so good and filling! After a good meal, we all headed to bed and got ready for an early morning drive back to the airport.
Loving the cozy vibe in Country Inn of Berkeley Springs
To be honest, I’ve never thought of West Virginia before as a place where I would want to go. But I enjoyed my time in there. The people are so nice and helpful and are all proud to be living there which says so much about the place. If you ever find your self around the area or in DC, I highly recommend checking out this piece of heaven.
Let me know in the comments if you have questions.
xx
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Your photographs are incredible! Also this sounds so adventure packed, I love itineraries like these. I always try to make the most of my trip and you definitely did that 🙂
Author
Thanks, Nadia. The agency and tourism board did a good job organizing the trip. 🙂
The Alpine-style Bavarian Inn with its chalet-style rooms looks so cute and cosy. I totally got sold on the beautiful view of the Potomac River.
Isn’t it great when a place surprises you? This seems like the place that has done that just for you. Your photos match your words and they are beautiful. Amazing post.
This is awesome! I am currently planning a trip in other states aside from NY and Florida. I might swing Virginia for a couple of days and consider some of the things to do in this itinerary. Thanks for this very timely!
Looks beautiful! Such a nice place to spend a few days. I remember going to Virginia once when I was a kid, to see Luray Caverns. Is that close to West Virginia?
Your photos were enough to convince me to go to West Virginia. Hopefully, someday! Sounds like a perfect 5 day itinerary. Great post 🙂
I always love reading post about new places;-) Your photos have perfectly captured the beauty of this West Virginia ! I’m a truly nature lover and your photos of beautiful falls and forests are stunning. When we get closer to nature—be it untouched wilderness or a backyard tree—we do our overstressed brains a favor. I love this feeling 🙂
This couldn’t have come along at a better, we have just been invited to a wedding in maryland next year so we will be exploring the area! The Potamic Eagle looks like a lovely way to spend an afternoon. We do love a train picnic. Thanks for such great food recommendations too, that tofu burrito sounds delicious!
Though the opioid crisis is at its heart, Will Brewer’s book paints a beautiful picture of the landscapes of West Virginia. This itinerary reminded me of it. From your photos, I can see how lovely the outdoors are. The mansions are magnificent in their peeling, crumbling states of decay. I’d love to visit West Virginia!
Author
Hope you get to go soon! 🙂
Well done post. Was a pleasure to host you in Shepherdstown! Thank you for doing our beautiful state justice with your words and stunning photos!
Author
Pictures or words can never do it justice! Really love your place! Thanks again for having us. 🙂
This looks like my kind of road trip! A bit of everything – hiking, train journeys, a bit of history, food and drink. West Virginia looks awesome!
Author
Never really expected it but it sure is amazing!
This was such an insightful itinerary. Oddly enough, I have some friends traveling to that area so I’ll definitely forward this itinerary for them to reference to! Keep on traveling!! Maybe some time, you get to visit the Philippines soon!
Author
We are going in January! 😊
Wow! Sounds really exciting!
A very nice and detailed itinerary to discover West Virginia! Thanks for sharing your experience with us, and I can see there are some great food, nice hotel and beautiful sceneries 🙂 @ knycx.journeying
Author
Loved our hotels! Ans the scenery is truly amazing!
We plan to visit the states for a six month road trip and I have to admit West Virginia never came up in the planning. However after having read your post and seeing the pic’s I now feel we shall have to consider it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Author
Omg yes! You definitely should include it!
Thank you for the sample itinerary! It was really informative. I have never thought about traveling to West Virginia but after reading your post it is now on my bucketlist!
Author
That makes me super happy!