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| Cold and Rainy? Hypnocoffee! |
While at White Grass cross country skiing, we had the chance to explore the Canaan Valley and the nearby towns of Davis and Thomas. The Canaan Valley sits at 3,000 feet in the mountains of north eastern West Virginia. The surrounding peaks rise to 4,300 feet. Because of its elevation and location, it has a unique cool, wet climate. This gives abundant snow in the winter and damp, mossy summers. The region scores over 150 inches of snow each year, and there are several small downhill resorts in the area in addition to White Grass.
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| Ann Awaits Her Fix at Hypnocoffee |
We stayed at Canaan Valley Resort, a slightly threadbare state park. But rates were excellent and we were able to arrange 4 adjoining rooms set up as suites - every other room having a fold out couch and mini kitchen.
There valley has a few small condo developments, scattered about, but very low key and not expensive. The downtown of Davis is a single street lined with unimpressive older buildings in need of some updating. But a closer look pays dividends. Tucked inside are interesting, often funky local businesses. Hypnocoffee! Nice coffee, fresh baked goods, and Dirt Rag mountain bike magazine in the reading rack. Now you know it's an outdoor town. Great local outfitter and mountain bike store and a quaint little B&B there too.
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| Griffin Enjoys Dad |
Just up the road is Thomas, perched on a steep hillside overlooking the river and the waterfront path on the old rail line. Because of the slope, the two main streets are one sided - all the buildings are uphill from the street. It too has seen better days, with weather beaten siding and peeling paint. Then we happened on the Purple Fiddle Cafe, had a nice snack, and found it a hotbed of local live music. Folk, Celtic, Psychadelic, Blue Grass - every weekend they seemed to have several bands. We came back Sunday night and spent hours with a fine bluegrass band (standing room only), joined a mass exodus to the art gallery next door at intermission showing sculptures from old silver services, hand made buttons and cards, paintings, and a bike sculpture, then back for the second act. Couldn't find a video online of show we saw, but here are some others at the Purple Fiddle.
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| Griffin Explores the Purple Fiddle |
The Purple Fiddle to me exemplifies the area. It carries an air of casual, outdoorsy relaxation with a twist of hillbilly and hippie. The area is the opposite of pretentious. It seems to value its plain, slightly run down appearance, or maybe deems it irrelevant. Inside their old mountain town shells, Thomas and Davis are alive. There are lots of young folk still around, often running new businesses. Skiers, bikers, artists, musicians all hang out together and support each other. Very cool. I find a vacation region that doesn't take itself too seriously, cost too much, but focuses on the fun refreshing.
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| Ann Hikes Cathedral State Park |
Nearby are vast tracts of national forest, including the Dolly Sods, a vast plateau of heath and twisted spruce, Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia at 4,800 feet, and Seneca Rocks, a scenic spine of exposed stone popular with rock climbers. We even had a chance for a quick hike in Cathedral State Park, a section of virgin Hemlock forest. Reminded me of the Upper Penninsula - but with giant rhododendron all about.
All in all, a very cool place. I wish we had time to go back this spring.
