24 resolutions to add to your bucket list this year

There are so many things to see and do in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia that it can be a bit overwhelming deciding where to start.

This bucket list might help you plan an exciting year in 2016. How many of these resolutions can you keep?

1. Tap your toes and sing along at venues on the Mountain Music Trail, taking in the traditional music, dance and folkways of the Allegheny Mountain region aling the U.S. 219 corridor through Monroe, Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Randolph and Tucker counties.

2. Spend the weekend off the grid in the Thorny Mountain Fire Tower, which stands 53 feet high, 3,445 feet above sea level. The sleeping quarters have a stunning 360-degree view of Seneca State Forest.

3. Catch an original play during Contemporary American Theater Festival at Shepherd University. The festival debuts new plays to a global audience every July.

4. Savor a delicious meal while enjoying a scenic mountain view at the Forks Inn in Elkins.

5. Celebrate Fasnacht in the Swiss-settled community of Helvetia. Fasnacht, the pre-Lenten burning of Old Man Winter, features live music, food, and a masked parade.

6.  Raft the Cheat River in the spring, when snowmelt and spring rains combine to create fierce Class V whitewater rapids.

7. Take a ride on the longest sled run on the East Coast at Blackwater Falls State Park or explore the woods on cross-country skis.

8. Bring the family out to Fall Fun Farm at Gritt’s Farm in Buffalo. The seasonal event features a corn maze, pick-your-own pumpkin, tractor rides and more.

9. Get a bird’s eye view of Moundsville on an adrenaline-rushing zipline tour high above the city at Grand Vue Park.

10. Stroll through the former homes of millionaires during Bramwell‘s tours.

11. Climb the via ferrata (Italian for “iron way”) at NROCKS Outdoor Adventures. The 1-mile fixed-anchor climb crosses a suspension bridge and climbs 1,085 feet for sweeping views of the Pendleton County valley.

12. SCUBA dive at Summersville Lake. Skin Diver magazine calls the 2,700-acre lake the “Little Bahamas of the East” because of its water clarity. Take lessons or even earn your certification in this pristine underwater paradise.

13. Explore the ancient rock formations along the boardwalk at Beartown State Park and then take in the view from the lookout tower at nearby Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park.

14. Attend the Italian Heritage Festival in Clarksburg. The festival has been named one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association and one of the Top 4 Italian festivals in the nation by National Sons of Italy.

15. Mix up a cocktail from Hatfield & McCoy Moonshine. The micro-distillery in Gilbert uses Devil Anse Hatfield’s own ’shine recipe.

16. Take an underground tour of the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, then explore the recreated coal camp, Youth Museum and Mountain Homestead– all full of fascinating and entertaining artifacts.

17. Snap a selfie in front of the World’s Largest Teapot. The 14-foot-high structure– once used as an advertisement for Hire’s Root Beer– has been a staple in Chester since 1938.

18. Take in a West Virginia Black Bears baseball game. West Virginia’s newest minor league team, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, is based in Morgantown.

19. Sample old-fashioned candy recipes from the 18th and 19th centuries at Cool Confectionaries in Harpers Ferry.

20. Bike the North Bend Rail Trail. The 72-mile trail passes through 13 tunnels and crosses 36 bridges from Wood County to Harrison County.

21. Spend a night in the Castaway Caboose. The Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad will tow your caboose into the remote and beautiful Appalachian Mountains, where you can spend the day fishing and mountain biking before the train returns to pick you up.

22. Experience the flight of your life over the scenic New River Gorge. Wild Blue Adventure Company offers sightseeing tours and aerobatic thrill rides in a World War II Stearman biplane.

23. Treat yourself to a halotherapy session in a room made entirely of Himalayan salt. The Salt Cave and Spa in White Sulphur Springs has a variety of services, including massages and aromatherapy.

24. Check out the campy Mothman Festival in Point Pleasant. While you’re in town stop by the Point Pleasant River Museum to learn about life and commercial enterprise on the Ohio and Kanawha rivers.

What are you West Virginia resolutions?

This post was last updated on March 12, 2024