"The Mountain State"

Welcome to West Virginia

West Virginia/Ohio border on I-77
April 1, 2006

Nestled in the Appalachians, West Virginia seems to be left out of the national dialogue unless something coal-related is discussed. Perhaps this could have been remedied if Virginia was named "East Virginia" during the Civil War split, but I digress. The drive on I-77 was a big change from the normal midwest freeway: rolling hills, dense forests and winding roads. I was disappointed all the trees were still bear, since I imagine the scenery would have been very impressive. I never ventured too far east on this trip, so I can't verify to what extent the Mountain State lives up to its nickname, but from the I-77 corridor, it was comparatively flat.

I assumed this welcome sign would be suspended above the road, as they usually are when the border is defined by a river. Fortunately I had my camera ready to go, as the "Exit 1" sign for Marietta, Ohio was an obvious reminder that it was quickly approaching. This is one of the most boring welcome signs I've seen, as it has no flashy text or even the state motto or nickname. Maybe if the state government spent more money on welcome signs, people would be more inclined to visit.

Welcome to Charleston

April 1, 2006

Located along the Kanawha River, Charleston is your average-sized capital city without too much going on. An interesting bit of trivia (interesting to me anyway) is that Charleston is the smallest capital city in the country that is also the largest city in the state. There really wasn't a whole lot to see or do in the downtown area, but I did find something amusing to me. I have no idea if this was intentional or I am reading way too much into this, but Charleston has two main one-way streets in downtown: Washington and Lee. These also happen to be the names of two of the most famous people in the history of the Union and the Confederacy in a state that was separated from Virginia during the Civil War. My inner history nerd is pretty scary at times.

The one thing that stands out about the capitol is the dome. You probably can't tell from that picture (I would recommend this one) that it has some intricate designs accented with gold that seemed to sparkle when the sun hit it. I was a little surprised with the layout of the capitol complex. The picture is taken of the front of the capitol that faces a plaza with other state offices on either side; the back faces U.S. 60 along the river. I would have thought the front would face the street, but I'm not an urban planner. The memorial to the four major U.S. conflicts in the 20th century was very well done.

Miscellaneous West Virginia Symbols

State Route Sign

License Plate

Seal

Quarter