Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2014 - 31

TRAINS

WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE / STEVEN SHALUTA JR.

THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS

Cass Scenic Railroad moves through the state park of the same name.

"In the state of West Virginia, you have
brown trout, brook trout and rainbow
trout. And in certain streams, you have tiger
trout," says Trevor Stalnaker, 27, of Elkins.
"There's golden trout, as well."
Coming into Petersburg, you'll see signs
boasting, "Home of the Golden Trout," and
you'll even hear the tale at popular nightspots, like the lively 3rd Base Sports Bar &
Grille, of how golden trout were hatched in
Grant County.
"You can eat the trout right out of the
river, right when they're stocked," says

Stalnaker, who fishes on the Shavers Fork,
a tributary of the Cheat River. "It's the most
beautiful terrain that you would ever see.
And there are not a lot of people around.
You can really get out in the woods and be
by yourself and see some of the most beautiful wildlife."

Trains trace the terrain of eastern West Virginia.
The Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad (877686-7245/mountainrail.com) offers rides that
range from mystery murder trains to the Polar
Express. One popular run heads for the High Falls
of the Cheat. And future plans call for expanding
the train to a 90-mile-long loop, says Sandy Burky,
the passenger services director at Elkins.
Staying overnight? Try the Iron Road Inn (304637-1888/ironroadinn.com), a railroad-themed
lodge in Elkins.
Other options for rail rides include Romney's
Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad (304-424-0736/
www.potomaceagle.info) and Pocahontas
County's Cass Scenic Railroad State Park (304-4564300), cassrailroad.com). -JT

In Marlinton, Dave and Paula Zorn pile
roast beef onto kummelweck rolls at Locust
Hill - a classy bed-and-breakfast with a restaurant and pub at what was once a dairy farm.

In the Mingo Room of Graceland, an
Elkins mansion on the campus of Davis &
Elkins College, you can feast on Sauteed
Grand Marnier Scallops for an appetizer.
Here, too, you can spend the night.
Come morning, try Scottie's for breakfast in Elkins, where a veggie omelet comes
stuffed with peppers and mushrooms.
Then, be sure to browse the buffet for the
unforgettable fried chicken at The Steer
Steakhouse.
On the outskirts of Elkins, I carve into
continued on page 32

Elkins: Showtime!

Beverly: History in Big County

Moorefield: Feeling Welcomed

You can see two live shows in Elkins.
"We have an in-house, permanent cast of
entertainers," says Meggan Sexton, a performer
at Elkins' 525-seat American Mountain Theater.
"And we do everything from country to gospel
to swing music to pop, comedy impersonations
and stand-up comic reviews."
Across town, G'na Stephens manages the
Gandy Dancer Theatre, which serves dinner during shows for up to 300. "
It's a whole variety of music," Stephens says.
"You can bring your kids. You can bring your
grandmother. And it's something they're all going
to enjoy."
americanmountaintheater.com |
304-630-3040
gandydancertheatre.com |
855-426-3998

You must have empathy for Beverly. This little village
was once the courthouse town for all of rambling
Randolph County, an expanse that stretches over
1,000 square miles - and ranks as the largest county,
by terms of land size, in all of West Virginia.
Beverly commanded center stage in the county's
judicial world from 1790 until 1899. "Beverly was
important because we sit right on the StauntonParkersburg Turnpike," says Darryl DeGripp, the
executive director of the Historic Beverly
Foundation.
When the courthouse left, there was a fight
between Beverly, a stagecoach stop, and Elkins, a
railroad town. With a wry grin, DeGripp tells the
story like he's revealing clues, saying, "The courthouse that was built up the road here was burned
to the ground under mysterious circumstances."
beverlyheritagecenter.org | 304-637-7424

Step inside an old door for a new delight at
Mooresfield's McMechen House. This 1853 landmark
has blossomed in 2014 into a bed-and-breakfast,
bakery and coffee shop at the heart of Hardy County.
"We want to make sure the public feels welcome
in this historic home," says co-owner Richard
Thompson. "A family built this house, loved this
house, and we're trying to put it back as they would
have had it."
At daybreak, the bakery offers savory quiche
stuffed with bacon and tomato - for all.
"People could come in and enjoy the house and
not have to stay here," Thompson says. "So you get
the best of both worlds. You can come in and have
breakfast and coffee. Or you can stay here and have
breakfast also."
McMechen House | 1853 Bakery and Coffee
Shop: 304-530-5590.
- JT

YOU WON'T GO HUNGRY in the highlands.

COOL TOWNS

JULY/AUGUST 2014 | 31

http://www.mountainrail.com http://www.ironroadinn.com http://www.potomaceagle.info http://www.cassrailroad.com http://www.americanmountaintheater.com http://www.gandydancertheatre.com http://www.beverlyheritagecenter.org

Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2014