{"id":8236,"date":"2013-03-23T22:00:08","date_gmt":"2013-03-24T02:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=8236"},"modified":"2024-12-04T17:48:46","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T22:48:46","slug":"almost-heaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=8236","title":{"rendered":"Almost Heaven"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"23<\/a>Linda Burton posting from Charleston, West Virginia \u2013 <\/i>Looks like I\u2019m stuck with that John Denver tune. \u201cAlmost Heaven\u201d seems to be a popular phrase here in Charleston; it appears on mugs and tee-shirts and postcards; it\u2019s used in business names for everything from auto repair to home inspection to hot dogs. Charleston is cozy; there\u2019s just enough room at the bottom of the mountains for the Kanawha River, the Turnpike, and 51,400 people (2010 US Census<\/i>). Plus all the amenities and necessities that make it a heavenly place to live. The sun was shining this morning; I headed out for my introductory overview drive. There\u2019s the Kanawha River; the four-lane Boulevard let me drive alongside for block after block; there\u2019s the capitol, right on the \"23<\/a>riverbank, with spacious grounds and a gleaming golden dome. I drove past beautiful historic homes facing the river, and attractions that begged me to come back; families were lined up outside the Clay Center, and traffic was brisk near the West Virginia State Museum. I stopped at First Watch, that \u201cdaytime caf\u00e9 that\u2019s open every day\u201d for some chicken hash \"23<\/a>with zucchini and red peppers, and potatoes, of course; and studied the Visitors Guide with a pot of coffee at hand. A blue-eyed baby caught the corner of my eye; she seriously chewed on a piece of toast under the eyes of doting parents, out for their Almost Heaven Saturday. The Visitors Guide, hmm, where do I start? There\u2019s a welcome from Mayor Danny Jones; he tells about the family-friendly city (yes!), the walkable community, the riverfront. There\u2019s a welcome from the Charleston CVB, explaining the Guide; and there\u2019s a list of Twelve Must Sees. So there\u2019s the plan. <\/p>\n

One. The West Virginia State Capitol, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East. Constructed in three \"23<\/a>stages between 1924-1932; the top of the magnificent gilded gold dome is 293 feet; on the grounds are the Governor\u2019s Mansion, the Culture Center, and other landmarks, including a bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln. West Virginia seceded from the Confederacy and became a state June 20, 1863 by a proclamation signed by Lincoln. Tours of the capitol available except Sundays, 304-558-4839, www.wvculture.org\/agency\/capitol<\/a><\/p>\n

Two. The West Virginia State Museum and Culture Center, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East. The state\u2019s history, culture, art, paleontology, archaeology, and geology are featured here; a prehistoric coal forest, early western settlement, present-day wonders. The journey is an interactive path suitable for all ages. The State Archives and Collections and a library for genealogical research are here too. Free, closed Mondays. 304-558-0220, www.wvculture.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Three. The Governor\u2019s Mansion, 1716 Kanawha Boulevard. The 30-room mansion is home to the governor and first lady; it was completed in 1925 and has welcomed national and global dignitaries. The foyer\u2019s checkerboard floor is black Belgium and white Tennessee marble; the ballroom\u2019s white marble mantle is from an old Irish castle. Tours by reservation Thursday and Friday mornings. 304-558-3588, www.firstlady.wv.gov\/tour<\/a><\/p>\n

\"23<\/a>Four. Haddad Riverfront Park, 700 Kanawha Boulevard. A retractable canopy over 2,500 seats; views of the river and downtown Charleston. The covered stage hosts free concerts and events; Live on the Levee, Charlie West Blues Fest, and the symphony. Boaters can dock at the edge. 304-348-6860.<\/p>\n

Five. Heritage Towers Museum, 612 Virginia Street East. American Heritage from life in West Africa to travel along Underground Railroad trails; also the history of African American coal miners. A collection of galleries tells the story; educational and cultural reflections of time. 304-343-3250, www.heritagetowers.us<\/a><\/p>\n

Six. Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences, 1 Clay Square. A 240,000-square-foot facility featuring art exhibits, science galleries, live performances; home to West Virginia \"23<\/a>Symphony. The Avampato Discovery Museum has two floors of interactive exhibits, and ElectricSky Theater, which shows large format films and planetarium shows on a 61-foot dome. 304-561-3570, www.theclaycenter.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Seven. Magic Island Park, 101 Kanawha Boulevard West. A flat five-acre island with walking trail and beach volleyball courts; the park hosts SportsFEST, WV Games, family movie nights. More popular in summer months but open year-round. 304-348-6860.<\/p>\n

Eight. The Spirit of West Virginia. This is a seasonal attraction which I won\u2019t get to use; however it\u2019s good to know it\u2019s there; sightseeing cruises on this sternwheeler are ideal for families, business groups, and weddings. 304-419-2497, www.paddleboat.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"23<\/a>Nine. Appalachian Power Park, 601 Morris Street. The West Virginia Power plays here, a Class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates; the Park has a Party Deck which can be used for parties and gatherings and it hosts concerts and other events when baseball isn\u2019t going on. 304-344-2287, www.wvpower.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Ten. Charleston Civic Center, Little Theater, and Municipal Auditorium, 200 Civic Center Drive. The Hunting and Fishing Show, the Auto Show, Sports Show, Taste of Charleston, Arts & Crafts Fair; all kinds of fairs and events here; Little Theater and Light Opera Guild too. 304-345-1500, www.charlestonwvciviccenter.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Eleven. East End. The oldest and most diverse neighborhood; restaurants, nightclubs, \"23<\/a>that funky urban style; it\u2019s where the State Capitol and State Museum are; in the spring (sorry I\u2019ll miss it) you can tour 25 gardens; there\u2019s an annual East End Yard Sale too. www.charlestoneastend.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Twelve. Shopping. Charleston Town Center Mall, 3000 Charleston Town Center. 130 stores on three floors, American Eagle to Ann Taylor; a food court and street-level restaurants; Starbucks in the center and parking garages all around. 304-345-9525, www.charlestontowncenter.com<\/a> . Renaissance Village, downtown, specialty shops and boutiques in the city\u2019s historic buildings; dining and art galleries too.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a beginning, watch for the outdoorsy stuff and the city\u2019s freebies in later posts. I\u2019ll bet that little blue-eyed baby gets to do something new every weekend; her parents were holding hands as they exited the restaurant.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Linda Burton posting from Charleston, West Virginia \u2013 Looks like I\u2019m stuck with that John Denver tune. \u201cAlmost Heaven\u201d seems to be a popular phrase here in Charleston; it appears on mugs and tee-shirts and postcards; it\u2019s used in business names for everything from auto repair to home inspection to hot dogs. Charleston is cozy; […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4587,1719],"tags":[2149,2156,3084,2153,2155,2151,2150,2152,2154,2148,2157,2159,2138,2158],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8236"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8236"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8239,"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8236\/revisions\/8239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}