2024 GOTL

Lady Adventurer and Wine Connoisseur Dan spent a couple of days in the Geneva on the Lake area for our anniversary. It had been a few years, and we'd almost forgotten how nice the area and the wineries were.

At the state park lodge

State park lodge gazebo

After visiting Geneva State Park and the Lodge, we went on to the following wineries:

Baci - Formerly one of our favorites (St. Joseph), this place is all new. A little pricey, but the wine was very good. The winemaker was friendly and we talked a lot.

Cask 307 - This is another one that was new to us. A little less expensive. We liked the focaccia.

Silver Crest - Yet another new one for us. The reds were good, and we were forced to buy some Cabernet Franc.

Harpersfield - We nearly never miss this fav. As always, it didn't disappoint, especially with their famous Chardonnay, We will keep coming back.

Ferranante - The restaurant is very good, and the wines are plentiful. By this time, Lady A. had had enough, but Dan sampled the Cabernet Franc with his meal.

Harpersfield Vineyards

After a stay at the new TownePlace Suites near the Spire facility, we wound up our whirlwind weekend by stopping and strolling at some of the lakefront parks on the way home.

At the beach

 

2024 New River Gorge National Park and Surrounding Areas

It poured cats and dogs as we stopped at the National Park Visitor Center and tried to see the famous New River Gorge Bridge between the drops and through the mist. Any further hiking that day was out of the question, but we did take the drive down into the valley and across the old, old bridge.

Unexpected waterfall

Bridges in the mist

After the rain ended the following morning, we visited Bluestone Lake and Bluestone River State Park. It turns out that if you want to visit Bluestone National River (it's part of the National Park System), you can only do it by hiking in from Bluestone State Park, which we did. There may be a way to get there via the Pipestem State Park Tram once it is back up and running. Our hike along the river was quiet and serene. There wasn't another soul for miles and miles.

Confluence of the Bluestone and New Rivers forming Bluestone Lake

Bluestone Lake

Our Bluestone River hike

Vincent and I shared a tandem "duckie" to float down part of the upper New River. It's the lower part that gets really rough. Even so, there were some bumps, especially towards the end of the trip. It was tons of fun. If you're looking for a gentle family adventure raft trip, this one from Pipestem State Park is something I would highly recommend.

During our final day, we stopped at the Grandview area in the central part of the National Park. It's appropriately named. We also hiked along the Canyon Rim Trail a little. Finally, we drove over to the wonderful Turkey Spur overlook.

Grandview Canyon Rim Trail

Grandview

Turkey Spur Overlook