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CHARLESTON CHARM

This capital city delivers big city offereings on a small-town scale

With a metropolitan population of just over 250,000, Charleston is large enough to feature large city amenities--but, pretty and petite enough that people still speak to each other on the street.

Charleston’s tree-lined streets are also easy to reach, since the city sits at the intersection of three major interstates, features frequent Amtrak service, and has an airport just eight minutes from downtown.

Downtown Charleston proper is situated right on the banks of the wide Kanawha River and is at the virtual center of all that is wonderful about West Virginia. Thus, Charleston has much to offer the visitor downtown and nearby.

Downtown Delights

Charleston’s compact downtown heart is easy to explore by foot. The downtown area features Charleston Town Center, one of the country’s largest indoor downtown shopping centers on its western side, and the East End historic district to the east, including a world-class arts and science center and a minor league baseball stadium that’s a major hit.

Downtown’s revitalization is a true Mountain State success story. In the early-1800s, Charleston and the Kanawha Valley enjoyed prominence as the world’s top producer of salt. Later, coal, chemicals, and natural gas, and commercial traffic on the Kanawha River all kept Charleston on the map. The early-1900s brought a building boom to downtown, with many commercial and residential structures still gracing the city skyline. Later, in the late-1930s, the creation of Kanawha Boulevard further enhanced downtown’s beauty. Today, the revitalized downtown area includes many buildings that have been restored and renovated to their former glory, including many on the National Historic Register.

The first and largest synthetic rubber plant opened during World War II and the building boom continued with the construction of Yeager Airport and three interstates during the 1960s.

Earlier history also shows West Virginia was the only state born out of the Civil War. The stunning gold-domed State Capitol was completed in 1932 and features the Italian Renaissance style of architect Cass Gilbert--it’s the largest capitol dome in the country. Gilbert also designed the U.S. Treasury Annex and the Supreme Court buildings. The 4,000-pound chandelier features 10,080 pieces of hand-cut Czechoslovakian crystal.

Nearby, the moving Veterans Memorial features walkways passing over a reflecting pool (though it was undergoing renovations at press time, as are parts of the Capitol proper). Also part of the Capitol Complex, the pretty Governor’s Mansion is often available for tours. This summer, the new West Virginia State Museum will open in the Cultural Center.

Other highlights for downtown delving have to include: Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences (home of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Avampato Discovery Museum); Mountain Stage (broadcast live from the Cultural Center Theater when it’s not on the road); the Heritage Towers Museum, which focuses on African-American history in West Virginia; historic Craik-Patton House, built in 1834; the mansions lining Kanawha Boulevard and the river; Sunrise Carriage Park (a path through a forest that makes its way to a mansion built in 1905 by Governor William MacCorkle); and minor league baseball at Appalachian Power Park (see below).

The concentrated dining and accommodations offering make it convenient to eat and sleep downtown. With names like Bluegrass Kitchen, Whitewater Grille, Blossom Dairy, Bridge Road Bistro, and Joe Fazio’s, it’s easy to eat like an in-the-know local in Charleston. Plus, with the long-time favorite Charleston Marriott Town Center, many other chains, and a locally-owned and centrally-located B&B, it’s easy to sleep in the heart of Charleston.

Just a bit further afield from downtown, several worthy destinations include: South Charleston Indian Mound (the state’s second largest Native American burial mound); Milton’s famed Blenko Glass factory; the town of Malden, with several Booker T. Washington connections (including a replica of his boyhood home and the African Zion Baptist Church, where he was married and also taught Sunday school); Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center (greyhound racing, simulcast wagering, and lots of slots); New River Gorge Bridge (one of the world’s longest single-arch steel bridges); and Kanawha State Forest, a 9,300-acre preserve.

Special Shopping

The shopping possibilities in and near Charleston are truly special, making it easy to find a souvenir that’s wonderfully West Virginian. Shopping malls include the aforementioned Charleston Town Center Mall, along with Kanawha Mall, Southridge Center, Dudley Farms Plaza, The Shops at Trace Fork, but there are also many other specific shops and shopping hubs.

Capitol Market is situated in a renovated train station and includes a farmer’s market, indoor specialty shops, and tasty Soho’s restaurant. East End’s Main Street and environs, as well as Bridge Road Shoppes in South Hills, have become stand-alone shopping destinations. Several shops, like beloved Taylor Books and the Peanut Shoppe (both on Capitol Street), are long-time downtown shopping institutions.

Those with time to head further afield will want to head to Tamarack (www.tamarackwv.com), about 60 miles away in Beckley. This sprawling and highly successful shopping spot offers the best of West Virginia (from food products to arts and crafts). While in the area, Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine is well worth heading underground.

Mild to Wild West Virginia Whitewater

West Virginia is known as one of the nation’s centers for world-class whitewater rafting and Charleston can easily serve as the hub for adventures nearby.

Several businesses offer mild to wild trips down the New and Gauley rivers. Class VI and other companies in the area also have unique cabin accommodations, locally-driven dining, and many other outdoors including biking, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, ATV tours, rock climbing, canopy tours, camping, cabins, and much more.

Minor League Baseball is Major Fun in West Virginia

Minor league baseball has grown into a huge hit across America and much of the success (besides lower prices) is due to the large number of new downtown stadiums built in the last 20 years. That’s certainly true of Charleston’s Appalachian Power Park.

This modern gem of a diamond features an open concourse, creative dining (including a full-service restaurant), lots of promotions, luxury suites, and the likelihood of future major leaguers on the field.

On most nights, locals know to look and listen for Rod “Toast Man” Blackstone. Taking the “power” theme to another level, Toast Man is known for the creative, relatively clean, and good-natured heckling of opposing players when they‘re on deck or at the plate. However, Blackstone’s most known for tossing freshly-prepared toast to nearby fans whenever an opposing player strikes out (stadium architects even included an electrical outlet for his toaster at his front row seat right behind home plate).

If the West Virginia Power (www.wvpower.com) aren’t on the schedule when visiting, several other minor league teams play just to the south of Charleston. The Princeton Rays (www.princetonrays.net) and Bluefield Orioles (www.bluefieldorioles.com) are both situated in small West Virginia towns well worth a visit.