The only state born of the Civil War, West Virginia is unique in America.  It is the most southern of the north and the most northern of the south. The most eastern of the west and wester of the east.  Some say West Virginia is where “the East says good morning to the West and where Yankee Doodle and Dixie kiss each other good night.” The state was the gateway to the West and served as the last bastion of Eastern gentility for settlers pushing into the new frontier. There is probably no other state in America that is so varied.  One minute you could be a Virginian, the next in Kentucky. Meandering the hills and hollows, trees shield the roadways only to suddenly open to vast valleys spread out at your feet, covered with flowers in full bloom. In some places, you’ll find yourself on the backroads in places where time appears to have stopped. At the same time, you can follow the footsteps of George Washington, Booker T. Washington, Stonewall Jackson and Abraham Lincoln, making history here feel like the history of the entire nation.  Magnificently inspired artists produce beautiful new creations and timeless heritage coexists peacefully within the vast ever present mountain landscapes. Even a portion of the Interstate through the center of the state is a Scenic Byway. Blasted through the most rugged mountains in the state, the drive has you meandering through a virtual cathedral of majestic peaks. So often stereotyped as a backward land of coal miners and hard scrabble farmers, nothing could be further from the truth. Today, West Virginia blends southern hospitality with northern work ethic and Midwestern tenacity with rugged pioneer spirit. Refresh in the mountains and return home amazed at what you didn’t know was there.