Shall we hang out in a friendly small town on the panhandle of WV? Well, ok, particularly as it is somewhere we’ve visited many times over the years. Berkeley Springs is a great place to while away a few hours, and we did exactly that for a sunny day or two earlier this month.
It has a microbrewery or two (nope, not this time, would you believe?!) great coffee shops, an antique mall, and a number of little stores selling arty crafty stuff. If you like cinnamon scented candles, handmade birthday cards, and knitted/quilted/beaded/stitched stuff, then you’re well catered for. Next visit, and if you’re there, I’ll meet you in the microbrewery (‘cos by then they’ll have very sensibly adjusted their afternoon opening hours so I can skip out on the knitted/antique stuff…)
We’re not really leisure shoppers, but we browsed and had a couple of great conversations with storekeepers who couldn’t get enough of those cute accents. “You’re from Australia, yes? No? Texas, then?” Close enough. We usually agree on Canada via Europe. Folks we chat to south of the border always love Canada, which is reassuring and neighbourly. I mean neighborly.
The guy selling Native American beadwork and blankets was a road warrior with hundreds of thousands of truck miles under his belt. He knew of and had driven through most north of the border places we mentioned, east to west and also north, right up onto the ice roads in deep winter. He was now enjoying his warmer retirement years in his often sunny small WV town. I’d love to share his stories about the “cat” that kept him company on many of his trucking adventures. He described what sounded like a small mountain lion, one that scared many a border guard into waving him through rather than get within close up claw distance to inspect any paperwork… (Next time I’m down that way, I’ll visit with him, see if he wants to elaborate and maybe get his permission to tell a tale or two. I suspect colourful isn’t even close…)
The park in the centre of town has to be one of the smallest state parks ever, and is a delightful spot to sit in the sun and drink coffee. In season, there’s a wonderful outdoor pool – Junior PlaidCamper spent many happy childhood hours splashing about on hot days. In and around the park there’s some (civil war) history to the place if that’s more your thing. For something less bloody, how about George Washington’s bathtub? Yup, really:
I can recommend staying at The Country Inn, a friendly hotel complete with dining room and tavern. We had a spacious room overlooking the park, and if an inch of wall was unpapered (a bright flowery design), I didn’t find it.
We scoped out the dining room and tavern to decide where we’d prefer to eat that night – reservations had been strongly recommended by the check in staff. The helpful person taking dinner reservations looked me up and down and suggested the tavern rather than the dining room as we’d be a better fit for the lively crowd found in there. That’s us, always found hanging with the lively crowd.
We returned at 7pm and it was busy enough already, most of the tables filled with revellers at least twenty five years our senior. Many seemed to be enjoying the local draft dark beer, a stout called The Miner’s Daughter if I remember correctly. After a couple of pints I was tempted to sneak away from the youth set for a moment and peek in at the dining room, but thought better of it – wouldn’t have wanted to startle (awaken) the octogenarians (nonagenarians?) in there.
My brother joined us for dinner, looking relieved we were hanging out in the hipster bar – he might have mentioned it being the hip replacement bar, but relented when he heard about the dining room – and we had a great meal. So great we had to slump, almost comatose, in the nearby and very elegant reception room to allow for recovery before tackling the stairs to bed.
Anyway, I think we’ve discovered why I’ve never been paid or sponsored to write trip reviews… Let’s leave my dreadful ageism aside, and finish by saying if you ever find yourself near Berkeley Springs, WV, you’ll have a fine old (stop it, PC) time.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
OldPlaidCamper 
+Yeah Berkeley Springs… Glad you found “the small town stuff” to your comfort & liking. I remember it as Berzerkley Springs back in the late 70s when I visited a few times. The tavern then was really country, dangerously inspiring almost. Looking forward to perhaps hearing a “road warrior’s tale” & maybe more from the hipster & hip replacement scene… till then, happy weekend to all!
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Thanks, Walt – great to read you’re familiar with the place! I first visited some 25 years ago, when my brother lived in a cabin in the woods on the edge of town, and then (as now) you could see what the town was really like behind the bits of “cleaned up” Main Street. I can imagine what a dangerously inspiring tough little town it was in the late 70s! There are still quite a few interesting characters you might recognize from your earlier visits to Berzerkley Springs…
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This was entertaining. Thanks
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You’re welcome, Kelly! It’s an interesting area, worth a visit if you’re ever down that way. Hope all is well with you!
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I am well just busy summer, and fall. I’m a bridesmaid in a wedding this coming weekend. Then I’m done for 2023. I can sit and write. Stay well
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Enjoy your incoming weekend event – and the quiet time after!
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Guffawed out loud at mention of the hipster/hip-replacement bar. Looks like a very clean town with a cozy inn. That fellow selling native american goods sounds like a character worth getting a few stories from.
You and your brother will have a few stories to create or share, I am sure. Good that you are having a visit.
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Thanks, Jane! It’s a pleasant little town to visit – has cleaned itself up a bit in recent times, but has lots of character (and characters) that make for somewhere that feels a bit different!
I hope your week is going well – had a few cm of snow yesterday, bit sooner than expected, but we love that first snowfall!
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Loved the trip review and the new definition of hipster bar!! Wonderful you were able to get together with your brother and enjoy our small town charm again. Had no idea you’ve been traveling here for that many years to pick up a Texas accent, I’ve only heard a strong British tone in your blogs. Well, I chose another fall colors walk over watching Kane and missed the hat trick and amazing midfield shot, but with rain this morning I was able to watch the great Everton win. Love the outdoor hockey series and am enjoying the Heritage Classic. Looking forward to your next travel review!!🙂
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Oh yeah, we’re Texas y’all… Nope, definitely not, you can’t hear it or anything even close, but we’ve been asked if we’re from there more than once! I sound as North American as Hugh Grant…
Kane is tearing it up, and what a goal and hat trick. Spurs must be really missing him. Oh, perhaps not! And Everton winning? Goodness!
Outdoor hockey is the best (what I’ve seen of it watching from indoors!) and we tried to get a ticket for the Flames in a heritage classic a few years back – tickets gone before we’d logged on! Probably too cold to enjoy it properly… I did watch Calgary Stampeders in a November game at McMahon Stadium, and the atmosphere was great etc. but even with snow pants and everything it was sooo cold. And I like the cold! On which, it snowed here yesterday, only a few cm, and it was tough to say who was more excited between Scout and me.
Hope your week is going well!
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I was through Berkeley Springs a couple months ago. Always quaint.
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Yeah, definitely worth spending time in and around that area. My brother has lived in WV/MD since the late 90s and wouldn’t be anywhere else. Maybe it’s all the interesting contradictions – gun store opposite the church near the antique mall steps away from old time movie house, and the whole gamut of MAGA through liberal/progressive bumper stickers…
Hope all is well with you, Bob!
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Enjoyed a lot of chuckles while reading your entertaining review of the events in Berkeley Springs, WV, pc. Looked like lots of fun, and how nice you could meet up with your brother, too. I’ve been enjoying seeing you 3 frolic on the eastern side of this continent now. Cheers my friend–
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Thanks, Jet! It’s been fun uncovering/rediscovering places out this way. Such a fabulous continent and so little time… WV panhandle and around is certainly worth visiting!
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What a great little town full of history! Love the architecture and preserved history too!
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Yes, it’s such a great little mountain town – never a disappointment when we visit. Thanks for reading, and have a great week!
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