Category: Travel

The state of West Virginia is a premier tourist destination throughout the year. From renowned scenic attractions to fun-filled recreation, West Virginia has a diverse arsenal comprising different tourist places that are hard to resist. 

While you may have checked off your bucket list, some lesser-known places in West Virginia are a must-see. But before you set on this expedition unknown, you must make an esta online application and get all the prerequisite travel permissions. 

     

West Virginia Day     

Every year, 30th June is observed as West Virginia Day in the USA. It commemorates the creation of the state, which resulted from the secession of many counties of Virginia during the American civil war. Since it is a state holiday, all the offices, schools, and libraries remain closed.     

The day is marked by several intriguing festivities across the state, including in Charleston, it is capital. You can access exhibitions housing diverse forms of art, tasty street cuisines, displays related to cultural and social history, and events remembering famous battles.      

You can also leverage exclusive offers on a range of outdoor activities, including swimming and rafting, to experience the real delight associated with West Virginia’s landscape.      

Things to Do in Huntington in West Virginia    

One of the many lifelines of West Virginia is the city of Huntington. It is located in the Cabell and Wayne counties. Home to some of the brilliant outing spots, this place hallmarks a remarkable vacation.    

You can start your Huntington journey by visiting the iconic Huntington Museum of Art at McCoy Road. This museum has a lot of classic artifacts and sculpture quotes spread over 70000 square feet.     

There is also a unique state-of-the-art Museum of Radio Technology at Florence Ave, where you can scale the glorious history of sound-related instruments.     

At Harris Riverfront Park, you can make the most out of the Ohio River with a comprehensive view. There are also other things to enjoy here, including boat ramps, skate parks, picnic areas, and the like.    

To witness some of the best fine art performances, the Keith Albee Performing Arts Center is a place worth a visit. From comedy shows to world premieres, this place has got it all.    

Things to Do in Elkins in West Virginia   

A city wrapped in magnificent architecture; Elkins is a city full of interesting places that promise a superlative experience.    

The Elkin Depot Welcome Center at Railroad Avenue is the heartbeat of Elkins. It offers you different train excursions and also an exhibit on the history of the town. To make the most out of your visit, you can engage with the volunteers and get assistance in planning your trip.   

If you revere scenic views, then the Bickle Knob Observation Tower will surely serve you in the best way. It is amongst the last left observation towers in the USA and offers the best sight of Monongahela Forest coupled with the surrounding mountains.    

But the real pride of Elkins is the Old Brick Playhouse at Davis Ave. Here, various child artists put together heart-touching shows and plays that depict the modern-day challenges to child psychology like cyberbullying and drug abuse.   

Things to Do in Beckley in West Virginia   

Another West Virginia sensation is the city of Beckley. Here, you can enjoy some breathtaking wonders of nature like gushing mountain streams and beautiful canopies, among others.   

The famous 52-acre Grandview National Park lets you capture the best view of the Appalachian Mountains and the New River Gorge. The way up to the park can be chosen from 6 different options, with each one of them offering the finest ambiance of woodlands and streams.   

Coal is a fascination for many. At the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, you can closely observe the secrets hidden in the deep mines and also study different mining equipment. Besides, the Beckley Youth Museum lying adjacent to this coal mine enhances the overall experience.  

Things to Do in Summersville in West Virginia 

Nestled between mountains of West Virginia and calm and pious waters, Summersville is a small yet spectacular conurbation. 

The largest lake in West Virginia, Summersville Lake is a paradise for the admirers of adventure. It offers the best of activities like scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, and boating.  

Who would want to miss the opportunity to taste some exotic and discrete wines? The Kirkwood Winery at Winery Road is a place to be for exploring tastes of different Vineyards and Wineries. 

Things to Do in Davis in West Virginia 

Davis is known for some of the most conspicuous waterfalls and wilderness areas in the world. It also has a plethora of other features, including art galleries, mountain biking, restaurants, and hiking.  

When in Davis, the first major attraction to see is the Blackwater Falls State Park. The alluring scenery offered by the waterfall can be witnessed throughout the year without any catches from Lindy’s Point at the park. The Blackwaters Outdoor Adventure provides you an unforgettable white-water rafting and flat-water adventures.  

Located in the nearby town of Thomas, there is also a renowned music studio called Purple Fiddle. It hosts various music shows, including power-packed weekend performances that are a class apart. 

Ready to Take the Ride? 

These prominent places in West Virginia will add more value to your travel and vacation plans. The “Mountain State” provides the best bucket list that many can only dream of. Before starting your journey to the state with the best ambiance, complete all your required documents, and check status of esta. 

If you have never been fishing before but have always wanted to try it, now is the time. Although the world is opening back up after the worst stages of the brutal COVID-19 pandemic, many people are still gravitating towards peaceful, quiet activities in these trying times. 

Fishing has been a pastime for generations, not just for pleasure, but also for survival. Fishing techniques have been passed down through families – and although most people don’t need to fish to survive any more, these skills are treasured by people all over the world to this day.

If you are embarking on your first fishing trip, here are three things you need to remember!

Image credit.

1. Pack protective clothing for all weather conditions

Have you ever left the house for the day, thinking the weather would stay the same – then, halfway through the day, the weather switches up on you? Welcome to the world of fishing!If the weather is beautiful and sunny in the morning it could all change by the afternoon, and vice versa. That’s why, for fishing, you need to bring clothes that can handle all weather conditions. That’s not to say that you can’t be ‘fun’ with it. There are some funny fishing t-shirts that you can take along with you for a laugh amongst your friends, just make sure that they aren’t the only thing you guys are wearing.

Some essentials you will need are:

• A protective hat and sunscreen. Hats shield your face from the sun and help you avoid sunburn, which is especially important when you’re out on the water. You need to wear SPF to ensure your skin is safe from UV rays!
• Waterproofs. Waterproof coats, shoes and trousers are essential for every fishing excursion. 
• A warm jacket. Even on a sunny day, you can become too cold when you are sitting out on the water. 
• A lifejacket. This one needs no explanation!

2. Bring all the right equipment you need

If you have never fished before and are unsure if it’s for you, it probably is not worth buying all the equipment. After all, if it turns out you aren’t a fishing fan, you will have wasted your money. Many places offer fishing equipment for hire. 

On the other hand, if you’re pretty confident, you will need to purchase some equipment – and trust us, there’s an overwhelming amount of fishing equipment out there. From the right bait, to the cheapest carp rods, to the sturdiest fishing line, you might be boggled by choice. Make sure to consult a friendly fishing buddy who can advise you on the right equipment for your budget, the type of fish you are looking to catch, and the size of your boat.

3. Invite a knowledgeable buddy to help you with the boat!

Most importantly, you need to bring along a person who knows what they’re doing. Going fishing by yourself without experience is not only boring, but it’s dangerous too. You need someone with you who has fished before, and can be there to show you the ropes.

Final Thoughts

If you are thinking of trying fishing as a new hobby, use this guide to make sure you have everything you need. Don’t skip on the essentials, or you could find yourself in deep water. 

If you are fortunate enough to have the option to go abroad when you are studying your degree, that’s a chance that you should take at least once. There are more than 5 million students who go abroad for their study every year and the reasons for this vary from student to student. Gaining a higher education is no easy feat, not when there are so many things that you can get with it that equal more than your degree.

An international education offers you experience, and more than that, it offers you the chance to decide your next steps away from your home country. You may think about the requirements for a visa abroad, but you really need to think about what you want to study, too. Your study abroad is going to set you up for life and there are plenty of reasons you should be going abroad. Let’s take a look at all of the reasons you should study abroad this year.

Image Source: Pexels

1. Meeting new people. When you go abroad to study, you can meet a range of people from many different backgrounds. Studying abroad puts you in an environment that enables you to meet a range of different people from countries all around the world, which gives you an opening to meet more than one type of person. You can broaden your mind and speak to people you wouldn’t have had the chance to meet in life. You’ll be exposed to a range of backgrounds and personalities, and you’ll develop better as a person, too. 

2. A better education. There are some countries in the world that offer you the chance to have a better education than the one in which you’re living. There are places that offer a better chance of an education and these are countries that are home to leading universities. They attract more students for their prestigious facilities and the fact that most home countries don’t offer the same educational opportunities as the new places abroad. Understanding where the top universities are will help you to get a foothold in a place you may not have had a chance to travel to in life.

3. Personal development. You will be able to develop yourself as a person, and it takes guts to leave your home comforts, family and friends to go somewhere else. Homesickness is normal for students abroad, and yet you’ll adapt to your new routines in a new place quickly. You’ll improve your self-development and ensure that you are taking in experiences that will last you a lifetime. Your study experience is going to be the best thing that you do, so if your university course offers you the chance to transfer abroad, take it!

4. Boosting employment. Taking the chance to study abroad will demonstrate to employers that you are more than able to adapt to your surroundings and you can embrace a range of cultures with ease. You are dedicated to your education and your ability to learn abroad is going to put you in the best position for a job when you do finish your degree. This experience of yours will really appeal to employers whether you apply for work at home or abroad. 

5. A bigger community. Studying abroad allows you to join a bigger international community of students and networking contacts. You will find that most universities have groups of students that come from a range of places, and you will be able to meet a range of other students from other countries than your own!

Image source: Pexels

6. Making connections. When you study abroad, you build so many opportunities to network with others and this will come in handy when you are looking for work and research opportunities. These are contacts that will be useful later when you are looking for internships, too!

7. Learning a new language. If you end up abroad in Europe you’re going to have the chance to learn a new language. If you know a range of languages already, travelling to study in a country where you can chat to others will be easier! You can fine tune your skills and improve your CV as a result.

8. The chance to travel. Gaining an excellent mark on your degree is one thing but you can gain so much more than that. The chance to travel isn’t often one that you have a chance with in life, but studying abroad gives you more scope to explore the world. You can hit new towns, do new activities and study in new environments, too. During term breaks and reading weeks, you can hire a car and explore!  When else will you get a chance to do that? You have the chance to travel when you go abroad and this will improve your prospects and make you feel good. 

9. New traditions, new foods, new everything. Going abroad to study is going to open the door for you to get to know new cultural traditions and new foods. It’s only when you live abroad that you finally realise just how open the world can be. You can try new things and do it with new people who can tell you all about the best dishes. You’ll be able to taste new things and experience new restaurants and if you’re lucky, you can even learn to cook a new dish or two with the help of the locals!

10. Gaining some perspective. When you live and study in a country other than the one that you grew up in, you can learn to better understand the world around you. You can use your skills learned through living abroad to learn new things and improve your prospects for after graduation, too. You never know where this can take you and what perspective that it can give you. Take the time to learn about all the places in which you can study abroad and you will gain a whole new perspective on life. You can enrich your life and do more for your future this way!

We all get excited before a summer trip away, and want to pack absolutely everything to make sure it’s the best holiday ever. But even though it can be hard to do, it’s a good idea to pack light for a number of reasons. Firstly, it saves the hassle of lugging a giant suitcase around airports, streets and hotel foyers. It saves you having to check it in (with the endless waiting in that zigzag queue), plus having to locate it at the other end on that giant conveyor belt that always seems to leave your bag till last. Finally, it saves you money, as checking in luggage normally costs extra. 

So how best to pack light? Here are a few tips…

Image via Unsplash

Make a list

Yes, it might sound boring, but if you can separate essentials from desirables, then it’ll focus your mind on what you really need. The likes of passports, important documents, enough clothes to last you (and no more) are all must-pack items. Then if there’s space left over, you can throw in a few ‘nice to have’ things as well.

Go miniature

There are small versions of just about anything you can think of – miniature bottles of shampoo, tiny tubes of toothpaste, travel towels instead of normal towels. You could even bring a kids’ toothbrush to save a couple of inches of space. And when it comes to clothes, if you’re going somewhere warm, packing light women’s summer skirts can save space, as you can use them for going to the beach in the day and going out at night when worn with a smart top.

Pack inside your shoes

You should only take one spare pair of shoes. And you can make the most of their bulky, awkward shape by filling them with smaller items like socks and toiletries.

Roll your clothes up

This is a far more efficient shape than folding your clothes for squeezing as much as possible into your bag, and it prevents creasing too.

Wear the bulk

Any discomfort on the flight over caused by wearing your heavy jumper and coat when landing in 30-degree midday heat will be mitigated by the fact that you can just hop off the plane and head straight for the hotel, rather than waiting for checked-in luggage to arrive. 

Underwear

Place this inside the cups of your bras in your bag. It’ll also help your bras to keep their shape regardless of what cup size you have.

Say bye bye to little bags

As much as we love to have everything compartmentalised, putting the likes of toiletries and make-up in separate bags uses up space. Your main bag might have several pockets to help you out here, or at the very least there’ll be a little corner available somewhere. If you’re worried about spillage, wrap bottles in cling film.

Packing light makes your whole trip less arduous and more free. You’ll soon realise that you never actually needed all that extra make-up or those additional clothes in the first place.

Going to France is exciting, and it can be hard to keep yourself occupied in the run-up to your trip. Here are four great things to do to prepare for a trip to France.

Image Credit

1. Do your research

There are so many things to see, do and experience in France and you’ll want to do your research before you go. Check out your local tourist office for details on the exact area you’re visiting. You can also do plenty of searching online, looking for sights you’d like to see or events you don’t want to miss. 

Don’t forget about social media and forums, as these can help you find hidden gems that only the locals know about. This is an excellent way of truly experiencing the area you’re staying in.

Research and chatting online is also a great way of keeping the buzz of anticipation going as you approach your destination date. And you never know, you might meet someone you can meet up with when you get there.

2. Plan your trip

Once you’ve done your research, organising it all into some sort of plan is ideal. You only have limited time on holiday, and you’ll want to be sure you make the most of it. 

An itemised itinerary isn’t for everyone, but giving yourself a general idea of what you want to see and do while you’re there is a must.

Planning your trip refers to anything from checking your passports are valid to arranging for someone to come in and feed the cat. The last thing you want is to get stuck abroad with an expired passport. You can also make shopping lists and notes of things you need to do at the last minute, such as a trip to the pharmacy.

3. Learn French

If you’re heading for France, you’ll need to brush up on your French. You can try to Learn French with Memrise or pick up a phrasebook from your local bookstore. Several apps can keep you occupied while you’re waiting for your trip to France to come around. 

Learning French is really easy, and even if you weren’t that good at it at school, it doesn’t mean you can’t grasp it now. Planning a trip to France really helps you find the motivation to learn the language. You needn’t be fluent, and you don’t have to pass an exam, so there’s no pressure.

4. Experiment with French Cuisine

There’s no need to wait until your trip to start eating delicious French food. Plan some French-inspired dinners in the run-up to your holiday and get inspired for your trip to France. Whether it’s garlic, frites, or even escargot, there will be something French for you.

If you’re planning a trip to France, make sure you check out these four things to do before your trip. Don’t forget to check your passport details, and spend some time exploring French words and phrases, as well as foods. Good luck with your planning, and enjoy your holiday to France.