West Virginia Archives - Page 2 of 5

Hitting the Halfway Point

Halfway.

We don’t do things that way. It’s just that we are halfway through the year. Sweet and sad at the same time.

It’s no wonder the Boy Scouts chose to set up here. Beautiful, wild and wonderful!

For the next few months, we are jamming! And for good reason: it is Ossum here in the summer.

If you have not made a summer trip to the New River Gorge, we still have a few holes in the calendar.

If you don’t like what we have to offer, you need your pulse checked. This area is rich with excitement and relaxing options side by side that you can’t normally find all in one place.

Our variety is so great, The Boy Scouts of America “bet it all” on Fayette County and the New River Gorge. If you have not heard, BSA has made us their new home for “the next 100 years,” Former Gov. and current US Sen. Joe Manchin was quoted as saying, “This will be a billion-dollar project.” The BSA has said they are going to spend $400,000,000.00 (That is so cool, typing all those zeros).

The contractors I have talked to have say we have been tasked with building “best in class” on every project. That means best bike trail in the world, best shooting sports venue in the world! We already have best rafting and climbing.

Whatever they are building has to be the very best, and this is thrilling, especially if they allow the public to use these fantastic facilities when the Jamboree is not in town.

2013 is the first run for the National Jamboree here in Fayette County, WV, on the Bechtel Summit, and The Scouts will be here in numbers too big to ignore in a few weeks.

No one knows what the Jamboree will mean to our area or Opossum Creek Retreat as a business. We hope it will be a big positive.

They punched the ticket; now all we can do is take the ride. Hope it’s best in class.

Mowing Grass is Our Least Favorite Chore at Opossum Creek Retreat

photo-16 — Another reason why I hate to mow…

I hate to mow! Especially hate it in the spring when all the pretty flowers are coming up. Only two of the cabins really have yards; The Meadows and The Farm House. All the others are in the woods.

But even with just two yards, we still have to mow.

The Farm House has rich bottom land and a lush yard that requires constant mowing or it will quickly become a jungle. Good thing it is a small, oddly-shaped yard.

The Meadows is another beast entirely. We have worked very hard to get grass to grow on the hard clay ground there, and now it does. Too well sometimes. There are several acres of grass to cut, hence the name The Meadows. The old garden spot is truly a meadow at this point, and we have never mowed it.

It’s not that we don’t appreciate nicely mowed grounds, especially if there’s a tee box and green on either end of it. Those long, even, alternating stripes are beautiful and hold such promise and challenge.

But we don’t have the patience to make our yards look like a golf course. After all, these are cabins in the woods in the country. So, just keep this in mind, and don’t be surprised if the grass is a little tall and the flowers a little taller when you show up for your cabin vacation.

See you soon?

A Big Thank You to All Who Were Part of the New River Birding and Nature Festival

We love to make our guests cry.

Wow, what a week! So much fun, so much hard work, so many people to thank.

Opossum Creek Retreat is the happy home of The New River Birding and Nature Festival.

For one week a year we entertain about 100 people a day, feeding them, taking them on birding and nature field trips, showing off our guides’ amazing talents with popcorn talks, evening presentations, and according to the participants, having lots of fun.

The Festival is one of our favorite times of year.

Here at OCR, we know “we” is a big word. The gargantuan “we” that makes this event happen behind the scenes are OSSUM!

From the breakfast at Burnwood in the AM to the lunches in the field (made with love by the early-rising ladies in the deli at Foodland) to the ACE adventures super-safe bus drivers that make it possible to criss-cross the New River Gorge Region as a group. Sharon, Cindy and the staff at the CVB put up with a lot over the course of the year. Pastor Ray Crook and the ladies of the ramps who feed a few lucky trips each year at the Danese Community Center.

Sherri at the NPS patiently reminds me, then re-answers the same questions I had last year as we fill out the National Park Service permit forms.

Spouses and friends all contribute in their own way, from jumping in and volunteering to stitching names on hats or keeping the home fires burning while we immerse ourselves in the week.

The landowners like Dave Ross of Dave’s Exxon who allows us to traipse onto his family’s fields and revel in the unexplainable song of the Bobolink.

I am surely missing some, like a bird I forgot to mention in all the excitement, but they are no less appreciated.

We’ve seen the birds countless times. What is amazing is when one of our guests, world famous authors, or guides sees the birds for the first time. At that moment everyone in the group can feel the wonder, awe and emotion wash over us. “We” all feel the joy.

Tears of joy are far too rare in this world. Those feelings are why we do this event.

Thank you to all our past and future guests. We are honored to share this festival with you.

I am not crying.

Events at Oppossum Creek Retreat & New River Gorge

Bang! Like getting shot out of a cannon! (On my bucket list, by the way.) That’s how we start our season.

The New River Birding and Nature Festival (April 29- May 4) is our Daytona 500. Yes, I just referenced NASCAR in the same sentence as a nature festival. We like doing it this way; it’s like getting smelling salts when you are a little groggy from that long winter’s nap.

Why is this festival such a big deal here at OCR? We love getting together with people who appreciate our woodland home in the Gorge as much as we do. So much so that we provide a daily dinner and nature presentation, which is included in the festival registration. Major media contributors, distinguished authors and nature educators will share their expertise over a delicious homestyle meal.

And just after the New River Birding & Nature Festival, climbers will converge in town for The New River Rendezvous (May 16-19), one of the East Coast’s most loved rock climbing get togethers. Newbies and experts alike will be here sharpening their skills, sharing their tips and taking on the Gorge’s diverse sandstone cliff faces.

This is their 10th event (Rendezvous X), and the VIPs have been staying here with us at OCR since the beginning.

We have lots of other Big Events planned. We have already had two couples share their vows here, and the new Wedding Pavilion in the backyard of The Meadows is going to make even more couples really happy this season.

The Boy Scouts are coming in for the first-ever Jamboree at their new home, The Bechtel Summit, in July. Scouts from all across the globe will be flooding in to adventure through the Gorge and lend a hand with community service projects.

We also have some family reunions and corporate retreats on the calendar as we roll into summer. Never a dull moment!

But even with all of this going on, we still have some great weekends available for people to tie the knot, have a reunion, or just sneak away to a cabin in the woods.

Has your year started off with a bang, too? Hope it’s been as good as ours!

Weddings at Opossum Creek – We Love This Stuff!

Set up for a celebration at The Meadows with loved ones.

Aw! The first wedding of the year just took place at Opossum Creek!

The seasons fade in and out, and lovers keep joining us to bind their lives together at Opossum Creek Retreat.

What’s the allure of OCR (other than the picturesque perfection)?

Exchanging vows here is something special. Each ceremony reflects the unique bond of the couple professing their “I do’s.” And we make creating your elaborate moment simple. We LOVE helping people get hitched!

Step 1 is choosing a venue. You need: a breathtaking ceremony location, a place to party down for the reception, and comfortable lodging for guests. Lucky for us, we have all three at Opossum Creek Retreat.

Most of our weddings prefer our DIY (do it yourself) package, which includes: up to three nights in the Meadows cabin (depending on the season), outdoor tables and chairs, a 20×40 tent, outdoor restroom facilities, and some fresh flowers to spruce up outside and around the cabin.

But we’ve got more options, and we’re more than happy to help you tie your knot, your bow, your tie, whatever makes your vows your moment to enjoy.

We are happy to do everything except fitting the dresses.

(And, hey, we’ll help find you someone for that, too. We know people.)

In a Valentine’s Day Panic? Opossum Creek to the Rescue!

Don’t worry, we do Valentine’s Day everyday, all year long.

I really I could read some of the comments in the guest books to you, but I get choked up.

Vday always seems to create a lot of pressure on all sides of the holiday. Who says you have to be at the top of your game on this certain day of the year just so they can sell some flowers and chocolates?

Forget about it! We can rock your romantic world any day of the year.

Relax in your cabin’s hot tub with your sweetheart.

The Cabins are clean and cozy and tucked in the woods. It’s a beautiful romantic drive just to get here no matter where you are coming from.

We have an unbelievably great selection of restaurants, or you can cook in the cabin or on the grill.

Watch a movie, read a book.

Soak in the hot tub.

Go for a walk, hand-in-hand or even get a massage in your cabin from our super star massage therapist.

Yes, we do any and all of this everyday, and we are really good at it too.

So relax: you can make up for Vday any time, any day here at OCR.

Yoga Retreat Returns to Opossum Creek Retreat in 2013

Yoga is not for everyone; neither is Opossum Creek Retreat. And I don’t think they should be.

The local Yogis here in the New River Gorge and from Kula Yoga Studio in beautiful downtown Fayetteville are really excited about having another yoga retreat at Opossum Creek. It has been a long time in between. Too long, in fact.

This weekend has some big things going for it. A famous name, Todd Norian, and a fancy title, “stepping into the current of grace”, both make me nervous. So does going into Walmart at the first of the month and I still do it.

If I can do yoga, you can too.

I am also nervous about doing yoga Friday night, all day Saturday, and again on Sunday. That will be more mat time than I usually do in two months. “Baba Ranboyd”, my yoga teacher, laughs when I tell him this. “You’re ready, you will be fine”, he says. Knowing that there are going to be some Ossum yoga practitioners attending from near and far, raising everyone’s level to new heights and inspiring the rest of us. This helps put me at ease.

So if you are a middle-aged, overweight, sometimes yoga person like me, or a yoga guru like Erin Larson, join us at Opossum Creek Retreat for what will be a very special weekend. (This is a big confession you know, not that I am middle age and overweight, but that I do yoga). So if I can come out in public and say this, you can surely find the courage to join us.

Starting at $245 pp. Two people have told me this is a great price! The first person to book and an old buddy from out west who emailed to ask “Is that $245 for 2 nights and the yoga? That’s a pretty good deal.”

We already have some folks brave enough to trek to wild and wonderful West Virginia from near and far for a Yoga weekend.

Are you?

Countdown To … Nothing?

Stop the presses! The world will end on Dec. 21. We’re not taking reservations after the Mayan calendar expires in 17 days.

How are you spending your final 17? Wouldn’t it be quaint to spend the last few days of time as we know it holed up with your loved ones, cherishing each other and the natural beauty surrounding you? We’re all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it. In fact, it would be a downright shame if you weren’t able to visit us before the end of time.

That’s why we’re giving you a little help: $5 off for every night left on the Mayan calendar. Thank you for a great run, and be well in the time and space beyond the end of time!

To be honest, we’re not really sure what the physics of time after time will be. Maybe we’ll see (or otherwise perceive) you there? But we’re crossing our fingers you visit beforehand, just to be safe. Until then, enjoy the holiday season!

Frankenstorm 2012 at Opossum Creek Retreat

Want to know what the Frankenstorm was like for us here at Opossum Creek Retreat? We had some guests in the cabins and although they were happy, warm, and cozy, for lots of reasons we decided to extract them. It took four of us about 4 hours to get from the sign.