west virginia

Gauley Season Brings Adrenalin Junkies To West Virginia

Filed under: Sports

Adventure lovers in West Virginia know about a little something called Gauley Season. Each fall, the Summersville Dam is unleashed into West Virginia's Gauley River to fill up Summersville Lake. The result of all that water pouring through the gates turns that part of southern West Virginia into a whitewater rafter's paradise with peak season rapids ranging in intensity from Class VI (professional) to Class III (moderate). Each year over 60,000 whitewater enthusiasts each year converge on the area for the ride of a lifetime.

Class VI-Mountain River navigates these waters for six weekends straight, offering unforgettable rides on half-day, full-day, and multi-day trips lead by the river-seasoned staff. Every Class VI-Mountain River trip is photographed by experts and so you get professional views of your exploits.

Options including staying in Class VI - Mountain River's New River Gorge Adventure Resort on the canyon rim of the New River Gorge, or camping at the edge of the New or Gauley River. The resort is over 1,000 acres with luxury vacation homes for rent, a wide variety of WV cabin rentals from rustic to deluxe, and ample private West Virginia campground facilities. Many of the cabins on the Gorge have hot tubs, a different type of white water to soothe away the day's adventures. Check out the Class VI-Mountain River website for more details.

Tags: adventure travel, adventure-outdoors, adventure-travel, Gauley River, gauley season, west virginia, WhiteWater, whitewater rafting, WhitewaterRafting, WhitewaterTrips

Stars Celebrate Greenbrier Casino Opening

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Jennifer Garner, Jessica Simpson and Brooke Shields were just a few of the celebrities that showed up at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia on Friday for the grand opening of its new Casino Club. The Roanoke Times reports that Barbara Eden, Raquel Welch, Jennifer Garner's husband Ben Affleck and basketball stars Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal were also in attendance to celebrate the latest addition to the multimillion dollar resort.

Last year we first learned that new owner Jim Justice some big plans for the resort including luxury train trips from Washington, D.C., to the Greenbrier and a $25 million, 75,000-square-foot casino. The Casino at The Greenbrier was originally planned to open in April. Justice bought the Greenbrier out of bankruptcy for $20.1 million last year. The star-studded opening which included a gourmet dinner, a concert by Lionel Richie, and an evening of gambling at the Monte Carlo-style casino was said to cost around $2 million. The event was open to the public for $850 per person not including an overnight stay. Garner, a West Virginia native, said that the resort's new life is important for the state. The casino offers table games, craps, roulette, poker tables and slot machines. The underground club is located beneath the front entrance and is only open to overnight guests or by other special arrangement.

Tags: ben affleck, brooke shields, casino royale, charles barkley, gambling, greenbrier, jennifer garner, jessica simpson, Raquel Welch, shaquille oneal, west virginia

Greenbrier Plans Casinos, Luxury Train

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

I came across an intriguing update on the Greenbrier hotel. The luxury hotel in West Virginia has had quite a tumultuous year but new owner Jim Justice some big plans for the resort. During an interview on "Decision Makers," a public affairs program on West Virginia Media television stations, he said that he wants to offer luxury train trips from Washington, D.C., to the Greenbrier. This is no quick jaunt, the trip takes five hours and 15 minutes but it would pass through some incredibly beautiful mountainous terrain and could heighten that feeling of stepping into another world that occurs when arriving at the Greenbrier.

Justice's plan is to create the "Greenbrier Express" which would be a a 210-passenger train with the luxuriously old-fashioned style of the resort. Passengers would board at Union Station in D.C. and once they arrived in Greenbrier County, they would be taken via horse-drawn carriage to the resort. Justice would like to use a passenger train which has the last steam engine manufactured in America and can hold up to 210 passengers.

He hopes to have the train up and running by next summer. He is also working on plans for a $25 million, 75,000-square-foot casino. The smaller Tavern Casino will open on October 1,and will offer table games, including blackjack, roulette and three card poker as well as slot machines. The Casino at The Greenbrier will open next April and have a Monte Carlo-style casino, as well as retail and dining areas in an underground complex. Champagne will be passed nightly at 8:00 p.m., offering a toast of luck to all guests.

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Tags: greenbrier, hotel, resort, west virginia, WestVirginia

Richwood Hall, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's estate is about as historic as you can get. Richwood Hall near Charles Town, West Virginia in on some of the land that once belonged to George Washington who gave to his brother, Samuel Washington. The Washington family kept it until 1802. During the Civil War, Confederate forces under the command of General Jubal A. Early fired from Richwood Hall at Union forces under Sheridan at Locust Hill.

The home is on 37 acres of horse country and includes woods and gardens as well as the original smokehouse, barns, tennis court, pool and a caretaker's cottage. The home has been enlarged in multiple segments over the last couple hundred years. The original home is anchored by a hearth which dates back to around 1750. The main house was built in 1825 and has a formal sitting room, dining room and a grand staircase. The current owner restored the original wings and then added a new modern wing in 2003 so that the home has modern features like an eat-in kitchen and a gym. It now has five bedrooms. This home is listed at $4.2 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Gallery: Richwood Hall

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Tags: charles town, CharlesTown, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, historic homes, HistoricHomes, richwood hall, RichwoodHall, west virginia, WestVirginia

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Summit Village At The Greenbrier Sporting Club

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The latest addition to the posh Greenbrier resort in West Virginia is the Summit Village at The Greenbrier Sporting Club. The private gated resort home community is adjacent to the resort and offers amazing views from 3,300 feet up in the Allegheny mountains. The village consists of 56 home sites. The Summit Lodge offers a casual fine-dining restaurant, a bar and a lounge. Next to the lodge is the bar-like activities center which has an indoor basketball court with cushioned maple floors and locker rooms. The community also has an outdoor infinity-edge pool with views of the Greenbrier Valley and an outdoor amphitheater. The Greenbrier Sporting Club includes a golf course, spa, members' lodge with a restaurant, equestrian facilities and access to all of the amenities at the Greenbrier resort. The home sites range from 0.75 to 7.5 acres and cost from $650,000 to $1.2 million. There is currently a five-bedroom house on .75 acres in the village for sale for $3.9 million.

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Tags: gated community, greenbrier, private community, summit village at the greenbrier sporting club, west virginia