Hawks Nest & New River Gorge, WV

This weekend I was able to head to the gorgeous area of Hawks Nest State Park and New River Gorge in "Wild and Wonderful" West Virginia. We left from Durham on Friday night and it was about a 5-hour drive. Jean had asked me to join her for a very meaningful and important task and I was quite honored to go.   Our drive was just gorgeous...or, I am sure it was but it was pitch black outside so we weren't able to tell until waking up Saturday;)

We had a little GPS snafu but after stopping for directions found the lodge located in the state park. We were slightly nervous we may be sharing a bed and as we got off the elevator and saw a men's room and a women's room, we readied for the mindset of shared bathrooms. Once Jean opened the door to our room she quipped "good news. Two beds and our own bathroom!!"

The lodge was built in the 70's and it shows but the rooms were nice and clean and the beds were super comfy. I noticed we had a balcony and wondered if we would have a great view. Once we woke up, I was not disappointed and was greeted with a majestic view of the gorge.



We got breakfast and whatever you do...skip the lodge restaurant. Blech isn't even a strong enough word.

After we checked out we realized that the tram to the bottom of the gorge and base of the river was actually located on the lower level of the lodge. Doesn't get any more convenient than that! It is $25 for both the tram ride and the half hour river boat tour. We really enjoyed both. We were able to see the train trestle and the dam/tunnel and then he took us back to the real highlight of the New River, the bridge. It is the 3rd largest single span bridge in the world and the 4th tallest in the US at 876 feet. The bridge is quite the show stopper and my pictures cannot truly do it justice.







After our river cruise ( which I definitely recommend, we went fast and saw amazing sites, plus Rick, the owner, and his wife were funny and one of my favorite parts of the weekend) we stopped at an overlook, which was splendid and awe inspiring. The most fun part was that across the street from the overlook was a covered shelter and they had a wedding reception set up. By far the nicest shelter I have ever seen, complete with a gorgeous fireplace.

After this, we headed towards the bridge to get a better view from the top. We then drove over the bridge to the adorable town of Fayetteville and this is where our food choices took an upswing and I was able to indulge in one of the better pizzas I have ever had. We stopped into Pies & Pints and what a delicious surprise. I got the white pizza with goat cheese and steak. Divine and Jean ordered the most unique pizza combo I have ever heard of: Grapes and Gorgonzola! She raved about it.







We then walked around Fayetteville a little bit, taking in the small town charm. We came upon a few more food options that looked scrumptious and were packed... so small town Fayetteville turned out to be a foodie paradise.

If you a planning a trip to this area, a stay at the lodge was fun. It was nothing fancy but the location was perfect and the beds were comfy. You will find more hotel options in a half hour radius. This area is known for kayaking, zip lining, and white water rafting. I can only imagine how gorgeous it is in the fall!
6 comments on "Hawks Nest & New River Gorge, WV"
  1. That bridge and the scenery looks so awesome! What a fun trip with yummy local food!

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  2. SO fun! A friend just visited Fayetteville and did the walk under the bridge! That food looks delicious, too! xx, I'm Fixin' To

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  5. It is conceivable to book a lodge that has its own particular overhang of French windows, so you can value that staggering perspective a tad bit more.http://riverboatsblog.soup.io/

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