Blog Archives
By Lauren hunt | Categories: Things To Do | 3 Comments on Charleston Needs: Orangetheory
Orangetheory Fitness Charleston opened in December, 2018 bringing a technology advanced, life-changing one-hour workout experience designed to provide you More Energy, More Strength. More Life.
Orangetheory Fitness is a heart rate based group interval training facility that is dynamic and personalized for the individual. All shapes, sizes and situations.
They are a Science Backed, Technology Tracked, Coach Inspired workout designed to produce results from the inside out.
As everyone knows, the need is great and the reasons are important for all of us to be proactive in building and preserving good health.
Their mission is to give the people of Charleston and the surrounding area a longer, more vibrant and fulfilling life. That’s what #MoreLife and Orangetheory is all about.
By Lauren hunt | Categories: Things To Do | 3 Comments on Charleston Needs: Eggplant
Eggplant is an exclusive gift boutique located in South Hills and has been open for over 25 years! Customers love discovering items for gift-giving, personal use, and home décor. What sets Eggplant apart is its unique selection of merchandise, most of which is difficult to find anywhere else in the state or surrounding areas. Customers enjoy our vast selection and searching for anything-but-ordinary items that make a statement or exemplify their personality!
Explore Eggplant for luxurious bath and body products, fabulous jewelry, purses and accessories, entertaining and home décor, travel and comfort, custom invitations and stationery, one-of-a-kind West Virginia items, men’s grooming and gifting, and much much more!
Don’t forget their inhouse gift wrapping. One less thing for you to do this holiday season.
By Lauren hunt | Categories: Things To Do | 4 Comments on Charleston Needs: Kanawha City Yarn Company
Kanawha City Yarn Company was established in 2004 by a local teacher. The shop is filled with beautiful yarns with equally beautiful textures made from different fibers and blends. In addition to name-brand yarn, they also carry WV hand-dyed yarn, Frayed Fibers, and WV-grown natural color yarns from Quaking Maples Farm.
With temperatures turning chilly, people are looking for an indoor hobby. The Kanawha City Yarn Company offers in person and virtual classes for knitting and crocheting students of all skill levels.
In addition to supporting small business, you can use your new skills and create heartfelt gifts for friends and family this holiday season. Or give the gift of a class and start your own knitting club!
Published: November 12, 2020
By Lauren hunt | Categories: Things To Do | 3 Comments on Charleston Needs: Charleston Bicycle Center
One of the benefits of this crazy year is that people are falling in love again with the outdoors. Biking is one of the fastest growing sports, and, for us in the #CWV, Charleston Bicycle Center in Kanawha City is the go-to spot for bikes and equipment.
Tucked away on 53rd street, you find bikes for all riders. Walking in the shop, you are greeted by friendly, expert staff who will help you pick the perfect ride from children’s bikes to big kid mountain biking and street riding models. Charleston Bicycle Center also has a huge selection of apparel, repair items, helmets and more. Pro tip for parents, they can even fix your jogging stroller tires!
Their passion for riding doesn’t stop in the shop. Charleston Bicycle Center, which was established in 1988, is heavily involved in local youth mountain biking programs for students in Kanawha and Putnam counties.
Published: Nov. 4, 2020
By Lauren hunt | Categories: Food, Things To Do | 1 Comment on Bridge Road Shops
A true hidden gem in Charleston is the Bridge Road Shops. Tucked away in a quaint spot in South Hills, you will find over 40 establishments, including retail, world-class dining, and local art. Let’s explore what makes some of these places so special.
Retail:
Charlie Boutique: Charlie Boutique has been dressing Charleston women for over 10 years. Curating clothing, jewelry, and accessories with a knowledgeable eye and delivering a sophisticated style. At Charlie you will experience boutique shopping as it is meant to be fun and personal. Charlie also sells masks!
Eggplant: This exclusive gift boutique is your one-stop shop. You will find everything from luxurious bath and body products, fabulous jewelry, and accessories to home décor, custom invitations and stationery.
Geraniums: Looking for Lilly Pulitzer, Diane von Furstenberg, Nicole Miller or other top designers, visit Geraniums. You will always find the perfect outfit for any occasion.
Ooh La Lucy: Is known for its high-quality products and superior customer service. They pride themselves on being your resource for all things chic, unique, and affordable. There is nothing they love more than helping a woman put together an outfit that makes her feel absolutely confident.
Petit Jewelry Designs: This small jewelry shop creates some very special and one-of-a-kind heirlooms.
Yarid’s: Yarid’s Shoes is a family owned and operated shoe store established in 1918. They offer the finest collection of footwear, handbags, scarves and jewelry for ladies and gentlemen, and also carry smashbox cosmetics, butter LONDON nail polish and dr brandt.
Who can shop without stopping for a bite to eat?
1010 Bridge: The newest kid on the block, has an outstanding menu. Try their Cast Iron Seared “1010 Cut.”
Bridge Road Mart & Deli: If you aren’t looking for Bridge Road Mart, you will miss it. Inside you will find groceries, snacks, spirits, and light prepared food.
Caffe Romeo: Whether you need a morning pick me up or an evening treat, stop by Caffe Romeo for coffee or gelato.
Lola’s Pizza: Their handmade, Neapolitan-style pizzas are served piping hot out of the stone hearth oven. Try one of the specialties — popular pies include Fig Jam & Rosemary, Spinach & Feta, and Spicy Shrimp & Sausage — or you can create your own. And don’t forget their award-winning Sangria.
Sarah’s Bakery: Do you prefer sweet or savory? Sarah’s has both. Stop by and grab a Chicken Pot Pie for dinner or some sweet treats for dessert. Keep up with her menu on Facebook.
The Wheelhouse: A local favorite for lunch. A true Charlestonian always orders the Paddlewheeler.
While you are out exploring Bridge Road, don’t forget to #MaskUpCWV and maintain proper social distance.
By Lauren hunt | Categories: Food, Things To Do | 1 Comment on JQD Salt Works
One of the Kanawha Valley’s most precious hidden gems is JQ Dickinson Salt-Works. Whether you love history, beautiful scenery, or food, JQD is a place you want to visit.
JQD originally started in 1813 and began producing salt in 1817. Did you know salt was the first industry in the Kanawha Valley? Malden, WV was considered the salt capital of the east. The salt industry flourished for years. Most of the production was shipped to Cincinnati for meat packing. When refrigeration was invented, the once-famous salt industry began to decline.
Today, two seventh-generation descendants of William Dickinson, siblings Nancy Bruns and Lewis Payne, have tapped the old salt wells and reinvented the process. Instead on burning the brine, JQD has begun an evaporation process in special sun houses. All the products are hand harvested to create the perfect flavor for any dish.
JQD is more than just salt producers, they offer history tours of the facility and have the perfect backdrop for any outdoor event.
Stop by Monday through Saturday between 10am – 4pm to shop or for a tour. If you prefer to stay home and shop, they offer an online store.
By Lauren hunt | Categories: Things To Do | 3 Comments on 5 Places to Walk Outdoors
- Cato Park – 5-mile trail system with 16 trails
- Kanawha Blvd – Relax along the river from the Capitol to Patrick Street
By Lauren hunt | Categories: Things To Do | 3 Comments on Little Creek – Outdoor fun
Just a short drive to South Charleston, you will find some great family fun. Little Creek Park is full of trails, playgrounds, picnic shelters and a Soap Box Derby Track.
Let’s start with the hiking trails. They have three main trails: Little Creek Park Loop Trail, Rock Ridge, and Little Creek Trail. These trails are mostly unknown in the area, so maintaining social distancing is an easy task. The Loop Trail is a favorite of locals. Keep your eye out for the Devil’s Tea Table. It is a beautiful rock formation on this trail. A great place to snap a couple of photos. Pro tip: take extra shoes for the kids. They love playing in the creek that runs along the trails. You will find some little beaches, perfect for getting your feet wet and skipping rocks.
Little Creek is the official home of the Kanawha Valley Soap Box Derby Association. For over 80 years, the races have been taking place. Winners of the regional go on to Nationals in Ohio. They are still planning a couple races at the end of 2020. Keep up to date with their schedule here.
With multiple playgrounds, shelters and a disc golf course, the entire family will have a great day.
By Lauren hunt | Categories: Food, Things To Do | 2 Comments on Route 60 Ramble
Many people are yearning to travel again. Yet, they are cautious and not ready to go. Lucky for you, we have the perfect staycation ideas. Experience things you love while exploring new places between Charleston and Huntington. Follow the Route 60 Ramble on Instagram for all the wonderful ideas.
By Leslie Smithson | Categories: Things To Do | 3 Comments on Spring Hill Cemetery
Are you a “tombstone tourist”? Taphophiles are cemetery enthusiasts, people who enjoy visiting cemeteries to read epitaphs, photograph monuments and research historic deaths. Tombstone tourists will find opportunities to do all these things plus experience some of the best views in town and an abundance of wildlife at Spring Hill Cemetery Park & Arboretum.
The largest municipal cemetery complex in West Virginia, Spring Hill Cemetery Historic District encompasses 172 acres in the rolling hills overlooking Charleston’s East End. Commonly known as Spring Hill, the district includes five cemeteries: Spring Hill Cemetery (established 1869), Mountain View Cemetery, B’nai Israel Cemetery, Lowenstein Cemetery and Mount Olivet Cemetery.
The cemetery holds the graves of West Virginia Governors William A. MacCorkle (1857-1930) and George W. Atkinson (1845-1925). Other notable graves include Civil War and Revolutionary War officers, and early industry and civic leaders and settlers in the Kanawha Valley.
Originally intended by its Victorian planners as a park-like place for quiet walks and meditation, Spring Hill continues to be a favorite destination for walkers, bird watchers and lovers of art and local history.
The cemetery is known for its beautiful monuments. Highlights include a colossal sandstone acorn at the Littlepage memorial in section 47. In the Scruggs addition, stone markers are fashioned in the form of tree stumps. And in the Mountain View section, poems, in epitaph form, are inscribed upon the flat limestone markers at the graves of Walter E. Clark and wife. Several granite, limestone and marble obelisks rising to a height of 30 feet or more mark the graves of prominent West Virginians, and elegant stone angels can be spotted throughout the park.
Five miles of paved road wind through the cemetery, ideal for walking, running and bicycling. Four self-guided history walks highlight important historical figures interred here. For bird watchers, the Handlan Chapter of Brooks Bird Club has compiled a list of species, resident and transient, identified at the park.
The cemetery is home to the largest arboretum in West Virginia. The Mary Price Ratrie Arboretum boasts several champion trees (the largest-known specific tree species in the state), among the 112 individual tree species of its 1,400 trees.
For more information, visit the City of Charleston’s Spring Hill page.
