I love the drivability of the South. Within several hours, you can pack your bags, hop into the car, and explore so many different things. Among my favorite road trip destinations is West Virginia. State highways winding among the peaks of the Appalachian Mountains beckon you to pull off the road and enjoy the view or take a casual stroll, and charming towns along the way are the perfect grounds for antiques hunting.
West Virginia remains home to artisan-made goods that employ skills passed down through generations. The editors from Taste of the South magazine recently toured J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works outside of Charleston, which has been producing small-batch salt for more than two centuries. I love finding those kinds of locally produced specialty goods and bringing them home as gifts. Those little treasures are the perfect way to share a cherished destination.
I love finding ways to help others experience some of the South’s best travel experiences. That’s why I am so excited to tell you about a special giveaway from our sponsors at GoToWV. They’re offering a two-day, one-night getaway to Parkersburg, West Virginia’s Blennerhassett Hotel and Spa.
Photo by Andi Roberts.
You can experience all of the joys of the Mountain State at a historic destination that has been defining Southern hospitality for more than a century. The winner and a guest will enjoy a Saturday afternoon one-on-one culinary experience hosted by Executive Chef Rick Argoso. That evening, the pair will dine in style at Blennerhassett’s Spats Restaurant. Then, they’ll have a luxurious night’s stay in a spacious junior suite. The following morning, the winners will finish their trip with brunch at the hotel’s Sunday morning buffet.
To enter, share this post via one of the social media buttons below, and then leave a comment telling me why you’d like to win. Write about it on Facebook, pin it to your favorite board on Pinterest, or even send a tweet. If you aren’t a social media person, then simply leave a comment below instead.
The winner will choose one of four different weekends to accommodate his or her schedule. (Transportation to and from the Blennerhassett is not provided.)
Whether or not you win the giveaway, I hope this inspires you to venture to one of the South’s most charming road trip destinations. I love West Virginia adventures, and I think you will, too.
What’s your favorite Southern destination?
Comments 115
Would love to win–there’s so much to discover!!
I would love to win this. My fiance just recently proposed to me,(of course I said yes!) and this would be the perfect little honeymoon for us!! Thank you for the opportunity. God Bless
I live here in WV and been to the hotel many time as it is in downtown Parkersburg and I live in Vienna which is about 10 miles north of the Blennerhasset Hotel but never stayed one night there. To stay there overnight would be a wonderful experience for me as it is beautiful and they have such wonderful food.
I can’t tell if this contest is still open or not, but if it is, I’d love to win. We live in VA, right next door to WV…and we’ve been over the state line a few times but have never visited the site you recommended. One of my favorite southern destinations would be the Smoky Mountains in TN.
I would love to win this trip, you see my husband passed away 2 months ago after a long illness, not cancer but a horrible disease that took all the life from him. We would have been married 44 years this september and one of his favorite things to do was travel. We traveled alot and lived in some wonderful places due to his job. Now I want to travel just like we used to do, it will be different without him but he wanted me to have fun and enjoy the rest of my life and to honor him thats what I plan to do. So to whom ever wins take that special someone and make a memory because only God knows when our time here is up. Enjoy every minute you have.
My husband and I just celebrated our Anniversary of 55 years and would really enjoy traveling to WV. Our last honeymoon was when we were married in Chicago and went to Milwaukee for our honeymoon over the the of July weekend. What a fun time it would be! Thanks
Would be a great excuse to get to West Virginia! How inviting!!
As a small business owner it’s hard to get away. Would love to have the opportunity to take a break to refresh and recharge. West Virginia looks lovely and is not far from home.
My significant other is from Parkersburg, so it would be delightful to win and be able to visit without having to stay with his family!
I love traveling and would love this getaway.
I love West Virginia . There is nothing more beautiful than taking the roads of West Virginia . We try and hit all the state parks. Would love to win and see places we’ve never seen before.
My husband and I calculated that the drive to Blennerhassett Hotel from our home in Azle, Texas would be 1,200 miles of gorgeous Autumnal scenery! What a joy it would be to make that trip and arrive at a beautiful hotel that is also a national historic landmark! We would love to make the journey!
“West Virginia”… The state ‘s name soothes the soul …
Close enough to us in Maryland for a “drivable” destination . Any time of the year would be lovely for a visit to this splendid hotel and it’s
offerings .
Phyllis , you have the resources for
memorable trips and I am thankful for this suggestion and those to come !
West Virginia has many beautiful hidden treasures. I’d love to experience this one!
A getaway is always nice. See new things and relax a bit.
My reason I should win is I recently lost my mother to a rare disorder that destroyed her liver. After her death I was tested and found out I have one of the genes that she had which caused her illness. My mother and I lived in Parkersburg together from my 3rd grade until I graduated high school. Would love to go back there to have some great memories with my kids and show them where their mother and grandmother spent the best years together before their grandmother started getting ill.
I lived in WV for 16 years and absolutely loved it. The Fall there is the most beautiful of any place. We have a lot of special memories from there. My daughter graduated from Parkersburg High School. I am handicapped and not able to travel now but would love to win the trip for my daughter or my son and their spouses. Either would love to go back. We live in CA now and have for several years. It would make me very happy to bless either of them with this trip.
I enjoy many of your magazines. Winning this trip would allow me to spend time reading in a wonderful bed and breakfast in the south.
This sounds like the perfect place for a lovely couple to honeymoon. My nephew has found his soul mate and will be getting married in October. If selected would love to pass it on as a gift to them. Thank you for your blog and sharing.
Shared on Pinterest on my vacation planning board. Husband and I could really enjoy time away for just us!
This would be awesome! I’ve never been to West Virginia but have always wanted to visit! I love the experience of visiting new places.
I would love to visit this location-I’ve never been to the state before! Please consider me for this! And thanks for offering great blog posts on so many wonderful topics!
I love this area and have read the historical story about Blennerhassett Island . We would love thetrip ,relive history and explore the area.
Would love to win. Thank you for the chance to do so.
Having moved north, after living in the south, we miss being able to travel by car to many places for a quick get-away. West Virginia is a State we are able to enjoy via a one day car ride. We even have a favorite tree, where we always stop for lunch, outside of Charleston. Perhaps, this time we can carve our initials in ‘our’ tree.
Thank you!
Beautiful hotel. I would love to get away to West Virginia. Thank you for the opportunity to win a stay at such a grand hotel. hugs!
What a lovely opportunity to visit. I would absolutely love to go!
Just let me know….we will be right over! West Virginia is calling……
I would love to win because I haven’t had a vacation in years. my is on a feeding tube but will soon be off of it. would love to take her somewher;
I have not been to West Virginia and would love to get a taste of its hospitality in this way!
I would love to win this trip. I lost both my parents less than 2 yrs apart. I went through a divorce while caring for them. And I could really use some time to relax and enjoy life.
Southern Comfort, Ahhhhh…I truly cannot tell you how much I need this respit!
Fingers and toes crossed!
Pamela Jo
Such a lovely offer and so many commenters with such wonderful reasons to win the trip. Good luck to everyone!
I would love to visit the South, having romanticized and fantasized what it would be like to be a southern lady! I have had such a curiosity that I began selling Southern Living at Home for a couple of years before they merged with another company. Please throw my hat in the ring for this enticing opportunity! Pam Aronson
It sounds like it would be a lovely culinary adventure to treasure the time well-spent there if I were to win – thank you for the chance!
This sounds like a heaven on earth trip! Just dreaming about it makes me happy!
What a charming hotel! I would love spending some time there.
First of all, I am a native West Virginian and I am delighted to see GotoWV as one of your sponsors, Phyllis. Secondly, I hope that whomever wins this package (please exclude me in this giveaway, let a newcomer reap the reward!) enjoys our state and feels welcomed from the minute they arrive. Parkersburg is about 75 miles north of our capital city, Charleston – a straight shot on I-77. I invite you to come, visit us, explore our free museum at the state’s Culture Center (with gift shop), and our Capitol Market of local, farm fresh goods. There’s also antiquing (South Charleston Antique Mall, I-64, Exit 56), and just another hour or so, there’s adventure galore in Fayetteville, WV – from ziplining to white water rafting – for beginners to advanced. Wild, wonderful, West Virginia!
This sounds wonderful!! Would love to win.
The hotel looks just fabulous and I would love to explore WV. What a great giveaway!
kellam.susan@yahoo.com
I just pinned this to my Pinterest board titled, “West Virginia = Best Virginia”. I was born in WV, but now live in NC, so it would be a thrill to stay at The Blennerhassett Hotel! Thank you!
The Blennerhassett hotel is where my parents honeymooned when they married back in 1948. It would be very exciting and nostalgic to visit the hotel where it all began for my family. They were married at Our Lady of Peace Church in Cleveland Ohio, and chose the Blennerhassett Hotel for the honeymoon because my father was from Parkersburg WV and his family was familiar with the hotel. I would feel very privileged to win the trip to stay at the hotel and experience the wonderful beauty of the city and the fantastic cuisine of the hotel.
We have travelled through West Virginia several times en route from visiting our daughter in NC to our son in MI. There is no more beautiful country. We have actually travelled to West Virginia looking to re-locate from Central Illinois! Appalachia is as close to Heaven as there is on this earth.
I love West Virginia. I have been to many places in West Virginia, but not the Blennerhasset Hotel. I would love to see the Hotel.
I live in West Tennessee and have never been to West Virginia. I think it’s time!
This trip sounds fantastic! I would love to win this exciting opportunity to explore West Virginia and be treated to the luxurious offerings! Thank you, Phyllis!
I would love to win this trip for several reasons: Haven’t been on a vacation since 1993!!; been divorced since 2003, so it’s hard to find the $$ to plan a getaway; while my siblings and parents were all from Charleston, I was born in Ohio, so I missed out growing up in the great state of WV; and ever since my father died in 2012, life in Ohio has never been the same. My father was a true Southern gentleman and taught me all the things about WV life, and shared his love for the WVU Mountaineers with me (and I have remained a diehard fan for decades!!) And most importantly, and being completely honest here, getting the opportunity to be” enveloped” in all the beauty and splendor of West Virginia with a vacation like this would make me feel close to my father, my roots, and a chance to experience and appreciate the history and all the things that made him so proud of being a West Virginian !
Never been to W. Virginia. I would love to win!
This would be a wonderful getaway for me and my husband, it’s not often we have the opportunity to travel
since we are starting over and raising grandchildren, would love to visit West Virginia. Thanks
While I’ve visited several states in the South and truly reveled in St. Augustine, Charleston, and Savannah, I’ve not been to the Appalachian Mountains. Southern culture, cuisine, and literature are so distinctive and picturesque, it’s like traveling back in time to a more gracious, gentler society. It would be a bit of an expense to navigate east to West Virginia from California, but I’ll be thrilled to undertake that if I should win. Many thanks to you and your sponsor for the opportunity…it looks like a lovely, luxurious old hotel, and such a treat, with all the meals planned!
This would truly be a most splendid girl indulgence weekend getaway for my dearest friend & I. We rarely get the chance to do much of anything that does not involve our children/family. This area is not too far South for us to travel for just a weekend trip. A little “us” time with culinary delights, exploring the historically rich area,as well as enjoying Southern Hospitality. Southern Indulgence galore!
What an interesting hotel and wonderful giveaway. Thanks Phyllis. I have always wanted to visit that part of the United States. Ever since I began watching The Waltons when I was younger, I vowed that one day I would go and see where “John Boy” and his family lived. I’m still hoping to do that one day.
Another wonderful opportunity for your loyal followers, thank you. I would love to win this WV vacation, a trip that wouldn’t involve flying! My chance is slim, but it is such fun to dream. MM
We haven’t had a vacation for 4 years. Never been to West Virginia and it would be a nice treat for my husband’s 80th birthday.
I am utterly infatuated with the South. I have never had the chance to visit. I would adore it if I could.
I have not had a trip in years! Literally! This is very easy to do,the drive would be lovely.This would be a joy.
This is s beautiful place and would be a ‘dream come true’ to win!
Country roads take me home to the place I belong
West Virginia !!!
This Georgia girl transferred to Chicago would love to visit!
Thank you for sharing would be wondeful!!
I would love to win this
I recently started my life over in the Eastern Panhandle of WV with my two teenage daughters after a rather unpleasant divorce. I am head over heels in love with WV and want to explore all parts of it. I would also LOVE a little bit of a ‘me’ getaway with my boyfriend. Clear the mind and enjoying every day is what my life is about nowadays.
We just celebrated our 50th anniversary in May (at home!). This would be a wonderful gift to honor our special occasion. We travel through WVA on our way to visit my 90-year-old mother in NC, but have never had the opportunity to stay. Thanks for offering this to some lucky person.
Would love to see this part of the south. Texas born and bred, I’ve visited the coastal cities of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and the panhandle of Florida. Want to see all the South before I go. This would be a divine way to begin seeing the Southern eastern seaboard. Thanks.
With three teenage daughters, I REALLY just need to get away 🙂
It’s my home and I would love to see wv one last time! On my bucket list! Take my mom some flowers
Date night with the hubby! oh yeah!
I would love to win this…. I’m sure one of the four spots are on my WV Bucket list… I love traveling and seeing all of WV… Check out my Photos with the link below and you can just see my WV love… Photos of all my trips… I’m just getting started but I’m having a blast….
https://www.facebook.com/Mydreamwhisper/photos_albums
My husband and I love & trust in any Southern suggestion for travel. The Blennerhassett Hotel & Spa is beautiful and enticing. These accommodations would provide a lovely res bit to an exploration of West Virginia. A perfect location to celebrate our Anniversary.
I just need a time to heal.
I have always wanted to see the Fall color again. I would love a trip to West Virginia! Thanks for stirring up memories, and for the chance to experience it all once again!
I think this hotel looks like a lovely getaway, truly in any season. West Virginia is a wonderful state to explore, with amazing vistas, lovely people, and great destinations. Fingers crossed!
My husband and I would love to have a getaway!!! A night to relax!!!
Traveling through the backroads and ambling through small towns are favorite hobbies of ours–and discovering lovely, luxurious lodging is a delightful bonus. What a joy it would be to see West Virginia and enjoy Southern hospitality!
Dream trip. I have always wanted to visit the south and this would be a wonderful way to kick off a great trip.
I’d love to have a getaway with my hubby and would enjoy the luxurious accommodations!
Wow! I would love to have a getaway weekend. I’ve never been to WV, only traveled through. What a wonderful gift this would be. Thank you! Carmella 🙂
I live in the South and love it. I’ve explored a lot of the South and have been through West Virginia but never stayed there for any sightseeing. Would love to win this.
We would love a much needed getaway and the Blennerhassett looks devine! xoxo
What a generous and beautiful offering! Living in TX and being Civil War buffs, we haven’t seen WVA. What a lovely opportunity this would be. And we could celebrate our 50th anniversary too! WOW!!!
Oh my I do enjoy West Virginia and the golden dome of their state Capitol. I have read books about this lovely place in fiction and non fiction books. It would be lovely to enjoy a time there. Hopefully nancy
I love the South. Not only is it a beautiful part of the country it is so rich in history. The food is fabulous! I’ve traveled there twice and it makes me want more and more. Would love to win this trip!
I would love to visit more of the south. I have been to Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, but that’s about it and always for business not pleasure.
I am from Charleston WV and live in VA but we visit WV…oh how I miss my ho me state and would love to go to Parkersburg, thanks for the chance to win !
I would absolutely love to visit the Blennerhassett! My husband and I could really use a get-away. He is having mobility issues at this point, so our ability to travel is becoming more limited. Additionally, it is hard to find historic places that are accessible, and I just called and found out the Blennerhassett is. Thank you for the opportunity to enter the drawing!
With best regards,
Sue
This sounds like a getaway my Silver Fox and i could thoroughly enjoy. We love cooking together (so the afternoon culinary experience would be fun), and we search for places to explore for my Christian travel blog — http://www.theregoesconnie.com This would be perfect!! The hotel is also in a part of the south that is relatively unfamiliar to us. Someone will be very fortunate to win.
It’s a dream of mine to win, because I would love to visit the south and let our kids see first hand some of the most beautiful and precious history here in the USA!
I have stayed in and also visited this lovely hotel several times. My husband and I especially enjoyed sitting in front of the fire in the leather wingbacks surrounded by wooden paneling and beautiful artwork in the downstairs lounge during our last winter visit. There is much to see and do in Parkersburg and also across the Ohio River in Marietta, Ohio, particularly the historic housing districts. North of Parkersburg in the small community of Boaz is the Historic Henderson Hall with ties to George Washington. The home is filled with family treasures. Also nearby and accessible by river boat is Blennerhassett Island, a beautiful island for tours, wildlife viewing and more history. If you win you must plan to stay a week to enjoy all there is to offer there. My husband and I lived in Parkersburg recently for around 3 1\2 years. We did a lot of sightseeing in the area. You will love it if you love history! Excited to see this being offered!
Ah… An old Southern hotel! What could be more relaxing? I would sip a mint julep and fan myself on the veranda while reading “To Kill A Mockingbird”.
I love the South. Was born in the south and have lots of family that I visit every few years in the south. I would love to go to West Virginia and I would be so excited to have the one on one culinary experience. It would be a good excuse to visit more of West Virginia too.
Being from Southern California I do not know what this part of the Country is about except from what I’ve read in books, magazines and travelogues . I would love to experience it with my husband to celebrate our 50 years together!
Oh How I would love to go here! Almost at the end of a brutal Divorce and have two FB friends who live in Virginia I would love to meet up with!! — Thanks much for this drawing…
Thank you for sharing West Virgina. I have relatives that have lived in the south since I was a small girl, I would love to visit them. My Uncle Russ was a painter who loved Charleston, where he resided. Many a canvas was graced with local studies he painted. He later on became a restorer of fine antique American paintings. Even though he has passed on , his children remain in Virgina.
Thank you Phlllis for offering this chance in a lifetime.
Never having been to West Virginia, this would be a special way to be introduced to what I imagine to be a beautiful area. Thank you for giving we readers an equal opportunity to win one of your generous gifts. People like you enrich the lives of so many. Thank you.
West Virginia has long been one of my favorite states to visit. I have been to the State Fair many times and enjoyed it very much each time I went. There is so much to do in West Virginia….train rides ,antiques, flea markets, coal mine tours. I could go on and on. All these things plus beautiful scenery. No, I am not from there but do know a good thing when I see it!!
I grew up in Elkins, WV but have never been to Parkersburg. I live in North Carolina now but still consider West Virginia home. Every time my family crosses the state line into WV we breathe a sigh of “we’re home!” I would love the opportunity to visit such a beautiful hotel as well as another part of my home state. Thank you!
Although my husband and I moved to PA 10 years ago for his job, we remain West Virginians in our hearts and souls. We would love to win this prize. I am thrilled that you are giving exposure to this wonderful state full of scenic beauty, skilled artisans, and the friendliest people one could hope to encounter.
My mother is a West Virginian and I would love to surprise her with this wonderful get away. Thank you, Phyllis for always bringing wonderful stories and give always.
We love this beautiful hotel. My husband’s parents lived in this area for many years. They are now deceased, and we would love a chance to return to this area for a visit.
We just recently moved to Virginia and love exploring all the areas around Virginia. Loved the outer banks of North Carolina. The beaches were wonderful and the people as always in the south are friendly and so polite. Love it.
How excited I was to read your post today. This would be a fabulous trip for me and hubby to get away. My hubby would love to meet the chef as he has had a culinary class at The Greenbrier Hotel. Would love to win and tour this hotel. Thank you so much for your wonderful post and this giveaway. Love your blog!
Thank you for inspiring us in so many ways. This is a beautiful gift.
I have been reading this issue of travel south & would love to visit all of these wonderful places. But to have a vacation in this wonderful hotel would be a dream, thank you Phyllis for all you do 🙂
I have never been to West Virginia except traveling through to Florida to see Grandma & Grandpa when we were kids. We had our picture taken by the “Welcome to West Virginia” sign. What a fantastic way to “put my feet down” and expore West Viriginia at the Blennerhassett Hotel and Spa!
My girlfriends from high school try to plan a trip together every few years. This year we are in search of a hotel with a spa, within driving distance of different parts of NC and VA. This looks like a lovely spot for our reunion!
This would be a wonderful treat from the Texas heat.I would love admiring the leafy bowers and sparkling streams right now but it would be equally beautiful and exhilarating in the fall. I love that area and would love for you to pick me so I may visit again.
My husband’s father grew up in West Virginia many Southern moons ago. I have always wanted to surprise my husband and take him to visit and travel around West Virginia. My husband’s father died when he was very young. Through the years it had been amazing for him to meet people from West Virginia. He actually met two sisters who went to high school with his Dad who had moved to our neck of the woods. I think one of the ladies were actually in a play with his father and had some fun stories to tell him. I love the roots of the South and how deep they grow. And it is such a small world. You never know who you might meet along the way. I would cherish a fun West Virginia adventure with my favorite guy.
I’ll be passing right by there to attend my Neice’s wedding. Perfect place for a one night stay! I love old hotels.
I love the South and need a trip to fill the void being away for quite a few years has created. I love the charm and history of the South!
I would love this get-away. My husband and I have been married for 6 wonderful years and we have yet had a honeymoon. Thank you for the giveaway.
I would love to explore this charming area and get inspired to transform my little house. Haven’t had a vacation in almost 20 years so this would be a real treat.
My husband and I will be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary in October and have been searching for place we have never visited. West Virginia sounds like a fun destination!
Oh what an amazing adventure and get away. I am from New England all my life and I am just fascinated with the South: the charm, the manners, the history, culture, sophistication, elegance, beauty, and the laid back way and eye to details that Southerners possess. I read a lot about the South and use to watch this Old House with my son when they were redoing historical houses in varied areas in the South and it just fascinated me. I so appreciate and value the talents of true artists, I have never been to West Virginia or anywhere in the south and this trip would truly be like a dream come true. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. Enjoy your day and thank you.
I just added this to my Pinterest board entitled Nikki’s Favorite Southern Finds. Since I’ve never visited West Virginia, I need to go so,y title will be truthful. It looks lovely.
Love the old hotels and towns of the South. Also love that the hotel is dog friendly! Would love to see and enjoy this beautiful old hotel. My 95-yr-old Mother lives with me and loves to travel to places like this.
I didn’t win the necklace, or the lamp, but I really need a vacation more than anything. Help me relax! Help!!!!
I live in the South (Tennessee) and love the South, the laid back, friendly places that a lot of us take for granite. I have never been to WV and would love to visit. Thank you for the opportunity to do so.