Charleston, West Virginia

Charleston, the capital of West Virginia, is set at the junction of the Elk and Kanawha rivers, and nestled in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. The city is the largest in the state of West Virginia, and is home to 53,421 residents. Charleston is located 206 miles (332 kilometers) southeast of Cincinnati, Ohio, 175 miles (280 kilometers) east of Lexington, Kentucky, and 180 miles (290 kilometers) northwest of Roanoke, Virginia.

European settlement in the Charleston area dates back more than 200 years, and the area's early economy involved agriculture, and salt, natural gas, and coal mining. To explore some area history, visit sites such as the capitol complex or the West Virginia Cultural Center, which includes three floors of state museum exhibit space, or stroll the downtown area to check out city landmarks, ranging from parks to historic buildings. Speaking of downtown, it's also a great place to shop, whether you're looking for clothing, specialties, or farm-fresh produce. (And mall-lovers won't want to miss the Charleston Town Center, with more than 130 shops.)

Get our with friends and family at festivals, such as May's Vandalia Gathering, where you can enjoy traditional Appalachian music, and August's Multifest.

The Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences, which opened in 2003, and houses performing arts, visual arts, and the sciences under one roof, and is home to the Maier Foundation Performance Hall, the Walker Theatre, the Avampato Discovery Museum (which includes the ElectricSky™ Domed Theater), and an art museum. The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra plays at the Clay Center. Other doses of the performing arts can be found courtesy of the Charleston Light Opera Guild, the Kanawha Players, Mountain Stage, and for the younger set, the Children's Theatre of Charleston.

When you'd like to move from the arts to the active, take in home games of the West Virginia Power of the minor league baseball and the West Virginia Wild of the International Basketball League.

When you want to enjoy the outdoors, either head to one of the parks in town, such as the four-acre (two-hectare) Daniel Boone Roadside Park, or the largest municipal park, Cato Park, which includes a nine-hole golf course and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. And just seven miles (11 kilometers) from town, you'll find Kanawha State Forest, where you can enjoy picnicking, camping, hiking, mountain biking, swimming, and more. And in Charleston you're within a couple hours drive from places like Monongahela National Forest and George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.

And while Charleston itself enjoys mild average highs of 43F (6C) in January, when winter comes, residents are not far from good skiing! WinterPlace Ski Resort is about 72 miles (116 kilometers) south of town, and the four-season Canaan Valley Resort and Snowshoe Mountain are both about three hours from town.

So if you're looking for a small city with plenty of activities, look no further than Charleston.

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