West Virginia

Well, I'd be disowned from Mom's branch of the family (on the paternal side) if I didn't drop a piece of family lore when discussing West Virginia. According to family tales, much of the land that Wheeling now occupies used to be our family farm, before they sold it off and moved west … or so the story goes.

Now that I've done my six-degrees-of-separation story, let's move on to broader items of interest about the wonderful Mountain State (perhaps the most famous being the Alleghenies and Appalachians). With a mean altitude of 1,500 feet (457 meters), the Mountain State also has the highest average altitude east of the Mississippi. And for those who enjoy golf, one great feature of this high-end state is its mountain courses such as that at Snowshoe Mountain, which is considered one of the most dramatic in the east. Here's another bit of trivia for golf lovers: the first organized golf club in the US was Oakhurst Links, founded in 1884 in White Sulphur Springs. The course can still be played today, but you must play as they did then using hickory-shafted clubs and gutta-percha balls hit from sand tees. Try not to be distracted by the 35 sheep roaming the course to mow the fairways.

The 4-season state is also great for outdoor activities such as white-water rafting, kayaking, canoeing, camping, rock climbing, and spelunking. West Virginia has more than 2,000 caverns including Organ Cave, the third-largest cave system in the US. Trails used for biking and hiking during warmer weather turn into trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter. Those who enjoy hunting and fishing won't be disappointed.

Not quite so outdoorsy? Theatre lovers can enjoy both regular drama – mega-musicals, dinner theater, professional and community theatre – and performances based on historic state events, such as the famous Hatfields and McCoys' feud. Enjoy music? You can experience the traditional mountain montage of folk, bluegrass, and gospel played on traditional instruments like the fiddle, bass, guitar mandolin, harmonica and dulcimer, and on more unusual instruments like spoons, washboards, and bottles. Or you can just go to the symphony or attend one of several jazz festivals in Charleston, the state capital.

Some state firsts include: the only state to be declared by presidential proclamation (Abraham Lincoln); the site of the first free school for African Americans (Parkersburg, 1862); the first state to have sales tax (as of July 1, 1921); the first African American woman to become a member of a US legislative body (Minnie Buckingham Harper, 1928).

The state has more than 200,000 acres (80,937 hectares) set aside as state park, forest, and wildlife areas, as well as sites of historical interest, such as the continent's largest cone-shaped prehistoric burial mound, located in (you guessed it) Moundsville. You can also take your family on visits to civil war sites, on scenic historic locomotive trips, and to the state's most popular destination, Harpers Ferry, a restored 1850s town near the Maryland and Virginia borders.

Or want to get away from the kids for a weekend? Stay at an inn or at one of the mineral water spa in the hills.

There's a lot for you in West Virginia.

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