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West Virginia Wildlife – Wild and Wonderful

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

If you happen to be rafting, biking, hiking or just hanging out in the New River Gorge, one thing you can’t help but notice is that it is comprised mostly of forest. At any point in the Gorge there may be thousands of acres in any direction with no civilization present. This makes it a great place for wildlife to reside.

Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

Many people visit the Gorge and never see a single animal. After all, many adventure activities don’t really allow for a lot of scenery-watching. But there is plenty of wildlife here in the Gorge, and if you take the time to look for it, it can be found.

The Critters

Here’s a small list of some of the animals that make their home in the Gorge.

  • Squirrels
  • Raccoons
  • Skunks
  • Opossums
  • Hawks (many varieties)
  • Falcons
  • Bald Eagles
  • Turkey
  • Deer
  • Bear
  • Coyotes
  • Bobcats
  • Mink
  • Otters

 

There is also a large variety of bird species, small rodents, amphibians, reptiles and fish that call this area home. The Gorge is a very healthy ecosystem and its protected status is a major reason why.

Wildlife Viewing

If it’s wildlife viewing you’re after, then there are a few ways you can make it more likely that you’ll have a successful outing.

  • When hiking, cover ground slowly and fairly quietly. Remember, the farther away you get from roads or well-used areas, the more likely you are to encounter wildlife.
  • Stop, look and listen.  Take your time to look around and don’t get in a hurry to move. Scan the area very carefully before moving again.
  • Timing is key.  Very early mornings and late evenings are the optimal time to see animals, as they are either coming out of their hiding spots or getting ready to disappear into the foliage.
  • Come to the Gorge for one of our animal-related events.  The New River Birding and Nature Festival takes place every May and is a great way to learn from some expert birdwatchers.

 

Just remember that no matter how cute, cuddly or friendly an animal looks, keep a respectful distance. There’s a reason why they call it wildlife.

What wildlife have you seen in the Gorge?

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Bring Bridge Day to the Holidays With Funnel Cake

Friday, December 30th, 2011

One of the staples of Bridge Day is the funnel cake. Some locals hit the Bridge just for a taste of this wonderful goodness.  No matter how many funnel cakes you eat throughout the year, you always want just one more.

Funnel Cake = Deliciousness

So why not bring a bit of Bridge Day into your life and make funnel cakes part of the holiday celebration?  Kids (and lots of adults) are on vacation, New Year’s parties are taking place, and there’s plenty of football to watch.  It’s the perfect time to give funnel cake-making a try!

Try this basic recipe, and then make one (or all) of these fun toppings.

The Batter

There are a few different recipes for funnel cakes, but they all share one crucial ingredient: FUN!  Seriously, you and your loved ones will have a blast making these cakes. You will need a deep fryer to properly make these treats.

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups of milk
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 Cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ½ stick of butter, melted

 

Directions

Combine milk, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar and gradually add to wet ingredients. Beat with a mixer until a smooth batter forms. Fold in melted butter. Pour batter into a funnel or squeeze bottle while using your index finger to stop the flow of the batter. Bring the funnel over the hot oil and release your finger to start a stream of batter while moving the funnel in a circular motion to create spiral-like shapes. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown and fluffy.

The Toppings

The traditional topping for funnel cake is plain ‘ol powdered sugar.  But if you’re going to make these treats from scratch, you may as well up the ante and top them with some holiday cheer. Here are a few ideas for some toppings:

Caramel Topping

  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup margarine
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar and syrup. Cook until soft ball stage. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Pour over funnel cake.

Cranberry Topping

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 16-oz can organic whole-berry cranberry sauce

In a small saucepan whisk together the cornstarch and orange juice to combine, making sure there are no large clumps. Pour in cranberry sauce, stir, and bring mixture to a boil over medium to medium-high heat for one minute. Cool for 10 minutes.  Pour over funnel cake.

Cinnamon Apple Topping

  • 2 tbsp. bottle lemon juice
  • 1/3 c. water
  • 7 c. thinly sliced, peeled, Granny Smith apples
  • 3 c. sugar
  • 3/4 tsp. Cinnamon

In a 6-8 quart saucepan, heat lemon juice for 1 minute over medium – high heat. Add water, apples, sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Spoon out over funnel cake.

What’s your favorite funnel cake topping?

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How To Have The Best Winter Vacation Ever

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

Not long ago, a visit to the New River Gorge in the winter wasn’t high on many folk’s list. Although that has changed somewhat over the years, it’s still not common knowledge that this place is pretty amazing in the wintertime too. That’s why winter is a wonderful time to visit and take advantage of all the Gorge has to offer this time of year.

Skiing at Winterplace

Great lodging rates and amazing cool weather mean that the Gorge is a special place to visit during what most call the “off season.” Let’s look at some of the reasons to make a trip to the Gorge before summer rolls back around.

Cozy Cabins

Winter availability at many of the area chalets and cabins is easy to find, even on short notice. That means that at the last minute, you can check the weather (“Hey, it’s going to snow!  Let’s go skiing!) and easily find a cozy West Virginia cabin.

One of the best parts about visiting the New River Gorge is the peace and solitude in your surroundings. Many of the cabins or chalets are fairly secluded.  In fact, many times in the winter you may stay a day or two at a cabin in the woods and not see another soul. People from the city may find this concept foreign, but trust us, you’ll love it.

Winter Adventures

Winter in the Gorge doesn’t mean sitting in your cabin and playing board games all day to pass the time. You’re in the heart of an outdoor adventure hub, so get active! Try some of these winter outdoor activities:

 

And after a day on the slopes or trails, there are lots of interesting places to stop for dinner, shopping, and entertainment.

Finding a reason to plan a winter getaway shouldn’t be hard. Are you visiting the Gorge soon?

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Holidays Happenings Around the Bridge

Friday, December 9th, 2011

Old Man Winter has only shown his face a couple of times so far this year (here, at least).  On the other hand, St. Nick is getting ready to make his appearance and this means festive times in the New River Gorge.  Whether you need to work on your Christmas list or just want to get into the holiday spirit, you’ll find everything you’re looking for right by the Bridge.

Shopping

There are plenty of shopping options in this area, especially if you’re looking for something a little different than a department store offering.  Canyon Rim Gift Shop and the National Park Service Canyon Rim Visitor Center are next to the Bridge and have a lot of interesting gifts that you won’t find anywhere else.

Wisteria’s Gifts, located just south of the Bridge in Fayetteville, has a great deal of handcrafted and unique gifts. Pottery, jewelry, glass, children’s items, and much more line the shelves of this cozy shop.

If you need a present for someone who loves being outside, then Water Stone Outdoorsin downtown Fayetteville can’t be missed. From climbing gear and shoes to all sorts of outdoor clothing, Water Stone has a great selection of items for all kinds of outdoor activities.

Page/Vawter House Christmas Lights

Downtown Fayetteville has many other little specialty shops offering antiques, clothing and crafts. Take some time to stroll around town and pop in on these local merchants.  You never know what you might find.

And here’s what we think is the perfect gift – a West Virginia adventure experience!  Purchase a gift certificate from one of our area outfitters and give a rafting trip, a jetboat ride, or a zip line tour.

Holiday Activities

Lacy’s Lights are an annual favorite at the Fayette County Park.  For just a small donation, you can drive through the display, which boasts over 300,000 lights.  In Ansted, visit the Page/Vawter House for it’s Christmas lights and tour. If these holiday lights don’t get you into the spirit, nothing will.

The Historic Fayette Theater has a couple of holiday shows in the works. The New River Youth Symphony Chorus will have their winter concert on December 10 at 7 pm. Then, The Wild Rumpus will host their third annual New Years Bash on New Years Eve. Both of these events are fun for the family.

How are you getting in the spirit around the Gorge this year?

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The Taste of Bridge Day – An Insider’s View

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

Everyone knows the magnitude of the festival that is Bridge Day. With over 400 BASE jumpers, over 300 rappellers and close to 100,000 spectators, it’s the largest one-day festival in West Virginia.

As Bridge Day has evolved over the years, one of the additions that has steadily grown in popularity and participation has been the feasting that takes place on Friday evening. The Taste of Bridge Day showcases some of the area’s finest cuisine and exposes people to the talents of local restaurants and caterers.

One of those local talents is Rezan Nese.  Rezan was raised in Fayette County, but she has Turkish roots.  She is the head chef and kitchen manager of Chetty’s Pub, one of the eateries at Adventures on the Gorge.  Rezan takes her cooking very seriously.

Background

Rezan has well over 23 years working with food. She has cooked in many different places including Costa Rica, Turkey and at her own place in Fayetteville, which she recently sold after four years. She credits her unusual recipes to the diversity of cuisine she has been exposed to around the world.

Rezan Nese

The Taste

This year’s Taste of Bridge Day featured 14 restaurants from a multi-county area. Rezan relates a few of her feelings about the annual event.  “It’s a great advertising and exposure tool for local mom and pop restaurants. It’s a wonderful opportunity to experience new food and flavors that many people would not normally try or have exposure to.”

Initially we planned to share a couple of Rezan’s Taste of Bridge Day recipes here for people to recreate. But as Rezan related, “mine are all in my head, which I know seems a little crazy, but that’s just the way I do it.”

Maybe you’ll get inspiration to try making something new and unique yourself.

Her Dishes

Rezan shared some descriptions of very unique dishes created according to her varied tastes. Her Thai lettuce wrap with red curry features red curry paste, coconut milk, garlic and ginger, your choice of  meat or seafood, shredded carrots, cabbage, shittake mushrooms, leaf lettuce and green onions.

Another favorite dish of Rezan’s is a Peanut Noodle Bowl.  It features rice noodles, peanut butter, chicken broth, crushed red pepper, garlic, ginger and cashew pieces for a garnish.

Rezan has served these dishes at the Taste of Bridge Day in previous years.  They are certainly not your typical WV cuisine.  Rezan says, “Each year I try to do something unique.”

What’s your favorite Taste of Bridge Day dish?

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Ski the New River Gorge Bridge – Skiing in Southern WV

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

The New River Gorge Bridge is almost 1,900 feet above sea level. And our area is just the plateau BEFORE getting into the real mountains of West Virginia.

What does all this elevation mean for winter? Colder conditions with lots more snow than you will find for hundreds of miles in either a westerly or southern direction. For winter adventures, southern West Virginia is the place to be.

What’s Close

Winterplace Ski Resort is located just south of Beckley in the Flat Top area, making it a  wonderfully convenient spot for a ski vacation. With tremendous snow-making capabilities, this mountain makes it easy to enjoy skiing all winter.

And as Winterplace is just a short drive from cities such as Roanoke and Charlotte, it’s a great destination for ski groups and those who want an easy weekend getaway.

Family Appeal

In addition to having almost 30 trails that can accommodate all levels of skiers and snowboarders, Winterplace offers one of the longest ski days in WV. Night skiing is available, meaning you can take full advantage of your time at the resort.  Bonus: trails are less crowded in the evenings.

Try out tubing at Winterplace

Winterplace also has a terrain park for the more adventurous and experienced crowd. This area contains rails, boxes and jumps, so you can show off your X Games-style maneuvers.

Winterplace also boasts a tubing park, an additional activity that will keep the kids (and adults) entertained. This area is fun for all ages of folks who are over 44 inches tall. There’s nothing like a sledding experience with a tow back to the top.

Other Opportunities

There are other alpine skiing areas just a couple hours north and east of the Gorge area. These areas are truly in the mountains and get tremendously more snowfall than the rest of the state. Under normal road conditions you can access the Snowshoe/Silver Creek area or the Canaan Valley and Timberline ski resorts in just under 3 hours from Fayetteville.

Besides alpine skiing, the Gorge area has a plethora of hiking and biking trails that, under the right conditions, can be used for cross country skiing. Many of these trails are relatively flat or have a balanced amount of inclines/declines so you don’t have to be in incredible shape to get out and enjoy them.

So are ready to ski the Gorge?

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Bridge Day 2011 By the Numbers

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

Bridge Day 2011 is history.  Beautiful blue skies and an awesome crowd of BASE jumpers, rappellers, and spectators equaled a pretty amazing day.

A member of the Red Bull Team jumps at Bridge Day 2011

Also amazing?  Some of the numbers from this year’s event:

  • There were 750 BASE jumps by 421 jumpers this year.
  • 11 tandem jumps were made, for the first time ever.
  • $660 was raised by presenting sponsor Subaru for the Fayette County Humane Society.
  • 180 – That’s the number of pick-ups that the Rescue Boat team made this year, more than average.
  • The Fayette County Green Team and the Appalachian State University Outdoors Program collected almost 600 pounds of cardboard for recycling.
  • 82  - The age of this year’s oldest BASE jumper, Donald Cripps.
  • There were 868 Bridge Day rappels.
  • $1,000.  That’s the donation that Subaru made to World Hoop Day on behalf of Stephanie Bercht, the winner of the Bridge Day Tandem Jump Video Contest.
  • BASE jumpers came from 12 countries and 39 states.  9 jumpers were from West Virginia.
  • 1,000 of you downloaded the Official Bridge Day app.
  • 24% of jumpers were making their first BASE jump on Bridge Day.
  • There were 105 trash cans on the Bridge.
Thanks for being part of Bridge Day.  We’ll see you in 2012!

 

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WOAY Taste of Bridge Day 2011

Friday, October 14th, 2011

This year’s WOAY Taste of Bridge Day was the place to be.  A fun (and hungry) crowd filled Smokey’s on the Gorge and the surrounding decks and overlooks, enjoying samples from lots of area chefs.

So many delicious options to choose from...

A diverse group of culinary artists presented this year.  Some of the highlights:

  • Blue Grass BBQ – Dished up cheesy BBQ potatoes.
  • Buffler’s BBQ Grill – 3 words: Chocolate Lava Dessert.  Oh, and baby-back ribs.  They ought to make a scented candle that smells like that sauce.
  • Chetty’s Pub – Its spicy Pho-Vietnamese Soup was a sought-after favorite.
  • Cultured Catering – Homemade Peanut Butter Pie was going fast.
  • Diogi’s Mexican Grill – Oscar and crew served up ginormous BBQ Pork Tamales that were a huge hit.
  • Gumbo’s –  The She Crab Soup was perfectly spiced.
  • Hawks Nest Restaurant – It’s Hot Spiced Apple Cider was perfect for a crisp fall evening.
  • Historic Whitehorse B&B – Big ‘ol bowls of lasagna hit the spot.
  • Long Point Grille & Bar – BBQ sliders were going as fast as they were made.
  • Maloney’s – Chicken and white bean chili was a popular choice.
  • Mumsey’s Iron Skillet – 4 beautifully presented desserts went fast – Lemon Drop, Coconut Creme, Death by Chocolate, and Raspberry Truffle.
  • My Thai – The Thai Dumplings were spot-on.
  • Smokey’s on the Gorge – Served a Seared Jumbo Scallop with Herb Polenta and Bacon-Onion Jam.  What’s not to love?
  • Sunset Grill WV – Piping hot clam chowder was a crowd favorite.
  • Also on site was Sheetz, providing coffee, lattes, and smoothies made to order.  As if you needed another reason to love Sheetz, right?

Besides good food, there was plenty of good company.  Chances were good that you’d run into friends that you might not have seen since last Bridge Day.  Locals and Bridge Day visitors got to know each other while taking in some pretty amazing views of the Gorge.

What did you try at Taste of Bridge Day?

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Bridge Day Schedule of Events

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

Bridge Day is almost here, and we want to make sure you have the full schedule of events.  So here it goes:

Friday, October 14, 2011

Get ready for some jumping

 

Saturday, October 15, 2011

  • 6:30AM to 10AM – Pancake Breakfast at the American Legion in Fayetteville
  • 8:30AM – Shuttles will begin at all designated parking lots.
  • 9AM to 3PM – Annual New River Gorge Bridge Day, presented by Subaru
  • 9AM to 10AM – A large American flag will be jumped from a plane by the All Veteran Parachute Team.
  • 10AM – Motorcycle Awareness Parade will cross the Bridge
  • 10AM to 4PM – Bridge Day Car Show at the Quality Inn on Route 19
  • 10AM to 6PM – Bicycle Swap at Marathon Bike in Fayetteville
  • Noon to 6PM – Mountain State Cornhole Tournament in downtown Fayetteville
  • 1PM – See Mollie Seidler make her tandem BASE jump, courtesy of Hometown Subaru
  • 2PM – Stephanie Bercht leaps from the Bridge with her tandem BASE partner, thanks to her winning video and Subaru
  • 2PM to 6PM – Chili Cook-Off in downtown Fayetteville
  • 2PM to 6:30PM – Live Music by Three Card Monte and Break Iron at the Fayetteville Courthouse
Where will you be on October 15?

 

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Bridge Day – Why Yes, There’s an App for That

Monday, October 10th, 2011

This year’s Bridge Day Festival is indeed a special one. This year, we are debuting the Official Bridge Day 2011 mobile app for iPhone and Android.

Bridge Day at Your Fingertips

The purpose of the app is to help you find your way around Bridge Day and share the experience with your friends and family. The application has vendor and event information, a map, a barcode scanner, and the iPhone version can even make digital postcards to help you share your experience.

Also built into the app is a “Check-In” screen, that will let you post to Facebook, Twitter, Gowalla and Foursquare right from the app. You’ll also have access to the Bridge Day blog, which will be updated during Bridge Day on all the festival happenings.

The app is free, so get to downloading!

See you on the Bridge!

 

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