April 20, 2024

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State unveils travel guides, Hawks Nest improvements

State unveils travel guides, Hawks Nest improvements

State unveils travel guides, Hawks Nest improvements

West Virginia officials unveiled collectible vacation guides at the lodge at Hawks Nest . (Picture courtesy W.Va. Dept. of Commerce)

West Virginia officials this week unveiled the state’s new 2022 getaway guidebook and freeway map in the course of a ribbon-chopping at Hawks Nest Point out Park on the New River Gorge at Ansted, West Virginia.

Gov. Jim Justice was joined by Brett McMillion, director of the Section of All-natural Assets, and Chelsea Ruby, secretary of the Section of Tourism Secretary in unveiling the manual.

Alternatively of the classic single-duplicate guide, the section is releasing a 4-portion guideline that ought to verify collectible.

Justice, Ruby, and McMillion also celebrated with a ribbon-chopping to unveil the $5 million in improvements to the Hawks Nest lodge and a lot more than $2 million in improvements to its museum.

The upgrades incorporate new landscaping, a new foyer, a new entrance desk spot, new public restrooms, and a new outside pool with a splash pad. Lodge rooms have been renovated with new furnishings and wheelchair accessibility has been expanded.

Ruby haled the tutorial and map as one particular of the most crucial instruments in the state’s retinue for tourism. Request copies of the holiday guidebook.

“About 10 several years in the past, the trip manual just appeared like a phonebook,” Ruby said. “The condition wasn’t earning an investment decision. And I’ll hardly ever fail to remember, a single of the to start with points the governor mentioned was, ‘We’ve obtained to do improved than this.’

“Two years in the past we did a flipbook. Last year, we did the 50th anniversary of “Country Roads” specific version. And this calendar year, we’re thrilled to become the to start with state in the nation to launch a collection of guides alternatively of just one particular.”

The 4 guides each and every spotlight distinct features of what will make West Virginia one particular of the country’s premier holiday vacation and vacation locations.

  • The Natural Miracles manual showcases beautiful scenery quickly on display screen – from rushing waterfalls to mountain vistas, lush forests, caves, and starry skies.
  • The Outside Recreation guidebook focuses on the extensive sum of out of doors functions and community lands identified throughout the Mountain Point out.
  • The Mountain Culture piece produces a sense of place and highlights the authentic flavors, art, and heritage found in the Mountain Condition.
  • The collection also attributes a fourth guideline to the New River Gorge Nationwide Park and Protect, detailing the park’s record, recreational opportunities, and bordering mountain cities.

Each of the trip guides options QR codes that develop on the revealed articles or blog posts and present on the net obtain to special information and journey inspiration from hundreds of tourism firms throughout the point out.

This unique journey sequence was made in partnership with Dotdash Meredith, a main publisher of key brands which includes Men and women, Martha Stewart Residing, Form, Better Properties & Gardens, and far more.

As a element of this partnership, extra than 100,000 West Virginia trip guides will be incorporated with subscriber copies of Southern Dwelling and Real Simple publications to really encourage travel to the Mountain State.

Justice and Ruby also gave vacationers a sneak peek of the all-new 2022 Freeway Map, which options all of West Virginia’s condition parks and forests, along with essential traveler information and facts, will have to-see stops, and scenic nation streets to journey in the course of West Virginia.

“This is also a thing the Governor pushed us on,” Ruby claimed. “He preferred this to be a keepsake—a collector piece—and, along with our close friends from the West Virginia Division of Highways, we came up with an unquestionably gorgeous map.”

McMillion took to the podium in the course of the occasion to rejoice significant upgrades at Hawks Nest Point out Park.

“This facility had sat idly by for lots of, many decades. It was pretty deserving of focus, and our governor answered,” McMillion reported.

“What a showpiece we have here now. These restorations will provide West Virginians for many years and decades.”

The updates are aspect of $151 million of advancement assignments concluded or began at every single condition park and forest in West Virginia given that Justice took office environment, McMillion explained.

“Governor Justice’s dedication to our total park method is supplying us the skill to generate wonderful reminiscences for men and women for generations to come, and that’s not minimal to Hawks Nest. Suitable upcoming doorway at Babcock Condition Park, we’ve invested $1.8 million in the cabins and infrastructure,” McMillion mentioned.

“I also can’t thank the Section of Tourism sufficient for the get the job done that they are carrying out in connection with us at the DNR. The things that we’re all carrying out alongside one another are unbelievable.”

The governor thanked his workforce and all involved with state tourism for their endeavours, which have boosted the state’s visibility as a journey desired destination.

“We’ve invested and, all of a sudden, you change all around and there is income upon funds coming our way,” Justice mentioned.

“All of a sudden, this condition is now acknowledged much and vast as the diamond in the rough that absolutely everyone missed.”


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