A grapevine clipping from the home of Pearl S. Buck, a world renowned author with West Virginia roots, just arrived in Michigan and soon will be planted at a high school literary garden. It began as an idea last summer. Jennifer McQuillan teaches literature at West Bloomfield High School in Michigan, and she wanted to […]
By Gibbs Kinderman Country general stores were the center of community life a hundred years ago along what is now US 219 in West Virginia. They often housed the local post office and provided an informal meeting place for discussion of local affairs and the great issues of the day. These stores sold staples – […]
Bear hunting is a long running tradition in the mountains along US 219. It started more than 200 years ago, when farmers began to run sheep on their hill farms and the native black bear discovered a new food source. Nowadays bear hunting is a high tech sport, with radio tracking systems, GPS, and CB […]
High above the farmed and forested valleys below, a weight lifts from the shoulders of almost every traveler upon entering the Highland Scenic Highway, nestled atop Elk and Cranberry Mountains. Suitable for leisurely drivers, hikers, mountain bikers and backpackers, and worthwhile for any traveler interested in seeing one of the most enchanting mountain highways in the country. The Scenic Highway has access to scenic overlooks and the birthplace of the pristine Williams and Cranberry Rivers.
To honor the 150th anniversary for the Battle of Droop Mountain, Mike Smith is leading a series of four hikes up Droop Mountain. On Saturday, June 22nd, VISTA Dan Schultz traveled with the group, which included Chad Morrison, one of the decedents of Union soldiers who had fought in the battle, cubscouts Allen, Cage and […]
“A magnificent vista of wooded mountaintops, green cultivated valleys and distant blue ranges.” – 1941, the West Virginia Writers’ Project guide. Hillsboro is the home of these popular historic destinations: -Pearl S. Buck Birthplace and Museum (in Hillsboro) http://www.pearlsbuckbirthplace.com/ -Pretty Penny Café (in Hillsboro, located in an old general store) http://www.wvyourway.com/west_virginia/AdView.aspx?sid=4431 -5.2 m. Watoga State […]
The McNeel Mill at Mill Point, which is being restored today by local resident Matt Tate, 150 years after it was first constructed in this once bustling little West Virginia mountain town. If you’ve driven U.S. Route 219 through Mill Point,you’ve probably seen the old McNeel Mill, which has stood down on Stamping Creek since […]
(historical marker located on Route 219, 0.3 mi. south of the traffic light at the intersection with Route 39) The town of Marlinton sits along the Greenbrier River where it meets Knapps Creek, approximately 64 miles south of Elkins and 40 miles north of Lewisburg on US Route 219. The Seneca Trail, once known as […]
Pocahontas Woods is a non- profit educational center in downtown Marlinton. Work is showcased and sold at multiple galleries in Lewisburg, Thomas, Beckley, and Snowshoe W.Va. as well as online. Mike Hefner, a 34-year-old former construction worker learns wood-craftsmanship after a life changing injury. Six years ago, he began volunteering at Pocahontas Woods in Marlinton, […]
The Allegheny Trail is a backpacking and mountain bike trail that runs 330 miles along some of the most breathtaking mountaintops in the Allegheny and the Ridge and Valley Ranges in West Virginia. Most of its access points are within a few miles of US 219, and it follows a similar path through dense Mountain […]
Click the map to download a high-resolution copy of the Traveling 219 map, or pick up a hard copy at one of many locations along U.S. Route 219. You may also view our interactive map of Traveling 219 stories [HERE].
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