#139: The Greenbriar (Page 738, 2nd Ed pg 902)

July 28, 2013

The Greenbriar is located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia in a valley of the Allegheny Mountains.  The scenery is gorgeous.  And so is the hotel!

Eating dinner at Drapers, one of several restaurants inside the Greenbriar.

There are dozens of activities here including three golf courses, a 30,000 square foot spa, tennis courts, an indoor pool and much more.

Cost:  Varies depending on when you stay, but averages $300-$600/night.

Verdict:  Like the Homestead in Hot Springs, VA, this is a place that I absolutely loved and would love to come back some day with my husband.  It definitely had a sense of romance about it.  If you have the money, I would recommend this gorgeous resort for sure!  But not necessarily a "must do" before you die.

#113: West Virginia's White-Water Rafting (pg 737, 2nd Ed pg 901)

August 1, 2011: It was a deal on Travelzoo I couldn't refuse. $65 per person for a White Water Rafting expedition on the Lower New River that included two nights of camping, a light breakfast both mornings and lunch along the river during the White Water Rafting adventure. I've been White Water Rafting once in Colorado during high school and once in Dec. 2009 in Costa Rica. And I had an absolute blast, so I was very excited about checking out the West Virginia rapids!

We booked our excursion through River Expeditions and our guide in our raft was named Joe. He was 43 years old and had been a guide for 12 years. He knew everything there was to know about that River!

And going through rapids like this, I'm glad he did! I'm the one in the back left with the pink helmet and sunglasses.

And can you believe, nobody fell out of our raft during this?

See? All in one piece!

Verdict: Yes. SO much fun! I would do it again in a heartbeat. Only next time, I want to do the Gauley. Joe tells us that the Lower Gauley (did he say Upper or Lower? I can't remember?) Anyway, one of the Gauleys is "a few steps up from what we did today" and the other Gauley is "a whole staircase." How fun would THAT be? BTW, if you have young children, you can book a rafting adventure on the Upper New River for some Level 1-2 rapids and maybe a couple 3's. Kids as young as six are allowed to raft that river.