Budget Travel in Summers County (budget travel series, part 4)

Balance out those vacation splurges with some savings!

Here’s your budget guide to a Summers County family vacation:

EAT:

The Market @ Courthouse Square

Awesome eatery in Historic Hinton!  Chow down on everything from cold-cut sandwiches to oven-fresh pizzas.  Homemade Chef’s Choice “Soup of the Day” …Spinach Feta, French Onion, Chicken Tortellini, Broccoli and Cheddar or Chicken Noodle! Pair one of these with a 1/2 sandwich for the “Daily Derail” special.

Kirk’s

Get some affordable homestyle cooking with a great view from the riverside deck at Kirk’s diner. Bite into a warm, fresh-baked biscuit, or get a hot dog WV style: covered in cole slaw and mounds of chili.

Chestnut Revival

On Saturday nights, grab a beverage and enjoy the live entertainment at Chestnut Revival coffee shop and tea house. With more than 30 organic fair trade teas and coffees, plus a selection of fruity shakes and smoothies, you’re sure to find a flavor to suit your palate.

DO:

Recreation at a State Park

Take a whole day to play a round of 18 on the course,  climb aboard a steed for a horseback trail ride or for just $6 per adult and $4 per child take a scenic tram ride 3600 feet into the Bluestone River Gorge at Pipestem State Park. Or, cast out your line or go for a dip in the lake at Bluestone  State Park.

The Ritz

Catch a film or a show at the The Ritz Theatre, a renovated historic theater, which seems to have frozen its prices along with its old-fashioned atmosphere. Get a night out at the theatre for half of what you’d normally pay to see a flick. Sometimes, the theatre also hosts free live performances for the public.

Three Rivers Avian Center

This raptor rehabilitation nonprofit organization allows visitors to the center on Free Public Tour Days. The whole family can meet and photograph owls, hawks, eagles or falcons, depending on what birds of prey are staying at the center that day.

SEE:

Sandstone Falls

The 1,500 feet of cascading water at Sandstone Falls is worth the trip by itself. Take the network of footbridges out to walk along the boardwalk to get a good view of the New River’s biggest waterfall. Bring along the fishing poles and try to bag a smallmouth bass or a catfish.

Graham House

Delve into the captivating history of this large log cabin, one of the oldest homes in West Virginia. Colonel James Graham built the home in 1770, and it was the site of a Shawnee Indian attack a few years later. Along with several casualties, Graham’s daughter was kidnapped. Learn how long it took the family to get her back.

Museums

Summers County shares its rich history readily. Spiral back to former wartime at the Veteran’s Museum. Or, time travel through the world of travel itself: climb aboard old fashioned rail cars at the Railroad Museum.  Browse through antique mementos from days past at the Saunders One-Room Schoolhouse Museum or tour the oldest standing residence in Hinton, the Campbell-Flannagan-Murrell House Museum, which gives free tours Fri-Sun.

What are you looking forward to trying in Summers County?