“The mountains are calling, and I must go.” – John Muir

The semester is over and final grades are back (cue a huge sigh of relief), and that means summer vacation has officially begun. With the sudden surge in free time, I have found myself dreaming of road tripping all across the Mountain State. There are several places on my bucket list, and it seems like more are added each day. Here’s just a small sample…

With the lovely weather we had over the weekend, I decided it was time to cross a few places off the list. Rather than bombarding you with tons of pictures in a single post, consider this the first in a mini-series about some of the gems in Fayette County.

The adventure began in downtown Fayetteville with a delicious meal. I’ve stopped in Fayetteville a few times before, almost always to grab some delicious pizza from Pies & Pints Pizzeria (seriously, if you’re in the area, get some!). However, we wanted to try something different this time. At the recommendation of several of my friends who have grown up nestled among the hills, we made our first stop Gumbo’s Cajun Restaurant.

    

We were definitely not disappointed. The food was delicious, the prices were reasonable, and the service was fast and friendly. I decided to try the Crawfish Po’Boy Sandwich with homemade chips, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted (sorry, Mom!). Every bite was gone before I even thought to snap a picture. They have some great shots of favorite menu items on their Facebook page though, so be sure to check them out.

One of the things I love most about Gumbo’s is their use of fresh, local ingredients. This time of year, their specials are centered around the ramps (also known as wild onions) and morel mushrooms that can be found growing across the state. It is wonderful to see local items showcased regularly and I always appreciate restaurants that carry items grown in West Virginia. Fresh ingredients paired with the tastes of New Orleans added up to a wonderful meal, and I am sure we will be back again.

After getting stuffed to the gills, we decided to take a stroll around town. Fayetteville, like many of the other smaller towns in West Virginia, has held on to much of the older buildings in town and charm that accompanies them. I couldn’t resist snapping some pictures of the beautiful architecture…

                                  

I also found a statue of Marquis de Lafayette, French Statesman during the American Revolution and the county’s namesake, in front of the courthouse.

According to the plate below the statue, it was petitioned before the General Assembly of Virginia in 1830 that the county be named Lafayette or Fayette in order to “perpetuate a remembrance of his virtues and philanthropy through future ages of our political existence…” To put that staying power in perspective, that petition was drawn up 33 years before West Virginia seceded from the Confederacy to rejoin the Union during the Civil War. Now, 185 years later, the county still bears his name.

In addition, I found one of the many white highway historical markers on the courthouse lawn, offering information about the Civil War in Fayette County.

The West Virginia Highway Historical Marker Program was initiated in 1937 as a way to encourage tourism to the state during the Great Depression (part of Roosevelt’s New Deal). These markers appear in places all over the state, with approximately 1,000 markers altogether. For more information on the West Virginia Highway Historical Marker Program, visit the West Virginia Division of Culture and History website.

Soon it was time to hop back into the car and head to the next stop on our adventure, one of Fayette County’s (and the mountain state’s) most famous landmarks…