Mountain Valley Retreat - We're Pet Friendly!

Let's face it, whether times are good or bad, vacations and vacationing still remain an important part of our lifestyle. We all look forward to some time away from the normal grind to relax and recharge, spend time with loved ones and take in new sights and destinations. Vacations are a much anticipated and natural ritual for many of us and we put lots of time into planning the perfect escape, whether it be just for a weekend or for a longer stretch of time. But even all the planning in the world doesn't always yield the best results, especially when it comes to our pets. Isn't it frustrating when you've planned everything for your getaway down to the last final detail and then you're faced with the reality that Fido will need to go to the kennel while you are away? That's a sure-fire way to put a damper on your vacation before you even hit the road!

As pet-owners ourselves we are all too familiar with this dilema - that's why we are pet-friendly at Mountain Valley Retreat. For an additional fee we're glad to welcome pets as our guests along with their human owners. For those pets who are wondering what there is to do at Mountain Valley Retreat we'd like to mention that we are situated atop a mountain on just under two acres providing you ample grounds for playing a great game of catch or frisbee with your owners or for just lazing around and catching some rays on a warm summer afternoon. Miles of paved, but less frequently traveled roads exist in our area great for long, leisurly morning walks with your family. In addition, many of the great attractions in Pocahontas County such as the Greenbrier River Trail welcome pets too and are great for family time that truely includes the WHOLE family!


Our latest four-legged visitors pictured here - Jacques, Humphrey and Precious Bean - recently accompanied their owners to our cabin rental for a week of relaxation while their owners enjoyed some great skiing conditions at Snowshoe Ski Resort. These lovely bassets enjoyed our cabin as much as their owners and at the conclusion of their stay they gave Mountain Valley Retreat a fantastic "four-paws up"!

Great Greenbrier River Race - April 25th, 2009

The Great Greenbrier River Race will take place again this year on April 25, 2009. An annual event in the area, this family-friendly triathalon is a fantastic event featuring great prizes, live music and good food. Proceeds from the event will go to improving this great rail-to-trail conversion in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The triatahlon starts in downtown Marlinton, approximately 15 minutes away from Mountain Valley Retreat, and consists of a great 3-mile run, 4-mile flat water paddle and 10-mile rail trail bike ride. Teams of four are highly encouraged, however the race has now attracted many people who will also do it solo. Come and be a participant or simply be a spectator! A registration form can be found at the following link: http://www.greenbrierrivertrail.com/race.html An important note for this year's race - registration will only take place prior to the event - there will be no registration the day of the event so be sure to get those registration forms in early to ensure your spot! To check out a great YouTube video of the last year's event click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj2XAFW59ko

Ski For A Cure, Snowshoe WV

On February 28, 2009 Snowshoe Ski Resort, in partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, will be sponsoring a "Ski for the Cure" day at the ski resort. Tickets for the event are $100 and proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen fund. Reduced rates on ski rentals will be available for those holding a "Ski for the Cure" lift ticket. Other events will take place at the resort that day including a pre-ski gathering, happy hour and a "Pink Party" in the Big Top. Tickets can be purchased the day of the event at any on-mountain sales location.

Pocahontas County Opera House

When visiting Pocahontas County you'll want to be sure to check out the performance schedule at the Pocahontas County Opera House and hopefully you'll be lucky enough to find a performance scheduled one night during your stay. This lovely restored building hosts several cultural and community events each year that are sure to please and entertain everyone. Originally built in 1910 by J.G. Tilton, publisher of the Marlinton Messenger, the Opera House served as a venue for a number of cultural and community events. In these early days productions from as far away as New York were staged here, as well as performances by local entertainers and moving picture shows. By the late 1920s the building fell out of use as a performance space and community center. In 1991 the Pocahontas County’s Historic Landmarks Commission purchased the Opera House and, with support from the community, worked to transform it from an abandoned and forgotten old building into a beautiful performance space and center for community activities, reopening its doors and bringing performances to its stage once again in 1999.

As it stands today the Pocahontas County Opera House has once again become the Performing Arts Center for Pocahontas County, West Virigina. Various performances are scheduled throughout the year each highlighting local artists and music as well as cultural venues from around the world. In addition, several community events are hosted which are as fun and interesting as the scheduled performances. The Opera House is located 15 minutes from Mountain Valley Retreat making it a convenient entertainment option while staying at our cabin vacation rental. Most, if not all performances are casual and family friendly. For more information on the Opera House as well as a detailed performance schedule and ticket information, check out their website at http://www.pocahontasoperahouse.org/

Cool YouTube about Pocahontas County, WV

Hi All - Not much time today to blog but I was out and about on the web tonight and I stumbled across a really cool YouTube video. It's about 7 1/2 minutes long and has alot of great footage of the gorgeous scenery in Pocahontas County, WV. It looks like this video was captured in the fall based on the miles and miles of beautiful foliage. Some great video shots in this clip include travels through Watoga State Park as well as West Virginia Scenic Highway Rt 150. If you've got the time and want to see some awesome scenery (even if it's not live and is only on YouTube...) check out this link - http://youtube.com/watch?v=p6zYbgQJl7o

Happy Groundhog Day!

It's February 2nd and that can only mean one thing - today is Groundhog Day! I always find this day quite amusing - large gatherings of people out at Gobbler's Hill at the crack of dawn partying and freezing their butts off - all waiting for the reaction of this oversized rodent affectionately known as Punxsutawney Phil. This year February 2nd appeared to be no different as the masses of cold, drunken crazies converged on this little town in Pennsylvania all waiting to see if dear old Phil would - or would not - see his shadow. The verdict for 2009 (drumroll please....) --- well, in case you haven't heard by now, dear old Phil did indeed see his shadow thereby signaling 6 more weeks of winter. Personally, with all of those spotlights and attention focused on the poor guy I don't know how he could have avoided himself, but I guess that is irrelevant at this point in time......

Luckily, for those who love skiing, Phil's Prognostication of 6 more weeks of winter could only have come as pure joy! As I've mentioned in previous posts, skiing conditions in the West Virginia mountains have been absolutely incredible this 2008-2009 ski season. Snowshoe Ski Resort has already surpassed last year's snowfall with over 145 inches of snow to date and looking at the weather forecast for the week ahead it seems as if another great Snowfall is on it's way! All of this great snow is sure to keep the resort operating well through the end of March. Fortunately, Mountain Valley Retreat is located 30 minutes from Snowshoe Ski Resort and is a great lodging alternative for couples or families who want to enjoy Pocahontas County's winter wonderland without dealing with all the hustle and bustle at the center of the hectic ski resort. Just a quick drive to the resort puts you right at lifts and when you're done for the day our warm and inviting cabin rental is waiting for you with all of the amenities of home. With all of this in mind somehow 6 more weeks of winter doesn't seem all that bad now does it?

Greenbrier Grille Premiers in Marlinton!

One of the great things about our cabin rentals at Mountain Valley Retreat is that each unit features a great kitchen equipped with a refrigerator, stove, microwave, coffeepot and many other features absolutely necessary for making many wonderful and delicious meals during your stay. Having a kitchen truely sets our rentals apart from other B&Bs or hotel rooms in the area and is a great convenience to have as part of your vacation stay. But, like any vacation, there are times when you just don't feel like cooking after a fun day out and about and want to enjoy a meal that someone else prepares for you!

A new local resturant has popped up on the scene and on first scan of it's menu it certainly looks like the place is sure to be a hit! The Greenbrier Grille recently opened under new management and is located at the intersection of Rt 39 and Rt 219 in downtown Marlinton. Lucky for us, this location is only 15 minutes from Mountain Valley Retreat! The Greenbrier Grille sits right next to the Greenbrier River and even has outdoor dining overlooking the river during the spring/summer/fall months. I've included a picture from the outdoor dining area - gotta love that view! They have three separate menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner and all menus have such a great variety at reasonable prices that they are sure to please all in your group. The breakfast menu looks fantastic enough to get you ready for a great day of hiking, biking or exploring Pocahontas County. The dinner menu has enough variety to please everyone after a great day out and about and I'm especially pleased to see pizza featured on the menu for dinner - that's definitely a crowd pleaser for my family! Needless to say enjoying breakfast, lunch or dinner with this view below is not something that you can't get everyday in downtown suburbia!!