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Looking for adventure? WV has you covered. Here's what we've found.
Looking for a getaway with your significant other? Look no further.
Fun stuff that's perfect for families in the Mountain State.
Short excursions for when time is limited.
Every summer, we spend the better part of a week in July taking a family vacation. Traditionally, this has been to Virginia Beach. We started going there when the kids were young and fell in love with the beach, Motor World, Ocean Breeze Water Park the boardwalk and Watermans Restaurant.
In 2023, we decided to take an adventure trip within West Virginia. After a bit of searching - there's a lot to choose from in southern WV - we decided to rent a cabin at Ace Adventure Resort in Fayette County, WV for four days - Thursday th
We rented a 1 Bedroom Cozy Cabin which sleeps 4+. The layout has a living room and kitchen in the main area, a bedroom with a double bed and then a loft area above the bedroom. It also has a deck that looks out over the valley with partial views of the lake. We assumed that both of our kids (teenagers) would be able to sleep in the loft but one of them decided to sleep on the couch instead. The loft itself had a pretty short ceiling.
Overall, I would say that the cabin was just big enough for the four of us but we would probably opt for a bigger cabin if we went back.
The cabin was nice enough but we really went for the adventures! With a limited amount of time, we had to choose wisely so we chose the following adventures…
The waterpark is a blast! Up for some adventure? Have a friend (a bigger friend) launch you off of the blob and hope you land feet-first. Looking for something a little more tame but still exciting? Slide down their 80ft water slide, plunging into the lake at the bottom. I reached a speed of 17mph (according to my GoPro telemetry). Looking to just chill out with a cocktail while your kids go crazy? They have a pretty extensive sitting/beach area with plenty of lounge chairs and a restaurant and bar.
At this point I should say that if you have a GoPro or other action camera, bring it. This is what they're made for.
In addition to the adventure slides, zip lines, and blobs, the lake also has a bunch of inflatables to help you figure out how weak your core muscles actually are! Seriously, hoisting yourself up out of the water onto some of the inflatables can be a challenge. You will also get to challenge your balance (running along an inflatable track that moves with every ripple of the lake) and bravery (as you jump off the top of a 20 ft inflatable that looks much higher from the top). Did I mention that you can just chill out with a cocktail on the beach?
If you're going to ACE, you're probably going for the waterpark. If not, you should!
This was, without a doubt the highlight of the trip. We were booked for a half day on the lake with the boat launch scheduled for 9AM. The day started early as we had to meet our guide who picked us up and drove us to the lake which is about half an hour from ACE. Along the way, we stopped to pick up the boat as well. Once we arrived at the lake, our guide launched the boat and took us to a popular spot. As we navigated to the spot where we'd spend most of the day, he gave us a tour of the lake and a bit of history about the area and the creation of Summersville Lake.
Fun Fact #1 - the name of the dam that created the lake is Summersville Dam. Typically, a dam would be named after the town. In this case, the town's name was Gad. That would have led to the unfortunate sounding name of Gad Dam. Is this true? That's what our guide told us. Whether it's true or not, it's a great story and you should never let the facts get in the way of a great story.
Fun Fact #2 - Summersville Lake has a lighthouse.
The views of the lake were stunning (as you can see in the photos below). We spent most of our day in a verdant, tree-lined grotto-type area with a waterfall and overhanging cliffs perfect for cliff jumping into the lake.
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