How To Archives - Opossum Creek Retreat

The Short list: Bridge Day 2016 (a how to)

WEAR SENSIBLE SHOES! Sorry for yelling but this alone can save the day. I see a lot of unhappy people each year because they did not heed this grandmotherly advice.

Friday

Food is a big part of Bridge Day and it starts Friday night with the Taste of Bridge Day. It’s sponsored by the rotary clubs and really a good time. And if you can get to town before the Taste event starts to play around in the escape rooms of New River Gorge Escape Rooms, you will thank me.

Saturday

Burn some calories so you can eat all day! This is the first year for the Active SWV Bridge Day 5k and it is going to be OSSUM! Way to go Mel!

I like my funnel cakes first thing in the morning, while the grease is fresh and clear (and I just drooled a little bit.)

This is a short Bridge Day funnel cake video we made just a few years ago to honor this food tradition.

Those boys are now young men whom I am very proud of.

You better share that funnel cake, because you need to save room for the other great stuff like gyros and sandwiches so big it takes a team to eat them, and kettle corn. I missed it last year. Thought I could wait till the end and take a fresh bag home to share with the homebodies, and they were sold out! Not letting that happen again. The food list goes on and on. Hmm, that give me an idea… I’ll get back to you on that.

Now the bridge closes at 3 p.m., so heading into Fayetteville is the ticket. Book your group early for New River Gorge Escape Rooms to ensure you get in on this really fun new attraction. (Yes, worth mentioning twice.) Bridge Day Chili Cook-off in Fayetteville starts after the bridge closes and there will be the music of Bridge JAM to round out the evening.

Wow! That’s a busy day but you still have:

Sunday

May I suggest breakfast at one of our great local spots like Cathedral Cafe or Vandal’s Kitchen, both in downtown Fayetteville. Then taking a hike on one of the 70 miles of trails in our National Parks— yes we have several, and you own them, so go use them!

I will be out there in the dark setting up the Chamber of Commerce tents on either end of the bridge, and secretly taste testing my way across the bridge and back.

A big shout out to The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and CVB staff for pulling this monumental task off each year. Thank you Sharon and Mandy, and everyone else who helps make this great event happen.

See you out there wearing my sensible shoes! And enjoying the amazing day.

The Secret to Father’s Day

I have a father, I am a father, and I know this to be true.

Dads only want one thing for Father’s Day!

No ties, no tools, no new shirt, no gift certificate, no fishing tackle (well, maybe.)

All your dad wants for Father’s Day is your time. Not a whole weekend at a cabin with him, just some time. Chill with your dad for as long as you can stand it.

Pay it forward, so when your little shits grow up they may have it in their DNA to set aside some time for you. You and yours will all be better for it.

Then come spend some time in a cabin at Opossum Creek Retreat to recover from the trauma of it.

Some of you know this firsthand. We have been told many times by many guests how much better they feel after staying here.

Save yourself.

This was boiled down to this 30 second radio ad:

https://www.opossumcreek.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/OPOSSUM-CREEK-FATHERS-DAY.mp3?_=1

I am telling you, our facebook fans and blog readers, so you will not miss out on the radio special. Give it a listen so you can be in the loop, too.

Now go call your DAD!

Whitewater Wonderland

Epic, never seen before WHITEWATER WONDERLAND.

Everyone has more whitewater than they know what to do with. What they don’t have is a quiet, cozy cabin tucked in the woods, and our inside info on how best to handle it.

Think this is big water? You haven’t seen anything yet! 2013’s Gauley rapids will swell higher than ever before!

Don’t get me wrong, this Gauley River rafting season is going to be epic. More water than ever scheduled before. (You see, they have released this much and more, but they have never told us when it was going to happen.) So now that we can plan for it, you should, too.

Okay, as you can see in the wonderful newsletter from or CVB (Convention and Visitor Bureau, the folks responsible for making good use of half of the 12% tax we have to charge you when you book any lodging), that all the raft companies are very excited about the extra H2O, as well they should be.

This is how we make your life better: we will give you the inside scoop on all the other great stuff to do while you are here for this epic, never seen before Whitewater Wonderland!

We have some links to our great itineraries, but for the hardcore goining-to-raft-all-day-everyday guest, this is for you:

Save the boozing it up for the end of the trip. Like, the last night. Countless guide stories about the guy with the hangover…
Use the hot tub to loosen up those paddling muscles.
Have the fridge stocked with easy-to-make meals (i.e., grill it!)
Day two or three, schedule a day off and have our message team come work you over.
Go for a hike or bike ride to get the lower body in the game.
Make it a progression. Don’t start out with a Double Upper Gauley trip.
Start on the Lower Gualey at normal flow on a Sunday, hit the upper on Monday, and then do the Lower river on these dates:

Sept 17, 24 and Oct 1
Rest for a day and see massage team
Bike for a day, then
repeat

Of course, you will have to win the lottery or quit your job, but this is going to be EPIC, and may never happen again!

Of course, we have special rates to help if you do not win said lottery or do quit your job.

We Give Good Phone

We also understand “I just don’t want to talk to them now.“

Yes, we love Little Feat. Lowell George put it very well in Apolitical Blues.

Thats why we put alot into our website.

You may just not feel like talking and that’s okay, we understand. Lots of times I prefer digging around in cyberspace, I am just trying to dig up some info. Do some research, comparison shopping, check availability that sort of thing. We hope we make it easy for you to do just that.

The website has a new look and some new info. Please let us know what you like or don’t.

Is there something you were looking for and could not find or should be easier to find?

We are hoping we have made all that research fun, easy, and informative.

FYI: we wrote all that vacation-planning ‘stuff’, so if you want to go to the source and get the info first hand or you just want to talk to someone, we are ready for ya.

Darn computers anyway.

For good phone, call 888-488-4836.

How to Guarantee a Blue Bird Day

Do not try this at home (unless you are a glutton for punishment).
I have tested this theory many times in the past and twice in the last 4 days. It works.

I know how to make a bluebird day.

Please do not subject yourself to this experiment. Trust me!

This is the formula to guarantee a perfect weather day.

Find a project that you loathe. For me it is anything that makes me sit at my desk, especially accounting/data entry. Add in a heavy fine or penalty from some humorless bureaucracy.

Next, schedule other good stuff you like to do right up to said projects deadline.

Sprinkle on tons of procrastination, dogged, sour, heels dug in to the bitter last minute. Now I lock myself in the office before dawn and start entering months worth of old info into the computer and, voila! The weather outside is perfect.

I know some of you reaped the benefits of my sacrifice the past couple days, as I have yours many times over the years.

FYI: On how to end the perfect day. As the sun was setting, I lost all but one of the 5 months of data and will be back at it tomorrow. Plan accordingly.

I think I need my own cabin getaway. How about you?
Ever had a day like this? Tell me about it.

What’s a picture of your perfect day look like?

The Best Kept Secrets of Bridge Day

Bridge Day, West Virginia’s largest one-day festival, is almost here. It’s on October 20, to be exact. And since we’re just a stone’s throw from the Bridge, we know all about it.

Here’s what we’ve learned: there are people who are all about Bridge Day, and then there are people (like Geoff) who’d rather avoid it altogether.

Which one are you?

Either way, we’ve got the skinny on what you can do if you’re here during Bridge Day.

Full Immersion

We have a secret or two for you if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t want to miss a minute of that Bridge Day excitement. Here’s your itinerary:

Right Now: Reserve your spot on one of the Bridge Day shuttles that take you under the Bridge to watch the action from below. Into the Gorge Shuttles will take you under the Bridge for $20. You do need a reservation.

Friday, October 19: Go to Taste of Bridge Day at Adventures on the Gorge. It’s truly a wonderful atmosphere with a world class sunset. Here, you’ll get to try sample plates from area restaurants and rub elbows with other Bridge Day faithful.

Saturday, October 20: This is the Big Day! Here’s what you want to do:

Get up early. As in, no later than 7am. Have breakfast in your cabin.
Between 8 and 8:30, head towards the Bridge. There are many ways to get there, but if you plan to drive, be prepared for a possibly longish walk from your car to the event entrance.
The gates open at 9am. Your first stop should be at the Official Bridge Day Booth, where you can pick up souvenirs like the official Bridge Day t-shirt and poster. These items have sold out the past couple of years, so get them first.
Take a walk towards the Bridge and check out all of the cool vendors lining the path. Stop for coffee and a funnel cake (no, it’s not too early).
Make your way to the jump platform and check out the BASE jumpers parachuting towards the river. You might even catch a glimpse of one of the catapult jumps, which are new for this year. Yes, we said catapult.
Catch your shuttle to head under the Bridge. You’re going to want to spend some time watching the action from this vantage point. A very cool experience that every Bridge Day fan should have at least once.
Head out of the Gorge and back up on top of the Bridge. Check out more vendors, or go into the town of Fayetteville. They are hosting a Chili Cookoff, a car show, live music, and more during and after Bridge Day.

Sunday, October 21: Grab the last ride on the Gauley River for the year. Rest up and head home.

Full Aversion

Your version of Fear Factor is negotiating a huge crowd and eating funnel cakes while walking on concrete all day and watching people jump of a bridge. Are you and Geoff twins?

Yes, you’d rather avoid the Bridge Day crowds. You’ve been there, done that.You’re looking for a different kind of adventure this weekend.

Now, your ‘aversion’ can be as simple as ‘stay at the cabin’. Check in and don’t leave the cabin until you check out on Sunday. But if the thought of that gives you cabin fever, we’ve got some suggestions.

Friday, October 19: Get to town and head straight to Fayetteville for dinner. You’ve got a ton of choices: Pies & Pints, Gumbos, Diogi’s, Secret Sandwich Society, The Vandalian, Dirty Ernie’s. End the evening in the hot tub or lounging by the fireplace.

Saturday, October 20: Get up early and head out for your rafting trip. Hit the New River and catch the fall leaves from the water. Coolest part? Your trip might end right under the New River Gorge Bridge. So yes, you could potentially float right past all of the Bridge Day excitement.

Skip the Bridge Day crowds and head north for Babcock State Park. It is close by, won’t be crowded, and is Ossum. Photos of the park’s iconic Grist Mill grace the pages and walls of publications and homes across the world. (Seriously, we know someone who spotted a Babcock Grist Mill photo hanging in their hotel room in Scotland). Check out the mill, take a hike or horseback ride, and then stop for lunch.

Next make your way to Richwood for lunch or just dessert and coffee at a little hole in the wall called Mumsy’s Iron Skillet. It is not to be driven past. In either direction. After lunch, you could head further north to Cranberry Glades. These bogs and wetlands are perfect for hiking, nature-spotting, and autumn leaf viewing.

We’re not the only ones who know how amazing fall in the New River Gorge is – National Geographic thinks so too.

So there you go – your Bridge Day itinerary. Whether you actually go to the Bridge or not.

You Are Leaving? So SOON?

“Honey, I am leaving!”

“Again? So soon?” (with glee in his voice). “We will miss you, have fun.”

Because if Momma ain’t happy, nobody’s happy!

Groups fill The Meadows for lots of reasons. One of the best reasons is Boys or Girls Club Weekends. That’s our nickname for vacations where groups of gals or guys take a trip with just their friends. You know, ditch the significant other, line up some pals, good food maybe a high adventure. Stay at a comfortable, inviting place to relax and catch up at the end of the day like The Meadows.

Imagine this:

First the “guys from work” got together. Yee haw, THE GAULEY (said with a roar)! They went home with such a great attitude, fun stories, and more things they wanted to try here in the New River Gorge, that their families wanted in on the action.

You guessed it.

The next summer, not all, but some of the guys brought the families back. Again, so cool. So much to do, young and old thrilled to no end. With still more stuff on the to do list.

Next up is Girls Club.

I really like the way women go about this. Us guys must have SOMETHING to do, i.e., a high-adventure, manly endeavor. Fears to conquer. Women, ha. They don’t need the pretense to have a grand time. They can have fun just chilling out, painting nails, fixing food, long hot tub sessions. No need for the events of the day to stimulate conversation but they make great Facebook posts.

Girls Club getaway weekends make Mamma and everyone else happy.

We know you have some people in mind for one of these weekends. We are happy to help you plan.

Consumed, Devoured, Hit by a Train, Chewed Up, Spit Out, and Left for Dead

And that was from the family reunion, not the “Derecho” storm!

About the derecho – we suffered no damage from the storm at the Cabins or our home. Our neighbors and friends were not so lucky. We were without power for 8 days, but everything is back to “normal”.

The family reunion was a huge success! Really, it was “Ossum”.

I had every intention of giving regular updates during the week of my Familial-ish reunion; what we were up to, how it was going , who liked what best and why.

But then reality set in: TOO MUCH FUN! We were too busy ‘reunioning’ for me to talk about it. So a month later, here goes.

All week people were movin’ and groovin’, making themselves happy doing any number of activities (we will talk about ALL the great activities in a future post). Hanging out with each other, getting away from each other, and even fixing stuff. Fixing is always more fun when you have help!

The single best part of the week (although I was not excited about it at first) was the daily group meal idea. It turned out great. We kept it simple. No one got over stressed (that I saw) about putting on the dog for 40 + people. And because we did not try to outdo each other with fancy dishes, serving standard fare, that made it all the better.

The first night we ordered pizza from Pies & Pints. WARNING: This is important!There are two phone numbers for two locations on the website; one is in Fayetteville (304-574-2200) only 10 minutes from the cabins. The other is in downtown Charleston, WV, over an hour away. Do not call the Charleston location and order 20 pizzas! Like we did.

Now, this could have been really bad. But fortunately, we are a lucky bunch. When the group standing at the bar in Fayetteville got blank stares when asking for 20 pizzas plus all the other good stuff, some brilliant detective work quickly revealed the order had been called into Charleston.

This is the lucky part: The Brits arrived at Yeager Airport in Charleston a few minutes before the pizza was coming out of the oven at the Charleston Pies & Pints, so we just swung by and loaded up. This makes me laugh and started the week off with a great “TOP THIS MESS UP” story.

For the rest of the week, family groups took turns satiating the masses from The Meadows Kitchen. Nothing fancy: frozen lasagna, chili, hamburgers and hot dogs, mexican grub, and leftovers made up the menu for the week.

Maybe the simplicity helped take some of the stress out of cooking for 40 people down a notch or two. The emphasis was on sharing a meal and some conversation with loved ones, and this was going on in abundance all week. It was magical.

It is a monumental task to organize a family reunion. Let us help you make yours as wonderful as ours was.

See you at the Cabins!

How Not To Have The Family Reunion From Hell: Part 2

Panic has set in.

The last-minute barrage of questions is in full frenzy.

This is not unusual behavior; it’s just that this time, the zeal my family is demonstrating at this point in the planning has caught me off guard. I don’t know why, because they do everything like this: OVERBOARD.

What you need to understand is that each event (no matter if it is a couple getting away for the weekend or a wedding for 100), has phases.

We're more like friends once you've stayed with us!

1. Inspiration

2. Research

3. Planning

4. Scheduling

5. Planning

6. Reservations

7. Planning

8. Packing

9. Forgetting all the planning

Then calling someone who might remember what was planned.

And then finally calling anyone you may have had contact with because, “OMG I cant find the map”!

This is an excerpt from an actual conversation about our reunion:

“I found the MAP”

“Good.”

“How do we get to where this map is? What State is this in?”

“West Virginia.”

“WEST VIRGINIA? HONEY YOU NEVER SAID WE WERE GOING TO WEST VIRGINIA! Does this place have running water?”

This illustrates that no matter how hard you try, some communication just doesn’t get out to the whole group.

Communication in all its forms is the cornerstone to a good event. Our family has had hundreds of communiques over the past months and addressed each issue more than once.

However in the excitement of the waning hours before departure the brain does weird stuff! People start blurting out questions before they even ask themselves if they might already know the answer. Grown adults become completely helpless and need someone to hold their hand while they decide what to pack.

Here at Opossum Creek, we answer these questions and go through all the phases for total strangers everyday. And then they are not strangers anymore. But if it’s your family you’re dealing with, then they just become ‘stranger’.

The strange people who are my family start arriving on Saturday. I half expect to wake up and they will be sleeping in their car in my yard a day early. It has happened before.

I will keep you posted as to how the chaos progresses and when Murphy shows up.