The New River Birding and Nature Festival just ended, and a good bit of the festival takes place here at OCR. Somewhere between 60-100 people a day get to enjoy our slice of almost heaven during the festival. During this event, people gather to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the New River Gorge.
We do not cook for many groups, but we will if it is the right fit. And this festival is. It’s all about happy people doing fun stuff, learning, and enjoying good food.
Birding By Butt
On Monday morning we got things going in a “back porch” kind of way with “Birding by Butt”.
We spent the day milling around the grounds, watching birds from the comfort of our lawn chairs (hence the name, “Birding by Butt”), in between feedings. This helps everyone get to know each other and settle into the routine of birding, eating, and listening to great presentations.
But you could say that Birding By Butt is a bit of a misnomer, because we do spend some time walking around the 20-some acres of Opossum Creek Retreat.
The day goes something like this:
Examining a Warbler
People start rolling in about 6 AM and we have coffee and drinks ready. We get everyone checked in and give them a name tag and this spiel: “We will be taking walks and getting birds in the scopes and eating and watching Bill Hilton of Project Ruby Throat band a bird or two if we are lucky. There are plenty of chairs for you to bird by butt from, so get comfy and relax for a few minutes before we take a group for a walk.”
Of course everyone is too excited to sit down. They want to “go go go” and they soon hear, “My name is Jim McCormac” or “My name is Mark Garland” and “I will be leading a walk up the road. Who would like to join me?”. The routine of relaxing in the chairs around yard comes slower to some, but before long everyone has settled into the idea of Birding By Butt, just letting the birds come to them.
And they do.
During the rest of the week we come back to OCR after our field trips and have a ‘popcorn talk’. After that we have dinner, then the main attraction for the evening, another speaker or presentation.
It was great to look out the window and see folks sitting in chairs or just walking around looking up into the trees, smiling.
We also hosted the Roads Scholar group on Wednesday and Friday for the “Birding by Butt” routine. Keith and I also led field trips every day of the week (the best part of the week for us).
The New River Birding and Nature Festival is a great way to kick-start us out of winter season; we’d love more events like this to pour ourselves into. There is a price to pay for this much fun and we gladly pay it year after year.
By all accounts, the 10th Annual New River Birding and Nature Festival was the best one yet.
If you have a group you would like us to take care of for a week (or even just a couple of days), give us a call and let’s talk. We might even teach you how to bird by butt.
I did not listen to my own advice and paid the price. Literally.
You’ve heard us talk about spending your spring break here in West Virginia. And we now have absolute proof that it really is the best of all worlds. See, I went somewhere else for MY spring break.
That is correct; I am admitting here and now that we went to Florida for spring break.
Hypocritical, you say?
Old Florida
Possibly. But you know, I’m here year round. And now I know for sure that you just can’t beat a West Virginia vacation.
What you’re about to read is a funny recap of our trip to Florida. Well, it was funny if you were not living it. But If you are in the mood to laugh at my expense, then read on. If you want to skip to the moral of the story head then for the bottom (like some of my stuff did) of the page, do so, but check out the pictures along the way.
But I am getting ahead of myself.
Getting There
It has been a long-time dream of mine to pilot a houseboat on the intracoastal waterway and to catch a Tarpon.
So, we booked a 4 day/3 night bareboat (no crew, just you), 41’ long and 14’ wide houseboat departing from Fort Myers, Florida and touring the Pine Island Sound. Then the plan was to blast across Alligator Alley to Key Largo for a resort course in scuba diving, then work our way back home. Great, all-American plan for spring break, right?
I have always been a flexible traveler, so when my hometown college hockey team, the Bulldogs of Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, made it to the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Hockey finals in Tampa the same day we are driving through, we had to see the game. It was a great side trip and a fun way to start off the vacation.
The Houseboat, aka 'The Pig'
The morning of Easter Sunday was spent getting trained by Captain Bob on how to drive and use the houseboat. By noon we were checked out and on our own!
Hitting the Open Water
Let me tell you, driving a houseboat for the first time ever is stressful. It is like trying to steer a pig on ice by its tail. Add in the traffic of Easter Sunday and one of the craziest waterways on the planet (so crazy that on the charts it’s called the “Miserable Mile”), and it’s gripping. I am not saying it can’t be done. Just maybe that it wasn’t our smartest idea ever.
We slid to a stop in the first possible anchorage, Popcorn Bay, between million dollar crafts, and shut the damn thing off. Once we were on the hook (anchored) everything was much better. Some fishing, stand up paddling (thanks Mel!) a beer and dinner and the next thing you knew we are the only ones left in the bay! Peace and quiet made for a lovely first night (or so we thought). “Mom I don’t feel good!” Groans from the other bedroom. Fever, sore throat, weak, pale, STREP!
Fortunately Tylenol and sun bathing seemed to help the strep, so we ignored it. We decided for some reason to leave the safety of our harbor and expose ourselves to the rest of the “Miserable Mile”(and many more miles like it). Eventually, we ended up in Pelican Bay on Captiva Island with 30 or so sailboats. Again, once “on the hook” everything got so much better. We paddled over to the state park island and walked to the beach for swimming and a nap. Then back to the “pig” for fishing and dinner on the top deck.
SUP in Popcorn Bay
Why we left that spot I will never…oh yeah, the STREP! It was getting worse and we needed to get meds in this kid fast. I attempted to dock at the closest marina, but mostly just crashed into it. Meds in hand, we limped out of the fancy marina understanding why they said they did not have room for us. Back out to the open water, where the pig could run free, was better anyway.
Did I mention my dream about catching a Tarpon? On our last day with the pig, we decided to try our luck fishing for the Silver King. I found a likely spot and got everything set. It was high tide, slack tide, we were in a deep channel between the flats and the Gulf of Mexico. We saw Tarpon rising around us, and even had some promising bites! A guided boat was being pulled past us by the Tarpon they had on the line. They were so close that we could see the huge Silver King underwater. He even jumped a few times just to torture us. We waited and waited until we were out of bait.
So, I still have that dream of catching a Tarpon.
Second Leg of Our Journey
After saying goodbye to the pig we blasted across Alligator Alley to Key Largo and stayed in a funky old-style keys cabin called The Hungry Pelican. Next up was our scuba outing. A scuba resort course is when first timers start in a swimming pool and then do open water scuba diving. We dove at The John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The whole day was wonderful, even though the strep kept one of us on the surface snorkeling.
Scuba Fun
We decided to break up the 16+ hour drive home by staying at Vero Beach in a great little “Old Florida” Hotel called Sea Spray Inn . We spent the afternoon and evening on the beach. Do you know what the red flag means? I will tell you; it means fat, old, white guys stay on beach and out of the waves! I got the stuffing beat out of me and broke a boogie board! The rest of the family had a blast.
The next morning we started off with a long walk on Vero Beach to say goodbye for now to Florida, then hopped back in the car to head north on the interstate. It also happened to be Saturday of spring break week, so we were driving with millions of our closest friends. You could not find a gas pump, let alone a restroom, without a line. We bailed off the interstate and went to lunch in Saint Augustine just to break up the day. When we got back to I-95 it was a parking lot, so we headed for the heartland, two-lane highways through the small towns of the deep south.
The Moral of the Story
So, let me break it all down for you:
6 days of driving 6 to 8 hours each. That is a work week in my world. We could have driven to Mexico! Gas for said driving, $320 plus.
Pig on ice (Houseboat)-$1900. Also requires driving, way harder than a car or anything I have ever driven before. Including livestock.
Fuel for boat – $220
Fishing gear, bait, etc. – $200 (maybe more but I have most of it still, except the bait)
Scuba – $800 (well worth it) full day of awesome!
Hockey tickets-$800 (really, really good seats)
Other Hotels Nights-$800
Total $5,000ish!
I dare say you can do a lot more for a lot less here in the Gorge.
A comparable budget would get your family of four a week in a Cabin and an adventure each day, like rafting, zip lines, fishing, rock climbing, hiking, biking, off-loading, and more.
Not counting food, because we eat when not on vacation too.
The Lesson
So hear me out:
I thought the boat would keep us from needing to hire a guide to catch fish. WRONG! We caught a few little ones and my wife landed the fish of the trip (a beautiful little shark).
I also thought it would be cheaper than a hotel or beach house. WRONG AGAIN! We could have stayed in great little “Old Florida” hotels and easily afforded a guide for three days of fishing for LESS than the PIG alone!
I did, however, fulfill a long time dream of mine. Just remember some dreams are better if they remain in dream state.
We had a good time, but it was expensive (more than expected), stressful, and my back hurts from all the driving both on and off the water.
Yes, I feel more than a little hypocritical, or as one of my kids said when younger, “hippo-cricket”. But now I know! And you have yet another reason to make a Gorge vacation a top destination on your list.
Need a reason to spend your spring break in West Virginia? Not much we can say that adds to this email from one of our guests (except that we are glad they’re coming back). Read on…
Hi Keith-
I don’t know if you remember us or not, but we rented a cabin from you at Thanksgiving. Our daughter goes to Marshall, and she wanted to stay in WV for Thanksgiving and not come back to Florida. Well, as it turns out, she would rather stay in WV for Spring Break as well! Imagine that- we live 30 minutes from the beach, and she would rather stay in WV 😉 Truth be told, we would rather GO to WV again.
We were thinking of going to Snowshoe, but the snow has been so sketchy. It seems we Floridians aren’t that good at snowboarding on ice, which is what I am afraid we are going to run into. And we have kids ranging from 4-19. I think the cabin would be best for everyone, since the little girls can play in the snow (if there is any) right outside, and the big kids can head to Winter Place to snowboard if they want to. We are split on what we want to do- everyone wants to go to Snowshoe (but the littles are too little to ski/snowboard), AND everyone wants to go back to the relaxing cabin where Mommy was in a good mood, they can eat home cooking, and everyone was entertained.
Steve and Wendi
This is not the first time guests have felt this way about their stay. Will you be spring breaking in West Virginia?
Recent guest Clinton Curtis wrote this blog post about his recent stay at Opossum Creek with his family.
Clinton and Megan
My wife and I created a ritual this year – coinciding with the Chinese New Year we would escape to a secluded location in the mountains with our two daughters to reflect on our lives and plan for the year ahead. Theoretically, we could have done this at home, but to retreat from our daily routines and familiar surroundings added energy and excitement to the process.
We rented a cabin at Opossum Creek Retreat where the stars pierce the ink black sky at night and the only distractions are the wildlife and the gurgling stream.
Fun in the Tub
To some, it may seem like a lot of effort to pack and drive to an offsite location for such an event, but many fortune 500 companies send their employees great distances for such ‘offsite’ meetings because of the unencumbered creativity that ensues. For us, however, the trip from our home to the woodland sanctuary of OCR is all of seven miles!
To describe this phenomenon we’ve borrowed the term ‘staycation’ from the 1970’s book Your Money or Your Life. Our staycation has been even better than expected. We have welcomed the Year of the Dragon in fine fashion, nestled in the tree branches of the eastern woods we love so much.
Our cabin exemplified simplicity and royalty simultaneously, and dipping into the hot tub in midwinter added an element of the mystical.
Our family found a wonderful harmony at OCR and a quiet ability to fulfill our goals. As I mentioned, we have created a ritual, and we plan to return to Opossum Creek Retreat in 2013 to bring in the Year of the Snake!
Doug Arbogast is an adjunct faculty member of Bridgemont Community and Technical College and Principal of Travel Green Appalachia. He promotes authentic and sustainable travel experiences in Appalachia on his blog – www.travelgreenappalachia.com.
I was fortunate to be a participant in a working retreat at Opossum Creek Retreat last week. The retreat brought in faculty and staff from Bridgemont Community and Technical College in Montgomery, WV to refine and refocus their Sustainability Awareness Training curriculum.
Meet in Comfort
In order to practice what we preach, we looked for a locally owned and operated venue suitable for a group of 10-20 to do some brainstorming for a few days. Geoff and Keith graciously offered to host our retreat and provide food for the group at a price comparable to the chain hotel options we considered.
Here’s why you too should consider Opossum Creek Retreat for your next corporate retreat:
First Class Service
Warm cookies awaiting us on arrival, attention to every detail, logo mugs and stickers, and a guided tour of the property show that they truly care about and appreciate each guest.
Craftsmanship
Hand crafted cabins from locally milled timber where each piece of wood, from the trim to the tables, has a story.
Ownership
I doubt you’d find the owners of any chain hotel awake before you are making your breakfast.
Buy Local
Leakage occurs when the dollars you spend leak out of the community. OCR is locally owned and operated. At OCR the dollars you spend trickle down to other community businesses they support like West Virginia Fruit and Berry Sparkling Cider, Happy Trails Café, Red Roof Farm Jam, and Blue Smoke Salsa.
Farm to Table
Get to know the chickens that laid the eggs you ate for breakfast.
*When you spend $100 in a national chain only $43 stays in the community. The rest leaks out to the national headquarters or suppliers which are located elsewhere.
*When you spend the same $100 in a locally owned, independent business $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures.
We ventured into downtown Fayetteville, WV and put more of our money into the community by enjoying some handcrafted pizza and local brews at Pies and Pints.
If you consider the impact of your business (or leisure) trips and not only the ability to accomplish the goals of your retreat but also the quality of the experience then I encourage you to seek out venues like OCR for your next retreat.
Check out the OCR Facebook page for testimonials from some of the retreat participants.
Oh, and did I mention what its like to sit in a hot tub in the cool winter air, under a clear night sky, filled with stars and void of light pollution after a full day of meetings?
The beauty of this area is all it takes to understand why the Boy Scouts of America chose to locate their newest camp here in the New River Gorge. Access to so many awesome outdoor activities is what makes it even more special.
The Summit Bechtel Reserve is the 4th High Adventure Base Camp for the Boy Scouts in the United States. The enormity ($400,000,000) of the project is incredible. The 10,000 acre camp is going to thrust the scouts into the future in a magnificent way.
And the reasons that the Scouts chose the New River Gorge as their camp location are the very same reasons this area is great for anyone who enjoys outdoor activities.
The New River Gorge National Park offers truly world class activities in a big way:
Whitewater
Rock climbing
Mountain Biking
Small Mouth Bass Fishing
Darn close to world class (you know I am going to get in trouble for this distinction):PC Loves The Bechtel Summit
Hiking
Camping
Hunting
Bridge Walk
ATV Trails
Zip Lines
Driving tours
Coal History
Waterfalls
Why not at the same time?
The Boy Scouts report that 50,000 scouts will visit every year in all seasons in small groups. We hope these scouts families will stick around after they drop the kids at High Adventure Camp.
But the big scout event here is the 2013 National Jamboree, which will draw 250,000 people to our area July 15-24 2013. Trust us, it will be crazy. We are excited and a little afraid of the unknown. This area does not play host to that many people all summer let alone in a two week period.
So what we’re trying to say is if you are not coming specifically for the Jamboree then you will want to pick another time to visit.
The Boy Scouts trust us enough to spend four hundred million dollars here.
It’s couples season. For everyone. Which, naturally, means spring is near.
Bear with me, this will seem a bit of a stretch. Frankly, it is.
Photo By: Jim McCormac
You see, the critters know that spring is near. Some of them, like the red shouldered hawk and the grey fox in my back yard are busy playing “the game”. The woods are teaming with amorous animals squawking, yelping, howling. You get the idea.
The sounds are music to my ears as it signals spring is not far.
Ever hear a foxes love song? It’s not really very pretty. In fact, it sounds a bit like James Brown is in my backyard. The foxes feel good. I knew that they would.
The Bald Eagles that now live along the New River are sitting on eggs as you read this. Brrr. That’s devotion.
When you look closely at nature, there are many signs (and sounds) which let us know that love is in the air. If you dig deep into the history of Valentine’s Day you’ll find a direct connection to the cycle of nature.
Consciously or not we humans follow the signs and seasons of nature. After all, we are animals too, right?
It’s Couples Season
It’s the perfect time for you and your mate to focus on each other. No distractions.
We can make this easy for you. We can help you decide if you need things to do like hiking or a massage. Maybe all you need is a do not disturb sign on the door.
Just pick your days and give us a call, 1.888.488.4836. It’s that easy.
Ever watch Jeopardy and something comes up that you can answer? If you’re like me, you jump out of the chair and shout the question. Hey, it’s rare. And my wife says I need to get some excercise.
Just in case West Virginia ever comes up on the show, we want you to be prepared. We also know some of you have yet to visit us. So we’d like for you to know a little bit more about our great state, as we are much more than home of The Dark Lord of Coal Country. We hope you will come visit (and bring your friends to dazzle with your Jeopardy skills).
Your Favorite West Virginia First?Great things happen (and have happened) here.
West Virginia Can Claim:
Home to the first golf course in the US
The first mail route
The first major land battle of the Civil War
The Birthplace of Mother’s Day (Hi Mom!)
Highest home owner ship rates
Lowest crime rates
Lowest cost of living in the nation. (Cue Mr. Rogers theme song…. Won’t you Be My Neighbor?)
Take a minute and find a West Virginia-first that you think is great. Share it with us on our Fan Page and you just might win a free stay for your first trip.
Quick Geography Lesson
We are taking a wild guess that West Virginia is pretty near where you are sitting right now.
We share borders with Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky and Virginia. We are in the middle of lots of folks. You have us surrounded. My point is, if you live over there (I am pointing towards Ohio) and you know some one that lives over there (now pointing towards Virginia) it’s really easy to meet them here (yes, I am pointing at the ground).
It’s simple. You start driving. They start driving. You both end up at one of our cabin rentals in the woods.
Don’t worry we’ll give you directions, and maybe lunch. Maybe t-shirts too.
Any reservaton that has people from two states gets free lunch for everybody
Any reservation with people from 3 or more states gets free tshirts for everybody
We always like to know how folks decided to choose our cabin rentals. We often hear this answer: “We were looking at the map and WV was half way between us… ”
So look at the map and call a friend and plan your first trip to West Virginia.
The Boy Scouts of America have made a HUGE investment in Fayette County, West Virginia but more importantly in their own future.
They have purchased more than 10,000 acres of the New River Gorge and are turning it into the next, best thing. 10,000 acres!
We (Fayette County and West Virginia) look forward to hosting the National Jamboree in 2013. And again, every 4 years after that. Each time, bringing 200,000 to 300,000 visitors to our area.
If that weren’t enough to be excited about, consider we could possibly play host to the World Jamboree in 2017. All of this, in addition to my favorite part, High Adventure Camp!
Every High Adventure Camp will bring kids from all around to experience all the “Wild and Wonderful” they can handle!
This is huge! Can you tell I am excited it?
PC Loves The Bechtel Summit
Know what else is huge? The machines being used to move earth.
Check out this video showing the care being taken to offset some of the major earth moving required to get ready for a quarter of a million people.
We welcome The Boy Scouts to Fayette County and look forward to helping make this huge project a huge success.
P.S. My Grampa B would have loved this.
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