Don’t worry, we do Valentine’s Day everyday, all year long.
I really I could read some of the comments in the guest books to you, but I get choked up.
Vday always seems to create a lot of pressure on all sides of the holiday. Who says you have to be at the top of your game on this certain day of the year just so they can sell some flowers and chocolates?
Stop the presses! The world will end on Dec. 21. We’re not taking reservationsafter the Mayan calendar expires in 17 days.
Visit us soon!
How are you spending your final 17? Wouldn’t it be quaint to spend the last few days of time as we know it holed up with your loved ones, cherishing each other and the natural beauty surrounding you? We’re all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it. In fact, it would be a downright shame if you weren’t able to visit us before the end of time.
That’s why we’re giving you a little help: $5 off for every night left on the Mayan calendar. Thank you for a great run, and be well in the time and space beyond the end of time!
To be honest, we’re not really sure what the physics of time after time will be. Maybe we’ll see (or otherwise perceive) you there? But we’re crossing our fingers you visit beforehand, just to be safe. Until then, enjoy the holiday season!
Want to know what the Frankenstorm was like for us here at Opossum Creek Retreat? We had some guests in the cabins and although they were happy, warm, and cozy, for lots of reasons we decided to extract them. It took four of us about 4 hours to get from the sign.
Our sign in the snow
But back to the cabins… One big tree had broken off and landed in the road.
Lots of trees fell
Most trees we could shake the heck out of and they would spring back up.
It was a long hard day and we all needed a rest.
Resting after shaking trees
We have more to do but it will be better done when things warm up and the snow is gone.
We’re very thankful there is no damage to buildings and we hope everyone affected recovers soon.
Yes, we are rule breakers. School does not teach us this skill but we entrepreneurs can’t help it. We are made that way.
And you can be too.
Everyone has rules. I don’t know why but we do. My job has always been to bend or break them. Just ask my parents.
Opossum Creek Retreat has rules just like everyone else. The big difference between us and them is that we are happy to break the rules for you. Well, except the no smoking in the cabin rule. That one is not negotiable.
Let Us Break The Rules For You
I got a very nice note from a future guest about how she had spent 4 hours on our website (OMG! 4 hours! Are you okay? Did you stop for water?), her whole trip was planned when she saw THE RULE about minimum stay. Crushed, she sent a note explaining her situation. As it turns out we have room to make a shorter stay work for she and her lucky husband. He will be so surprised!
We are very fortunate to have a job that allows us to make people happy everyday. Even if that means we have to break a few rules along the way.
So get some really good rule breaking tips. Then get out there and break some rules! Just nothing that might end up with you in handcuffs.
Hmm, unless you can get a home confinement sentence and the judge lets you serve it at one of the cabins.
I see a potential “Cottage” industry here. “Special rates for longer stays”. “Nonviolent Offender Discount.”
“Again? So soon?” (with glee in his voice). “We will miss you, have fun.”
Because if Momma ain’t happy, nobody’s happy!
The Boys Insist on Adventure…
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.
But the Girls Know How to Relax
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.
This event starts tomorrow and you can still get in, so DO IT. We do a fair number of these specialty events each year.
Yoga Weekend
You may not believe this but I practice yoga, and way back when I climbed too. These two activities belong together, and Elaina Erinz Smith and Erin Larson blend them wonderfully.
This is the second year for this ossum, intimate, expertly organized weekend. See you on the mat but not on the rock.
I am not a runner, but this looks like fun and Mark Lattanzi is a pro at organizing and running an event.
Like to run? Then Run Around the Gorge!
Even the guy who pulled a muscle and was laid up on the couch was smiling and having fun at last year’s event. He did not get to run but came anyway because he loves the camaraderie, the area, and the food.
So he got to relax at Opossum Creek Retreat all weekend cheering his friends new and old to the finish.
Meetings
If you have to be in a meeting, you should do it here.
Why? Because even though you need to get some work done, you can do it in one of the prettiest conference rooms around. It’s almost like you’re working outside; huge windows let nature right in.
Weddings
It’s a no-brainer that Opossum Creek is a place where lots of couples want to host their weddings.
Beautiful outdoor space? Check.
Plenty of nature and pretty views? Check.
Room for lots of guests to stay? Check.
Great indoor space too? Check.
An unique venue unlike any other? Check.
Who could ask for more?
Family Reunions
We’ve already given you plenty of reasons why Opossum Creek is THE place to host a family reunion. Simply put, we’re the perfect spot for reconnecting, rejuvenating, and remembering what’s important.
Some Other Fun Events
In 2013 there’s the Todd Norian yoga retreat weekend. My yoga teacher BabaRANBOYD has been studying with this guy for almost a decade. I am excited to be able to attend one of his weekend sessions on my home turf.
And of course the big one: The New River Birding and Nature Festival. This has grown into an amazing week with hundreds of people enjoying our hospitality and the Spring migration of birds.
We may not be all that special. But when we host events like these our guests tell us we are.
Okay, all are guests are special. I was just trying to say we do special events really well. Now, I am not bragging, Just repeating what I have been told. Why else would they keep coming back?
Want to feel special too? Just come to Opossum Creek Retreat.
I took a quick look at all the fun stuff we did during our reunion. Here’s what I realized:
Some of the people in the group will never need to make a bucket list because they have done any and everything that pops up.
Others have slayed dragons so large and scary most of us could not comprehend them.
Others overcame fears that paralyzed them for years.
Your reunions may not be like this; however it sure makes for great dinner table conversation.
And so we begin the story of stuff our family did during our famial”ish” reunion.
The New River Gorge area became famous for white water rafting 30 some years ago, and it is still the mainstay of high adventure activities in the area. That said, we are just as famous for rock climbing. Mountain biking is growing in stature and recognition. Several ziplines have popped up in the past few years. You can skydive here and roll down a hill in a ball. Golf is all around us. Smallmouth bass fishing is world class. I am sure I am missing something, so let’s tell the story and see if we find it.
Dutch, who is one of the “ish” parts of the famial”ish” reunion, had actually made a bucket list. He has been tweaking it since retiring a few years back.
Dutch put 4 check marks on his bucket list in 5 days.
Zipline
White Water Rafting
Bridge Walk
SKY DIVING
He also golfed, visited historic sites, and was all-around up for anything, including passing initiation into the clan. He is welcome to come back.
Check out the landing gear!
Even more impressive, Aunt Chrissie checked one off her list. A Giant one. She is absolutely terrified of water. Like, won’t do dishes except in the dishwasher terrified! YES, she went Rafting!
Aunt Chrissi (on left) and Aunt Gay Gay with the littles.
I would not say she relaxed but she did calm down enough to look around take some pictures and really enjoy herself. I doubt she will ever do it again. And that is not the point; she did something so huge so scary and so far out of her comfort zone that she may never find her way back. And for that she should be very pleased and proud.
Yes, others slayed some dragons too. My Mom took a Biplane ride and did a Barrel Roll. Several folks with a fear of heights got up in the trees and had a blast on the zip line or went on the Bridge Walk.
Surprise! My Dad ambushed my Mom and son with a Bi-Plane ride. What a great idea and the both loved it.
Some people had just never had the opportunity to do some of the many adventures we have here. My little brother got to hop on a horse’s back for the first time and go for a ride.
Lots of people even did two different activities in one day. Rafting first thing in the morning gets you back about 2 or 3 PM, leaving plenty of time to get in nine holes or take a hike or bike ride or rappel or heaven forbid just kick back and relax. For some of us everything was new and different.
How cool is that?
It is not about how scared you are of the activity or how dangerous or expensive it is; instead it’s being open to a “NEW” experience, stepping out of your normal routine and trying something. Even if you don’t end up loving it, you will have something to talk about at dinner (and will have attained new heights in your mind’s eye and everyone else’s too).
We are here to help you slay some dragons! Big or small, let us help.
What did you cross off your bucket list when you visited the New River Gorge?
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!
Here's Luke helping me fix a toilet
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.
Family Reunion Fun
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.
If you have a “Bucket List”, this is a great place to fill it up! I might not always remember that though.
It’s kind of like when I worked at Disney. I had all of these awesome activities right at your fingertips, but ended up taking it for granted every day.
Skydiving on your bucket list?
So when Geoff told me that one of his family members here for their family reunion ticked off 4 items from his bucket list, it got me thinking.
There really are some great and unique things to do here at the New River Gorge National River! For a lot of people, the things you can do here are “Bucket List” items. For example:
Doing a Barrel Roll in a WWII Bi-Plane!
Rock Climbing!
Get on the catwalk of a REALLY tall bridge!
White Water Rafting!
Learn to kayak!
These are just a few of the awesome adventures you’ll find in the Gorge. And remember, bucket list items don’t only have to be extreme adventure. Maybe your bucket list includes seeing an eagle in the wild, or trying a West Virginia craft beer. Maybe it’s been your lifelong dream to see The Mystery Hole.
So if you have a list, c’mon over and we’ll start helping you cross those tasks.
What’s on your bucket list?
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