W.Va. Tourism Officials Visit Weston, Philippi
POSTED: May 15, 2008
Invited members of the West Virginia tourism industry visited Philippi and Weston on May 1 for a planned day of tours.
The purpose of the visit was to make people answering travel questions aware of local cultural heritage sites. The day began at Adaland with a tour of the mansion house followed by lunch.
The group then traveled to the Blue and Gray Park in Philippi to visit the covered bridge and the Barbour County Historical Society Museum at the railroad tracks. The brief walking tour ended at the newly renovated Covered Bridge Bed and Breakfast on Walnut Street in downtown Philippi. Tea was served on the spacious porches. Several members of the group proceeded down I-79 to visit the Appalachian Glass Co. for a glass blowing demonstration to finish the day. Information about each site was made available.
The familiarization tour was sponsored by Adaland Mansion Development Inc. of Philippi, the Covered Bridge Bed and Breakfast in Philippi and Appalachian Glass of Weston and was by invitation only. Attending were representatives from the Durbin and Greenbrier Railroad, The Braxton County CVB, the Elkins Depot Welcome Center, I-68 Welcome Center, Land of Canaan, the Randolph County Chamber of Commerce, I-77 Welcome Center, Tygart State Park, Canaan Valley Resort, the Lewis County CVB, the West Virginia Division of Tourism, I-68 Welcome Center at Bruceton Mills and The Inter-Mountain.
Ann Serafin, the executive director of Adaland Mansion at Philippi, said that everyone seemed to learn about the historical sites after having the opportunity to visit for the day.
For more information about Adaland, the Covered Bridge Bed and Breakfast or Appalachian Glass, call Adaland at 457-1587 or visit the three Web sites. More familiarization tours will be planned in the future. In March, Adaland and the Covered Bridge Bed and Breakfast, with assistance from First Central Bank of Philippi and the Barbour County Chamber of Commerce, presented hospitality training for 23 individuals working in tourism sites and businesses in Barbour County.
