Take a stroll around this historic Potomac Highlands town—there’s lots to discover.
Originally chartered in 1777, Moorefield is the fourth-oldest town in West Virginia, and it looks the part. This Hardy County hamlet features a historic district with structures built in the Greek Revival, Queen Anne, and Italianate styles, some dating back to the 18th century. But Moorefield is no museum piece. Rebecca’s House of Flowers on North Main Street offers gifts and floral arrangements for all occasions and budgets. Just a short walk away, Hardman’s Hardware—part of a 111-year-old, West Virginia family-owned chain of hardware stores—provides the kind of expert advice you just can’t find at big box home improvement stores. It’s a perfect place for a weekend getaway with the ones you love. Here are our top picks.
Mullin’s 1847 Restaurant
When the Moorefield Hotel Company opened in 1847, one of its first stockholders was Charles Carter Lee, eldest brother of Robert E. Lee. That gives you an idea of the history that permeates this Moorefield landmark. In the 1860s, it became known as The Mullin Hotel, named for proprietor Captain C.B. Mullin, who ran the place for decades. There’s still life in this old building, thanks to Chef William Hughes and his hardworking staff, who serve up fresh salads and sandwiches and top-notch steaks and seafood as well as hearty dinner plates featuring meatloaf, country ham, spaghetti and meatballs, and more. Stop by on Wednesdays for the “Wing and Sing” karaoke night—featuring 47 cent wings and $1 off draft beers—and Thursdays for bluegrass jam sessions.
104 South Main Street, 304.530.1847, mullins1847restaurant.com
South Branch Potomac Lanes
This family fun palace offers 16 lanes of bowling plus arcade games and pool tables. Striker’s Grill offers hot pizza, Angus burgers, and chili cheese fries, as well as domestic and import beers. Indulge your sweet tooth at Sweet Rose Ice Cream, the in-house ice cream parlor that boasts milkshakes, more than 40 flavors of soft serve, and more than 30 flavors of slushies. If you need a breather after all that high-octane fun, head next door to South Branch Cinema 6, a family-owned, independent theater that plays all the top box office hits.
185 Hyde Street, 304.530.2695, wvafun.com/pl-files
West-Whitehill Winery
Owner Steve West founded this winery in 1981 with just a few acres of grapes and some homemade pressing machines. Now, West-Whitehill Winery produces thousands of cases of sweet, semisweet, and dry wines each year from the French-American hybrid grapes grown in its vineyards. Take a tour of the grounds and get a free tasting of West-Whitehill’s award-winning vino. We like the Mountain Spice—a dessert wine flavored with clove and cinnamon, perfect for cool weather—and the Aurore, a delicious dry white aged in oak barrels.
4484 U.S. Highway 220, 304.538.2605, westwhitehillwinery.com
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