Greater Parkersburg CVB :: Author spends 110 days traveling West Virginia

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Parkersburg, West Virginia – It has been two years in the making, but award-winning travel writer Leonard Adkins’ long-awaited book “West Virginia: An Explorer’s Guide” finally hit bookstore shelves this month.

Adkins spent 110 days traveling and researching all that West Virginia has to offer visitors during the summer and fall of 2005. The results - a 536-page book that includes information on nine regions within the state, directions on how to travel around each city/town, what to see and do, green space, family activities, where to stay and eat, entertainment, selective shopping and special events.

The Greater Parkersburg Convention & Visitors Bureau worked with the West Virginia Division of Tourism Office to help coordinate Adkins’ visit through the region, setting up appointments with multiple locations.

"Leonard literally pursued seeing everything possible that Jackson , Ritchie, Wood and Wirt Counties have to offer visitors. He left no stone unturned," Steve Nicely, Greater Parkersburg CVB president and CEO said. “He spent seven days visiting more than 40 attractions, restaurants, shops and other points of interests, and spoke to nearly 100 individuals before compiling his notes into a comprehensive book.”

Trans Allegheny Bookstore Manager Mike Sundstrum said ”We specialize in West Virginia books and books written by West Virginia authors and this is the most thorough guide for exploring the state that I have seen to date. Leonard’s descriptions are pretty accurate, especially for the Mid-Ohio Valley . The book features a number of off-the beaten path locations that will be of interest to people traveling through the state.”

Adkins, a writer and long-distance hiker, is the recipient of the National Outdoor Book Award and the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award. He is the author of 15 books, including the popular, 50 Hikes in West Virginia .

Nicely indicated the bureau worked with Adkins on the 50 Hikes in West Virginia book as he researched hiking trails in the state in 2003. As a result Mountwood Park , North Bend Rail Trail and the Ohio River Islands were featured.

“We were thrilled to have him return in 2005 and cover additional locations in this region,” Nicely said. “The bureau has established a nice relationship with Leonard that we hope will prove fruitful in the future as well as he works on additional books or travel stories. The new publication will also serve to encourage travelers to stay for more than one night, but rather multiple nights in a region.”

Copies of the book are available for sale at Trans Allegheny Books located at the corner of Eight and Green Streets in downtown Parkersburg .

To learn more about what to see and do in Greater Parkersburg visit www.GreaterParkersburg.com

The Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau was organized in 1985 and is an independent, nonprofit corporation dedicated to strengthening the area's economy by marketing Greater Parkersburg as a destination for leisure travel, group tours, meetings and conventions. The Bureau is devoted to providing appropriate services for visitors and its partners.
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Posted on: May 30, 2007

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