One Sweet, Sweet Saturday – 2021 Mountain State Maple Days in Nature’s Mountain Playground
With 2020 finally in our rearview mirror and folks ready to hit the road again, what better way to start off your new year of travel adventures than a sweet treat? This year marks West Virginia’s fifth annual Mountain State Maple Days. Celebrating all things maple syrup and slated for two days of fun – February 20th and March 20th, Mountain State Maple Days shines the spotlight on one of the fastest growing industries in the state. And Pocahontas County provides all the ingredients you could squeeze into the perfect maple day. Sweet-tooth travelers can visit local maple syrup producers, both modern and old school, for a firsthand look at the maple syrup making process. Local eateries will feature delicious maple-themed menu selections ranging from breakfast to dinner. There are even maple days lodging specials and discounts for travelers looking for an overnight stay. The entire day is devoted to that delightful golden-amber sticky stuff we all love.
With so many options available, any combination of specials and events offered could easily fill your day. You may choose to start your perfect maple day fueling up at one of the Pocahontas County Maple Days participating eateries. Station 2 Restaurant, located in Durbin, will offer their all-day maple breakfast, featuring all-you-can-eat pancakes or buckwheat cakes. Last Run Restaurant in Cass will also feature all-you-can-eat pancakes or buckwheat cakes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. as well as maple barbecue pulled pork sandwiches with maple baked beans and coleslaw served from 12 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Marlinton’s Dirt Bean Café will highlight French toast with maple syrup for breakfast and maple pulled pork with coleslaw as a dinner offering.
Once you’ve polished off that second (or third) helping of pancakes or French toast, why not plan a visit to the source of the delicious syrup that made your breakfast so irresistible? No fewer than four sugar camps are located in Pocahontas County and, during Maple Days, each offer the unique opportunity to view the maple syrup making process from tree to bottle. Frostmore Farm, located on Route 92, South of Dunmore and North of Frost, and open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from mid-February through the end of March, offers free tours and the opportunity to purchase their maple products right from the farm. Fort Warwick Farm, off Route 28 near Green Bank, offers free tours and highlights the old school way of maple syrup processing with plenty of samples for sale. Located on Lobelia Road near Hillsboro and South of Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, the Yew Mountain Center, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., will offer educational sugar bush tours, nature activities for the kids, and feature sweet treats for sale. To round out your sugar camp options, the Hillsboro Maple Works near Hillsboro offers a taste of the full maple syrup making process. Tours include sap collection, reverse osmosis, wood-fired boiling, finishing, filtering and canning. Syrup will be available for sampling and purchase. Hillsboro Maple Works asks that you call ahead for directions and tour scheduling.
After a morning of delicious French toast or pancakes and an afternoon of touring maple camps, what better way to cap off your perfect maple day than with a hearty maple-themed dinner? As mentioned earlier, Last Run Restaurant will offer a maple barbecue pulled pork sandwich, with maple baked beans and coleslaw served from 12 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. And for dessert, be sure to try either their maple milkshake or maple nut sundae. The Dirt Bean in Marlinton will also feature maple pulled pork and coleslaw for a dinner option. Locust Hill Restaurant completes your dinner options with their offering of a maple glazed ham dinner special and maple apple upside down cake.
With the perfect maple day under your belt (and perhaps a few too many pancakes), why rush home? As part of the Maple Days celebration, three Pocahontas County lodging establishments offer specials and discounts for travelers wishing to stay overnight. Station 2 Lodging in Durbin (304-456-4509), Yew Mountain Center near Hillsboro (304-653-4079), and Locust Hill Inn in Marlinton (304-799-5471) each offer either one or two night specials and discounts. Give them a call to check availability and pricing. Also, be sure to check out the full list of participants.
If you’re ready for a sweet start to your travel adventures this year, head to Pocahontas County for Mountain State Maple Days in Nature’s Mountain Playground.
