West Virginia Waterfalls

Jackson County, West Virginia

Major Highways

Interstate 77
U.S. Highway 33
West Virginia Route 2
West Virginia Route 34
West Virginia Route 62
West Virginia Route 68
West Virginia Route 87


Jackson County, West Virginia is my home. This is where I grew up, on the Ohio River in the small town of Ravenswood. Like many young people, when I lived here I couldn't wait to leave. When I moved away, I couldn't wait to move back. While I was away, there was always a sense that this was my home, this is where my roots attach me to the earth. I missed the Ohio River, and the Mid-Ohio Valley. I missed the rolling hills and the mountains. I missed the friendliness of the people. I missed everything about this place.

After being away for nearly twenty-five years I moved back home to Ravenswood, where I live in a house that sits at the river's edge. From my front deck I have an unobstructed view of the river in both directions, and on the opposite bank is a beautiful view of the wooded hills in rural Meigs County, Ohio.

Immediately I set about exploring the area surrounding Ravenswood, and seeing again those places I used to go when I was a kid. I expanded my explorations to include all of Jackson County by taking drives along the many country roads crisscrossing the county. Here I see the beauty of this place that I missed so much. My soul feels at peace in this place, and I absorb the beauty, the sights, sounds, and smells of all that I find here, all that I have forgotten over the years, and know that finally I am home.

A Place To Start

Every trip needs a statring point and a destination. For this post they are one in the same: my hometown of Ravenswood, West Virginia.

My travels begin where they left off twenty-five years ago. That is when I moved away from the small town where I grew up on the Ohio River. Located in the Mid-Ohio Valley at a point called the Great Bend, the Ohio River makes a horseshoe bend. The land was surveyed by George Wasington, and is one of two large tracts awarded to him for his service in the French and Indian War. Full of beauty and rich in history, it is now the perfect location for my base of operations since my recent return to my hometown and my home state.

I am fortunate enough to live right on the river, and the view is simply amazing. I walk out of my living room onto a deck overlooking the river, located just about fifty yards distance. From here I can see all kinds of traffic as it makes its way up and down the river. Sternwheelers, barges, pleasure boats of every description, paddlers, row boats, and rafts all enjoy the beauty of the Ohio River.

Ravenswood is a great place to live, and a perfect location to start my travels around this beautiful state. I hope that you will join me as I travel and show you what West Virginia has to offer, both residents and visitors alike. I hope you will find someting of interest and return often to keep up with my travels.