Chief Logan State Park was home to another WV State Parks Farm-to-Table dinner this past weekend. The delicious hone grown food food and the hospitable staff made this an evening to remember ! ALL the Chief Logan staffers from every department were on duty, providing a great meal with warm friendly “family style” service – even through last minute changes due to the weather. The evening started out with a “shot” – as in shots of watermelon “moonshine” – the starter to an incredible meal.
We were lucky enough to be seated across from and beside several Logan County natives, especially enjoying the home-spun stories from Clell and his lovely wife Judy. At the table across the way, Southern West Virginia sports royalty in the house with a smiling Logan High and WVU basketball all star Willie Akers. Among the many other dignitaries, State Delegate Daniel Linville and the WV Dept. of Agriculture’s Jennifer Keaton.
The meal itself included a bounty of locally sourced meat and produce. Beef for the cabbage rolls from the Hazel Dell Farm in Cameron, WV – chicken and cukes from the Blended Homestead in Wheeling – zucchini, squash and incredible fried green tomatoes from the Family Roots Farm in Wellsburg, WV and many more dishes from Summers, Wayne and Preston Counties and beyond, all cooked to perfection by the Chief Logan chefs.
This was out first visit to Chief Logan State Park, and we found a place that is one with nature. The park lies about 50 miles south of Charleston, just off Route 119 (Corridor G) – a few miles north of Logan. The clean, comfortable lodge has 75 rooms, restaurant, indoor pool and hot tub, fitness room and access to the Recreation Center nearby. Chief Logan also has cabins and camping available.
The lodge is a great home base for area activities such as hiking, fishing, outdoor theater, and some of the best ATV trails in the nation. We talked to a family from Dayton, Ohio who have been coming down to the Hatfield-McCoy ATV trail system for the past 12 years. They told us the backwoods trails cover the gamut – from smooth and easy – to hill and hollow challenging – but all are fun.
The highlight of a following morning visit to Downtown Logan, the Nu-Era bakery. That’s where another friendly staff offered us a wide array of fresh pastries. served up with a colorful blend of local history on display.
There are still three more WV State Parks Farm-to-Table dinners on the summer calendar. For details go to https://wvstateparks.com/farm-to-table-2019/ . For fresh food and great fellowship, it’s well worth the trip.