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Parkersburg - Part 2
Wild and Wonderful
Written by: Janet Pope
Touring the northern section of West Virginia involves, biking, glass factories, historic mansions, and even a side trip to Ohio.
Day 2
Today we enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the North Bend Lodge, but were sad to leave, as we wished we had more time to explore the outdoors. Oh well, something for next time!
We were off on a 1-hour drive to Williamstown, West Virginia, where we toured the Fenton Art Glass Factory and Museum. We met Jim Measell, an associate historian for the company. He is a retired college professor, who took over some of the communication and training for this family owned business. His love of the product and sincere belief in the company was apparent.
Jim told us the Fenton Glass tour was ranked as one of America's ten best tours in "USA Today." Began by Frank Fenton in 1906, the factory has expanded through the years in size and scope, but yet basically continues to make glass with the same process used a hundred years ago. As we toured the facility, we were directly on the working floor for a very up close look at the steps in the glassmaking process.
We saw the raw materials that went into the glass, but what was even more impressive was to see the glass workers all operating as a choreographed team. Each worker has a distinct job, and each job in the multi-layered process is a distinct piece of the pie. The quality control of every glass item is at a high premium, and so each worker has the capability of rejecting a piece that might be flawed in any way.
The actual hot-melting area was bustling with activity and noise. The furnaces are roaring as they belch out heat, and the cool air vents are hissing as they try to cool the workers. All of the glass workers here wear earplugs, and all of the tour guides need to speak into portable amplification systems. When you leave this area and enter the decorating room, you are immediately struck by the serenity and the hush. The room was filled with artisans all busy painting. I was awe struck that this delicate decorating work was still done by hand. Every station had a palette and turntable where the artist was busy working on one piece at a time. It is here that Fenton Glass is meticulously painted with flowers, decorations, and details. There literally was not a sound as we tiptoed past trying hard not to disturb their focus.
Jim had boasted to us that Fenton just doesn't make glass, but it innovates with new molds, new colors, and new techniques. As fascinated as I was with all of this, I was just dying to explore the gift shop! It is a very large shop, which sells not only first-quality merchandise, but also retired glass pieces and "seconds" at a discounted price. I was now hooked on Fenton Glass. You cannot see all of the individual work that goes into each glass creation and not end up with a deep respect and appreciation for Fenton Art Glass! I made a few purchases, and I know I will never look at glass casually again. These items are truly one of a kind, being made in a rare art form.
All that shopping certainly built up my appetite, so we ate nearby at "Da Vinci's Restaurant." This is another family-owned business, opened in 1980 by Jim and Marilyn Pettit. She also intrigued us with her background. Marilyn is a retired nurse, and her husband is a retired banker. Neither had been in the restaurant business before, and neither is an Italian! Well, with great perseverance, and as in Brooklyn we would say "chutzpah," they have created a beautiful dining experience.
We began our meal with mini-German pizza that is a trademark family-owned recipe. Yes, I said German. The crust is filled with chopped corned beef, sauerkraut, cheese, and spices. To an Italian, this combination just didn't sound right, but it was a very tasty change from the Italian style I was familiar with. Marilyn has had so many requests for this pizza that they now make, freeze and then sell them. Next, we tried the soup of the day, Potato Leek, which was filled with potato chunks and delicious.
We shared two entrees: one was the shrimp fettuccini that was light yet creamy. The other is a signature dish to the restaurant- Mona Lisa Spaghetti. This is vermicelli topped with a meat sauce, mushrooms, peppers, pepperoni and cheese. I found this dish a little too spicy for my taste, but Marilyn explained how this is one of their top sellers, so who can argue with success?
We ended our meal with two types of pie: a coconut custard and a chocolate peanut butter - both delicious. Marilyn's daughter does all the pastries. Chris, the dining room manager, checked on how we were doing and showed us her notebook system. This restaurant has such a loyal following that patrons can request to be called when their favorite foods are being served. My husband wanted to sign up immediately but unfortunately I think the drive from Brooklyn, New York, would make the meal cost prohibitive.
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Lee Middleton Doll Factory | |
Now that we were stuffed, we headed across the Ohio River to Belpre to see the Lee Middleton Doll Factory. There we toured the Nursery where little ones (and big ones) can come to "adopt" a baby doll. The workers are dressed in hospital attire, and the applicant goes through an entire adoption process. These handmade life-like dolls begin at $109, and each one is adorable. In 1978, Lee Middleton literally began this business on her dining room table. Now, the company produces 4,000 dolls in one week, and has become the largest doll maker in the United States. Most of the large toy companies mass produce their dolls overseas.
Because of the individuality of each doll, and the hands-on approach to its making, it takes one year from concept to reality. We were amazed to watch workers individually paint on freckles or glue on eyelashes. The company has had some difficult financial times, trying to make a quality product and still keep prices reasonable, but the business had quite a boost when Oprah put her stamp of approval on it a few years ago. She mentioned them on her TV show as a top choice for a holiday gift. Then J.C. Penney's carried the dolls in their catalog.
The dolls are collectibles to many people, and even though I am not a doll collector as such, I couldn't help but fall in love with quite a few. Even Don, who has no interest in dolls, couldn't help but be impressed with the production end of this operation.
I noticed Don was getting fidgety roaming the gift shop. It seems the next stop on our itinerary was a chocolate factory tour. Don was both excited and drooling. Fritz Holl a native of Germany began the Holl's Swiss Chocolatier in 1986. Fritz trained in Switzerland in the art of European-style chocolate making. After 30 years of making candy for family and friends, Fritz decided to open a business. His son and daughter-in-law now run the candy factory, and they have carried the business to new heights. The Holls import pure chocolate directly from Switzerland and create delicious milk chocolates, dark chocolates and truffles. Their chocolates have no chemicals, and everything is made naturally and sold fresh. The Holls accomplished a European-style business atmosphere where customers can enjoy a "dessert atmosphere." Fresh chocolate, fresh coffee, and wonderful wine selections, all complete in this cosmopolitan shop. Around the room, the various chocolates are featured in glass column display cases, and orders are placed individually. We got a few samples of quite a few chocolates, and there's no way you would want to leave without a gift for someone else, especially yourself.
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Trans Allegheny Book Store | |
Our last stop of the day was the Trans Allegheny Book Store, housed in a Carnegie Library building. Built in 1905, the building was used as a public library until 1976, and then it became a County Library until 1984, when it was slated to be demolished. It was then privately purchased and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, so it would never again face the wrecking ball. After some renovations, the bookstore opened in 1985, with much of the original inside intact: woodwork, spiral staircase, glass floors and library shelves. The store now houses over 500,000 used and new books for sale. I had been looking for a 25-piece set of children's books for a very long time, and I found them here. Now, I had to talk Donald into lugging them back to New York!
We arrived at the Comfort Inn in Mineral Wells, West Virginia, with glass, chocolates, and books in hand. After checking in, we enjoyed an elegant dinner in their restaurant. I didn't know how we would be able to eat after our filling lunch, but the food was too good to pass up. Our meal began with a creamy orange/carrot soup- deliciously different. Next, we had a season salad topped with pepper jack cheese, avocado, mushrooms, mandarin oranges and walnuts, with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. We were given a strawberry lemon sorbet to cleanse our palettes.
Our main course was a chicken roulade with lemon rosemary sauce, twice-baked potatoes and asparagus with honey sauce. I don't know how we managed to, but I actually tried their cherry almond mousse pie.
We then spent the rest of the evening relaxing and reading in our suite. Our rooms were spacious with a living room, a bedroom, a small kitchen area, and a very large bathroom with a Jacuzzi-style tub. This room was too beautiful not to enjoy. As I soaked in my bubble bath, munching on chocolate covered strawberries from Holl's and reading a newly-acquired book, I thought to myself, "Yes, West Virginia is truly wonderful, and this is as wild as I get!"
Read part 1 | Read part 3
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