Are you ready to escape life in the big city - and all of the crowds, concrete and congestion that come with it? Then it’s time to discover West Virginia’s small-town "gems."

The Mountain State is full of charming little towns of tree-lined streets dotted with boutique shops, unique restaurants, art galleries and cultural opportunities. And what’s more, these towns are tucked into the most beautiful natural surroundings offering fresh air, breathtaking vistas and plenty of peace and quiet.

But perhaps what is even more alluring is the down-home hospitality and laid-back lifestyle that combine to create the perfect antidote from the stress of your daily grind. Life moves at a slower pace here. And that’s just the way we like it.

Whether you visit artistic communities in the Eastern Panhandle and Greenbrier Valley, historic towns along the Ohio River, outdoor recreation meccas in the New River Gorge, or any place in between, West Virginia offers a wealth of small-town venues where the frazzled city dweller can find respite.

Long walks in peaceful neighborhoods, chats with local old-timers, sorting through antiques or strolling through galleries, a massage, a good cup of coffee and a glass of fine wine are only a few of the attractions of these West Virginia small towns. And the scenic "Country Roads" you take to get to them are just as appealing as the destinations themselves.

While there are literally dozens of wonderful little towns in West Virginia, visit www.wvescapes.com for an in-depth look at five chosen for their especially quaint nature. Privately owned shops, unique attractions, and small-town warmth permeate the state but Berkeley Springs, Elkins, Fayetteville, Lewisburg and Shepherdstown are especially known for their delightful hospitality and charming atmosphere.

Visitors can take a quick weekend jaunt away from the big city and feel truly refreshed by the clean air, warm greetings, and slower pace offered by these "gems". Many visitors turn into residents when they find out how close some of these little towns are to major cities. In fact, Shepherdstown is only about eighty miles from both Baltimore and Washington, DC.

	Small Towns in the Big City

Some of West Virginia’s most attractive "small towns" are actually neighborhoods in the big city. A case in point is Julia-Ann Square Historic District in Parkersburg, a city perched on the banks of the Ohio River across from Belpre, Ohio.

About four blocks long and two blocks wide, this residential district is a showplace of the gracious 19th and early-20th century homes of pioneering oil, gas and lumber barons, bankers, politicians and other community leaders of the time.

With the help of a free walking-tour brochure complete with photos of each home, we stroll through the neighborhood, admiring the turrets, stained glass windows, huge oak doors and other features of Italianate, Cape Cod, Dutch Colonial, Colonial Williamsburg and other architectural styles.

Another small-town facet of Parkersburg is actually an island. Board a paddle sternwheeler on the riverfront for a 20-minute trip to Blennerhassett Island, now a state park, named after an Irishman who settled there with his family in 1798. Blennerhassett built a 7,000-square-foot Palladian mansion, which burned in 1811 and has been rebuilt on its original foundations and furnished with antiques.

After a day of visiting the "small towns" of Parkersburg, settle down for a tranquil sleep in one of the two bed-and-breakfasts in the Julia-Ann Square district – but only after a night out at The Blennerhassett Hotel, a century-old, beautifully restored hostelry and a member of the National Trust Historic Hotels of America. At the hotel’s restaurant, Spats, dine on gourmet fare accompanied by excellent wine selected from their extensive, international list.

	Charleston and Beyond

Another option for West Virginia small-town experiences within the city is Charleston, the state capital, which becomes one big small town every Memorial Day weekend when it’s filled with fiddlers, mandolin- and dulcimer-players, square dancers and other practitioners of Appalachian heritage who congregate for the Vandalia Gathering, a free celebration of the region’s arts, culture, food and ethnic heritage.

From there, it’s not far west to Huntington, where the small-town atmosphere prevails in the Heritage Village section, an award-winning complex of shops and historic railroad memorabilia including a locomotive and Pullman car.

Down in the southern part of the state is tiny Bramwell, with 426 residents, famed in the late 19th century as "the richest small town in America." The mansions of its former residents, who made their fortunes in coal, are part of a historic district that can be explored on a walking tour.

	Hollywood, West Virginia-Style

A historic town that’s become a mecca for film buffs? This may sound like a contradiction in terms, but that’s what has happened in Shepherdstown.

The new Shepherdstown Film Society offers free movies most Friday nights and discussions afterward, but that’s only the beginning. Other film options include outdoor summertime movies for children projected on the back wall of the library building, the annual American Conservation Film Festival, an international film festival each May and specially scheduled film events at Shepherd University.

A commercial theater in The Shepherdstown Opera House shows current, independent and foreign films. For information and links to most of the area’s film events, visit www.shepherstownfilmsociety.org.