Top 5 reasons WV is the best place on Earth

Long-in-the making post from a month ago: 

This past weekend, I endured 20 hours of driving (roundtrip) to visit my family in West Virginia. As a graduate student trying to finish dissertation research, even taking a few days off to see your parents feels like an imposition. That statement makes me feel incredibly guilty, but it's true. A few days away from summer students and research and all the annoyances that come with science may seem like a vacation, but four days off equals eight days behind. Part of that is because my PI is out of town and half the summer students depend on me to keep their projects going. Ah well, that's what I get for being an overachiever and/or too nice.

All the photos below are from the eastern region of the state. 

While driving, I contemplated why WV should count as a travel destination. I'm a big fan of lists (Buzzfeed is a guilty pleasure of mine) so I thought I'd list 5 reasons why WV is the best place on Earth. 

1. Gorgeous scenery: from the Appalachian Mountains, to the Ohio River Valley, WV chock-full of beautiful vistas. 

View from Dolly Sods across Canaan Valley, WV

2. Moonshine: celestial and otherwise. West Virginia is actually one of the best star-watching places east of the Mississippi River in the United States. And the state has a long history of 'shining. 

 3. Interesting Flora: The photo above is some mountain laurel.  Mountain laurel and rhododendron are such a integral part of my WV memories. People had rhododendron and azaleas in their yards. We took Easter photos in front of the giant round bushes. Mountain laurel hints at the untamed areas of WV. I remember hiking up creek beds in the eastern part of the state and only seeing mountain laurel on both sides. 

 4.Wild and Wonderful: the state's motto. Eloquent and succinct. 

5. It's a quiet life. Time seems to be captured in the hills. Generations pass. Traditions are handed down. Although the advent of urbanization and suburbanization never stops,  it seems to be slowed by a decade or two in West Virginia...