Event Planning
written by katlin swisher
Photo by Justin Harris/Canaan Valley Resort.
After-Hours
Conference Fun
F
or many, having to attend a business conference
or retreat can seem more like a chore than the
opportunity it presents. In order to help turn that
stigma around and give your employees something to look
forward to, plan your next getaway at one of these venues
where the local communities are ripe with opportunity for
a variety of extracurricular, off-the-clock adventures.
Bavarian Inn
Located in historic Shepherdstown, the Bavarian Inn is an
alpine-style inn only an hour from Washington, D.C. and
Baltimore, MD, and minutes from Harpers Ferry, Antietam
Battlefield and the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town
Races. Stroll around Shepherdstown, West Virginia’s oldest
town, to visit its quaint shops, all of which are locally owned
boutiques and specialty stores. The Historic Shepherdstown
Museum, located in the Entler Hotel, preserves and displays
artifacts, furniture and historical documents that might
otherwise have been lost. The museum is open on weekends,
and admission is free and open to the public. If you are
seeking more of an outdoor adventure, visit the Harpers
The Bavarian Inn.
Photo by Jefferson
County CVB.
Ferry National Historical Park, where you can access four
miles of the Appalachian Trail within the state’s borders.
Also located in Harpers Ferry, River Riders Family Adventure
Resort offers whitewater rafting, zip lining and float trips
down the Potomac River.
The Blennerhassett Hotel
Opening its doors in 1889, The Blennerhassett Hotel in
Parkersburg is a relic from the oil and natural gas boom in the
Ohio Valley in the 1800s. Ride the ferry to Blennerhassett
Island Historical State Park, home of the Blennerhassett
Mansion and the site of the alleged plot by Aaron Burr and
Harman Blennerhassett to establish a southwest empire.
Narrated wagon rides, guided mansion tours, hiking trails
and picnic facilities are also available at the park. For
www.wve xe c uti v e.com
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