Are You A Real West Virginian?
Does your Mountain State knowledge make the grade? We've compiled a list of things that every expert West Virginian should know, whether you're a native or a transplant. See how many things you've experienced and which ones will be experienced on your next adventure. Tally up your answers at the end, and if your scores pass muster you can live proud in the knowledge that you're a real West Virginian.
You May Get
Expert
Intermediate
Beginner
Just Visiting
- 1.
Have you stargazed at...- Calhoun County Park? One of the darkest places in the state.
- Green Bank in Pocohantas County?
- in the Canaan Valley in Tucker County?
- A.
Yes all three!
- B.
Two out of three.
- C.
One out of three.
- D.
Not yet..
- 2.
Have you split firewood?Put on your protective gear, grab your maul and splitting wedge, and swing away. Stack it up to stay warm on chilly winter nights.
- A.
Yes!
- B.
Hmmm.. what's a splitting wedge?
- 3.Do you know how to properly pronounce CABELL?"Cab-bull"
- A.
Yes!
- B.
Not exactly.
- 4.
Have you eaten a pepperoni roll?
- A.
More than I can count
- B.
Maybe once or twice
- C.
I don't believe so
- 5.Can you rock climb?
- A.
Yes - that's my kind of adventure!
- B.
Does indoor count?
- C.
Nope not for me.
- 6.Do you know...Spruce Knob is the HIGHEST point in the state, whereas Harpers Ferry is the LOWEST point in the state?
- A.
Yes! Love both of those places.
- B.
I did not know!
- 7.
Have you experienced the wonders of Apple Butter by...
- Slathering it on a biscuit?
- Using it for your cake recipes instead of using oil?
- Put a dollop in your morning oatmeal?
- Use it instead of mayo on a turkey sandwich?
- A.
Yes, yes, yes, and YES.
- B.
I've had it with breakfast a few times.
- C.
I've never had apple butter.
- 8.Do you know how to properly pronounce MONONGAHELA?"Muh-nahn-guh-hee-luh"
- A.
Without hesitation.
- B.
I'm not sure how many syllables that word is.
- 9.
Do you know who Senator Robert C. Byrd is?You'd be hard pressed to find a building in West Virginia not named after him. He was the longest serving U.S. Senator and powerful West Virginian on the national stage, bringing in many federal dollars and projects to the Mountain State.
- A.
Yes!
- B.
Nope.
- 10.Can you exit a ski lift?
- A.
With poise and grace.
- B.
I stumble but I manage.
- C.
I've never been skiing.
- 11.
Can you pack a backpack?You'll need: a poncho, snacks, maps, food, clothing, crew gear, a tent, sleeping bag, and water bottle. Do you have what it takes?
- A.
Easy as pie.
- B.
How does a tent and a sleeping bag fit in the same backpack?
- 12.APPALACHIA: Is it "App-uh-latcha" or "App-uh-lay-sha?"
- A.
App-uh-latcha
- B.
App-uh-lay-sha
- C.
Does it matter? To-may-to, To-mah-to.
- 13.Have you been to these local breweries?
- Big Timber Brewing Company, Elkins
- Bridge Brew Works, Fayetteville
- Charleston Brewing Company, Charleston
- Chestnut Brew Works, Morgantown
- Lost River Brewing Company, Wardensville
- Morgantown Brewing Company, Morgantown
- Mountain State Brewing Company, Thomas
- North End Tavern and Brewery, Parkersburg
- A.
Been to every single one!
- B.
I've been to at least four!
- C.
I've been to about 1-3 of them!
- D.
I haven't been any of those.
- 14.
Have you ever attended Bridge Day?Every year, thousands of people visit Fayetteville to celebrate the famous New River Gorge Bridge. Since 1980 on every third Saturday in October, participants and spectators gather at the bridge to commemorate its completion and celebrate by BASE jumping from the Bridge into the New River.
- A.
Yes! And I can't wait to go this year.
- B.
Jumping off bridges is not my cup of tea.
- 15.Can you sing "Take Me Home, Country Roads?"
- A.
To the place, I belong!
- B.
The John Denver song?
- C.
Never heard of it.
- 16.Do you know whose birthday is June 20?
- A.
Happy Birthday West Virginia!
- B.
I had no idea.
- 17.Have you ever made Sun Tea?(If not, here's how!) Ingredients: 1 large glass pitcher and 6-8 regular size tea bags1. Fill pitcher with 8 cups of cold water then add the tea bags. Seal with lid.2. Place pitcher in full sun (getting 2 to 3 hours, up to 4 hours if you prefer a stronger brew). 3. After brewing, strain and refrigerate until fully chilled. 4. Add ice cubes and any flavorings before serving.
- A.
Yes and it's delicious!
- B.
Sounds like something I'd like to try.
- C.
Nope.
- 18.Do you know the man behind the NBA logo?(Hint: he is a WVU grad!)
- A.
Jerry West, of course!
- B.
Some famous West Virginian?
- C.
The NBA logo is modeled after someone..?
- 19.Can you dress the best dog?
- A.
Slaw and sauce!
- B.
Do you mean a hot dog or a canine?
- 20.Did you know that West Virginia's state flower is the rhododendron?
- A.
Yes, the prettiest flower out there.
- B.
No.
- 21.Who was the first American woman to win a gold medal in gymnastics? (Hint: She's a West Virginian!)
- A.
Mary Lou Retton!
- B.
I had no idea.
- 22.Do you know the Mothman?November 1966 was a strange month for Point Pleasant, as some encountered a creature described as a 7-foot being, shaped like a person but with large red eyes and wings. Named the Mothman, the creature reportedly made an abandoned TNT plant its lair. A month after initial sightings, the Silver Bridge across the Ohio River collapsed, killing more than 40 people. The film "The Mothman Prophecies" was inspired by these events.
- A.
Waiting until the day I meet him!
- B.
Never met him, never heard of him and never want to.
- 23.Do you know how to correctly pronounce "Hurricane," a small town in West Virginia?"HURR-I-CUNN"
- A.
Yes I did!
- B.
So it's not pronounced like the weather?
- 24.Do you know how to tie a fly?
- A.
Of course.
- B.
I've been fishing, but never tied my own.
- C.
Nope.
- 25.Have you read the Telltale Lilac Bush? It's full of West Virginia ghost stories!
- A.
Yes I have!
- B.
I have not, but I'd like to.
- C.
I hate ghost stories.
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