View from the top of Ft. Boreman, Parkersburg, West Virginia

Parkersburg, West Virginia was not on my “Go To” list until recently when my husband and I headed there for a quick weekend away. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers, Parkersburg is a pint-sized package of important aspects of American history. From pre-Civil War to the oil and gas boom to the height of manufacturing, Parkersburg’s history is a nutshell version of our shared tale of industriousness and the quest for new horizons.Many attractions are within easy walking distance of each other making a Parkersburg trip easy and relaxing.

Fort Boreman Historical Park – Located off US 50, Marrtown Rd exit  just 2 miles from downtown, this park is a fitting starting place for a Parkersburg tour. From the vantage point of the park’s hill you can see both rivers, the train tressels that give testament to Parkersburg industrial past, and a large part of the city. Fort Boreman was also an important spot during the Civil War. There are remnants of the Union fortification that once exited here.

Toilet exhibit at Blennerhasset Museum of Regional History

Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History – 137 Juliana St.  Along with showcasing items that depict the history of Blennerhasset Island and the family that lived there, this museum features unusual objects of Ohio Valley history dating back to 9000 B.C. When I visited, there was an unusual displays of early toilets as a special exhibit.

The museum is housed in a building that has served as a grocery store and a warehouse. This is an example of a re-purposed building done right. It’s gorgeous.

Oil and Gas Museum, 119 3rd St. This museum is a facinating mix of items important to Parkersburg and West Virginia history. There’s more than oil and gas industry paraphenelia. Wandering from room to room and floor to floor of what was once a massive hardware store, I was able to gather how life in the United States has changed from pre-Civil War days to the boom and demise of major manufacturing. You could go back here dozens of times and find some other treasure you didn’t see before.

The Oil and Gas Museum in Parkersburg, West Virginia

Julia-Ann Square Historic District – Juliana and Ann Sts between 9th and 13th Sts. Pick up a walking tour brochure at the Blennerhasset Museum or the Blennerhasset Hotel.  The tour leads you past the finest homes in Parkersburg. Here is where prominent people lived back when Parkersburg was a booming center of trade and industry. The houses, dating between 1850 and 1910 are a gorgeous mix of Second Empire, 19th century eclectic and Queen Anne style architecture. In 1977, Julia-Ann Square acquired prominence by landing a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

Several residents were outside gardening or sitting on their porches while we walked by and were happy to talk.

Julia-Ann Square Historic District, Parkersburg, W Virginia

Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park, accessible via sternwheeler. (Purchase tickets at the Blennerhassett Museum, 137 Juliana St.) This island is where Irish aristocrat Herman Blennerhasset called home.  His Palladian style mansion burned to the ground in 1811 but has been  reconstructed to reflect the times when Blennerhassett was a prominent figure. Blennerhassett was accused, along with Aaron Burr, of treason for allegedly trying to establish a southwest empire.

From May to October, costumed docents lead tours of the mansion. Alas, we were in Parkersburg a week before the season opened. That’s okay. This just means I’m heading back to Parkersburg. I’m thinking about the fall when the colors will be at their peak.

The historic Blennerhassett Hotel in Parkersburg

Blennerhassett Hotel - If you are spending time exploring a town’s history, stay in its historic hotel. The Blennerhasset Hotel, built in the late nineteenth century, is a Parkerburg  gem and downtown centerpiece. We stayed in a King room. On the weekends there are specials to entice guests. Our package was the Spring Fling which included a $20 gift card to use in the hotel and two Starbucks drinks. Our room rate for one night was $119. We used the gift card for the hotel’s sumptuous Sunday brunch.  After the gift card, brunch cost us  $15 and some change plus the tip.

320 Market St
304/422-3131;800/262-2536

http://www.theblennerhassett.com

Post and photos courtesy of Jamie Rhein, member of Midwest Travel Writers Association

America’s National Parks, a Pop-Up Book, features unique depictions of some of our most beloved national parks. Photo provided by W.W. West.

When you hear “pop up book,” you immediately think of children. However, adults can find just as much joy in America’s National Parks, a Pop-Up Book as their young counterparts.

Innovative book design

America’s National Parks, a Pop-Up Book is not your every day coffee table book. It takes readers on a tour of some of America’s most famous national parks, through pop-up art. The art literally comes off the page to offer a 3-D glimpse of the parks you just don’t see in other books. The design team of the book includes concept and text by Don Compton, paper engineer Bruce Foster, and award-winning illustrator Dave Ember.

Because the pop art is the focal point of the book, text on each page is cleverly placed in foldout sections, which contain yet more pop art. The overall design is drawn from 1930s WPA posters, giving the book a timeless feel.

The stunning visuals of this pop-up book make it fun for everyone to learn about national parks. Photo provided by W.W. West.

Fun yet functional book

America’s National Parks, a Pop-Up Book is educational as well as fun to look at. It contains information on 18 national parks, 6 of which include the titular pop-ups. From Florida’s Everglades National Park to California’s Yosemite, this book is overflowing with information, presented in a way that is fun but not overwhelming.

The Great Smoky Mountains, along with several other national parks, are presented in vivid 3D form. Photo provided by W.W. West.

For a good cause, read this book

Buying this book will do more than just provide reading material and a book for your coffee table. Proceeds from each copy will go to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), with the goal being to raise $100,000 for parks. America’s National Parks, a Pop-Up Book comes in two hand-assembled versions: the regular edition, of which $8 goes to NPCA, and the deluxe limited edition, which gives $80 to NPCA.

Only 1200 copies for Deluxe Limited Edition are being produced, each numbered and autographed by the paper engineer, illustrator, and author. Each will feature the NPCA mission statement stamped in gold foil on the slipcover and an NPCA logo pop-up above the mission statement, all enclosed in a black cloth slipcase.

I have the page open to Yellowstone as I write this. I’ve never been to Yellowstone National Park, but with Old Faithful rising a foot off the page and a huge bison coming at me, I can only imagine what it’s like.  I’m not much of a “picture book” person, but I enjoyed this pop-up book, and imagine it will become a well-loved part of my collection.

Where to buy: National Parks Pop-Up Book

Suggested Retail: $34.95

This is a guest post by Melanie Conrad. W.W. West, Inc supplied me with this National Parks book for review.

Seven billion human beings live on this planet today. Yet for all of our vast collective knowledge, the ocean remains a largely uncharted territory. We rely on it for food, transportation, and minerals, but do we really understand it?

From the formation of earth’s ocean to future preservation, Planet Ocean, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, aims to shed a little light on our planet’s main waterways.  Planet Ocean was the official cinematography winner at the Blue Ocean Film Festival.  Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Program, also presented it to the leaders of Rio+20 conference in June 2012.

Narrated by Josh Duhamel and directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Michael Pitiot, Planet Ocean is a visually stunning trip across the oceans.  From the smallest plankton to the biggest whale, Planet Ocean’s  cinematography makes you feel like you’re right there with the underwater camera crew.

Planet Ocean is an entertaining and educational film, a must-see for lovers of the sea.

Did you know that mackerel hibernate? Or that it takes a drop of water 1,000 years to complete its ocean current cycle? Planet Ocean is full of facts like this that even this former marine biologist wannabe didn’t know.  It’s presented in a way that makes it interesting for adults and children alike, with a perfect balance of visual ocean action and dialogue.

One of my favorite segments of this move was about life on coral reefs, which provide some of the most colorful and unique scenes in nature. I paused the disc on this scene because there was just so much to look at, and I didn’t want to miss anything.

Mankind and the sea on film

Planet Ocean taught me that half the world’s population lives less than 100 km from the water. And, much like our early ancestors, we continue to rely on the sea to provide us with food, minerals, and other vital substances. So while Planet Ocean is entertaining, this movie shares a cautionary tale.

“Everything around us suffers from our existence,” narrates Josh Duhamel. This statement is followed by several haunting images of birds’ stomach contents. Plastic, trash, and other detritus filled the stomachs of these birds, causing them to die prematurely.

From China to Brazil, Planet Ocean takes viewers on a whirlwind tour of earth’s waterways.

The thrill of Planet Ocean lies in the fact that it takes viewers on a journey to a place that most of us will never be able to see in person. The final on-screen message of Planet Ocean is “let’s act now.”  As the documentary film suggests, perhaps the time for action has come, so that those lucky few who have a chance to explore the ocean are still safely able to enjoy its natural beauty for years to come.

Where to buy: Planet Ocean on DVD

Price: $20.95

Related Post: Lonely Planet’s Extreme Planet Book Review

This is a guest post by Melanie Conrad. Universal Studios Home Entertainment supplied me with this Planet Earth blu-ray for review.