Cabela's at the Highlands

I traveled with my St. Michael’s friends outside the city limits of Wheeling to a new retail center called the Highlands. It has stores, restaurants, and even a movie theater. More new places are being built there, but the place that I liked best was Cabela’s. It’s a store that also has huge animal exhibits and an aquarium in it. I saw life-size deer, elephants, cheetahs, moose, beavers, and several bears! Most of the black bears and grizzly bears look like me, but there was even a polar bear!

Howard Long Wellness Center

My friends from St Michael’s took me to the Howard Long Wellness Center, a division of Wheeling Hospital. There are no video games at this exercise center, but I had a chance to ride the exercise bike for 10 minutes! Children should exercise 20 minutes a day three or more times a week to stay healthy. Shaping-up is hard work – and I want my friends to get moving and eat good foods.

Wheeling Suspension Bridge

Not far from Independence Hall is the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, the oldest operating suspension bridge in the world! It was built in 1849 and is 1010 feet long and about 100 feet high. On May 17, 1854 it flipped upside down in high winds and fell into the Ohio River! It was rebuilt quickly because it was so important to many people. It was very exciting being so high up above the water! (And sometimes I could feel the bridge vibrate when the cars went by!)

Independence Hall

Wow, there sure is a lot of WV history in this town! I visited the old Wheeling Custom House that was built in 1859. This building was the meeting place of the Second Wheeling Convention, which drew up WV’s Declaration of Independence from Virginia. The building also served as the first capitol of West Virginia on June 20, 1863. You know what happened on that date, don’t you!? It was renamed Independence Hall in 1964.

Traveling with St. Michael Students

My friends from St. Michael Parish School took me to another place that was founded before West Virginia became a state. The Linsly School, founded in 1814 in Wheeling, Virginia, is the oldest preparatory school west of the Allegheny Mountains. It became an all boys military school to prepare young men for the Civil War.

Beginning My 2009 Travels

I’m heading for St. Michael Parish School in Wheeling on this cold day in January. When I stopped at the Wheeling Coffee and Spice Co. near the Wesbanco Civic Center for a warm drink, I noticed this writing at the base of the pillars at the entrance. Wheeling was a city before West Virginia even existed! I wonder if Sweeney built parts for steamboats since I’m so close to the Ohio River?

My trip to Little Beaver State Park

Do you want to know about my trip to Little Beaver State Park? I'll start off with this sign that I saw. First, I saw this sign that said "Little Beaver State Park". Next, I saw a picture of a dark brown beaver. It was interesting seeing all the people having fun. Another thing that was the most interesting to me was the waterfall. I got to sit on the side of the bridge that was above the river from the waterfall. Finally, I got to see people canoeing. That looked like fun. That was my trip to Little Beaver State Park.