Make your way to Almost Heaven’s Northern Panhandle for 48 Hours

The slender Northern Panhandle at the top of West Virginia is home to riverside activities, arts, shopping, hiking and more. If you only have 48 hours to spend in this region, make sure to add these must-see stops to your trip. Take I-70 or I-470 toward Wheeling to start your trip:

Day 1

Grab breakfast at Sarah’s on Main for a fresh baked good. They feature a variety of croissants, quiche and espresso drinks.

Afterward, take a trip to Newell to visit the Homer Laughlin China Factory. You can see the home of the world-famous Fiesta Dinnerware and take a tour of how it’s made.

Be sure to swing by the World’s Largest Teapot to see the 14-foot-tall teapot that signifies the area’s once-booming pottery industry.

Return to Wheeling and visit the Centre Wheeling Market to enjoy lunch. There are a number of unique eateries that offer soups, sandwiches and more.

You can take a tour of Wheeling Independence Hall, a National Historic Landmark, which is the birthplace of West Virginia.

For dinner, enjoy an Italian dinner at Figaretti’s Restaurant, which also sells their homemade sauce if you want to take some home.

Spend your evening relaxing at Oglebay Resort, a 1,700-acre, year-round resort with a spa, dining facilities, pool, fitness center and more. To round out your evening, you can toast s’mores over the open fire pits to cap off your night.

Day 2

Enjoy breakfast at Oglebay’s Ihlenfeld Dining Room for breakfast buffet during the weekend. You can choose from eggs, bacon, sausage, pastries and more.

After breakfast, head south to the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Center to see one of the largest and most famous burial grounds from the Adena people.

And if you’re into spooky history, you can also visit the West Virginia Penitentiary to see the famous site for paranormal investigators and take a tour.

For lunch, enjoy local favorite Undo’s Italian Restaurant in Benwood for authentic Italian meals.

Swing by the Wheeling Suspension Bride: The first bridge of its kind in the world, it was the longest until the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Spend your afternoon at Grand Vue Park, where you can enjoy a three-hour zip line canopy tour, splash in the pool, play disc golf and more.

Take a trip over to Wheeling Island Hotel – Casino – Racetrack to try your hand at lady luck to round out your trip in the Northern Panhandle.

This post was last updated on March 1, 2022