Nestled in a small town on the rim of the New River Gorge is an eclectic community of outdoor recreation enthusiast, artists, and native West Virginians. The town is Fayetteville, WV and it served as my, and my wife's, home base of operations for many years. I met my wife there and we had our first child in those mountains. The Appalachian hills of West Virginia have long held a special place in our hearts. Harriet was drawn to the river and me to the rock cliffs that lined the gorge. Lately we'd begun to miss the earth, the water and the tribe that recreates upon them both. It is an important place.

Last week I saw this short film and it really resonated.

THE IMPORTANT PLACES. from gnarly bay on Vimeo.

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So we decided that this year we would make a concerted effort to make it back to the big green ditch often, and to take our kids on occasion, so that they to could know this place and the family of friends we have there. The night before our trip this past weekend I asked my eldest daughter if she was excited to go back to the place she was born.

She replied, "Yes. Do you think the people will be nice?

I kissed the top of her head, "these people have loved you since before you were born."

The next morning I loaded up the truck for 48 hours of West Virginia fun.

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We hit the road midday on Saturday and made it to the new rest area in White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia a couple hours later. The Vincent girls in the mountains.

We arrived late afternoon, and stopped into one of the amazing/ one of our favorite restaurants in Fayetteville, Pies and Pints. You need some of this in your life. P n' P was started by two of our Fayetteville friends, Dave and Kim, and it is now branching out into other regions. Visit one, you won't be disappointed.

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Harriet and I were married out at The Confluence Resort, a 300 acre idyllic spot that rests above the confluence of the Gauley River and the Meadow River. Good friend and proprietor, Pervis Major, hosts weddings, events and vacationers on this beautiful stretch of Appalachia. My wife and I had our first real date out there, got married there and celebrated our first anniversary there. We stayed in the Hemlock Cabin on this visit. Waking up on the rim of the gorge is invigorating.

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We then headed to the New River Gorge to hike the Endless Wall Trail with good friends Kenny and Kristy and their boy Owen. Kenny is one of the owners of Water Stone Outdoors, a favored core gear shop, where I worked for 7+ years. The Endless Wall Trail recently won top honors in USA Today's Readers' Choice contest for "Best National Park Hike". We walked out to Diamond Point, a must stop for anyone visiting the gorge.

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The rest of the day was spent shooting bows, rock climbing in a barn and visiting friends. There was also a late afternoon pool siesta at another friend's house. You can rent these sweet digs on VRBO for your next vacation. Doesn't get much better than this little slice of heaven.

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The next morning we awoke at the Confluence Resort and loaded up for the ride home. My wife was set to paddle the Lower New with good friend Katie Johnson. But before we met Katie, I tried to fly the PaddleVa drone over the Confluence. The wind was a little to strong but I still got a shot or two. The Gauley River Gorge is beautiful.

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My girls and I served as shuttle bunnies for Katie and my wife, dropping them at Cunard and promising to pick them up from Fayette Station. I asked my wife to take the GoPro but she insisted that her first time being back in her kayak, on the New, was a camera-less event. "I need some soul boating." she said.

Hard to argue with that, and she deserves a little soul time as a full time mom, a working ER nurse, and a Masters in Nursing student at UVA. I still snapped a few pics though. ;)

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The New was running at 6 feet and Katie and Harriet had it all to themselves. I've run shuttle for these two on several occasions, and I'll always be happy to do it. The smile on my wife's face, after recreating in this eden of adventure with her friends, is worth every mile driven. My wife's been running this river for over half her life and many years have been spent running it with Katie. Soul boating for sure.

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Harriet is humble, even with me, but Katie spilled the goods as soon as we picked them up. "Harriet was shredding it out there. She was pulling cartwheels and surfing waves like she never left."

After almost two years away from kayaking it seems my lovely lady hasn't lost a step.

My father-in-law was making drives to go whitewater kayaking at the New River Gorge before my wife was even born. As a child Harriet spent many days playing in the Fayette Station parking lot with her older sister, waiting for Bob to come down the river. I had to smile looking at our girls, playing in the same spot, as their mother finished boating that same river. Life has come full circle.

I tend to monopolize a lot of time on the home front here in Virginia with all of my kayak fishing adventures, but when it comes to West Virginia kayaking, I have no qualms taking a backseat or rather the driver's seat of the shuttle truck. Like many of the families we know and love in West "by God," we are comprised of adventurers. My wife and I met late in life, after we had cultivated our individual lives of adventure and recreation. It has been an adjustment to raise children and find the time for "soul" pursuits, but it is very vital to our happiness.

Driving home with the family, telling stories, my wife and I looked at each other and smiled. We agreed, the trip to our old hometown was a great Team Vincent recharge getaway. Our love was born in these hills and in these hills we reconnect with that initial spark, that essential magic. It's an important place.

Whether you are a hardcore adventurer or you prefer casual weekend excursions, head to the New River Gorge. Visit the above folks and businesses, visit Secret Sandwich Society ( so delicious), as well as the other great places in the area. It truly is a gem, a national treasure, and it's accessible to a huge contingent of the East Coast. And take my word for it, the West Virginia tribe consists of some of the finest people you will ever meet. The vibe is warm, the psyche is strong and the scenery is breathtaking.

When we got home some friends asked, " You guys went to visit in West Virginia? Do you have family there?

Yes we do. Go visit. You'll become family too.

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