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Known for its recreation wonders and thriving small towns, West Virginia is also a vibrant sports hub. From Saturday night D1 college football games to energetic minor league baseball games, Almost Heaven is always in the game somewhere. Grab your friends and family and root for these six Mountain State sports teams that will turn you into fans! Wheeling Nailers Did you know there’s minor-league hockey in West Virginia? In the Northern Panhandle, you’ll find the Wheeling Nailers, a minor league ice hockey team based in Wheeling competing in the East Coast Hockey League. The Nailers are the ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins affiliate of the American Hockey League. Where fast-paced energy and passionate fans meet, WesBanco Arena comes to life after the opening puck drop. Seasons typically run from late October to mid-April with the Kelly Cup Playoffs to follow if necessary. Let’s Go Nailers! Charleston Dirty Birds Catch a baseball game (and maybe a fly ball) in the heart of Charleston and cheer on Charleston Dirty Birds. This team competes in the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a Major League Baseball partner organization. The

Images and editorial supplied by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation At Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia, discover the story of America’s first permanent English colony, founded in 1607, and the ensuing convergence of the Powhatan Indian, English and West Central African cultures, vividly recounted through film, indoor gallery exhibits and outdoor living history. Discover the stories of real people and events of early Virginia in exhibition galleries incorporating new historical research and innovative technology. Experience 30,000-square-feet of immersive exhibits with an expanded collection of 500 artifacts, dynamic displays, engaging interactives and 4D theater. Outdoors, visitors can escape to the past in life-size re-creations of a Paspahegh town, the ships that brought English colonists to Virginia in 1607, and a 1610-1614 fort. Visitors can try on armor, shape a dugout canoe, steer with a ship’s tiller, and other activities that make the past come alive. Immersive Films and Refreshed Gallery Exhibits Begin your visit with “1607: A Nation Takes Root,” a docudrama that traces the evolution of the Virginia Company that sponsored the Jamestown colony, examines the relationship between the English colonists and the Powhatan Indians, and chronicles the arrival of the first recorded West Central Africans in 1619. Gallery exhibits

An 18th Century-Style Retail Village The plan was to relocate the scattered shops in the district to a central location along what is now known as Duke of Gloucester Street, between William & Mary and the Historic Area. Merchants Square was designed to incorporate the many perspectives that helped shape the British Colonial and early American landscape, mixing the designs of American architects, such as Thomas Jefferson, with the building influences of Caribbean warehouses.  Today, Merchants Square boasts more than 40 shops and restaurants. Both locals and visitors flock to Merchants Square for the one-of-a-kind shopping, dining, special events or just for a scenic stroll along the bricks. Take a retail adventure into the mix of nostalgic shops and chic boutiques at Merchants Square. This historic retail village showcases posh apparel and fashions from distinguished designers. The square also houses jewelry stores, colonial-inspired souvenir shops, a classic candy store and William & Mary campus store. Specialty shops include cooking and kitchen supplies, and fine houseware items to transform your home into a swanky abode. The restaurants within Merchants Square range from upscale eateries to quaint cafés and pub fare. Local restaurants entice visitors with a wide range of rich and