Let’s take a ride, one of my siblings suggested last week. Not just a short ride, but a change of scenery. It isn’t that we don’t love our hometown, but sometimes you have to get out of town to appreciate coming back home.

That was pretty much the consensus of two of my siblings. So we plotted our destination — Lewisburg, West Virginia. Our niece Sara is attending medical school at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg. So we decided to take our ride and visit with Sara.

With my brother, Greg, at the wheel and my sister, Denny, riding shotgun, I enjoyed the view of our state from the back seat. It wasn’t long into our ride that the debate began over whether we were looking at hills or mountains. It became clear that the further south we traveled, the hills we were accustomed to driving became true mountains.

Surprisingly for an early Saturday morning, there was minimal traffic as we wound our way through the state. From the interstate to the country roads, we enjoyed few encounters with other drivers. It was clear that the timber industry was alive and well in the Mountain State. We could not help but notice the logging trucks filled to the rafters and the bare land stripped of its wood.

When we hastily planned our excursion, we forgot that the West Virginia State Fair was taking place in Lewisburg. Although it was the last day of the fair, country star Miranda Lambert was drawing a huge crowd of fans. Thus, traffic in the usual sedate Lewisburg had picked up. Still we managed to find our way to Sara without too much delay. Fortunately, there were police stationed at nearly every intersection into the town which helped keep things moving. Now that’s smart planning.

With Sara as our tour guide, we rode along tree-lined streets where both homeowners and business owners maintained gorgeous floral gardens. She pointed out the home of U.S. Sen. Jim Justice, although we failed to see Baby Dog on the lawn.

The streets were clean and busy with regulars and tourists. A mixture of old and new, Lewisburg is a delight for anyone looking for something eclectic in the shops that line the streets. I noticed numerous books denoting ghost tales of spiritual beings that reportedly haunt the area. While our hotel was situated across from a large cemetery, I failed to see any of the famed ghosts walking its grounds.

There are numerous eateries in town that offer everything from homemade bagels to savory pasta dishes. I highly recommend the menu at the Humble Tomato for a delicious experience.

While Lewisburg is just a stone’s throw from the Greenbrier Resort, we did not venture behind those gates. Instead we attended Mass at St. Charles Borromeo Church which is nearly across the street from the resort. It is a lovely church perched atop a hill.

Monsignor Kevin Quirk, pastor, was surprised and happy to see some old acquaintances from Wheeling. It was a wonderful way to end our visit with Sara.

Lewisburg has a lot of charm and appeal, much like Wheeling. The Friendly City could take a few cues from the southern city for future downtown revitalization. Lewisburg was a nice place to visit, but there is no place like home.

Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.