The Elkins Depot Dispatch (March 2021)

THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM
THE ELKINS DEPOT WELCOME CENTER

(304) 635-7803 | elkinsdepot.com | elkinsrandolphwv.com

Happy Ramp Season!

Although we are disappointed that the 2021 Ramp and Rail Festival has been cancelled, we are looking forward to celebrating this local delicacy at the 12th Annual Ramps and Rail Festival on April 23, 2022. With or without the festival, the ramps will soon be ready to dig and prepare in a wide variety of recipes. If you need some inspiration, stop by the Elkins Depot Welcome Center and pick up a ramps cookbook for $7 or $7.50 if you would like one mailed to you or a friend. The Welcome Center is open Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 4pm. You may call 304-635-7803 to order – check or cash only.

Welcoming Motorcyclists

We are enjoying the sunny days and looking forward to welcoming spring visitors as the weather warms up. Behind the scenes, we have been focusing on building a motorcycle marketing campaign to encourage more people to explore our beautiful mountains and valleys.

A new route, with Elkins as the focus, will be featured on a West Virginia motorcycle touring map put out by Freeman Maps. The 2021 map will be available later this spring. If you are a motorcyclist or a fan of winding, scenic drives, check out FreemanMaps.com or stop by the Welcome Center for a copy of the map, when available.

Other Updates

The Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad has not released their full 2021 schedule yet, but tickets for the Cass Bald Knob trip are now available. They also plan to run the new route from Durbin to Cass!

The WV Railroad Museum will open again mid-April and the Appalachian Forest Discovery Center will open again in May. Both are located in the Darden Mill, down the street from the Welcome Center.

Fun Facts

Ramps, scientific name Allium tricoccum, are a member of the lily family which includes onions, garlic, leeks, and other wild edibles. They can be found in a large area of North America roughly from New Brunswick west to Minnesota and south to North Carolina and Tennessee. They’re especially common in the Appalachian mountains.

Spring is just around the corner which means flowers will soon be blooming! The Rhododendron is West Virginia’s state flower. In forests across the state, it blooms with light whitish-pink flowers in late June and early July. The Rhododendron was chosen by school children as the West Virginia state flower in 1903.

The Elkins Depot Dispatch (March 2021)