• Tour the historic town of Harper's Ferry, the site of John Brown's rebellion in 1859. See Civil War reenactments or visit numerous museums dedicated to the era. Alternatively, delve into West Virginia's heritage at any of the 200 festivals, fairs, special events, tournaments and races.

• Shoot the rapids on a white-water rafting trip down the New River Gorge National River (website: www.nps.gov/neri), which winds its way through the Appalachians.

• Chug through West Virginia's steep forested mountains on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad steam train. Take the scenic fall foliage tour, or choose from a variety of rail adventures such as the Mystery Theatre or Bluegrass Music train.

• Go camping or hiking in the Monongahela National Forest and Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area in the eastern part of the state. Home to bears and deer, Monongahela offers over 500 campsites and miles of hiking trails.

• Visit one of four resort state parks (website: www.wvparks.com), complete with lodges, cabins, swimming pools, championship golf courses and restaurants. All have excellent naturalist programmes and recreational facilities for all ages.

• Tour the State Capitol in Charleston (website: www.charlestonwv.com), one of the finest Italian Renaissance buildings in the USA.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.