[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 65 (Thursday, May 6, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4845-S4847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 VISIT WILD AND WONDERFUL WEST VIRGINIA

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, May 2-8 is National Tourism Week, and I 
would like to take a few minutes to encourage anyone planning their 
summer vacation--and this is the time; this is the time to plan the 
summer vacation. Let me tell you where the place is. This is the place: 
West Virginia. Anybody who is planning the summer vacation--or looking 
farther ahead to next year's winter vacation--should consider my 
favorite destination: West Virginia.
  I have been in Rome. I have traveled to Agra. I have seen the Taj 
Mahal. I have walked in the shadows of the pyramids. I have seen the 
Pantheon and the Parthenon. I have met with great leaders all over the 
world, face to face, such as the late President Sadat and Generalissimo 
Chiang Kai-Shek. I joined with the Generalissimo and the madam on their 
birthday up at Sun Moon Lake many years ago. But let me tell you, after 
having been to these four points of the compass, my favorite 
destination is still West Virginia. And I have visited Texas, may I say 
to my friend, the senior Senator from the Lone Star State. I made 26 
speeches in the Bible Belt of Texas in 1960. I traveled over the 
northeastern part of Texas making speeches--26 in 3 days. I even took 
my fiddle with me and played a few tunes. Anyhow, there is just nothing 
like West Virginia. That is my favorite destination.
  Within an easy drive of much of the Nation, West Virginia offers one 
delight after another, whether for families, adventurers, romantic 
couples, or groups.

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  If you are interested in history, may I say to my Senate colleagues, 
West Virginia has plenty, from delicate millennia-old fern and 
trilobite fossils embedded in her coal seams and rock outcroppings to 
the monumental burial mounds of the mysterious Adena people that date 
back to 1000 B.C. And I can tell you about history that goes much 
farther back than that.

  Frontier forts that mark West Virginia's time at the leading edge of 
American expansion are scattered across the State, and are populated 
with costumed, re-enactors who can weave fascinating true stories of 
the sometimes harrowing escapades experienced by our Nation's early 
settlers. Point Pleasant, WV, marks the site of the first land battle 
of the Revolutionary War. Numerous Civil War battlefields abound from 
West Virginia's tumultuous birth as a State, none more famous than 
Harper's Ferry, where in 1859 abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the 
U.S. arsenal, sparking a chain of events leading to that epic struggle.
  Industries that sparked a different kind of revolution still operate 
in West Virginia, from the steel mill in Weirton, WV, where we have the 
largest ESOP in the world--that is, Employee-Stock Option Plan--to the 
coal mines in southern West Virginia. In Beckley, you can visit a coal 
mine and see firsthand the danger and effort involved in extracting the 
compressed energy that still provides almost half of the Nation's 
electricity. And those who love classic locomotives would feel at home 
there, as several steam excursions offer the opportunity to chug behind 
a puffing engine as it clickety-clacks through scenes of pastoral 
harmony.
  West Virginia's history sings through the music festivals scheduled 
across the state throughout the year, ranging from classical to 
country, bluegrass to jazz. History also comes to life in the fine 
crafts produced in small village potteries and quilting bees as well as 
by storied West Virginia glass makers whose wares have been presented 
to presidents and foreign heads of state. And history continues to be 
made by her artisans, musicians, and writers, many of whom are 
accessible at craft and music festivals, or through factory tours.
  West Virginia is not just for lovers of history, however. It is also 
for lovers of fun. The state boasts a great array of state parks with 
lodges and cabins perfect for family entertainment. All these one can 
see in West Virginia. At these public parks, as well as at many 
privately-owned facilities, activities can be found to suit everyone in 
the family, from golf courses designed by the greats in the game to 
horseback riding along mountain trails, from fishing in coursing 
streams or placid lakes to hiking to breathtaking vistas, and, of 
course, skiing at five major ski resorts.
  Every season in West Virginia offers its own attractions. In the 
springtime, coursing white water thunders through rocky causeways 
bedecked in snowy rhododendron and dogwood, vibrant redbud and delicate 
trillium. In summer, cool springs bubble in shadow-filled woods where 
wild ginseng grows, while in meadows, Queen Anne's Lace, purple 
coneflowers, golden Rudbeckia, and blue chicory weave a madras plaid of 
wildflowers as ruby throated hummingbirds flit among the honeysuckle. 
In the fall, West Virginia's sugar maples, tulip poplars, sweetgums, 
and hickories flame in colors rivaling any in New England, and herds of 
whitetail deer and flocks of elusive wild turkeys fatten on the 
beechnuts, walnuts, and acorns. Winter's snows fall thick and white, 
creating an austerely beautiful palette of linear grey, black, and blue 
shadows on the hillsides that make the color and light of numerous 
Christmas festivals a welcome contrast.
  If enjoying the scenery is not enough for the daredevil in you, then 
see if you can tame Seneca Rocks with a pair of climbing shoes, a bag 
of chalk, and a length of rope. Venture into the depths of Organ Cave 
in Ronceverte, where Thomas Jefferson, when he visited, did little more 
than sample the over forty miles of passages that have been mapped to 
date. Or challenge the mighty Gauley River, or the wild and scenic New 
River, in a raft or kayak, to learn just how powerful and devious a few 
thousand cubic feet of water can be when they are moving at great speed 
over car-sized boulders. Set your mountain bike upon trails that will 
strain your thighs as well as your bike brakes. Then, to relax, float 
lazily down the South Branch of the Potomac River in West Virginia, 
where it still looks as it must have to the early settlers, with mist 
rolling off the crystal waters as they wend their way between canyon-
like walls, with bald eagles soaring overhead.
  When the day is done, you can count on good food and a soft pillow 
anywhere in West Virginia. Bed and Breakfast establishments cater to 
every fancy, from homespun log cabins bedecked in quilts to antique-
filled `stately ladies' whose names reflect their historic pasts. 
Romance is easy to find before a crackling fire laid on a stone grate 
or on a porch swing overlooking the last violet rays of sunset. Hidden 
in the hills, too, are grand resorts and spas offering every amenity 
for the weary traveler. Some colonial-era spas are still active, while 
others have been more recently developed, but all offer blissful 
relaxation. Some also offer award-winning water. Berkeley Springs was 
founded by George Washington and others and originally called Bath 
after the spa town in England. The world famous Greenbrier in White 
Sulphur Springs lists royalty as well as Presidents, Senators, and 
Governors in its guest book.
  The comforts of your home away from home may make it difficult to get 
out of bed, but the allure of shopping is strong in those hills. Outlet 
malls with true bargains compete with artist studios, artisan 
workshops, and factory stores to fill your car trunk, but with only a 
little planning, your Christmas and birthday giving may be highlighted 
by unique and thoughtful treasures.
  Of course, the greatest treasure in West Virginia is her people. 
Friendly, smiling, and helpful, they can even make getting lost a 
pleasurable adventure. So do come, do come and share in the beauty, in 
the history, in the romance, in the adventure that is West Virginia. 
Come a tourist and leave a friend.
  I hope I have sparked a little curiosity in the state that I am so 
proud to represent. As long winded as politicians are reputed to be, 
and it may be the case in my instance, I could filibuster for days on 
the things to see and do in West Virginia without beginning to name 
everything. For more information, come by and visit my office. My staff 
will give you a telephone number for the State's official travel guide 
so you can visit West Virginia, and you can also find a lot of these 
things on the World Wide Web.

  I yield the floor and I thank Senators for listening.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from West Virginia. 
It was pure delight to sit here and listen to the virtues of his State. 
I have now a thirst, a curiosity, to visit the parts of the State that 
I haven't been to.
  Anyone who thinks that eloquence is no longer around, all they have 
to do is listen to our friend, the Senator from West Virginia, and they 
are sure to know it has reached its senatorian heights.
  I thank the Senator. I am glad I had the pleasure of listening to his 
beautiful and rapturous remarks about his wonderful State.
  Mr. BYRD. Let me thank the Senator for his courtesy, for his patience 
in allowing me to proceed. I think I took a bit of advantage of his 
being off the floor temporarily. I thank him very much for his kind 
words, especially about West Virginia.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Will the Senator yield?
  Mr. SCHUMER. I am delighted to yield to the Senator from New Mexico.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Senator Byrd, I want to say you commented that you 
could filibuster for many days about the beauty of your State. I am 
particularly pleased that you did it this way rather than a filibuster.
  A filibuster for some has a little bit of a negative connotation, and 
the remarks made don't deserve the slightest interference from anything 
else, just a straight up great speech about your State.
  I was glad to be here.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank our friend, the distinguished 
Senator from New Mexico. He is always most generous in his remarks 
concerning me and I am very grateful.

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  When I saw his fine wife this morning as I came into the Capitol, I 
started the day off right.
  I thank the Senator for his kind words.

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