Almost Heaven Swing now at the East River Mountain Overlook
Apr. 13—BLUEFIELD — Visitors wanting a memorable selfie or a family picture shot at East River Mountain's scenic overlook now have a place where they can sit and get the perfect West Virginia backdrop at the same time.
Mercer County's East River Mountain Overlook became the newest location Wednesday in the Mountain State for am Almost Heaven swing.
The swings, a program through the West Virginia Department of Tourism, are displayed throughout the state at favorite places. The Mercer County Convention and Visitors Bureau applied for a swing last summer through the department's cooperative advertising program, according to Mercer County CVB Director Jamie Null.
It's the second Almost Heaven swing in the New River-Greenbrier Valley area. The second swing is in Babcock State Park, Null said at the overlook. The one in Bluefield is the southernmost in the state.
Locations had meet a requirement in order to get one of the swings.
"It had to be at a scenic overlook somewhere where people go naturally to take pictures," Null said. "So considering the history of East River Mountain as the first West Virginia Welcome Center and its scenic view, it was a perfect fit."
Decades ago, motorists traveling between Mercer County and Bland County, Va., used the old U.S. Route 52 highway going up East River Mountain. A visitor information center, the Museum of the Hills, the East River Mountain Craft Shop and the Ridge Runner miniature train at the overlook served these travelers. The visitor center and its attractions were closed, and the Ridge Runner was moved, after the East River Mountain Tunnel and Interstate 77 were constructed.
One goal behind having the Almost Heaven swing is to increase Mercer County's visibility on social media.
"We encourage people to use the hashtag #almostheaven and #visitmercerwv and to post this on social media," Null added.
The Almost Heaven swings, which were built by students at the Nicholas County Career and Technical Center, are helping the state's tourism industry, one state official said.
"I'm so excited about this beautiful new swing location in Mercer County and proud of all the amazing work that the CVB is doing to attract new visitors to the area," said West Virginia Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby. "The Almost Heaven swings were created to give folks the perfect photo op while visiting the state, with the natural beauty of West Virginia shining in the background. It's our hope that when travelers snap these photos, they'll post them on their social media channels to share with the world. Social media influences most travel decisions and it gives the Mountain State the potential for a big marketing advantage. For one thing, it's visual, and there's no place more beautiful than West Virginia."
Bluefield City Manager Cecil Marson pointed out a "selfie ridge" behind an information sign where visitors can set their cellphones before taking a picture on the swing.
"It's wonderful," he said. "It's got a selfie area so any of our visitors and guests can get a nice dose of southern West Virginia and the whole state here, so we're just super excited that we've got this up. It's another great attraction. For anybody staying at a bed and breakfast or a hotel, this is one of the great places where they can stop and visit and get a great family photo."
Marson thanked the Nicholas County students for constructing the swing, the Mercer County CVB and the city's public works team for completing the project.
During the media event at the overlook, a family from Appomattox, Va. stopped to get some scenic photos. They tried the new Almost Heaven swing, too.
It was their first time at East River Mountain.
"You can see quite a ways," said Marshall Beeler.
"I'm sure it's even more beautiful when it's green or during the fall," Shelli Beeler added. Soon she was taking photos of her son, Ryan Gheen, as he tried the new swing.
— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
