Hotel At a Glance: The Blennerhassett Hotel

• A century of elegance: This turreted, red-brick gem has been in operation since 1889. Architectural features include a grand staircase, marble accents, and carved woodwork.
• Downtown location: Puts you within walking distance of shopping, dining, and riverside walking trails
• Fine wines: At the onsite Spats Restaurant & Lounge, which has been awarded the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence nine years in a row
• Bring Fido: The hotel not only provides treats, bowls, and pickup bags for pets, but also makes a $5 donation to the Humane Society of Parkersburg with every canine stay.
• Hot tip: There's a culinary school onsite, where you can sign up for classes on pasta-making, place settings, and more.

Parkersburg, West Virginia: Quaint Town Between Two Rivers

Located midway between Columbus, OH, and Pittsburgh, PA, Parkersburg is a picturesque town set at the confluence of the Ohio and the Little Kanawha Rivers. It was built up by prosperous members of the oil and natural gas industries in the late 1800s, and numerous historic buildings still stand as a testament to that era.

Check out the Oil and Gas Museum to learn the story of Parkersburg's rich petroleum heritage, or saunter over to the Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History to see relics such as automobiles, military paraphernalia, furniture, and old manuscripts from the Ohio Valley. Later, you can browse downtown's quaint local shops, which include an art glass gallery, a country store, and Holl's, a popular chocolatier. Walk off any indulgences at Point Park, a landscaped section of hiking and biking trails along the banks of the Ohio River.