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Christmas travelers make a stop at West Virginia Welcome Center

By Brett Dunlap 5 min read

WILLIAMSTOWN -- As people were traveling over the weekend to get where they were going for the Christmas holiday, many stopped at the West Virginia Welcome Center at Williamstown.

Many of the travelers stopped to take a break after being on the road for awhile, get out of the car to walk around, get a snack or drink, check a map or ask about what was ahead for them on the highway.

Many people were heading to be with family for the Christmas holiday and others were getting away for the holidays.

Terri Goodnow, who was manning the information desk at the Welcome Center over the weekend, said they have seen a lot of people coming through.

"It has really been busy," she said Sunday afternoon. "We got people going both ways, north and south."

The center had over 1,025 people come through their doors on Friday, over 1,468 on Saturday and were on track on Sunday to have a good turnout. Just between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Saturday the Welcome Center saw 103 while on Sunday around 45 came in during the same time.

They were seeing a lot of people from Michigan coming through. People were also coming from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and some from Canada.

"We don't get much east and west," Goodnow said. "It was pretty much non-stop.

"It was good traveling weather."

Sammie Nixon and Matthew Jenkins, of Akron, Ohio, were heading home after spending some time in Huntington. Nixon said the traffic was not bad on Sunday.

"You would think it would be bad with the holiday," she said. "We haven't had any."

Jenkins said the worst traffic they encountered was when they left Akron.

"Everywhere else has been good," he said.

Richard Gillman, of Richlands, Va., stopped at the Welcome Center to get out and stretch his legs a little bit and check directions as he was traveling north to Canton, Ohio, to be with family for the holiday.

"I am making sure I am on the right road," he said.

He was thinking he was going to have to go through Wheeling.

"I am glad I'm on the right road," he said.

He too had not experienced any problems with traffic on Sunday.

"It's been good," he said. "No delays."

Many of the people coming through really like West Virginia.

"It is amazing, they really love West Virginia," Goodnow said. "They think it is a beautiful state."

Many people passing through have been on their way to see the holiday lights displays at Oglebay in Wheeling.

Whether traveling north or south, many people seemed to be on their way to be with family for the holiday, she said adding many seem to want to be where they are going by today.

People have been in good spirits throughout the weekend with many wishing Goodnow a "Merry Christmas."

"We have not had one instance (Saturday) or (Sunday)," she said. "No one has been irritable and it has been so pleasant."

Many told Goodnow that the traffic was bad on Saturday. One person from Fancy Gap, Va., said traffic was so bad cars were backed up for two miles before the first toll gate on the West Virginia Turnpike. That person turned around and went home. On Sunday, he started out again and did not run into the problems he did before, Goodnow said.

"He said the traffic was nice, the weather was nice and there were no holdups on the interstate," she said. "Many people said traffic (Sunday) was light.

"However, it hasn't been light for me. It has really been busy in here."

The Welcome Center has a television set on a local weather update channel that shows the weather for this area and up and down the east coast which many people have stopped to check out.

"The weather is what people are interested in," Goodnow said.

Many people have also commended Goodnow on the cleanliness of the facility and how it is laid out. People like that they can get out and walk around, take their pets for a walk, charge a phone and more, she said. Many people wait to come to he Welcome Center because they know it will be clean and well kept.

Roy Wernath and April Fletcher, of Midland, Ontario, Canada, are traveling south to Myrtle Beach S.C. to spend some time in a climate a little warmer than what they are used to. They left Saturday.

"It is three nights to relax in some medium warmth," Wernath said. "It is not tropical there, but it is much warmer than where we were.

"We would have liked to have gone to Florida, but we didn't have time to do that."

They stopped at the Welcome Center to get an idea how far it was to Beckley, W.Va., in trying to determine if they will spend the night there or keep going into Virginia. They too had not experienced any problems with traffic on Sunday.

"It has all been pretty good," Wernath said.

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