IF YOU GO Blennerhassett Island

Admission: Blennerhassett Island State Historical Park is open during daylight hours from May until September, but closed Mondays. Hours are scaled back in the fall, and the island closes for the season Oct. 26. Admission to the Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History in downtown Parkersburg is $2 per adult, while the boat ride is $7 and the mansion tour is $3.
Getting there: Parkersburg is at the intersection of U.S. 50, which runs east-west, and Interstate 77, which runs north- south. The city sits along the Ohio River, about 140 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio.
Lodging: Besides popular chain hotels and bed-and-breakfast inns, Parkersburg offers the 104-room Blennerhassett Hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
www.parkersburgcvb.org/Lodging.htm
www.blennerhassetthotel.com/
Nearby attractions:
U The Cultural Center of Fine Arts, 725 Market St. (304) 485-3859.
U North Bend Rail Trail, stretching 72 miles along U.S. 50 to Clarksburg, through 13 tunnels. Call (304) 643-2500 or (800) 899-6278, or go to http://www.northbendrailtrail.com/
U Oil & amp; Gas Museum, 119 3rd St. Videos, photos, equipment and other artifacts show the birth of the oil and gas industry in the 1840s. Call (304) 485-5446 or go to http://www.little-mountain.com/oilandgasmuseum/
U Lee Middleton Original Dolls, 1301 Washington Blvd., Belpre, Ohio. Factory believed to be the nation's largest doll-making facility offers weekday tours. Call (740) 423-1481 or (800) 233-7479, or go to http://www.leemiddleton.com/factorytour/factory.html
U Fenton Art Glass Co., two miles from I-77, Williamstown, W.Va. For nearly a century, the company has made and sold handblown glass. Call (304) 375-7772 or go to http://www.fentongiftshop.com/
U Holl's Swiss Chocolatier, 2001 Grand Central Ave., Vienna, W.Va. Family-run company makes European-style chocolates in small batches. Call (304) 295-6576 or (800) 842-4512, or go to http://www.holls.com/
On the Net: www.blennerhassettislandstatepark.com/
-- Associated Press