The City Slicker

By Rebecca Fernandez

Exhibition Coal Mine – A Tour Through WV’s Underground

This week on The City Slicker… I’m taking you to Exhibition Coal Mine!

Here, visitors ride through the dark passages of a vintage coal mine that is one of four underground mines that could be toured in the United States.

It’s offered to give people a sense of what Coal Mining is like, and the coolest part about it… the guides are retired miners that provide firsthand accounts of the daily life of a Coal Miner!

“It’s a good life. I wouldn’t trade it for a $10,000 bill.” – Cliff Hunter, Retired Miner

“Meeting the people and discussing different things. We tell them about the coal mines and they tell us about things that we don’t know about, so it’s interesting.” – Marvin Turner, Retired Miner

The coal mine is 1500 ft deep, and has a temperature of 56 degrees year around! But that doesn’t stop hundreds of people from coming to take a tour of the mine, and learn about the daily responsibilities and stories of past and present Coal miners.

“Without Coal you don’t have steal and you don’t have commerce, and it’s so very important. The people locally don’t really understand that, they just know that their grandpa or their brother or their uncle, was a Coal Miner, but they don’t understand the economic importance of it and neither do the people who visit here from out of state.” -Leslie Baker, Director of Exhibition Coal Mine

To plan your next trip and experience living through history, visit GoToWV.com.

Until next trip… catch me if you can!

Caught in Bimini, Bahamas

You know that vacation spot your family goes to every year? That one place that you look forward to for weeks? And no matter how many years pass, it will always have a significant place in your life? Well, my special spot is Bimini. What started as a small island that only fishermen knew about, has now turned into one of the most popular vacation spots for all Miamians.

DISCLAIMER – I do miss the good old Bimini days when no one knew about the island, and there were only 10 of us there playing “catch the crabs” with the Bahamian locals. But hey – I cant’ be selfish forever.

I can go on and on bout how beautiful the island is forever, but since I know most of you reading this already know that, I’m going to let you in on even more little secrets that aren’t on all the resort itineraries or website.

Radio Beach

This beach is the real one. There’s about a mile of white, soft sand with no tourists, no chairs, no partying. This is what the original Bimini was all about.

Make a right onto the street right after the straw market in town, and go up the road until you see the beach right in front of you.

Edith’s Pizza

Homemade pizza made by the one and only, Edith, is not made like your average pizza. The dough is actually Bimini Bread (THE BEST!!!) and the toppings are out of this world.

My personal fav: Lobster Pizza

If you haven’t had Bimini Bread, you haven’t been to Bimini.

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Joe’s Conch

Something amazing about the Bahamas? Being able to watch the locals catch the conch and make you salad or fritters right in front of you. Joe has had his little shack for about 20 years, and it’s still the best conch on the island.

Make sure to leave your mark on the wall! Ask them for the permanent marker!

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Caught in New York City

I can give you a “touristy view” of the city, but… what fun is that?!
See everything New York City offers while enjoying the exhilaration of riding the waves! New York Harbor Jetski is only a short train ride away from the NYC, and you leave to explore Manhattan- from the water- at Pier 13 in Hoboken.

 

RAY ALLEN’S “GROWN” MIAMI RESTAURANT

Grown Miami from rebecca fernandez on Vimeo.

Former Miami Heat player Ray Allen, and his wife Shannon, opened Grown, a new fast-food concept in South Miami. Developed by the couple, Grown is said to be “real food, cooked slow, for fast people,” meaning it fuses a farm-to-table concept using organic, local, and nutritious ingredients with the essence of a fast-food locale.

Stiltsville

“Stiltsville” is a village of sorts situated about a mile south of Cape Florida in Biscayne Bay. It’s an iconic Miami landmark,  but somewhat hard to get to since it’s surrounded by water. These homes were built in the shallows on stilts starting in the 1930’s and the number of structures peaked at 27 during the freewheeling Stiltsville heyday. After many decades and a few hurricanes, there are currently only seven remaining wooden structures and all are now part of Biscayne National Park.

Not many people know about it unless they frequent Biscayne Channel by boat.  These “shack-like wooden structures” just sit there, like monuments in the landscape, a landscape of ocean blue.

Stiltsville had a very colorful past, hosting fishing, drinking and partying clubs during Prohibition, the first of which was the Calvert Club, later followed by the infamous original Quaterdeck Club and Bikini Club, but now it offers boaters, and locals, a different view of Miami.

For more information about Stiltsville’s past and how to get there, visit here.