#TT10 The Tuesday 10 #8

The Tuesday Ten: 10 Things to See and Do in Your Town

I live in a small town so this list is really stretching it. There is a lot to do in the cities surrounding my town, but since the Tuesday Ten specifically says “your town”, I’m going to stick with that. So please bear with my creative activities.

1. Eat Pepperoni Rolls – West Virginia is famous for these amazing noms, which is pretty much just pepperoni inside of fresh baked bread dough. Some versions have hot pepper or mozzarella cheese inside, which makes them even more mouthwatering. These orgasmic treats can be found at any store around these parts. In fact, just a few miles away from my home (though it’s address is in a different city) is Abruzzino’s Italian Bakery, which makes delicious fresh baked pepperoni rolls (as well as the best Italian bread ever) daily.

2. Go to the Drive-In – Sunset Ellis Drive-In is something that most people in and around our town have been attending for most if not all of our lives. Not only is it a wonderfully vintage way to watch the latest movies, it is actually pretty cheap. They charge $7 per adult (and $4 per child) and show two movies. It’s $8 for one adult to watch one movie at the cinema in the mall. This weekend they are playing Blended and Godzilla.

3. Visit the Flea Market – Every Saturday morning from April through October, the parking lot of the Sunset Ellis Drive-In turns into a large outdoor flea market. Anyone can set up and sell whatever. It’s not always used items being sold either (though the used items are why I go). Scentsy reps, small home-based businesses (such as jewelry makers) and gardeners set up at the flea market to sell their items. The flea market use to be open on Saturdays and Sundays, but a few years ago they decided to only open on Saturday mornings.

4. Play/Watch Bocce – My town is full of Italian heritage, so it’s no surprise that Bocce is a popular sport. I personally have only played it a few times when I was little and don’t really remember all the ins and outs of the sport. There are various Bocce tournaments in my town throughout the year.

5. Walk the Rails and Trails – The rails and trails is a common place for people in my town to walk, bike, jog and even ride their horses. It is a beautiful and quiet location that stretches 22 miles across two different counties. The opening of the trail begins in my town, and there is an easy access point to it just down the road from my house. I jog/walk it regularly for exercise and it is not uncommon to come across wildlife such as deer, ducks, squirrels and groundhogs.

6. Theatre in the Park – This is something that I have never partaken in but will hopefully one day soon.  It consists of performances — from plays to musical — from various West Virginian artist.

7. Family Nights in the Park – During the summer months, my city offers family nights in the park which consists of $1 admission to swim at the pool and then a free showing of a family-friendly movie. All this takes place at Ferguson Park. Anyone and everyone is welcome and they offer different snacks you can purchase.

8. Swimming Pool – Just a mile or two from my house is the city pool, which is a common destination for all the kids in our town. Unfortunately, the pool is a bit small and can become crowded quickly.

9. Frontier Days – If you’re here during the month of September, you can visit our small town festival called Frontier Days. For a week, downtown Shinnston turns into a small fairground with amusement park rides and fair food.

10. Levi Shinn Log House –  The Levi Shinn Log House is an old log cabin that was the home of Levi Shinn, the man who founded the town I live in. It was built in 1778 and is now maintained by Shinnston Historical Association. It is open for tours on certain days to the public.