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It is time to cross off West Virginia, my 49th State. Yes, I have been a bit slow to complete the 50 States Challenge, but life is short, and it was finally time to visit Charleston, West Virginia. Everyone keeps telling me how beautiful Burlington, Vermont is in the fall. So naturally, here I am in Charlie West in July. Luckily, I’m on summer break. I even opened my coloring book to complete the West Virginia page and learn a few quick facts before arriving. This journey has been a long time coming, and I am so excited to finally cross state #49 off my list.
As a dedicated Southwest girl, I had to pivot for this trip since SWA doesn’t serve this airport. Fortunately, I had over 90,000 Delta miles burning a hole in my pocket. I booked a flight with a layover in Atlanta, fully planning to spend about three hours enjoying breakfast at the ATL Centurion Lounge—one of my absolute favorites. My planning went well as always, but here is how the rest of the journey actually unfolded.
I haven’t flown Delta since 2021, and let’s just say Flight #1285 out of MDW on July 2nd reminded me why. It was officially the worst flight I have ever not taken. After sitting on the plane at the gate for an hour, we were finally told to deplane. Then came the text alerts: delayed until 8:30AM, then 9:30AM. I checked FlightAware to see what was really going on. Sure enough, the departure was pushed back to 2:30PM because the plane “needed a part.” Yes, I complained. We’ll see what happens with that. I scrambled and found a SWA flight that would get me to Atlanta just in time to catch my Delta connection. Even though the last-minute ticket was $216, I used points to book it. While the gate staff provided excellent customer service, Delta’s overall communication was horrible.
Because my arrival flight landed in Concourse C and I only had 75 minutes until my next flight, my grand plans for the Centurion Lounge in Concourse E evaporated. There just wasn’t enough time to catch the plane train, walk to the lounge, and make it back to my gate. Instead, I headed to the Concourse C Delta Sky Club.
They have a set menu of complimentary cocktails, but you know I wanted a St. Germain spritzer ($16 with tip), which would have been free at the Centurion Lounge! Still, I enjoyed a great spread: kale Caesar salad, roasted potatoes, barbecue chicken, and dessert. The customer service here was phenomenal—I was greeted by almost every person working, and the bartender even asked exactly how I preferred my spritzer.
Before checking in, I made sure to optimize my Hilton Honors account. I switched my MyWay hotel benefits to receive the Diamond VIP 1,000 bonus points instead of the default snacks, and I selected a corner room hoping for an upgrade. In total, I spent $193 and redeemed 50,000 Hilton Honors points for the two-night stay. I even used Gemini to help me select the best room layout.
If you aren’t familiar with Embassy Suites, they offer a legendary made-to-order breakfast and a complimentary evening reception. I timed my arrival perfectly to grab a beer and some snacks. Between breakfast and the evening receptions, I only had to purchase a single meal during my entire two-night stay. Finally, I only used 41,550 Hilton Honors points because of base and bonus points earned.
My first stop was the Charleston Town Center. Honestly, the mall is practically closed down, but if you know me, you know I always find something to do. I stumbled into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and ended up learning so much. Did you know Bill Withers was from West Virginia? I also learned that his very first paying gig was in Chicago in front of 5,000 people. If you ever get the chance, stop by just to listen to his interview.
Getting to and from the airport was easy. The airport is tiny, and it took five minutes to walk out front and catch the hotel shuttle. Embassy Suites is just a 10-minute ride away, and my shuttle driver filled me in on the local Charleston Sternwheel Regatta happening while I was in town. Since I didn’t have a strict itinerary, I immediately added it to the list. Although I originally wanted to visit the State Capitol building, it was incredibly hot in West Virginia, and I needed to save my energy for the evening concert featuring Montell Jordan, Bow Wow, and Bobby Brown. They had a great setup where you could watch the performance on a giant screen away from the main stage. To top it off, I got to watch a gorgeous sunset—one of my favorite things to do whenever I travel.
On my way back to Chicago, I visited the beautiful Sky Club at gate D18. The elevators were painfully slow, so I opted for the stairs. I really appreciated the abundance of single-seat areas. Thanks to another minor Delta delay, I had about 25 minutes to kill right next to my gate at D16. The food stations were fully stocked, so I enjoyed more barbecue chicken, grabbed a complimentary Old Fashioned from the bar, and wrapped a pastrami sandwich in a napkin for the plane. Don’t judge!
I actually enjoyed my two-night stay in West Virginia. Everyone was friendly, and I felt safe traveling solo. Of course, by the time I released this post, I had received a $216 check for the flight fiasco with Delta. You know I forgot I paid for Allianz Travel Insurance. Would I go back to Charleston? Yes. I would plan another trip around July 4th to take advantage of the free concerts and fireworks.