Sweet Java Falls Coffee Shop is a little coffee shop at Adventures on the Gorge.

I was staying here for an event, so a little early morning caffeine was essential.

I made my way over to the shop to get my fill!

First things first, a cinnamon apple muffin.

Then, I ordered a caramel-vanilla frappuccino.

How cute are the names for the sizes?

And there are plenty of other options, too.

Have you been?

There is a Sam's Hot Dog Stand on the West Side attached to a gas station.

It was a quick drive from work, so it made for a great lunch.

The hot dog stand was pretty busy, but I put in my order. Then paid for it at the counter. Then returned to the stand to pick up my hot dogs.

I went with two hot dogs on English-style buns with chili, slaw, mustard and onions.

AND a pepperoni roll, because they had them!



Which location is your favorite?

In my quest to visit all of the drive-ins in West Virginia, there is always some snack time!

That includes huggies.

And hot dogs

And popcorn!

The West Virginia Handcrafted Cooperative is a unique maker market that brings together incredible products, food and handmade items from across West Virginia and beyond.



Think of an Etsy shop in real life. Megan, the founder, does an amazing job of curating a wide variety of talent and items for these markets.



What I especially love about this market is that these are products made with love that are often times rooted in West Virginia culture - these are unique items that you can't find anywhere else.

"Most items we purchase today are mass produced from large businesses. The Handcrafted Cooperative offers a seasonal retail market dedicated to handmade items created by the most talented independent makers in our area. We help improve our local economy, support small business, and keep our community unique." - Handcrafted Cooperative website

  

Pepperoni roll pins? Visit Liz Pavlovic Design.
Mothman print? See Champaign Paper.
West Virginia notecards? Look no further than Wildflower Studio.
Coffee mugs? Hit up Wild & Wonderful Lifestyle Co.

And the food here is next level. From drinks to snacks and treats, the Handcrafted Cooperative is a one-stop shop for local product and food.

I took a little food tour of the market to share some of my favorite finds.

FIRST STOP: Ridge Roasters Coffee

This is a local coffee roasting company based out of Morgantown. You can often find them around town doing pop-ups and it's the perfect way to get your day at the market started.



NEXT UP: The Neighborhood Kombuchery

Kombucha is a beverage produced by fermenting sweet tea with a culture of yeast and bacteria. I've had this in a few different variations, but the small-batch kombucha from the Three-Toed Snail folks was a perfect balance of sweet and tart. I ended up taking a growler full of the Orange-Ginger flavor, with cinnamon, all-spice and star anise.



THEN, TIME FOR A SWEET TREAT: Mountain Spun 

Have you ever had homemade cotton candy? If you haven't, you're seriously missing out. Mountain Spun featured birthday cake, fruity pebbles, apple cinnamon and pumpkin spice flavors. AND, she was spinning cotton candy live. Take a look:

This was pumpkin spice - got to get in the fall spirit! And, I took a tub of fruity pebbles home. Perfect for a treat.





LUNCH TIME: Eggs Will Roll

Owner and operated Kayla Young, one of my besties, churns out some of the tastiest egg rolls this side of the Mississippi (or anywhere?).

She always has a rotating list of flavors. Today's included buffalo chicken, street corn, Thanksgiving, mac & cheese, pepperoni roll and more. My choices were buffalo chicken and Thanksgiving. You can't beat it.


SNACK TIME: Dina Colada's

Finally, my last bite was at Dina Colada's where you can get bubble tea, coffee drinks, mac & cheese, salads and sandwiches.

So, I went for a small mac & cheese and a strawberry bubble tea.


Plus, I got a ton of great goodies from amazing makers to take home. What kind of goodies did you score?

A new Mexican restaurant opened in St. Albans: Cali Tacos.

This restaurant features tacos, burritos, nachos, etc. But they have some "house plates" and other specialty items.

But I saw taquitos on the menu, and it stuck out to me. AND Mexican corn. So I put in an order for both of these to go.

Meanwhile, I took in the ambiance. There is a cool vibe here with the dark chalkboards and pop of rainbow colors.

After a bit, my food was ready. I took it home and dug in.

Mexican corn is one of my favorite discoveries of my 20s, and I will order it every chance I get.

And these taquitos were full of chicken tinga and topped with lettuce and queso fresco.

What's your favorite thing here?