Based on the conversations I have overheard in the last three days, everyone in West Virginia is either related to, went to high school with, or is related to someone who went to high school with everyone else in the State. In addition, these people take their kid's sports so seriously; I wouldn’t be surprised if the famous Hatfield-McCoy feud started over a Little League game.

I also think that at some point every West Virginian has worked at The Greenbrier. They take that seriously too, and it is reflected in the truly fantastic staff at every level of the resort. I have had the good fortune to have visited a lot of places in the world and experienced the best of the best in service. The Greenbrier, with its pure American Country hospitality and charm, make it a part of that exclusive club.

There are a lot of other great things (and quirky things too) about the resort, and it all almost went away about 18 months ago. But that very recent history would not make as much sense without some perspective. So to begin at the beginning…

Never mind, it’s too long a story to tell it all. Some highlights… Hot Springs discovered in the late 1780’s. Even though it was the frontier for god’s sake, people made the arduous and dangerous trip up for the waters. Early 1800’s a road was built and more people started coming. Rich people wanted to get away from the heat and things like yellow fever (damn mosquitoes) and so started to come up for the summer. Needed nice places to stay (they were rich) and so cottages and cultural entertainment were added. By the time the Civil War came along it was a well-established, popular resort, sort of a southern version of New York’s Saratoga Springs. The Civil War put a brief damper on business, and had the embarrassing effect of making the southern resort a northern resort (West Virginia broke away from Virginia and joined the Union in 1863), a subject still a bit touchy around these parts.

It continued to grow, the West Virginia coalfields prospered to feed the industrial boom of the late 19^th century. The railroads prospered too, and so in the early 20^th century they purchased the resort, built a brand new one and started passenger service from all of the major cities. Lots of people started coming. Good times. Besides the Second World War when it was taken over by the government and used as a rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers, its reputation as a getaway for the rich, famous and powerful grew.

Presidents seemed to like it, too. So much so that during the Cold War, President Eisenhower made a deal with the resort to build a top secret underground bunker to house members of Congress in the event of nuclear war. He probably reasoned that if there was Armageddon, at least he could get a few rounds of golf in before the end. As a cover for this huge secret project in plain sight, the government built a new wing of the hotel at the same time they were constructing the bunker underneath. It was on a strictly need-to-know basis, and operated from the late 1950’s until 1992. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Russians must have known about it, but except for a few trusted individuals, four decades of hotel employees and guests did not. It is now de-commissioned and available for tours and private group events.

Where were we? OK, things kind of financially fell apart in the last decade, the resort was on the verge of bankruptcy, and a few possible buyers came and went. The hotel staff, some who had worked there for 50 years (!), or whose parents and grand parents had worked there, were depressed. This famous, classic, 200-plus year old resort, an American tradition if there ever was one, was coming to a close. And along came Jim Justice.

I do not know Mr. Justice, have never met him, and don’t know if he is a good guy or a bad guy. I know he made a lot of money in coal, and he is one of the largest agricultural landowners in the eastern US, but I don’t know what he specifically did to make his huge fortune. I do know that The Greenbrier employees think he is an Angel sent from Heaven, they bow slightly when his name is mentioned, and get kind of teary-eyed that a local-boy-made-good has come to their rescue.

I also learned that even though he is worth about a billion dollars, give or take, his wife still washes her own windows. There may be some other story behind that, but on the surface, that seems to say good things about them.

So along comes Mr. Justice, buys the whole kit and kaboodle for a song, saves the day, pours money into the place, fixes it up big time, builds a casino, gets airlines to increase their flights into Lewisburg and Roanoke and signs up a six year deal for a PGA tour. And next year they hope to have a private steam train with service from Washington DC’s Union Station directly to the resort. A bell must be ringing somewhere because an angel just got his wings.

There are just a few more things I want to say here about The Greenbrier. The folks there love the décor designed by Dorothy Draper back in the 1940’s. Big colorful patterns, giant flowers, stripes, bright greens and pinks. And when I say bright, I mean bright. Personally, I felt like I was staying in a giant game of Candyland. But that is just my personal taste and in my business I have to be very careful not to impose my personal preferences on what I recommend to clients. Instead I have to understand their demographic and what would work best for them to accomplish what they are trying to accomplish. But the décor there is not for the faint of heart. I’m just sayin’.

And let me add… three golf courses, great big spa, indoor and outdoor pools, a bowling alley, skeet shooting, a host of really cool indoor and outdoor venues for private parties, lots of meeting space, a wide variety of high-end shops, plenty of restaurants (I lost count) with great food, falconry, off-road driving school, fly-fishing, and so many other things I can’t remember them all. We also went whitewater river rafting on the New River. Definitely a great day.

In summary, a great place with great service. Call me. In fact, call me for everything, anywhere

For pictures of my trip to The Greenbrier, visit our page on Facebook, www.facebook.com/thecramercollection.