"There is no better designer than nature" — Alexander McQueen "The richness I achieve comes from nature, the source of my inspiration." — Claude Monet "Design in nature is but a concatenation of accidents, culled by natural selection until the result is so beautiful or effective as to seem a miracle of purpose." — Michael Pollan "The concept of God is generated by a brain designed by evolution to find design in nature (a very recursive idea)." — Michael Shermer "The belief in God is not therefore based on the perception of design in nature. Belief in design in nature is based upon the belief in God. Things are as they are whether there is a God or not. Logically, to believe in design one must start with God. He, or it, is not a conclusion but a datum. You may begin by assuming a creator, and then say he did this or that; but you cannot logically say that because certain things exist, therefore there is a God who made them. God is an assumption, not a conclusion. And it is an assumption that explains nothing." — Chapman Cohen

Cheat Lake Park and Trail is a great place to go for a walk along the lake or enjoy a family outing. "There is a 4.5-mile trail and park located along the shore of Cheat Lake." Cheat River at Jenkinsburg Bridge in Masontown, W.Va., — also known as The High Bridge or Blue Hole — is an important access point for the Cheat Canyon. Paddlers use the site as a take-out for both the Cheat Canyon and Lower Big Sandy Creek. During hot summer days, the site is also a popular swimming hole. Coopers Rock State Forest "is a 12,747-acre state forest in Monongalia and Preston counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia." The Core Arboretum "is a 91-acre arboretum owned by West Virginia University and located on Monongahela Boulevard in Morgantown, West Virginia. It is open to the public daily without charge. The Arboretum's history began in 1948 when the University acquired its site." Cranesville Swamp Preserve "is a 1,600-acre (650 ha) preserve situated in Preston County, West Virginia, and Garrett County, Maryland. It is one of the few remaining boreal bogs in the southern United States, unusual in harboring many plants and animals that are normally only seen in more northern climates." "The Deckers Creek Trail is a rail-trail located in West Virginia. The 19-mile trail climbs a 2% grade, rising 1,000 feet in elevation as it runs through the deciduous forests, hemlock groves, open fields, and farmlands in Preston County. The Hemlock Trail, also known as the "Virgin Hemlock to Tyrone Trail Loop is a 1.7 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Bruceton Mills, West Virginia that features beautiful wildflowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is accessible year-round." Mason-Dixon Historical Park is a publicly owned, 295-acre recreational area and hiking destination "established in the 1970s to commemorate the great achievement of Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, the English astronomers who surveyed the Mason and Dixon Line. Brown's Hill is a National Historic Landmark and the Mason and Dixon Line is a National Civil Engineering Landmark. This location has been so honored because it was on Brown's Hill that Mason and Dixon were obliged to end their survey, 23 miles short of their goal." The Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area "consists of 3,092 acres on a hill area along the Cheat canyon in Monongalia and Preston Counties, West Virginia." Virginia Furnace, "also known as Muddy Creek Furnace and Josephine Furnace, is a historic water-powered blast furnace and national historic district located near Albright, Preston County, West Virginia. The district encompasses three contributing structures and one contributing site." West Virginia Botanic Garden at Tibbs Run Preserve is a "lush site with numerous species of flowers & trees set in a former reservoir" with a variety of trails.

Sunrises and sunsets in Morgantown and North Central West Virginia have a way of making your soul feel a whole lot better. A short hike to Table Rock at Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area presents a great place to watch a sunrise over the Cheat River Valley. Lindy Point at Blackwater Falls State Park features a fantastic panoramic view of the Blackwater Canyon, and when the atmospheric conditions are right, the sunsets paint the sky appropriately. Presque Isle in Erie, Pa., is a great place for a long weekend of fun in the sand and sun, and the golden hours can be magnificent.