CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- As the last weekend of summer draws to an end, my odds of vacationing in faraway places move from slim to none.

But West Virginia is blessed with enough exotic-sounding places that it's possible to tell friends and co-workers that you spent part of your weekend traveling through London, Glasgow and Miami without lying -- or leaving Kanawha County.

For instance, this spring I was blessed to have visited Shanghai for the first time, and was able to converse with the natives as if I were a native. It was during a trip to the Far East -- Berkeley County -- where I stopped to ask for directions to Omps, another town with an intriguing name.

During a swing through the Northern Panhandle last month, I passed through Congo on the way to Chester. I went to War in McDowell County, and then chilled out in Yukon, a few miles down W.Va. 16 on the way to Cucumber, where things were also cool.

Speaking of food, I drove through Pie in Mingo County but never made it to Hoo Hoo in Raleigh.

In Lewis County this year, I made it to Ireland, but didn't have time to cross into Berlin. On the way to Grafton, I passed through Belgium, where I once got a complimentary ball cap, but no waffles, from the White Front Tavern.

In Raleigh County, I took the exit to Pluto, but never made it to Venus in McDowell County or Neptune in Jackson. Red Star in Fayette County is another matter: I passed through there at least five times while heading into the New River Gorge.

I drove through Ottawa in Boone County without stopping, blinking or hearing anyone ask "eh?" On another trip, I visited Cairo in Ritchie County and Palestine in Wirt on the same day, without incident.

Luckily, I wasn't under the weather much this summer, so I was able to storm through Cyclone in Wyoming County, Tornado in Kanawha and Hurricane in Putnam without incident.

Hookersville in Nicholas County wasn't what I expected: There isn't a red stop light, let alone a red light district, to be found there, although there was a stop sign at nearby Muddlety.

I couldn't arrange a trip to Odd in Raleigh County this year, so I made it a point to zip through Left Hand in Roane County without making a right-hand turn, and make a pilgrimage to Looneyville.

While some might suspect that's my hometown, my hometown is actually in Cross Lanes, fewer than 10 miles distant from Hometown in Putnam County.

It's a nice place to visit, but I'm not sure I'd want to live there --  even though it is only nine miles from Paradise, five miles from Liberty and nine miles from Romance.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- As the last weekend of summer draws to an end, my odds of vacationing in faraway places move from slim to none.

But West Virginia is blessed with enough exotic-sounding places that it's possible to tell friends and co-workers that you spent part of your weekend traveling through London, Glasgow and Miami without lying -- or leaving Kanawha County.

For instance, this spring I was blessed to have visited Shanghai for the first time, and was able to converse with the natives as if I were a native. It was during a trip to the Far East -- Berkeley County -- where I stopped to ask for directions to Omps, another town with an intriguing name.

During a swing through the Northern Panhandle last month, I passed through Congo on the way to Chester. I went to War in McDowell County, and then chilled out in Yukon, a few miles down W.Va. 16 on the way to Cucumber, where things were also cool.

Speaking of food, I drove through Pie in Mingo County but never made it to Hoo Hoo in Raleigh.

In Lewis County this year, I made it to Ireland, but didn't have time to cross into Berlin. On the way to Grafton, I passed through Belgium, where I once got a complimentary ball cap, but no waffles, from the White Front Tavern.

In Raleigh County, I took the exit to Pluto, but never made it to Venus in McDowell County or Neptune in Jackson. Red Star in Fayette County is another matter: I passed through there at least five times while heading into the New River Gorge.

I drove through Ottawa in Boone County without stopping, blinking or hearing anyone ask "eh?" On another trip, I visited Cairo in Ritchie County and Palestine in Wirt on the same day, without incident.

Luckily, I wasn't under the weather much this summer, so I was able to storm through Cyclone in Wyoming County, Tornado in Kanawha and Hurricane in Putnam without incident.

Hookersville in Nicholas County wasn't what I expected: There isn't a red stop light, let alone a red light district, to be found there, although there was a stop sign at nearby Muddlety.

I couldn't arrange a trip to Odd in Raleigh County this year, so I made it a point to zip through Left Hand in Roane County without making a right-hand turn, and make a pilgrimage to Looneyville.

While some might suspect that's my hometown, my hometown is actually in Cross Lanes, fewer than 10 miles distant from Hometown in Putnam County.

It's a nice place to visit, but I'm not sure I'd want to live there --  even though it is only nine miles from Paradise, five miles from Liberty and nine miles from Romance.