I have visited Sugar Shenanigans in a few different capacities: their original location, an expanded location, and now their newest move. This candy shop is the closest thing that the Kanawha Valley has to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Some of my favorite purchases include those peelable gummy candies. There are so many different types of fruit here: mango, pineapple, peach, grape, orange, lemon, etc. I also love the international candy bars, specifically Cadbury from the UK:

Cadbury Twirl – Two chocolate fingers made of delicate, flaky milk chocolate

Cadbury Wispa – Aerated chocolate with a bubbly texture inside a smooth chocolate shell

Cadbury Flake – Extremely crumbly folded chocolate layers (famously used in ice cream cones)

Cadbury Crunchie – A honeycomb toffee center coated in milk chocolate

Cadbury Double Decker – Layers of chewy nougat and crispy cereal covered in chocolate

Cadbury Curly Wurly – Thin lattice of caramel coated in chocolate, known for its long twisted shape

Cadbury Picnic – A chunky mix of peanuts, caramel, nougat, biscuit, and puffed rice in chocolate I picked up a variety of sweets to take home with me:

Haribo Maoam - A chewy fruit candy stick that’s very soft and taffy-like. It’s intensely sweet with bold artificial fruit flavor and the texture of a stretchy Starburst.

Mackintosh’s Creamy Toffee - A classic British chewy toffee. It’s buttery, rich, and dense with a slow melt that sticks pleasantly to your teeth. Joyva Joys (Chocolate Covered Jelly) - A chocolate-coated fruit jelly bar similar to a chocolate-covered gummy. The center is bright, sweet jelly with a thin milk-chocolate shell.

Nestlé Mirage - A Canadian chocolate bar made from aerated milk chocolate. It’s light and bubbly inside, giving it a delicate, melt-fast texture similar to a Wispa or Aero.

Annabelle Candy Company Rocky Road - A thick bar packed with marshmallow and roasted cashews, all held together with chocolate. It’s chewy, crunchy, and very sweet.

Chase Candy Company Cherry Mash - A Midwestern classic with a soft cherry fondant center surrounded by chopped peanuts and chocolate. It tastes like cherry cordial mixed with a peanut cluster. I also picked up a Universal Yums box for Sweden. I used to have a subscription for these but canceled it after I felt like the value wasn't there. But after trying all these Swedish goodies, I fell back in love and restarted my subscription. Have you seen those viral fruit pastries all over the internet? Also known as "tromp l'oeil" (French for 'deceive the eye'), the desserts are fruit-shaped mousse cakes with a hard, crunchy white chocolate shell, fruit filling and a cake base. Sugar Shenanigans had those, too! I tried raspberry, mango, lemon & Ferrero Rocher. What's your favorite purchase from here?

The Lunch Box is an adorable, spring green shed that freshly makes salads & sandwiches in White Sulphur Springs. The sandwiches can be made on a variety of breads: ciabatta, croissant, pretzel bun, brioche bun, asiago bagel, everything bagel, Texas toast, wheatberry, spinach tortilla wrap, and gluten-free options, as well. Sandwich options like "The Palmetto" with pimento cheese & pepper jelly caught my attention. But I opted for "The Houston" with roast beef, pepper jack cheese, caramelized onions and horseradish mayo. On an Asiago bagel. The roast beef is hearty and savory, the pepper jack adds a little heat, and the caramelized onions bring a nice sweetness. The horseradish mayo gives it a sharp kick, and the Asiago bagel holds it all together with a salty, cheesy bite. Grade: A

Pho King Store is a small Southeast Asian restaurant and market in downtown White Sulphur Springs. The specialty grocery shop portion offers a variety of products, like sauces and soup bases, instant noodles, crackers and candies, and other Southeast Asian pantry items. The restaurant portion offers items like pho, sisig, pancit, lumpia and more. But the menu rotates frequently, so it's best to call. Side note: The name “Pho King” is a pun based on pronunciation. The Vietnamese soup Pho is pronounced roughly “fuh.” When you say “Pho King” quickly, it sounds like “fuh-king.” So the name is a tongue-in-cheek joke that reads innocently on paper but sounds ... interesting ... when spoken aloud. I ordered pork adobo, which comes with white rice and lemon slices. It was deeply savory, tangy, and salty. The tender pork was braised in a combo of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns. I also ordered lumpia, which are minced pork spring rolls with carrots, onions, and spices wrapped in a thin, crispy, deep-fried wrapper and paired with a sweet chili dipping sauce. Have you been? Grade: B

Mountaineer Brothers is a West Virginia-based spirits company founded by Tim Kesecker and Michael Greenblatt.

"Our mission is to craft exceptional, premium spirits that celebrate the beauty, culture, and spirit of West Virginia. At Mountaineer Brothers, we take inspiration from the traditions of tailgating and the camaraderie of game day to create products that reflect the values and heritage of our home state."

The idea for Mountaineer Brothera was born in the iconic Blue Lot, the heart of WVU football tailgating culture. For years, we shared our signature West Virginia Jungle Juice, a bourbon-based cocktail made with apple cider and champagne, with friends and family before every home game. The drink became a beloved tradition in the Blue Lot and sparked countless conversations about creating something truly special for West Virginia. Inspired by those moments, we decided to craft our own bourbon that embodied the spirit of our home state.

The name Mountaineer Brothers is a tribute to our lifelong friends, current and past. The great times we have had together during tailgates and celebrations inspired us to create a brand that honors the brotherhood that we share.

I purchased some Blue Lot Bourbon. Have you tried it yet?

During the pandemic, I made it a mission to try all of the Tudor's Biscuit World locations in West Virginia.

During that time, restaurants were shut down, except for drive-throughs. And, I needed to get out of the house. So, this mission allowed me to try new places and helped feed my need for travel.

But no, whenever there is a new location that opens, I feel the need to visit it so that I can check it off my list, as well. The Inwood location is new and the only in the Eastern Panhandle. I ordered the Politician, which is a thick slice of bologna, American cheese and egg on a biscuit. It’s not fancy, but it’s satisfying. The Politician tastes like a diner breakfast crossed with a childhood bologna sandwich, all wrapped in a big, buttery biscuit. Grade: B