A Shot of That Mayberry Appeal

Recently I happened across an article called "Country Roads," which is about travel in West Virginia. It wasn't published in a travel magazine, but instead one whose ancillary interests lie in that direction -- and it isn't supposed to be an advertorial or ad supplement or the like. It's supposed to be editorial, and I guess it is, but the article is so awful I have to record some of it here. I haven't read a travel article this bad in quite a while, and that one was an advertising supplement.

Some choice lines, all verbatim: "Where there is water, there are fish and fishing. Central West Virginia is no exception to this rule; in fact it exemplifies this old adage."

"Want a shot of that Mayberry appeal? Spend some time in Fayetteville."

"From Cajun food to coffee shops, the town can satisfy nearly any palate with its surprisingly wide array of dining establishments."

"With all the adrenaline-pumping adventure, small town charm, man-made miracles, and natural beauty, there is of course, plenty of camping."

Why read such an article? Usually, I would have skipped it after reading a few graphs, but something about its awfulness compelled me to go on, thinking, Can this get any worse? It did. On the other hand, the article did make me want to read more about Fayetteville by a competent writer, so it was successful in that way.