West Virginia broke off from Virginia in disagreement over slavery. Economically, the people in the state never seems to have recovered or found the key to prosperity. The hills are rich in coal, which benefits a few lucky owners. But the workers are not getting rich and have an extraordinarily hard life, usually shortened through diseases like lung cancer or accidents on the job.

Despite the hard scrabble life for many and the run down look of many homes in West Virginia, the landscape is singularly spectacular. The forests look hardy, with many rivers and streams coursing through the rocky hillsides.

How do you measure beauty for quality of life? I would not want to be a coal miner, but living in West Virginia would have some priceless benefits.