Shenandoah National Park has been an adventure!

The Shenandoah Valley lies between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountain ranges in the northwestern part of Virginia and spans over 200 miles. We spent a little over a week exploring this beautiful region. We started in the south and worked our way north up Interstate 81 to Luray, and saw several areas in between including Roanoke, Lexington, Staunton, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, and Culpepper. Here is a high-level recap from our time in this area.

One of the most famous roads in all of America is the Blue Ridge Parkway which runs from Asheville NC up through Virginia all the way to the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley where it, in essence, becomes Skyline drive as it winds its way through the Shenandoah National Park. We were very excited to drive as much of the parkway as we could. Our plan was to jump on it just outside of Winston-Salem and follow it all the way to its northern end. Spoiler: This was a complete failure! We left WS and followed a winding route to the nearest access point only to find that section of the parkway was closed due to a previous ice storm. At that point, being in the middle of nowhere, we wound our way back to the closest interstate and proceeded to our first stop outside of Roanoke VA.

Roanoke

Roanoke is a small town in southwestern Virginia known for its enormous neon star called the Mill Mountain Star. The star started off as a Christmas decoration sitting at the top of, you guessed it, Mill Mountain. The town loved it so much, they kept it. It still lights up every night and you can drive to the top to get a panoramic view of the town and surrounding areas. Like most of the little towns in this area, Roanoke is packed with history. So, we set out to learn a little more about what Roanoke had to offer. The first thing we hit was the Roanoke Hotel. This beautiful, tudor-style hotel dates to 1882 when it had only 30 rooms. As the town and the railroad grew, so did the hotel. Today the hotel offers 329 rooms while retaining its original charm both inside and out. Another major attraction in Roanoke is the Taubman Museum of Art. This was a pleasant surprise as it offers free admission, and it had some very nice exhibits on display. By far, our favorite displays was from artist Delphine Diallo who does amazing photography focused on the dynamics of being a black women. The images were incredibly beautiful and powerful. The Pinball Museum was a fun little stop we were not going to miss. It was less a museum and more an arcade packed with pinball machines that ranged from the earliest electronic machines to some fairly modern options. For $15, you can play games on every available machine for as long as you want. It was a fun walk down memory lane to be sure. Another fun stop was Black Dog Salvage which really is a must see if you are in the area. It is full of items spanning at least 100 years and is probably the best organized store of its type that we have ever visited. They had hardware, lighting, sinks, and so much more all organized for your shopping pleasure. We found good little restaurant called Scratch Biscuit Co. If you love biscuits, we promise your mouth will thank you!

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Order of Images: Hotel, John playing around at the hotel, Art pieces at Taubman Museum, Pinball Museum, Downtown billboard, Black Dog Salvage, Scratch Biscuits

Lexington

Once again, we tried to take the Blue Ridge Parkway between these two towns, but, once again, it was closed. This time due to construction. So, we jumped on Interstate 81 (which we learned to hate) and headed north. Lexington is a charming town full of history. It is home to two universities….Washington and Lee, and the Virginia Military Institute which are physically right next to each other. Literally we were walking on a sidewalk and crossed the road, and we were at the next college. They may be close neighbors, but they couldn’t be more different. Washington and Lee was originally just Washington, but after the Civil war, Robert E. Lee became the school president and upon his death the chancellors decided to honor him by changing the name of the school. There is a small chapel on campus that is Lee’s final resting place and just outside the chapel is the final resting place of his horse, Trigger. Another Confederate Civil War general also has a strong Lexington connection as well. Stonewall Jackson lived in Lexington prior to the war. He taught at Washington University (before the name change). His former home is now a very nice museum which we enjoyed touring. The home is filled with both artifacts that Jackson owned and artifacts that date from that same period. We did a walking tour to see several pre-civil war homes and Oak Grove Cemetery where "Stonewall" Jackson is buried.

Robert E. Lee Burial site, Oak Grove Cemetery, Civil War Historical walk, Stonewall Jackson’s carriage for his mother-in-law.

Charlottesville

A short drive east of Lexington is Charlottesville….site of Thomas Jeffersons’ home, Monticello. We spent a day exploring Monticello and Charlottesville, VA. We started off the morning at MarieBette, a wonderful café full of pastries from a French-educated pastry chef. We have very high standards for pastries as we have been fortunate enough to enjoy them in France, which, in our opinion is the world’s capital of pastries. We have to say this is one of the best pastries you can get on this side of the pond. After indulging ourselves, we dropped Mack off for a day of play at a local doggy daycare and we were off. We had lunch at Michie’s Tavern which was definitely like stepping back in time. This 1784 Pub was patronized by notable historical figures including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. When you arrive, you knock on the door and you are greeted by a host that leads you to your meal. The meal is southern cooking at its finest with the food being served on pewter plates and the drinks in pewter mugs. Not normally a meal that we would partake in, but, when in Rome. After lunch, we toured a couple other historic buildings next to the tavern and then headed off to Monticello. You could spend a whole day there as there is so much to see and learn about. We did the behind-the-scenes tour which takes you all through the house. We had a great guide who shared a ton of info and answered any questions asked. The house is a testament to Jefferson’s talent and creativity. In some ways, he was the DaVinci of his time; not so much an inventor, but a man capable of excelling in many different fields. The house is also a testament to the contradictions in Jefferson’s life. The same man that wrote “all men are created equal”, also owned over 600 slaves in his lifetime and freed less than 10 of them. The tour guide did an outstanding job of addressing and discussing this issue. There was no shirking or hiding from the truth. It made for interesting conversation and provoked a lot of thoughts and discussion.

Michie’s Tavern - Inside and out images. Monticello inside Thomas Jefferson’s daughter’s bedroom. Story is she wanted a freestanding bed and her father didn’t giver her permission until she was fifty years old. Last two images are of the waiting room in Thomas Jefferson’s home.

Natural Bridge State Park

Natural Bridge State Park lies just south of Lexington. It features North America’s largest natural bridge at 215’ high and 90’ across. It is impressive. WOW was the first word that came to mind when we saw it. Legend has it that George Washington once surveyed the area of the bridge, and it is a historical fact that it was, at one time, owned by Thomas Jefferson who purchased it from the King of England in 1774. In addition to the bridge, the state park includes an abandoned saltpeter mine that was used to make gunpowder during both the revolutionary and civil wars, a lost river that flows beneath and behind the limestone walls of the valley, and a lovely little waterfall.

Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah National Park was an adventure. This region had been experiencing high levels of rainfall during our time there. Our first attempt to experience the park didn’t last long as the fog was so thick you couldn’t see but a few hundred feet in front of you. So, we punted and headed to see some local towns. The next day we waited until almost noon, hoping the sun would burn off the clouds. We had success with that approach and were able to hike to the summit of Hawksbill Mountain which is the highest point in the point in the park to get a panoramic view of the valley below. By the time we were leaving the clouds were rolling back in. We timed that perfectly. Being in bear country, I insisted that we bring the bear spray with us on the hike. As we were heading back down the mountain, John whipped the can out of his pocket and pointed it like a gun. I thought “Oh SH#T! We are GONERS!!” Nope, he was just testing his quick draw skills. After a brief picnic lunch which ended with us losing a battle with a giant swarm of gnats, we headed to the Rose River Falls trail. Our objective was to see a nearly 70’ high waterfall. Most of the hike ran along the edge of the river. Due to the rainfall, the river was roaring like a lion, and the water was in full force. The river cascaded through the valley for nearly two miles. At several points, walking the trail was basically like walking in a creek as there was so much water. This was the perfect scenario for Mack. He spent so much time in the puddles, creeks, and pools of the river, we decided his personal motto must have been:

Sometimes you just have to stop and test the waters.

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Sometimes you just have to stop and test the waters. 〰️

We hiked a total of 8 miles, climbed over 1,000 feet, and reached heights of more than 4,000 feet. Christina was sure I was trying to collect on her life insurance policy as she was dead tired by the end of the day. We decided the best way to commemorate the day would be with a couple of carb-loaded beers and some protein.

Us on the trail and enjoying some beer afterwards.

STAUNTON

The next day we headed toward Staunton (STAN - TON) which is known for its charming, historical downtown area. We wandered through the area which is, indeed, charming. If you are looking for an outdoor activity or some fun shots for Instagram, check out the murals they have scattered around town. We visited the Camera Heritage Museum which includes more than 7,000 cameras and related accessories. The collection included a film camera from Hitler’s chief propagandist and a camera from a Japanese fighter that captured footage of the attack on Pearl Harbor. If all the walking has made you hungry, they have plenty of great food options. We found some really good gelato (always a goal for John), at The Split Banana. We a nice lunch on a lovely outdoor patio at By and By. If we ever go back, we will defiantly check out Zynoda as the locals were really talking it up! After all that eating, it was time to walk off the calories and check out the local shops. After all that walking, it was time for a refreshment. So, we went to Barren Ridge Winery just outside of town. We had a great time, drank some surprisingly good wine, and chatted with some very nice fellow travelers. It turns out Virginia has a very large wine industry with hundreds of family owned wineries with impressive, award-winning wines. With rolling hills and breathtaking landscape, this is definitely an area worth considering for your next wine vacation. (Hey, if BEACH vacations are acceptable, why not WINE vacations?)

Buildings in Staunton, the Camera Museum, and winery.

Culpepper

This is billed as one of Virginia’s prettiest small towns, and it sure seemed like that to us. It has several blocks of historical buildings making up its downtown area. The town is so old that George Washington was commissioned to survey and plot the town in 1749. As usual, the first thing we did upon arriving was find a good lunch spot. We ate at Grass Roots which is a great casual restaurant in an historical feed warehouse. The building is the oldest commercial building in Culpeper. The basement is also said to be haunted. Again, we wandered up and down the streets and popped into whatever stores seemed most interesting. Mack loves to shop and he always draws a lot of attention. We went into a dog/cat store and the owner just fawned over Mack. She offered to give him a treat to which we said, “Sure, but just know he is a bit of a treat snob.” She seem to take that as a personal challenge. She picked out a promising option from a range of bulk treats she had on display. Mack promptly sniffed it, put it in his mouth and then spit it right on the floor. Undeterred, she tried three additional options and got the same result each time. This only hardened her resolve. Next, she wandered over to the specialty treats and pulled out an iced cookie which Mack promptly devoured. She said “he is bougie!! He likes the ones that are $1 each, but won’t touch the bulk stuff!” She said it made her day that he finally ate something! After that, we visited Beer Hound which is a local craft brewery that has been voted most dog-friendly brewery in Va for several years running. They lived up to their billing! Next, we went to the Cedar Mountain Battlefield and learned a bit about the history of the battle with the added benefit of being able to see exactly where everything happened. While not one of the more notable Civil War battles, it was fascinating to hear the story and see the artifacts on the actual location. Our last stop in Culpepper was another winery, the Barboursville Vineyards. We did mention Virginia’s robust wine industry didn’t we?

Images of Culpeper, Cedar Mountain Battlefield, and Barbourville Vineyard. The last image is the estate designed by Thomas Jefferson and built for James Barbour, Governor of Virginia in the 1800’s.

Shenandoah Valley