[1] Beverley Street in historic downtown Staunton, Virginia,in the central Shenandoah Valley.
Voted as one of America’s Top 20 Main Streets [2] by Travel and Leisure magazine, the central Shenandoah Valley city of Staunton [3] was also recently named one of the 20 Best Small Towns in America [4] by Smithsonian magazine as well as Virginia Living magazine’s Best of 2012 [5].
With views east toward the Blue Ridge Mountains and west toward the Appalachians, Staunton is an historic slice of Virginia that offers restored Victorian homes, cozy downtown shops, and small-town atmosphere. Patriotic holidays find her streets lined with American flags, and the always-popular Christmas parade takes place each year on Beverley Street, the main thoroughfare that is lined with restaurants, store fronts, the Dixie Theater, city courthouse, and old-fashioned lamp posts.
Staunton is part of the Wilderness Road Initiative [6] to preserve the legacy of this period in America’s history that played a big role in the settlement of Virginia and beyond. The website explains, “As the colonies were thriving along the east coast in the late 1600s, the Appalachian Mountains remained a formidable barrier to the interior of the nation. The Wilderness Road led settlers to the Daniel Boone Trail [7] which led through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky or they traveled south along the Great Warrior Path into Georgia.”
There’s lots to do during the carefree summer months so here are some places you may find interesting. If you do not get around to seeing it all, there’s always autumn.
1. Free Trolleys
A great way to get around downtown, Staunton’s two trolleys [8] are free and pick up and discharge passengers at stops located throughout the city. More information can be found at the Staunton Visitors Center on New Street.
2. Wright’s Dairy-Rite
Ever heard of the Statler Brothers [9]? They grew up hanging out at the 1950s-era Wright’s Dairy-Rite Drive-In [10] and it’s very much the same today. Pull to the curb, order, and watch a carhop deliver your freshly-cooked meal while listening to 1950s music. Or go inside to the vintage-decorated interior complete with tables, booths, and an historical display of those who have visited over the years including the Statler Brothers and Governor/U.S. Senator George Allen.
3. Ox-Eye Vineyard Tasting Room
Ox-Eye Vineyard [11], owned by the Kiers family and located in Augusta County [12], renovated an historic building in the Wharf area of downtown Staunton that now offers wine tastings [13] of their reds and whites. They displayed at the Shenandoah Valley Wine and Jazz Festival in June at the Frontier Culture Museum. Where did the name “Ox-Eye” come from? It the name of the common field daisy with a yellow center and white petals that grows all over Ox-Eye Farm.
4. Andre Viette Daylily Food and Wine Festival
For 16 years, this has been one of the most popular festivals in the Shenandoah Valley. Located in nearby Fishersville, the Food and Wine Festival [14] continues the tradition at world-known horticulturist Andre Viette’s farm overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. This year’s event will be held July 21-22, 2012. It’s a family affair with fun for all so stop by and see what’s growing in Mr. Viette’s garden!
5. Newtown Artisans Bakery
Popular with the locals as well as visitors, Newtown Bakery [15] is a go-to place for pastries and specialty breads that are baked daily. Insider’s tip: Friday is yummy challah and it usually sells out fast. Inside and outside tables provide a friendly setting for sandwiches and other treats from their menu [16]. Located near historic Thornrose Cemetery (#6) and next-door to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (#9).
6. Historic Thornrose Cemetery
Dating to 1740, Staunton’s historic Thornrose Cemetery [17] was originally designed for the town people to picnic on hot summer days. Located on a hill that has a view of the Appalachians to the west, Thornrose features interesting architecture in its gates, buildings, vaults, and headstones. A special Civil War section featuring a marble statue of a Confederate infantryman is the site of over 1,700 graves of Confederate soldiers.
7. Coffee on the Corner Beer Garden
Located on the corner of Market and Beverley streets and next-door to Blackfriars Theater, Coffee on the Corner’s [18] cozy atmosphere as well as free Wi-Fi makes it a popular spot for Mary Baldwin College students, tourists, patrons to Blackfriars, and locals. Besides the obvious coffee and tea selections, COTC also offers a wide variety of sandwiches and bagels to grab a quick bite while working on your laptop. The outdoor beer garden opened in 2011, offering the perfect place to meet up with friends on a warm summer evening and enjoy one of their featured craft beers.
8. Blackfriars Theater
The Blackfriars Theater [19] was built in downtown Staunton in 2001, the world’s only exact replica of William Shakespeare’s indoor theater, and is home to the American Shakespeare Center. What a great place to catch a play, tour the facility, or get involved in their camps for young and old alike. Check their website for current plays and activities.
9. Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
What better way to enjoy a little slice of England in downtown Staunton than to stay at the Anne Hathaway Cottage Bed and Breakfast [20]? Named for Shakespeare’s wife, the thatched-roof inn presents all the ambiance of a period residence but was newly constructed and opened in 2011. Walk next-door to Newtown Bakery (#5).
10. Hull’s Drive-In Theater
Get your ’50s on! A favorite for many in the area, nearby Lexington’s Hull’s Drive-In Theater [21] is a non-profit run by volunteers. It’s a blast from the past that is passing the tradition on to the next generations. The price is right — $7 for adults and children 11 and under are free — so bring your lawn chairs or settle back in your car for a double feature of currently-showing movies.
11. Betsy Bell & Mary Gray Mountains
Staunton is unique in that it has two small side-by-side mountains within the city limits. Named Betsy Bell and Mary Gray [22] after two Irish women from the late 1600s, these small wilderness areas offer a close-to-home taste of the outdoors. Drive up, picnic or look out from the observation deck over the Wal-Mart to the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond, and hike or bike the trails. Talk about urban wilderness!
12. Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia
A unique hands-on outdoor museum, the Frontier Culture Museum [23] brings the past alive with costumed interpreters, farm animals, and original or recreated homesteads from the Old World and the New World. A two-mile trail connects the English farm, the Irish farm, the German farm, and the American homesteads along with the West African village. They tell the story of America’s settlement and where we came from. Picnic tables are on the grounds, and special events take place year-round.
13. Gypsy Hill Park
Gypsy Hill Park [24] has a little bit of everything on its 214 acres located within Staunton’s city limits. It offers ball fields, volley ball court, horseshoes, picnic tables, shelters, a public swimming pool that is open during the summer, duck pond, golf course, basketball courts, fishing pond, skateboard park, tennis courts, and an old-time Gazebo that is the center of entertainment throughout the summer. It also has a football field and is home to the Staunton Braves baseball team (#17). The trolley stops at the park for easy access downtown.
14. Guided Tours of Staunton and Nearby Civil War Battlefields
Staunton Guided Tours [25] offers personal year-round tours of the area while learning of its rich history. Narrated trolley tours are available on weekends and holidays. Park the car, sit back, and enjoy the ride!
15. Staunton-Augusta Farmers Market
Voted one of the best farmers markets in Virginia, the Staunton-Augusta Farmers Market [25] offers fresh, locally grown produce, flowers, herbs, eggs, fruits, meats, and more from the convenience of the Wharf parking lot in downtown Staunton. Open Saturdays from 7 a.m.-noon through mid-November.
16. Oak Grove Theater
Just outside Staunton is Oak Grove Theater [26], a community theater group that performs an annual five-play summer season. The plays are performed at night, out-of-doors, at beautiful Oak Grove near Verona. Patrons picnic in the Grove before the sun sets and the play begins, offering delightfully entertaining plays under the stars, thanks to local philanthropists Fletcher and Margaret Collins. Wrote local reviewer Charles Culbertson, “Here, nestled among the stands of towering oak trees and rhododendrons, reposes one of our area’s most brilliant
theatrical jewels and valuable community resources.” Hear, hear.
17. Staunton Braves Baseball Games
The Boys of Summer come to Staunton each year as the Staunton Braves [27], part of the Valley Baseball League that brings college players to the area. The ball park is located at Gypsy Hill Park (#13).
18. President Woodrow Wilson’s Birthplace
Woodrow Wilson, 28th President [28] of the United States, is remembered with the restoration of his birth place as well as his Presidential Library and Museum. His original Pierce Arrow can be seen in the Museum as well as many displays. Wind down your tour with a leisurely stroll through the formal gardens behind the Manse.
19. Barren Ridge Vineyards
Located at the family’s former apple orchard, Barren Ridge Vineyards [29] came to life when the old apple barn was converted into a state-of-the-art winery. The beautiful interior offers up a stone fireplace in the tasting room that features wines for sale and tours. Outdoors, the European-style veranda offers views across the vineyards with Staunton’s Betsy Bell and Mary Gray mountains in the distance.
20. Ghostly Evening Tours
What better way to see the architecture of historic downtown Staunton than with the Ghosts of Staunton Tour [30]? Spooky candlelight tours are also offered of the Depot train station and, in October only, Thornrose Cemetery and the former DeJarnette Sanitorium. If you are looking for something different and unusual, this is the tour for you.
21. Sunspots Studio and Glass Blowing
It is fascinating to watch as glassblowers craft jewelry, garden art, bird feeders, decor, and other glass items at Sunspots [31] where the viewing window lets visitors watch the craftsmanship while avoiding the heat. Stop by and see the magic of hot glass.
22. Stonewall Brigade Band
The Stonewall Brigade Band [32] is the nation’s oldest continuous-running community band and still entertains with a free Monday night concert at the Gazebo in Gypsy Hill Park at 8:00 p.m. June through August. Visitors and locals take their lawn chairs and relax under the massive trees to enjoy a concert under the stars.
23. Jazz in the Park
Jazz in the Park is held at the Gazebo in Gypsy Hill Park every Thursday evening at 8:00 p.m. Bring lawn chairs and hear some of the region’s jazz greats.
24. Cocoa Mill Chocolatier
Located in downtown Staunton, Cocoa Mill Chocolatier [33] offers yummy chocolate delights that are handmade, much as can be found in the shop in nearby Lexington. Voted best overall chocolates by the Wall Street Journal, they are your source for truffles, barks, rich caramels, dipped fruit, chocolate-covered almond butter crunch toffee, chocolate-dipped pretzels, nonpareils, truffles, peanut butter cups, and brandied cherry cordials. Stop by and get your chocolate fix!
25. Visualite and Dixie Movie Theaters
Located in downtown Staunton, these vintage movie theaters [34] offer first-run films as well as golden oldies and artsy selections. They are locally owned and popular with all ages, making your night out an exceptional experience.
26. Shenandoah National Park
Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains east of Staunton, Shenandoah National Park [35] offers 200,000 acres of wilderness, campgrounds, picnic areas, hiking trails, horseback riding, lodges, and visitor centers along the 100-mile-long Skyline Drive. Escape to the quiet beauty of the mountains.
27. Humpback Rock Farm
A mountain homestead much like the ones from days gone by, Humpback Rock Farm [36] is located at Milepost 5.8 on the Blue Ridge Parkway south of Afton. Costumed interpreters are on hand weekends and on select days throughout the summer to answer questions about a bygone era. Farm animals, a working garden, mountain music, mountain crafts, and more round out the experience. Visitor Center on site.
28. Grand Caverns
The Shenandoah Valley is full of caverns due to the limestone underfoot. Grand Caverns [37] in nearby Grottoes opened in 1806 and is the longest-running show cave in the U.S. Its interior has signatures from dozens of Civil War soldiers, perhaps because of its close proximity to major Civil War battlefields. With picnicking, hiking trails, a bike trail, and other entertainment located on the banks of the South River, it will be alive with music this fall for the 27th annual Blue Grass Festival [38] to be held September 6-8, 2012.
29. Shakin’ at the Station
Every Thursday evening during the summer months, downtown Staunton comes alive with the music of Shakin’ at the Station [39]. Located in the Wharf parking lot, admission is $2, donated to area non-profits, with various local and regional bands on stage from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
30. Lots of Eats
There are plenty of places to grab great eats in the Valley … here are a few: Depot Grille [40], Byers Street Bistro [41], Split Banana [42], Shenandoah Pizza [43], Rowe’s [44], Clock Tower [45], and Kline’s [46].
Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
Cross-posted at LynnRMitchell.com [47]