Virginia Explorer - Demo - (Page 14)

continued from pg. 1 In our century, the Wilderness Road has been expanded to accommodate motor coaches, too! It still offers the trip of a lifetime. VISIT 45 BLOCKS OF HISTORY IN DOWNTOWN WINCHESTER Cross into Virginia on I-81 with your ﬁrst stop in Winchester. Founded in 1732 by a group of Pennsylvania Quakers, it is the oldest city in the Shenandoah Valley. Blaze your own trail with an introduction to the city at the new Visitors Center, where Civil War history exhibits are opening in winter 2008. Step-on guides are available. Start at the very beginning, at Abram’s Delight. This whimsically named estate is the city’s oldest home (circa 1754) and served as a Quaker Meeting House. Inside, discover displays of early life in the Shenandoah Valley. A log home dated from the 1780s shows a “starter” home for the period that may have housed one of the settlers down the Wilderness Road. Sparsely furnished, it contains some unique items from the period, including a rope bed that you could twist taught to “sleep tight,” along with a hand loom, spinning wheel, and early shaving bench. It was in Winchester that a young George Washington began his career as a surveyor and statesman. Visit his Ofﬁce Museum on Braddock Street. The log cabin was the future president’s ofﬁce from 1755 to 1756 as he and his militia protected the 300-mile western frontier from attacks by the French and Indians. It was in Winchester that Washington was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses to represent Frederick County. Also on Braddock Street, discover Stonewall Jackson’s Headquarters Museum. This Virginia legend got his nickname during the Battle of First Manassas, where he stood against Union forces “like a stone wall.” Jackson was headquartered in this home during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1861-62. The valley was considered the “breadbasket” of the Confederacy and vital to winning the war. Enjoy dinner and music at Irish Isle or Wayside Inn with great Virginia cuisine and servers in period costume, or dine at Roma’s for ﬁne Italian and Greek Cuisine. Afterwards, take a spirited ghost tour with Mac Rutherford. His tours include the historic haunts of the city and a few goose bumps at Mount Hebron Cemetery. Or hear a little bluegrass, country, or classical music at the Bluemont Concert Series, or catch a show at the Shenandoah Summer Music Theater. Start the next day with an Apple Trail tour along the line of foothills known as “Apple Pie Ridge.” The land that drew the early pioneers is as fruitful as cadets from the Virginia Military Institute who turned the tide of the battle for the Confederacy. Then enjoy dinner and some classic apple fritters at the Johnny Appleseed Restaurant and spend a quiet evening at the historic Hotel Strasburg or one of the area’s chain properties. CAVERNS, QUILTS, FAITH, AND THE FRONTIER No visit to the Shenandoah would be complete without stopping at several of the Valley’s natural wonders. Enjoy Luray Caverns, with its magniﬁcent ten-story underground rooms and unique “stalacpipe” pipe organ, or Endless Caverns, discovered in 1879. While in Harrisonburg, the Virginia Quilt Museum explores an art form that is uniquely American. Located in an antebellum home, the quilt museum offers ﬁne examples of old and contemporary quilts. Faith was important to the travelers along the Wilderness Road. CrossRoads is an interpretative center that explores the beliefs of the members of the Church of the Brethren and Mennonites who settled the Valley. Explore the farmhouse and schoolhouse for a new perspective on life on the frontier. Farther south, spend the afternoon at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton. Farmsteads from Germany, Engaging tales are spun at George Washington’s Office Museum in Winchester. Don’t miss the walking tour of Historic Old Town Winchester. The 45-block National Historic District boasts homes and retail space dating back to the late 1700s. An array of restaurants from Brewbakers to the Cork Street Tavern offer exceptional cuisine. Spend the afternoon exploring the 50,000 square foot, multi-million dollar Museum of the Shenandoah Valley and Glen Burnie Mansion with its extensive gardens. Guests can relax and refresh after their exciting day at the area’s exceptional chain hotels. Watch for the 2008 opening of Winchester’s own historic landmark property, The George Washington Hotel. Following the footsteps of their ancestors, today’s visitors will experience a series of sites that evoke the spirit of an emerging democracy, its heroes, the dark days of the Civil War, and the way west. ever. Two dozen varieties of apples and peaches are grown on the 325-acre Marker Miller Orchard with its 1818 limestone farmhouse. Its market also sells fruit to go and great box lunches for your next stop. MADISON, JEFFERSON, AND THE OLDEST COURTHOUSE WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE Moving south along the Wilderness Trail, take Route 11 for great vistas of Virginia farmland. Stop at Belle Grove Plantation, built in 1797. Dolley and James Madison honeymooned here. That event must have paled, however, before the ﬁerce battle of Cedar Creek fought on the site during the Civil War. For a modern moment, stop at the famed Route 11 Potato Chip Factory and have a taste of why agri-tourism is still one of the Valley’s great draws. Then stop at the Shenandoah County Courthouse in Woodstock. Designed by Thomas Jefferson, the limestone structure is the oldest courthouse in continuous use west of the Blue Ridge. Stroll the main street of this charming rural community and enjoy lunch at the Woodstock Café or Spring House Restaurant. Don’t miss a stop at Valley Treasures for a little antique shopping and the Short Stop Market for valley-made products. Continue on to Orkney Springs, an historic resort noted for its medicinal waters. The Old Orkney Springs Hotel is now a conference center for the Episcopal Diocese. Then, take a loop through the George Washington National Forest. The 190,000-acre district offers scenic views, wildlife, and area history. New Market Battleﬁeld is the next stop. The site celebrates the heroism of England, Northern Ireland, and Africa show how these cultures converged to create a successful agricultural economy in Virginia. Spend the night in Historic Staunton with ﬁve historic districts and American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Playhouse, a replica of Shakespeare’s favorite theater. The legendary Stonewall Jackson Hotel, a southern jewel, has been renovated and is now welcoming guests. After a hearty breakfast and a walk through some of Staunton’s antique and specialty shops, head south for a stop at Wade’s Mill in Raphine, Virginia. Built in 1742 by a Scottish immigrant, the mill is powered by a nearby stream and a 21-foot water wheel. Spend the afternoon and evening at Natural Bridge. Still one of the great natural wonders of the world, the site was surveyed by George Washington and owned by Thomas Jefferson. Still privately owned, the Natural Bridge offers an array of attractions and a comfortable, classic hotel and conference center. It is an enduring overnight favorite for groups. From Natural Bridge, more than 300 miles of treacherous trail awaited travelers before they passed through the Cumberland Gap. Forts were established to group the pioneers for safety as they walked west. Although many did not survive the journey, more than 43 million Americans can trace their family’s heritage along the Wilderness Road. It’s a trip worth repeating! www.WildernessRoadVA.org 1-800-visitSV or on the web at www.visitshenandoah.org 877-871-1326 www.visitwinchesterva.com www.grouptournews.com 14 • Winter/Spring 2007-2008 http://www.vacvb.com http://www.WildernessRoadVA.org http://www.vacvb.com http://www.visitshenandoah.org http://www.visitwinchesterva.com http://www.grouptournews.com

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Virginia Explorer - Demo ABA Marketplace to Land in Virginia Beach in February Tracing Our Ancestors' Footsteps along the Wilderness Road From the Publisher Virginia's Spirited Spots Lead to American Whiskey Trail Dine Around Tidewater: Virginia's Seafood Style On the Road With Dylan and Pop-Pop: A Mountain Experience Sightseeing Tours: Seashore, Settlers, Steeples, Spirits, Shopping Celebrate Virginia Garden Week's 75th Anniversary in April Meet the People Making Virginia such a Wonderful Place to Visit Virginia Advertisers Specializing in Group Business

Virginia Explorer - Demo

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