“Not all those who wander are lost.” -J.R.R. Tolkien
Staunton is a small town in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. It is known for being the birthplace of Woodrow Wilson. It is also the home of Mary Baldwin University, formerly a women's college but now a co-ed institution. Staunton has a small but quaint downtown area with several restaurants, gift shops, and book stores. There are several lovely Bed & Breakfasts in Staunton and also a selection of hotels and inns.
I recently went for an overnight stay, arriving about lunchtime and leaving the next day about the same time. It's about a three hour drive from Greensboro. I traveled on Highway 29 through Lynchburg, a really nice drive in my opinion. The area is already special to me, because it is where my father grew up. We visited a few times when I was growing up. On this visit, I just wanted to be alone and see what I might find in and around the area. I was not disappointed.
I ate lunch at Shenandoah Pizza on Beverly Street downtown. Kathryn and I ate there with my niece last year when we visited her at Mary Baldwin. I have been thinking about the pizza I had ever since last year. You know, so often when you have something at a restaurant and really enjoy it, you are disappointed the next time because somehow it doesn't live up to your memory. That was not the case this time. My pizza was scrumptious again. It was so good that I almost went back for dinner. Spoiler alert: I didn't do that because I thought they might think I was strange. Just look at my pizza!!!
After this yummy lunch I wandered around downtown. I first went in Latitudes, a fair trade store just across Beverly Street. The shop reminds me a lot of Just Be in Greensboro, without the local artists touch. It's a great spot to get lost in for a little while. I next visited a couple of used book stores and of course made some purchases. One of the stores had two floors with piles of paperbacks, both children and adult everywhere. The other was more organized, with older books, some even collector-type books. It was hot, so I forced myself (ha! ha!) to get some gelato at The Split Banana further down Beverly Street. My chocolate gelato was delicious, but it was melting quickly in the heat so I could not get a good picture. I snagged one online so you could get an idea of all of their choices.
To add some variety to my visit, I hopped in the car and drove across town to the Frontier Cultural Museum of Virginia. I had never heard of this place before and only found it in a search for Staunton attractions. It is a really neat place. It is a living history museum covering frontier history from the Native Americans to the 1850's, including exhibits showing what life was like in the European areas where American settlers originated. The museum is a collection of buildings along a walkway. Some of the buildings were even brought over from Europe and reconstructed here. The staff is extremely knowledgable and friendly. I so enjoyed my visit. I have included a map below and several pictures which I took. There were tons of animals, but I only included a few in my photos. They are open 7 days a week, with hours changing slightly for December through March 8. The admissions fee is $12 for adults, $11.50 for seniors, $11 for students, $7 for children 6-12, and under 6 free.
I stayed in a non-impressive hotel (Sleep Inn) near the interstate and ate dinner at a non-impressive steak house nearby. I drove about 30 minutes to Harrisburg to go to a Barnes & Noble because I had not already bought enough books. It ended up being a very providential trip because it alerted me to a great place to visit the next day -- Grand Caverns.
Grand Caverns is definitely worth the trip. It was about 25 minutes from Staunton via interstate. I opted to take a longer more scenic route and enjoyed my quiet Sunday morning ride through the foothills. The cavern hours are 9-5 (April through October) and 10-4 (November through March). The website tells you to call for a reservation, but I had no trouble just going up to the counter when they opened and getting a spot in the first tour of the day. The cost is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, and $11 for children. The tour lasts about an hour and consists of a one mile walk through the caves. It is cooler in the cave, so bring a lightweight jacket. I definitely recommend this attraction. The pictures below do not do it justice.
I started back to Greensboro after this fun morning of exploring. I meandered down some smaller roads before getting back on Highway 29. I stopped for lunch at a little place outside of Lynchburg and got another pizza. All in all, it was a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend my weekend, and I encourage you to make the short journey to Virginia to find out for yourself. I am closing with a few pictures, the first three are what you would expect to see on a Virginia back-road, the final is something you would NOT expect to see. Just part of the fun of traveling!!
