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Virginia, Shenandoah Valley area Bed and Breakfast - Find B&B on BnBStar.com
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Stretching 200 miles from the Potomac River to historic Lexington, Virginia's Shenandoah Valley is a premier destination for travelers. Bordered on the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains (with its famous parkway) and the towering Alleghenies to the west, it is a region of contrasts—lush valleys, tumbling streams, high vistas, and enough history to satisfy the most curious traveler.
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Before, even, young George Washington did survey work there, the Shenandoah had impressed travelers with its green loveliness. A main thoroughfare for Pennsylvania settlers moving south and west, the valley enticed many to stay and to sink roots among its rolling hills. That legacy lives in stately farm houses and sturdy barns tucked into the land.
Named after the Shenandoah River—which runs north into a spectacular confluence with the Potomac at Harper’s Ferry—the word means "daughter of the stars," from the Indian name for the region which served them principally as a hunting ground.
Today the game paths and hunting trails have given way to highways and roads, many of them byways to beguile the adventurous traveler. The main artery through the valley now is Interstate 81, but that’s the fast track. More appealing is U.S. Route 11, or Lee Highway, which runs parallel to I-81, a road prized by antique hunters for its many malls, flea markets, and shops full of collectibles. Along that corridor, more than 30 stores offer antiques of varying quality, from vintage furniture to attic treasures—and any store along the route will provide you with "The Sunday Driver Antique Dealers Directory," a brochure published annually since 1987.
There are other, more unusual shopping attractions as well: Dayton’s Farmers Market on Route 42 between Dayton and Bridgewater; Rockbridge Vineyards in Raphine just south of Staunton; Rachel’s Quilt Patch in Staunton’s historic downtown; the Artisans Center of Virginia in Waynesboro; and a host of other arts and crafts galleries featuring Virginia handiwork. Also near Raphine is Wades Mill, a working, water-driven grist mill. (Another, the Burwell-Morgan Mill, is near Berryville further north.)
But the landscape will also call, as will the region's museums, theaters, and historic attractions. For those who have the time, it's almost impossible to drive straight through the valley, for the Alleghenies beckon on the one hand and the Blue Ridge on the other.
Starting in the north, the 105-mile Skyline Drive begins at Front Royal, passes through the 194,000 acre Shenandoah National Park to join the Blue Ridge Parkway which stretches down through Virginia into North Carolina. It’s a high, winding road with vistas that will take your breath away.
Across the valley—and often visible in the distance from the parkway—is the Allegheny mountain range. No similar road stretches north to south along the backbone of these loftier mountains, but hundreds of rambling roads, some designated “national scenic byways” will take you through the most gorgeous scenery east of the Rockies.
An example is U.S. Route 39. This road leading from the valley into the adjoining foothills and mountains begins in Lexington, home of Washington and Lee University, Virginia Military Institute, Lee Chapel where Gen. Robert E. Lee is buried, the George C. Marshall Museum, and the grave and home of Stonewall Jackson. From there, the highway skirts the Virginia Horse Center and enters the Maury River valley, eventually winding through spectacular Goshen Pass, a rocky river gorge that’s a favorite of kayakers and anglers.
In the old railroad town of Goshen, Route 39 joins Route 42 and continues to the village of Warm Springs, home to Jefferson Pools. A quaint establishment, the pools are a place to “take the waters,” in either the men’s bathhouse, or the women’s, or, for a just few hours each day, co-ed in either. Named after Thomas Jefferson, the pools were once owned by him, but now are administered by The Homestead, a huge luxury resort hotel in the town of Hot Springs another five miles beyond Warm Springs. Hot Springs is home to the hotel’s golf courses, horseback trails, and Olympic-size skating rink—and to the Garth Newell Music Center. Founded in 1973, the center features a spring-through-fall season of chamber music that attracts visitors from throughout the east.
The road into the mountains is a lovely drive and offers hundreds of miles of hiking opportunities, some first-class inns and restaurants, and several state parks. One such is Douthat State Park, which boasts several campgrounds, rents log cabins (complete with kitchens and wood fireplaces), and has more than 40 miles of carefully blazed and well-signed hiking trails.
But these retreats are on the borders of the Shenandoah Valley and, spectacular as they are, the valley itself calls you back time and again.
It will call you, for instance, to productions of Shakespeare at Lexington’s Lime Kiln Theater or at Staunton’s Blackfriars. Home to the Shenandoah Shakespeare company, the Blackfriars Playhouse is a $4 million reproduction of the bard’s favorite venue in London—and his only indoor stage. The company loves to interact with the audience (they invite people to sit on the stage) and since they keep the house lights up during their performances, their motto (and T-shirt logo) is “We do it with the lights on.” Despite such lightness of being, the theater is gorgeous, the acting superb.
Or the valley will call you to visit Natural Bridge near Buena Vista, considered by some travel authorities as one of the seven natural wonders of the world. And if you look closely under the 215 foot arch, you’ll find an example of this country’s earliest graffiti—George Washington’s initials carved into the rock, cut there when he was surveying in the region.
But whatever catches your eye, there’s little doubt that the Shenandoah lives up to the resonance and romance of its name—in its rambling rivers, its green hills, its fertile pasture lands, its lovely historic towns, or its unusual attractions. If you can, give it a week. Better yet, give it two.
By Dick Matthews
Dick Matthews has recently moved to the Shenandoah Valley, where he and his wife, Pam, bought the Hummingbird Inn. Located in the town of Goshen, the bead and breakfast is the closest accommodation to Goshen Pass, with easy access to hiking and fishing. Historic attractions, restaurants, and shopping are also nearby, as the inn sits in a small triangle formed by Lexington, Staunton, and Warm Springs.
The Hummingbird Inn
Goshen, VA 24439
800-397-3214
(540) 997-9065
Visit Our Web site at: http://www.hummingbirdinn.com
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