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Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County—
Charming Cities and Gorgeous Countryside
Late Summer 2008
by Theresa Curry
Augusta County Tourism Information
Staunton Tourism Information
Waynesboro Tourism Information
Nature, history and art conspire to make the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley one of the most spectacular tourist destinations for late summer. Natural performances star the mountains at their finest; rivers both wild and peaceful; and lush green meadows, parks and forests as far as the eye can see.
Human-created performances include those begun centuries ago—the Victorian streetscape (drawing architectural buffs from all over the mid-Atlantic) and the plays of Shakespeare, presented almost daily at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton. This summer, you'll see Shakespeare's masterpiece, King Lear, still alarmingly relevant today as it explores family dynamics, love and cruelty. On alternate days, the theater offers Twelfth Night, the beloved comedy that introduced Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Malvolio into the world's memorable cast of characters. Measure for Measure is the third play in the current rotation. Not quite tragedy, not quite comedy, it brings home the arrogance of power and our common failure to understand our own motives. In early September, these plays will continue, but with the addition of the new season's offerings: Hamlet, Comedy of Errors, and Richard II. During the early part of the new season, the audience is invited to preview and 'pay what you will.'
The American Shakespeare Center, housed in a replica of Shakespeare's original indoor theater, Blackfriars Playhouse, is in the center of Staunton, and it offers more than just an amazing evening's entertainment. Playhouse tours are scheduled weekdays at 11 and 2, and there's a morning tour on Saturday, too. The occasional 'talk back' performances are a real treat, offering the actors and director a chance to discuss the play with the audience. Blackfriars also schedules concerts and lectures. Pick up a brochure at the Staunton Visitors Center on the corner of New St., next to the parking garage.
The New Street Garage connects the theater with a brilliantly-restored early 20th-century landmark, the Stonewall Jackson Hotel, again at the center of the city's culture and commerce, as when it first opened in 1924. Stay in one of the luxurious and affordable rooms, or just drop in and find a quiet place in the lobby for tea and check your email with the hotel’s wireless service. On special nights, the lobby and many of the conference rooms transform into an elegant ballroom. The hotel, designed by H.L. Stevens, invites guests for a generous Sunday brunch and offers a contemporary dining menu at Sorrell's, a lounge reminiscent of the quiet, moody spaces in a Bogart movie, that you just can't find any more. The recently-updated menu has an eclectic, fresh selection of bistro-type offerings, ranging from $6 to $19. Choose a salad just to taste the signature peanut vinaigrette! Fine wines are offered by the glass.
Before you leave town, visit the Frontier Culture Museum, just east of the city on US250. It's a living history center, depicting the roots and melding of cultures of the Shenandoah Valley's early European settlers, through the activities of working farm life. An early American farmstead is joined by authentic German, Scots-Irish, and English farms, brought here brick by brick, and stone by stone, from their countries of origin, and reconstructed in perfect detail. The farms are worked seven days a week by authentically-costumed interpreters, who truly bring the past to life. Special late summer, early fall programs and tours feature historic trades and traditional barn dances.
Continue east on US250 to Waynesboro, so you can stop in Fishersville at Barren Ridge Vineyards, a new and award-winning winery. This summer, Barren Ridge won one of Virginia's most coveted awards, the gold medal, in the Virginia State Fair Competition, for its 2007 Viognier. The viognier grapes, harvested last fall made a wonderful wine, ready just in time for the state fair entry. There's a reason why viognier, a spicy white wine, is fast becoming the pride of Virginia whites. The state's humidity, sudden thunderstorms, late spring frosts and early fall frosts make wine-making more of a challenge here than in, say, California, where conditions rarely vary. This grape has a thick skin to protect it from insects and from absorbing too much water from untimely rains at harvest time. The resulting wine is full of flavor. If you've never tried a viognier, go for one of Barren Ridge's complimentary tours and tastings and request a taste—or buy a glassful. Other fine wines are available, too. Be sure to meet John and Shelby Higgs, the owners, who have turned this breathtaking spot into a real community resource.
Take the bypass from Waynesboro's main drag to find an amazing collection of fine crafts at the Artisans Center of Virginia at Willow Oak Plaza off the Broad St. Bypass. The Artisans Center features the best work of Virginia's artisans, on display and available for sale. Quilts and pottery, furniture and jewelry—all the functional and wearable necessities you can imagine—are improved by imagination and artistry. Currently, a special exhibition by the Alleghany Craft Network is at the Center, along with the work of member artisans.
The P. Buckley Moss Museum on US340 south of Waynesboro, is devoted to the life of this popular American artist. You'll recognize the graceful brick building right away. It looks like the unpretentious but substantial and elongated farmhouses Moss has painted for the past quarter-century. You will be surprised at the depth and versatility of Moss's work over the years. Several times each year, Moss greets visitors and collectors, signing prints here at her home, The Barn.
You can stay in one of the wonderful bed & breakfasts in Staunton and Waynesboro, choose a luxurious hotel, or truly escape to the countryside just west of Staunton—to the Buckhorn Inn in rural Churchville. For nearly 200 years the Buckhorn Inn has been dispensing hospitality, beginning circa 1811 as the Buckhorn Tavern, known for lively music, dances, whiskey, and high-stakes gambling. Now the Inn is known for its generous country-style buffet (offered Thursday–Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons) and its comfortable rooms.
If you'd prefer an outdoor lodging adventure, consider a stay at Natural Chimneys. It's a 145-site family-oriented campground with facilities for both motor home and tent campers. Two playground areas and more than two miles of hiking trails make it perfect for all ages. Wherever you stay in Augusta or Rockingham County, though, be sure to visit this natural wonder, the site of what once was a great inland sea. Centuries ago, as that sea receded, nature carved out an awe-inspiring formation of solid rock. The seven columns of Natural Chimneys rise 120 feet above the Valley. Viewed from one angle, the formations resemble enormous chimneys, standing bleakly above the greenery of the Valley. Take a few steps, though, and chimneys are transformed into the massive turrets of a foreboding medieval castle. The third weekend of August you'll definitely want to be here for the annual Renaissance Faire, complete with jousting. (Take another look at that picture on our front cover!)
Another jewel in the Upper Valley Regional Park System is Grand Caverns, one of the most spectacular Virginia caverns, open to the public since 1806—making it America's oldest show cave. Grand Caverns is a powerful example of just how deep the Valley's natural beauty goes! Gigantic stalactites point down from above, and huge stalagmites thrust upward from the cavern floor. Cathedral Hall, 280 feet long and more than 70 feet high, is one of the largest rooms of any cavern in the eastern United States. Massive columns, beautiful draperies of rippling flowstone, and rare shield formations are found in the caverns. The famous Bridal Veil, Stonewall Jackson’s Horse, and a peek at Dante's Inferno are sights that have thrilled tourists for two centuries.
On the ground, under the ground, and all around, there’s lots to see and do this summer in Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County!
Article text ©2007, Shenandoah Specialty Publishing, LLC.
May be printed for personal use only.
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