Montpelier to host ‘Big Woods Walk’
James Madison’s Montpelier will host its spring “Big Woods Walk,” a guided tour of the James Madison Landmark Forest, on Sunday, April 10, at 2 p.m. Visitors will take a 90-minute journey of the 200-acre old-growth forest, also known as the “Big Woods” with Montpelier’s horticulturist.
Time has stood still in the Big Woods. It is a natural treasure that has not been disturbed by humans and takes visitors back to the way the Piedmont looked more than 200 years ago. The Big Woods Walk is a great way for families to enjoy some outdoor fun together too.
Home base: Be a tourist in your own hometown
You might think, Hey, I live here, I’m not a tourist. I’m a tourist when I go to the beach. Here, I’m just a resident.
Well, guess what? If you live in Staunton and go to the American Shakespeare Center, yep, you’re a tourist. And you’re also an important focal point for local tourism efforts.
“Most any tourism program has two facets – market ‘to the world’ and market to residents,” said Judith Cariker, the interim director of the Shenandoah Valley Travel Association, which covers an area stretching from Harpers Ferry, W.Va., to the Roanoke Valley.
Grapes of Ridge: Barren Ridge Vineyards carving out reputation for fine wine
The wine at Barren Ridge Vineyards – it’s not about quantity, but about quality.
“Two or three wineries in California produce more wine than the entire Virginia wine industry. We’re very small. The only way that we can survive is by focusing on the quality of our wines,’ said John Higgs, who with his wife, Shelby, returned to his native Augusta County after a 30-year career in management at Phillip Morris to open Barren Ridge Vineyards in 2007.
Pizza and good tunes: Shenandoah Pizza has become a Staunton music hotspot
The gentle wafts of gourmet pizza draw you in from Beverley Street. Sharing the Shenandoah Pizza air with the aroma are the sounds of music.
“A customer said it might not be a bad idea to get somebody in there strumming a little music maybe one night a week,” said owner John Huggins, and being a smart guy he listened, and initiated what the musicians have taken to calling the Playing for Pizza music series that has grown from Wednesday nights back when Shenandoah Pizza opened five years ago into live performances several nights a week today.
Travel: Boston
You can be in Boston in just a few hours from Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport – and arrive before 10 a.m. for a lunch meeting or to spend the day enjoying the best Beantown has to offer.
From Boston Harbor to the brand-new wing at the Museum of Fine Arts to the multitude of unique fine-dining options, there’s plenty to keep you occupied for a long weekend or a longer getaway.
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