DREAMSCAPES WINTER 2017/2018
24
Nestled in the eastern slope of the Blue
Ridge Mountains, we criss-cross part of the
Monticello Wine Trail. We drive through
gorgeous Nelson County, home of Walton's
Mountain from the 1970s TV show "The
Waltons," past Veritas, a family estate
where the crisp orange-blossom noted
Viognier varietal is designated the state's
official signature grape, and later stop at
Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyard, a favourite
chilling-out spot on weekends. Diners
munch on fine delicacies like a slow-
cooked braised bone-in lamb shank while
wine lovers pony up to a bar made from a
400-year-old cypress tree.
Over dinner we strategize on the next leg
of our trip. We want to head deep into the
heart of the Shenandoah Valley and com-
plete our whirlwind tour inside the
cavernous world of the Luray Caverns, a
geological wonder.
THE FRIENDLY CITY
In Harrisonburg sightseers get a mix of
heart-pumping outdoor recreation and a
spin on early America. We find rock
climbers hanging out with a local outfitter,
WILD GUYde Adventures; rafters floating
down the Shenandoah River with Mas-
sanutten Adventures; and quilters in
stitches at the Virginia Quilt Museum. I hear
through the grapevine of an ingenious fine
jewellery maker whose factory museum is
built in an old ice house.
We watch goldsmiths in action at this
living history museum called Hugo Kohl's
Museum of American Jewelry Design and
Manufacturing. A local James Madison U
grad, Hugo salvaged thousands of patterns
and has revived these delicate molds into
intricate collections.
We later pull up to By the Side of the Road
Inn and Cottages, a quaint B&B in Harrison-
burg. The entire inn captures the feel of the
Old South. Innkeepers Janice and Dennis
Fitzgerald painstakingly restored the his-
toric, circa-1790 hilltop house, which has
weathered the Civil War, and created the
ultimate sleepover in the bosom of the
Shenandoah Valley.
That night I hit the CD player trailing off
to valley music with thoughts of the fabu-
lous Luray Caverns and how they would not
disappoint.
T R A V E L P L A N N E R
For more information on Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, visit:
Harrisonburg: downtownharrisonburg.org
Monticello: monticello.org
Shenandoah National Park: nps.gov/shen/index.htm
Shenandoah Valley: visitshenandoah.org
Virginia Tourism: virginia.org
For accommodation, activities, attractions, dining and wine tours, visit:
Hugo Kohl: hugokohl.com
Massanutten Adventures: canoe4u.com
Michie Tavern: michietavern.com
Skyland: goshenandoah.com/lodging/skyland
Veritas: veritaswines.com
Virginia Quilt Museum: vaquiltmuseum.org
WILD GUYde Adventures: wildguyde.com
DS
LEFT: Fly-fishing at Mossy Creek.
BELOW: Giant's Hall at Luray Caverns.
Virginia Tourism Corporation (Virginia.org)
