Ahhh. November in Virginia with leaves on the ground and the return of the winter woods.
Ahhh. November in Virginia with leaves on the ground and the return of the winter woods.
It’s blackberry season in Virginia with thickets of the juicy, black fruit ripening in open areas along trails and streams, which means it’s time to join in the summer fun at Skyland Resort.
Mark your calendar for Saturday, July 25, from 10am until 5pm, when everyone is invited to meet on the lower level area of Skyland to celebrate with blackberry-themed food, live entertainment, dancing, Shenandoah story-telling, children’s crafts, and more (see Blackberry Delight).
Located at Milepost 42 on the Skyline Drive, Skyland’s “Blackberry Delight” is an annual event held each July that celebrates the sweet-tart fruit in all its glory. Skyland chefs create special blackberry-infused dishes such as Blackberry BBQ Pulled Pork, Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich with Blackberry Jalapeño Sauce, Grilled Brat Sandwich with Blackberry Whole Grain Mustard and Caramelized Onions, Blackberry Cobbler a la Mode, Blackberry Ice Cream, Blackberry Short Cake, Blackberry Lemonade, and Blackberry Wine and Beer.
Mark your calendar for the opening weekend of National Park Week and fee free days on April 18-19. Shenandoah National Park begins to come back to life after winter, offering wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, clogging, and time to enjoy the mountain solitude at Skyland Resort (see Events Calendar). Enjoy the Skyline Drive … hike a trail … take in the mountain vistas.
Don’t miss the other fee-free days in 2015:
August 25 — National Park Service’s 99th Birthday
September 26 — National Public Lands Day
November 11 — Veterans Day
By Lynn R. Mitchell
The mountains called. Skyland Resort is open for the season and it was hopping on Easter Monday as my Richmond sister Lori and I popped in to the dining room with dozens of other visitors for lunch and to enjoy the views out the huge windows overlooking the Page Valley.
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” –Psalm 121:1
I had a million things to do today. I should have gotten my work done. But I couldn’t get my mind off a friend in Richmond who is going through some serious health issues and is back in the hospital for a third time. I could have done any one of the many items on my list today but sometimes it seems life is too short.
The mountains were calling.
By Lynn R. Mitchell
Voted as one of America’s Top 20 Main Streets by Travel and Leisure magazine, the central Shenandoah Valley city of Staunton was also recently named one of the 20 Best Small Towns in America by Smithsonian magazine as well as Virginia Living magazine’s Best of 2012. Known as the Queen City, Staunton was founded in 1747 and was named for Lady Rebecca Staunton, wife of Virginia’s Governor William Gooch.
With views east toward the Blue Ridge Mountains and west toward the Appalachians, Staunton is an historic slice of Virginia that offers restored Victorian homes, cozy downtown shops, and small-town atmosphere. Patriotic holidays find her streets lined with American flags, and the always-popular Christmas parade takes place each year on Beverley Street, the main thoroughfare that is lined with restaurants, store fronts, the Dixie Theater, the city courthouse, and old-fashioned lamp posts.
There are many things to do during the leaf season that peaks in October so here are some places and events you may find interesting. Check back often … this list will be updated throughout the month. It’s autumn in western Virginia.
1. Trolleys
A great way to get around downtown, Staunton’s two trolleys are inexpensive, and pick up and discharge passengers at stops located throughout the city. More information can be found at the Staunton Visitors Center on New Street.
September 27 is fee-free day at Shenandoah National Park in celebration of National Public Lands Day.
By Lynn R. Mitchell
Skyland Resort located at Milepost 42 on the Skyline Drive is an 1890s mountain resort that was incorporated into the National Park system in the 1930s providing a rustic getaway to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Shenandoah National Park. Located at the highest point of the park on Stony Man Mountain, it was developed by George Freeman Pollock as a summer retreat for city dwellers who wanted to enjoy the coolness of the mountains.
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