Thomas Jefferson had a legendary love of wine and believed that the Virginia homeland he loved was the perfect place to create amazing wines that could rival others around the world. In 1774, Jefferson planted his first vineyard just a mile from his beloved Monticello home. In 1981, the original site was replanted with the […]

Are you a sports fisherman? Do you and your children spend an occasional warm weekend afternoon at the local fishing hole drowning worms? Have you ever fished with friends at a well stocked pond and reeled in a trout big enough so that you didn’t have to exaggerate when you brought it home? How about […]

Whether you are just passing through, have visited Staunton several times or this is your first of many visits to the area, The Mill Street Grill promises to treat you better than your family would. Quite a lofty claim, isn’t it? Just ask any of their customers that have been dining on their baby back […]

Montpelier, the majestic home and grounds of President James Madison and First Lady Dolly Madison, rests in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This home is where Madison was raised and also where he returned to after his presidency. A tour of Montpelier encompasses more than just a tour of the home itself. There […]

I recently attended a production at the Blackfriars Playhouse as a chaperone for my son’s 9th grade English class.  We saw the performance of “Romeo and Juliett,” and I must say I was completely amazed at the quality of this theater and show in the little town of Staunton!       The theater itself […]

Located near the upper end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, just south of Route I-64, the Humpback Rocks Recreation Area offers an excellent day’s adventure for casual visitors or for hikers of all proficiency levels. The attraction for which the area is named is the massive and spectacular greenstone outcrop, or hump, located on the […]

The décor screams chi chi and trendy, terms usually synonymous with expensive and exclusive. However, you’ll find that The Mockingbird Artisan Fare & Roots Music is not only affordable but also unpretentious. Mockingbird’s proprietor Wade Luhn artfully infuses chic with down-to-earth. Its eclectic menu is a contradiction in terms. Looking at it, one might easily […]

Discovered by a local teenager at the beginning of the 1800s, Grand Caverns, originally named Weyer’s Cave for its discoverer, is the oldest show cave in America. This limestone cave, located near the town of Grottoes, Virginia is a popular tourist destination that offers powerful testimony to God’s handiwork. While western Virginia boasts a number […]

Owning a jeep or other four-wheel drive vehicle designed for off-road travel, and not taking it out for a run on a 4WD trail is a lot like owning a small airplane and limiting your travel to taxiing back and forth on the runway. It’s simply a waste of potential. Having the power and ability […]

The Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia (FCMV), located in the city of Staunton, celebrates the rich and diverse cultures of the early settlers from England, Germany, Ireland and West Africa to the New World. Whether searching for a better life for their families, or forced into slavery, exhibits highlight stories of these immigrant farmers, craftsmen […]