me and my lady are going on a mini vacation to get away from the city for a weekend.

we will be staying in New Market and would like some help finding some things to do in that area.  i will be conceal carrying so im guessing that Shenandoah National Park is out of the question.

i have never been out to that part of the state besides passing through so im not up on what to do there.  are there any other parks in the area or anything else fun within 30 miles.  

i can also choose another town if need be to get closer to more things to do.  anything at all would help.

thanks guys

New Market isn't far enough away to be free of NoVA influence.  Spend a little more time on the road stay near Roanoke.  

My wife and I sometimes take a weekend trip and stay at teh Hotel Roanoke.  Blue Ridge parkway is fairly close and has some nice places for a little picnic lunch and there's a couple of decent restaurants in downtown Roanoke that are an easy walk from the hotel.  Being able to walk back to the hotel is important when too much wine is involved.

There was also a recent (2 or 3 months ago) in this forum about a B&B in that area that had some good info about a B&B that may be nicer.

Quoted: New Market isn't far enough away to be free of NoVA influence.  Spend a little more time on the road stay near Roanoke.   My wife and I sometimes take a weekend trip and stay at teh Hotel Roanoke.  Blue Ridge parkway is fairly close and has some nice places for a little picnic lunch and there's a couple of decent restaurants in downtown Roanoke that are an easy walk from the hotel.  Being able to walk back to the hotel is important when too much wine is involved. There was also a recent (2 or 3 months ago) in this forum about a B&B in that area that had some good info about a B&B that may be nicer.

+1 Roanoke is a nice(r) area to hang out in.

if Roanoke is too far, try the Mark Addy Inn in Nellysford,
a few miles from Wintergreen
nice place

i think Harrisonburg is as far south as we would like to.  4 hours is just to far to drive for the weekend.  

staunton could be a choice.

If you want total peace and quiet, try Peaks of Otter on the parkway. Couple of mountains you can go up on, (trails). If memory serves me correct, it is between Harrinsonburg and Luray. Haven't been upthere in about 20 years, and it's a bear getting old.

Quoted: If you want total peace and quiet, try Peaks of Otter on the parkway. Couple of mountains you can go up on, (trails). If memory serves me correct, it is between Harrinsonburg and Luray. Haven't been upthere in about 20 years, and it's a bear getting old.

Just for the record Peaks of Otter is a half-hour north of Roanoke.

I guess my mind is going before my eyesight, oh well

i just read in a report that Shenandoah National Park is among the worst in the country...

that cant be good huh

Spend the extra 30 minutes and go on down to Staunton.  A real downtown with actual shops, mercifully free of college students and illegal immigrants (and that's speaking as a proud JMU graduate).  There's a couple of bed and breakfasts that are nice and plenty of hotels spread around near the interstate.

I spent 11 years living in Staunton..excellent restraunts, some fun shops, the frontier museum is a good way to spend an afternoon.  I recommend going to Mill Street Grill for dinner.

Also two gun shops nearby.  Gun Shack is in Verona (exit 227) and is a good ol' boy type of shop.  Not much in the way of tactical or mil-surp, but sometimes some good prices on used stuff.  The place in Staunton is on West Beverley Street.......never been in there but it's a pretty goodly sized shop.

Quoted: i think Harrisonburg is as far south as we would like to.  4 hours is just to far to drive for the weekend.   staunton could be a choice.

Just fir the record, Roanoke is about 3 hours drive once you get clear of the DC suburbs, so the only way it'd be a 4 hour drive is if you left on a friday evening and got stuck in traffic getting out of town.

Still, if you want a shorter drive Staunton is an hour closer and still a good choice.  Better than H'burg.

Quoted: Quoted: i think Harrisonburg is as far south as we would like to.  4 hours is just to far to drive for the weekend.   staunton could be a choice. Still, if you want a shorter drive Staunton is an hour closer and still a good choice.  Better than H'burg.

i hear that, i used to go to H'burg all the time, my ex goes there and i used to visit all the time and i hate that town.  Staunton is a much better choice, now to look to see whats there.

Quoted: Spend the extra 30 minutes and go on down to Staunton.  A real downtown with actual shops, mercifully free of college students and illegal immigrants (and that's speaking as a proud JMU graduate).  There's a couple of bed and breakfasts that are nice and plenty of hotels spread around near the interstate. I spent 11 years living in Staunton..excellent restraunts, some fun shops, the frontier museum is a good way to spend an afternoon.  I recommend going to Mill Street Grill for dinner. Also two gun shops nearby.  Gun Shack is in Verona (exit 227) and is a good ol' boy type of shop.  Not much in the way of tactical or mil-surp, but sometimes some good prices on used stuff.  The place in Staunton is on West Beverley Street.......never been in there but it's a pretty goodly sized shop.

Danny

Danny/Minuteman,

Glad I could get your attention  I spent numerous Wednesday nights at Mill Street sucking down Guinness and listening to jazz while chowing down on some fine food.  Oh, those were the days.....

Quoted: Danny/Minuteman, Glad I could get your attention  I spent numerous Wednesday nights at Mill Street sucking down Guinness and listening to jazz while chowing down on some fine food.  Oh, those were the days.....

That place is great! We enjoy the Prime Rib and the bread that they make is the best. I need to drag my arse back over there again soon.

Thanks for reminding me.

Danny

Quoted: Quoted: Danny/Minuteman, Glad I could get your attention  I spent numerous Wednesday nights at Mill Street sucking down Guinness and listening to jazz while chowing down on some fine food.  Oh, those were the days..... That place is great! We enjoy the Prime Rib and the bread that they make is the best. I need to drag my arse back over there again soon. Thanks for reminding me. Danny

Good stuff!  Don't forget a stop at Wright's for a milkshake.

Reddish Knob is another mountain area we are looking at going.  heard some good things about it.

I also found out that its Parents Weekend at JMU the weekend we go down there, thats why almost everything around the area was full.  we might have to do some driving from New Market down to JMU to Staunton but i suspect it will be a good time.  

just got a new camcorder on Saturday so we are all set.  

Quoted: just got a new camcorder on Saturday so we are all set.

Gonna make some 'home movies', huh?  

Staunton's nice.  Thought about Chincoteague?  This is the perfect time of year to visit, not too many tourists or mosquitos.

eta: I guess the thread is titled "shenandoah valley" so you're probably not going to want to go to Chincoteague.

New Market doesn't have much in the way of what most folks would call  fun. But I suppose it depends on what you are in to. There is a pretty fair golf course (so i hear), lots of antique shops, and a civil war battlefield. There are a couple of caverns that can be toured withing the 30 mile radius you mentioned. The southfork of the shendandoah river is just over the mountain in Luray and that provides some pretty decent canoeing. Thats about it other than a couple of hiking trails.  Oh yeah Southern kitchen in New Market makes excellent fried chicken.

I think everyone has pretty much covered the high points in New Market, but here's my spin:
A. New Market Battelfield -- if it's open check out the museum next to the motel ( I think it's a Days Inn ) on the access road to the VMI run battelfield park.  The museum is a 3/4 scale replica of the Lee-Custis house at Arlington and used to have an impressive military collection and a number of Civil War era field pieces.
B. Luray Caverns -- just across the Massanutten and probably a 30-45 minute drive.
C. Reddish Knob -- this is a bit of a drive from New Market.  Not much there but a parking lot and its a popular ( or used to be ) college destination.  If the sky is clear, the Knob does provide an impressive view of the Valley ( supposedly five counties worth IIRC ).  The actual access road off VA 257 was pretty rough the last time I was up there, but that's been awhile.  Might want to keep that in mind if you have a vehicle with low clearance.  If you're going to the Knob then you're already in Augusta County so you might as well take the other folks' advice and check out Staunton.  And if you want some culture while there, check out the Shakespeare theatre in town where they do Shakespeare in a not so dry and boring way.
D. Avoid H'burg like the plague if you're coming this way during Parents Weekend at JMU.  I sure will and I live there.  The next weekend is Homecoming so ditto that.
E.  There's always the Shenadoah National Park/Skyline Drive.  Shame you're not headed this way in another two or three weeks.  I haven't seen any fall foliage to speak of -- though there may be more at the higher elevations...

Quoted: Reddish Knob is another mountain area we are looking at going.  heard some good things about it. I also found out that its Parents Weekend at JMU the weekend we go down there, thats why almost everything around the area was full.  we might have to do some driving from New Market down to JMU to Staunton but i suspect it will be a good time.   just got a new camcorder on Saturday so we are all set.

You don't want to be in Harrisonburg during parents weekend.

Trust me.

Staunton is a cool place too.

Lexington/Buena Vista isn't bad.  Natural Bridge is nearby.

Quoted: You don't want to be in Harrisonburg during parents weekend. Trust me. Staunton is a cool place too.

yea, i was there 2 years ago and was on campus so it wasnt that bad and i didnt drive.  but to go there voluntary would be crazy, the most i want to do is drive past it on my way to Staunton.

Quoted: Shame you're not headed this way in another two or three weeks.  I haven't seen any fall foliage to speak of -- though there may be more at the higher elevations...

we will be there from Oct. 14-16.  

Quoted: You don't want to be in Harrisonburg during parents weekend. Trust me. Staunton is a cool place too.

Having had been at JMU for a year, I wouldn't want to go back to Harrisonburg unless it was to see some friends...but even then, I know that they would get away from the burg for an hour or so especially during Parents weekend.

GcS:  Do you know exactly how to get to Reddish Knob?  I've tried looking for directions online but I can't find anything.

I definitely want to go to Luray Caverns.  I was there when I was about 5 or 6...but I don't remember anything about it.

Something else I'd like to do is go "shopping".  I'm not looking to buy anything but if there are cute old-timey type stores, I'd love to go, so if you guys have any ideas that'd be great.

Afplayboy probably wouldn't care for that too much though.  Lol.

Quoted: Quoted: just got a new camcorder on Saturday so we are all set.   Gonna make some 'home movies', huh?

Bad bad thoughts Hoplophile!

Quoted: GcS:  Do you know exactly how to get to Reddish Knob?  I've tried looking for directions online but I can't find anything... Something else I'd like to do is go "shopping".  I'm not looking to buy anything but if there are cute old-timey type stores, I'd love to go, so if you guys have any ideas that'd be great.

Try this link.  As indicated the road to the Knob is on the left at a crossroads of sorts, the other road to the right is a dirt/gravel road that winds it's way about 12-13 miles back to Switzer Dam ( just off 33 west at the base of the mountain ).  That's a nice trip if you have a 4 wheel drive, however, there are a couple turns on the old road that you have to make that I couldn't describe even if I could remember where they are ( like I said, been several years since I've been up there ).

As for old-timey stores, there used to be a pretty cool one ( near Mt. Jackson I think ) named Tuttle & Spice General Store when I was a teen ( 20 years ago ).  The old gent who ran it has certainly long since passed away and I seem to recall that his impressive museum of yesteryear memorabilia was auctioned several years ago, however, the building is still there next to the I81 exit and I think it still has a general store sign outside of it so it may be worth a stop.  You can't miss it -- I seem to recall that there's a big Indian tee-pee still sitting next to it.  Use to have the old mercantile look and a selection of country goods -- including honest to gawd rock candy.

And that reminds me, near the I81/I66 junction is an old plantation house named Belle Grove.  It sits on the Cedar Creek Battlefield and might be of interest if still open for the season.  There used to be living history type actors, etc. there...

Quoted: Something else I'd like to do is go "shopping".  I'm not looking to buy anything but if there are cute old-timey type stores, I'd love to go, so if you guys have any ideas that'd be great.

Dayton Farmer's Market on Rt 42 - great sweets, excellent BBQ, lots of Mennonites
Strasburg has a huge antique mall if that's your sort of thing
The Farmer's Co-Op in Staunton is cool.....looks like it hasn't changed in 30 years
Gun Rack is in Verona.....not old timey, but it's a gun store and that's always good


Reddish knob....IIRC, take 42S (South High Street) out of Harrisonburg, when you get near Bridgewater, there's a sign that says "Ottobine" on it (a right turn).  I think it's a 3 digit numbered road (maybe part of rt 257)

Ottobine is basically the last stop before  Reddish Knob......there's a couple of turns, but I found it without directions.