The rolling hills of the Piedmont soon gave way to the Appalachian range and the Shenandoah Valley. Its a beautiful valley that stretches for the length of Virginia in a Southwest to North East direction. Bordered by the Allegheny on the west side and the Blue Ridge on the east, the valley floor is a fertile basin punctuated by meandering rivers and tributaries of the Shenandoah River.
All along the protecting and flanking ranges are small passes that one needs to drive over in order to get in. We entered via Rockfish Gap near Waynesboro and pulled into Staunton (which is pronounced "Stanton") for the night. It's a cute little town nestled into some foot hills. Surprisingly it had the best restaurant of our trip. Zynodoa is located on the main strip and is pricy. However, well worth the price.
At night, the town shuts down and as we walked about after dinner, it was creepy. No humans as far as the eye could see. No movement, just a faint breeze and the only change was the streetlights alternating from green to red and back again for non-existent cars. It really was something akin to the Twilight Zone.
Luckily we only spent one night here. From Staunton we made our way North West. It is considered going "down the valley", which makes sense if you think of it in terms of following the river downstream. Halfway down the valley is the Massanutten Mountain, which divides the valley in two. In the civil war Jackson would use this mountain to screen his forces and then use it as a natural border to keep his enemies divided. There is one road that goes across this long mountain that comes from a town called New Market. We took this for some amazing hiking with an excellent vista along Storybook Trail.
There were 4 (some historians record 5) civil war campaigns in this valley. Federal and Confederate forces would clash in nearly every major town. The town of Winchester changed hands 72 times during the course of the war. This was our next destination.
I wouldn't recommend this place. Its out of date and a bit too rustic. There is only one major strip and it seems like the remainder of the city is falling into disrepute. Its only major bonus is that it is a perfect jumping point to see a multitude of civil war battle sites, excellent hiking along the blue ridge panoramic drive, and an easy drive to Antietam and Harpers Ferry.
I would say Harper's Ferry was my preferred hiking destination. The town itself is a bit of a tourist trap. However it does have some impressive sights including John Brown's famed fort where he attempted to lead a slave revolt in 1859.
From the center of the town, one can cross the Potomac River and climb up a steep hill to see the vista of city below. From the top of Maryland Heights, one can see the confluence of the Shenandoah River as it merges into the Potomac. The water literally change color as it does this.
Thus my pointers for the Shenandoah:
1) Check out some of the amazing hiking
2) Wineries here are outstanding
3) Stauton has some amazing restaurants
4) Harpers Ferry is a must
5) Don't recommend Winchester - not much here
6) BTW Joe's Steakhouse - which is rated number 1 per trip advisor - is not worth the cost.
I think for anyone interested in Civil War history, this is a must. Everywhere you look is a battlefield. In some cases like Winchester there are three fields here alone. Its a bit quaint and rustic, but I think thats also where the charm lies
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