This is a retrospective blog of my seven-week exploration of Virginia along with a journey through the Shenandoah National Park and on down the Blue Ridge Parkway to Cherokee, North Carolina. 'Retrospective' means simply that it wasn't written during the trip, but is being written in hindsight a little over a year later. Baaswell Sheep accompanied me and is writing the blog in the way he's done my later blogs, since he's so good with the color commentary. Unfortunately, since I didn't plan for this blog back them, my pictures are limited to the major attractions, but I'll try to make those galleries a little bigger than I do in my later blogs.
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Today my companion worked and did what he could to explore the city of Staunton. Lots of great architecture here, and much of it is still occupied, which is a nice change of pace. Of note, there is a renaissance themed store that sponsors a dragon scavenger hunt throughout the city. Ask for a free clue sheet at the front counter and then set out on the quest to find the dragons. Do not, it's not easy, and some of the dragons are inside of stores, not just in their front windows. And, some are no longer where the clues might lead you (example, one points you to the Chamber of Commerce, but it's no longer in the building it used to be in when the clues were written. If you can find half of the dragons, you're doing pretty well IMHO.
We had lunch downtown at a place that specializes in true Belgian waffles, specifically one called "the lìege" – read all about it on the restaurant's website page. We tried one and found it very good, especially topped with fruit. The fun part is that they offer their waffles in a build-your-own format, so you can pick one protein and three toppings of your choice to make your own custom waffle dish.
For dinner we checked out this place we'd gone past a few times since we'd arrived in town. Going back to 1941 in Harrisonburg, the seven-store Kline's chain is based in the Staunton-Harrisonburg-Waynesboro vicinity, and features homemade ice cream products. The Staunton Kline's is combined with "Hog Wild BBQ" offering Carolina style BBQ, which is one of my companion's favorites. He got a sandwich for himself and a potato salad for me, and we shared a heavenly strawberry shortcake. There was little doubt we'd be coming back here again.
Please note that all restaurant and product names are used simply for referential purposes and links provided as a courtesy. Reviews are the sole opinions of the reviewer: no restaurant has paid to be listed here, and no restaurant is being explicitly endorsed. In other words, go out there, try them all, and form your own opinions!
Today my companion worked and did what he could to explore the city of Staunton. Lots of great architecture here, and much of it is still occupied, which is a nice change of pace. Of note, there is a renaissance themed store that sponsors a dragon scavenger hunt throughout the city. Ask for a free clue sheet at the front counter and then set out on the quest to find the dragons. Do not, it's not easy, and some of the dragons are inside of stores, not just in their front windows. And, some are no longer where the clues might lead you (example, one points you to the Chamber of Commerce, but it's no longer in the building it used to be in when the clues were written. If you can find half of the dragons, you're doing pretty well IMHO.