We decided for a summer vacation we would goto the Shenandoah Valley and then onto Virginia Beach. As we were not in any hurry or had any definitive plans we decided to drive the backroads as we enjoy seeing the scenery and small towns along the way instead of the interstate which can be boring. We headed south/east through Morgantown and the Appalachian Mountains, through the Lost River Valley until we reached the border of West Virginian and Virginia around Strasburg which we really like the area filled with small towns and privately businesses. We were making our way to Massanutten Resort which is right outside of Harrisonburg, VA and only minutes to the Shenandoah Mountains and Skyline Drive. We stopped in Harrisonburg to pick up some supplies and grab a bite to eat in the Collage town of James Madison University. It is a busy collage town and JMU has a student population of about 21,000 students. We were hungry and decided to stop and eat at Jimmy Madison BBQ. The staff was extremely nice, the atmosphere had a unique blend of Collage bar and BBQ joint. I had the brisket sandwich and Shirley had the pulled pork and we also had hush puppies as an appetizer. The provided a wide range of BBQ sauces from Carolina to Kansa City style to accompany the food. The food was delicious and after eating we continued onto Massnutten Resort to check in. The check-in lines were long and there was a lot of activity. They gave us a short orientation and gave us a lay of the land with a map. Massnutten Resort is over 6,000 acres with a variety of accommodations from hotel, homes, timeshares, and condos. It contains within it a ski resort, waterpark, golf, horseback riding, hiking and much more, We had rented the recently updated condo which was very reasonable for the accommodations which included a fireplace and hot tub.
We followed the map to our condo, got unpacked, and then decided to goto the Base Camp Music Festival at the resort. They had organized a nice festival with a variety of bands playing classic rock and alternative with a lot of different food, beer, wine and games. We enjoyed the evening dancing, listening to music like; Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, The Cure, Tool, and even celebrated someone’s birthday with them in the audience. After the show we went back to our condo and relaxed in the hot tub.
The next morning we got up ate breakfast and headed to Luray Caverns which was only about 45 minutes away from the resort. We drove the back roads and really enjoyed the small communities and scenery along the way. We arrived at Luray Caverns pretty early and beat most of the crowds. We got our tickets and checked out the gift shop before venturing down into the caverns. Luray Caverns is a cave just west of Luray, Virginia, which has drawn many visitors since its discovery in 1878. The cavern system is adorned with colorful speleothems such as columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, mirrored pools, and even the a stalacpipe organ. The Great Stalacpipe Organ is an electrically actuated lithophone. Covering 3.5 acres of the cavern, it is considered the world’s largest instrument by Guinness World Records.
Exploring the caverns was a lot of fun and it is filled with natural wonders including an area with a mirror pool that creates a reflection of the ceiling which creates and illusion which feels surreal. The sheer size of some of the stalagmites must have took hundreds of years to form. We eventually made our way to the The Great Stalacpipe Organ which produces an eerie sound to create the Moonlight Sonata. We continued through the caverns until we reached the underground wishing well. This glowing pool of water measures six feet in depth and is absolutely mesmerizing. For decades, visitors have been inspired to toss coins and even paper money into the well for good luck and prosperity. Each year, the money is collected and donated to various charities. Since the tradition began in 1954, over a million dollars have been collected and donated. We excited the caverns and were given the option to buy picture packages that they captured while exploring the caverns and we bought one photo. We decided to then visit the small town of Luray and stopped at a local distillery as the owners waved at us as we passed by and they were beside a house that was decorated spookily for Halloween. Blue Shepard Spirits is a locally owned distillery and offers a variety of high end drinks made from the spirits they distill. I decided to have the smoked rum old fashion and a Bloody Mary while Shirley had a strawberry lemonade. The drinks were good and we had good conversation with the owners who coincidentally were planning a trip to South America possibly to Peru.
After leaving Blue Shepard Spirits we headed back to the Resort and decided to check out the waterpark but it was a bit pricey and very loud, so we decided to goto the resorts recreational indoor pool. The pool was great and they had a steam room, hot tub, and sauna which we enjoyed for the relaxation. After leaving the pool I was told about a great pizza place in Harrisburg so we decided to drive to Bella Luna. Parking was a problem since its in a collage town but we eventually found a spot and entered Bella Luna. The place was packed and smelled amazing, we were seated and decided to have a glass of wine. We ordered the Risotto Fritters as an appetizer and a traditional Margarita pizza. We enjoyed the dinner and the food was good. After dinner we walked around a little before heading back to Massanutten and going to sleep as we decided to drive to Virginia Beach the following day.
We got got up the next day cleaned up the condo, checked out, and headed through the Shanadoah Mountains on our way to Virginian Beach which were breathtaking as the mountains just seemed to touch the sky. The drive from Massnutten to Virginia Beach took us about 3.5 hours. The traffic as we got close to Virginian Beach is intense as there was a lot of construction but we finally made it to the beach and checker into our room at the Hampton Inn Virginia Beach south. We were tired and the check-in process was pretty quick although they convinced me to become a rewards memeber. The hotel was undergoing renovations and unfortunately we got one of the old rooms which had seen better days. We made the best of it as we were not spending much time in the room and it was oceanfront so we had a beautiful view of the ocean from our balcony. After unpacking we walked up the boardwalk to Neptune Park and enjoyed walking on the beach. We stopped at a beachfront bar, had a few beers, and then decided to get ready for dinner at Chix On The Beach. We both had the Steamer Bags which contained, corn, kielbasa, shrimp, and red potatoes. We also ordered snow crab legs to share. The atmosphere was fun and the food was good. We enjoyed our dinner and afterward walked on the beach until we got back to our hotel to get some rest.
The next morning Shirley got me up for the sunrise and we enjoyed listening to the ocean while watching the sun peak out above the ocean. We then headed out to the beach as we were one of the first people on the beach we got a great spot. The beaches did not get crowded and we enjoyed swimming in the ocean, jumping waves, body surfing and collecting shell using the snorkel gear Shirley had got me for my birthday. We spotted many groups of dolphins swimming in the ocean back and forth eating fish for most of the day, After relaxing a bit more, absorbing the suns rays, and letting the ocean sounds calm our minds we decided to search for ceviche. After some research we decided to goto the Side Street Cantina which was close to our hotel and had pretty good reviews. It seemed like a Mexican restaurant but had Peruvian ceviche listed on the menu. We entered the restaurant and were seated, the restaurant had nice decor and bright latin inspired paintings on the walls. We ordered a few margaritas and both got the Peruvian ceviche which was made with sashimi style Tilapia which is not typical in Peru. The ceviche arrived and tasted ok, it did have the traditional red onion, hot peppers, and sweet potato you find in Peru. We enjoyed listening to the latin music while drinking margaritas and eating ceviche. After leaving the Side Street Cantina we walked up and down the entire boardwalk and checked out the peer. We walked back to the hotel to rest for a bit before getting ready for dinner.
On this evening we decided to got Waterman’s Surfside Grill which is a locally owned restaurant which received really good reviews. Shirley and I were both in the mood for fish and Waterman’s was suppose to have the best seafood. We walked about .5 miles down the beach boardwalk until we reached Waterman’s which was crowded. We had not made reservation so we decided to have a seat at the bar while we waited for out table. We both decided to have the Orange Crush which is made with Waterman Spirits The Perfect Crush vodka, fresh-squeezed orange juice & a splash of Sprite. The drink was refreshing and by the time we finished them our table was ready. The atmosphere at Waterman’s is lively and the staff are fun and attentive. We ordered and appetizer of Bacon wrapped sea scallops with pineapple/tomato salsa had a few more orange crushes and then ordered. Shirley had the fried Maui Maui with rice and vegetables and I ordered the Crab stuffed Maui Maui. The food was absolutely delicious and we enjoyed the food and atmosphere very much. We left Waterman’s and took a romantic stroll on the beach until the ceviche I had for lunch got to my stomach and it become a race back to the hotel. That night we sat on the balcony and gazed at the ocean and watched the people on the boardwalk until we went to bed for some shut eye.
The next morning we got and had breakfast at the hotel which was surprisingly very good and consisted of various, fruits, breads, waffles, potatoes, pancakes, bacon, and sausage. After are bellies were full we headed out to the beach and enjoyed a full-day on the beach; playing in the waves, collecting seashells, spotting more dolphins and birds. I even buried Shirley in the sand and turned her into a sand mermaid. After enjoying our last day on the beach we went for another walk and stopped at some stores to due a little shopping before stopping at the beachfront bar to have a few beers to prepare for our last evening at the beach. We decided to goto the room and relax before getting ready to go out for dinner and some live entertainment. After getting ready we headed to The Shack which is owned by the same family as Waterman’s. The vibe was a fun beach party and they had many games an activities to have enjoy including toss the ring. We had a few orange crushes and Shirley discovered her favorite drink the passion fruit crush. We did not have dinner plans so we decided to eat at The Shack and I must say the food was very overpriced and disappointing. Of course we expected the same level of food and service as Waterman’s and that was just not the case. After eating we went to Chix as they were having a DJ beach party event and it was only a short walk from The Shack. Once we got there the place was packed and there was no room left at Chix so we went to the Hilton next door which had an outdoor bar right next to the DJ. We had fun that night listening to music and observing the people dancing and performing on the boardwalk. Shirley even requested some songs from the Dj which he played. They also had a drone event for a company promoting themselves. After the DJ finished playing we went back to The Shack until it closed and then onto Calypso Bar and Grill which is the last bar to close on Virginia Beach. We had a few more beers as we did not want the night to end and even ordered some wings which were absolutely delicious. We stayed at Calypso until it closed and then stumbled back to our hotel which conveniently was right next door.
We got up the next morning and packed up our bags, checked out and put everything in the truck. We took one last stroll along the beach and then headed to The Virginia Aquarium to observe and learn more about the history and wildlife of the area. The Virginia Aquariums mission is to connect people to the marine environment, inspiring a more sustainable future. They aspire to be a driver in conservation, education, tourism, and sustainability, leading the charge to save wildlife and their ecosystems. We enjoyed the and got to interact with a variety of animals through education and learning about conservation. My favorite were probably the sea turtles who truly seems to be intelligently aware and responsive. We also got to pet a variety of stingrays which I had experienced before and is a lot of fun. After we finished at the Virginia Aquarium we went to eat at a local taco place considered to be one of the best in Virginia Beach Gringos Tacos. The restaurant is inside of another building and was a little hard to spot but after finding a parking place we went in. The staff is extremely friendly, informative about the menu, and specialties. It’s a positively unique experience whenever you go into a place staffed with Latin Americans and you are married or with a Latin American. They speak Spanish to each other and can relate about food, culture, and life experiences. After conversing with the waitress we ordered. I had the baja fish tacos and Shirley had the street style pork tacos with a side of the house made habanero hot sauce. The chips and salsa were above average and the tacos were really exceptional. You can tell they handmade the tortillas in house and everything is fresh and seasoned to perfection. I left Gringos Tacos with a full belly and we got int the truck and headed toward home. On the way home Driving through Newark was a unique experience and driving by Naval Station Norfolk and through the Hampton Roads Bridge tunnel is nerve wracking but amazing at the same time.
We continued home toward the Shenandoah Valley to the Appalachian Mountains until we reached Waynesboro, VA at which time we stopped and got a hotel for the night enjoyed a good nights rest before getting up the next day and continuing home. The next morning we got up fully rested got a complimentary breakfast from the hotel and got back on the road toward West Virginia. Once we entered Mathias we decided to stop and do a short hike at Lost River State Park. Lost River is in the wooded mountains of Hardy County in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, Lost River State Park provides cabin lodging and an abundance of outdoor recreation including hiking. The park’s quiet 3,934 acres of woods provides a secluded getaway for nature lovers. Lost River is known for its Cranny Crow overlook on top of Big Ridge Mountain, which offers a commanding view of five counties. We enjoyed hiking through the secluded woods as we saw very few people. The leaves were starting to change colors for fall and we appreciated the chance to explore this State Park. We walked back the the truck and continued on our way home.
Not wanting the vacation to end I decided to take a short detour to Canaan Valley Resort State Park to visit the area and check out Black Water Falls State Park which we had previously went to on our trip to . Black water Falls is Located in the Allegheny Mountains of Tucker County, Blackwater Falls State Park is named for the amber waters of Blackwater Falls, a 57-foot cascade tinted by the tannic acid of fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. The falls, along with a few of the park’s other features like Elakala Falls, Lindy Point and Pendleton Point Overloo are the most popular. You can enjoy the scenic views year-round by taking the steps to the falls or using viewing platforms. The park has 20 miles of hiking trails, the longest sledding magic carpet on the East Coast in the winter. We hiked through Black Water Falls State Park and enjoyed nature and especially getting some fresh air and energy from the Falls. We then went to Davis, West Virginia were there were celebrating the fall Festival which included many activities, vendors, music, and other entertainment. We decided to get a bite to eat and check out the festival vendors and met some unique characters whom I bought some healing Gestalt Salt from which was a perfect end for a great vacation. We walked around a bit more and then got back in the truck, continued our trip until we arrived cack home.
Shenandoah Valley to VA Beach Trip 2023 on Weighing The Heart Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/Y7wT0eh_Nj0
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