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Many of us haven’t been traveling recently, and it’s easy to go stir-crazy in our houses. Fortunately, it’s also easy to have fun while pretending to be a tourist in your own town. Here are some ideas for seeing your old Staunton favorites in a new light and making new discoveries!

Try out Some Fresh Digs

It might seem excessive to check into a hotel in your own town, but it’s possibly just the escape you need, without all the stress of making extensive travel plans and packing for a long trip. There’s something refreshing about leaving all your stuff (physical and emotional behind) and spending some time with just the essentials. Staunton has a stay for everybody. Grab a room in a luxury historic hotel, a convenient brand hotel, a bed and breakfast, or even a campground. Not only will you get to enjoy a staycation and having somebody else make the bed, you’ll give local businesses a boost. When you’re ready to leave the room, stop by the front desk or the Visitor Center and grab some brochures for ideas about where to spend your day.

Make Your Own Food, Wine, or Beer “Tour”

It might not be the best time to hang out for hours in a crowded restaurant, but it’s fun to walk around and stop in at multiple places for something quick. Call ahead and ask for something “portable” to munch while you’re window shopping. Why not grab a slice of pizza from Shenandoah Pizza and Tap House? Or a handheld pie from Firkin Pie Company? Or a pastry from Réunion Bakery and Espresso? Get takeout from somewhere new and eat in candlelight on your special china, or if the weather permits, enjoy it at one of our favorite picnicking spots. If you haven’t signed up for a Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail Passport yet, now is the time. Not only will it direct you to the 18 breweries along the trail, you’ll earn a special t-shirt once you’ve visited eight or more.

Take Time to Enjoy the Golden Hour

Photographers love the “golden hour” when the sun is in just the right spot to soften shadows and flood the photo with warm light. That time of day is magical whether you’re in front of a camera or not. When was the last time you enjoyed the sunrise or sunset from any place other than your breakfast nook or deck? A wonderful way to see Staunton from a new perspective is to take the time to appreciate it looking its best. Take a walk along lovely Bells Lane or the loop at Gypsy Hill Park. Here are some more good spots to enjoy sunset in Staunton. Oh, and here’s a golden hour calculator.

Do Something only Staunton Can Offer and Take all the Touristy Photos!

Tourists come to Staunton to do the things that are unique to the area, but chances are you’ve been moving through your daily life ignoring many of these gems. Increase your historical knowledge with a tour of the Frontier Culture Museum or the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace and Presidential Library. Niche museums like the Bruce A. Elder Antique and Classic Automobile Museum and the Camera Heritage Museum will appeal to enthusiasts or those looking to learn something new. You’ve surely noticed Staunton’s giant watering can as you pass into downtown, but can you find more giant sculptures created by Ferguson Metal Fabrication’s Willy Ferguson and Jim Chestnut? Hunt down all the carbon steel flower pots, nuts, books, eyeglasses, and more. You can’t behave like a tourist without documenting your trip in photos. Check out Staunton’s Best Insta-Worthy Spots.

Make Your Own Walking Tour & Buy a Souvenir

Chances are that you’re familiar with Staunton’s historic downtown, its commercial areas, its parks, and your own neighborhood, maybe even your walking or running route. But how familiar are you with the rest of the city, really? Make 2021 the year you use the map app on your phone to explore the entire city on foot. Check out the architecture and landscaping. Learn all the neighborhoods and the street names. You’ll develop a stronger appreciation for your town, you’ll meet new people, and you’ll work toward burning off last year’s extra “baggage”. Another fun option is to download the Traipse app on your phone. Combining trivia with touring, Traipse brings Staunton to life in over 12 themed tours. While you’re downtown, make sure to pick up a gift that’s uniquely Staunton, like art from a local artist at the CoArt Gallery, or a handcrafted item from The Sparrow’s Nest. For more chances to shop local, see Where to Get Your Shopping Fix in Staunton.

Staunton has much to offer both visitors and long-time residents. Get out there and have fun like a tourist!

There are all kinds of reasons you need to plan a guys’ trip this year. Maybe you want to golf and catch up with your college buddies. Or maybe you want to bond on a father and son getaway. Or how about taking the bachelor party on the road? Staunton is a prime location for each of these. Centrally located in the Shenandoah Valley, it boasts great food, lots of craft beer, and access to outdoor fun. Read on for some ideas!

Day 1: Explore Staunton

Check into your lodgings. We’d suggest Tru for its modern amenities, access to both the interstate and downtown and for its generous public gathering spaces. Best of all, check out Tru’s Beerwerks package, that kicks off your guys’ weekend with a few perks. Receive a gift basket, upon arrival, that includes two vouchers for Devils’ Backbone Vienna Lager, bottled water, snacks, and Tylenol— for preventative measures.  Limit four guests per package. When booking your room pick your travel dates, room type and then select your rate by choosing “Beerwerks Passport.” 

You’ve been in the car for a while, so we suggest getting out and doing something active like playing a round of disc golf or a hike on the trails at Montgomery Hall Park or taking a stroll downtown. Staunton is home to many independent shops, galleries, and restaurants. You’ll want to peruse the shelves Barrister Books for hard-to-find used books. The Vinyl Asylum stocks vinyl, cassettes, CDs, and vintage stereo equipment. CFO Trading Company offers fine clothing and accessories, and Fretwell Bass is an upright bass specialty shop that sells basses, strings, and makes repairs. If one of your hobbies is table gaming, visit The Dragon’s Hoard for supplies like war and fantasy miniatures. Outdoors enthusiasts will like all the hiking, camping and paddling gear and advice they get at Wilderness Adventure. 

While you’re downtown grab some flights or pints at Shenandoah Valley Brewing Co. or Redbeard Brewing. Neither serves food, but you can have carryout delivered. It’s hard to choose from all the great restaurants in Staunton, but if you have Mexican on your mind, you can’t go wrong at Baja Bean or Chicano Boy Taco. Steak lovers can fill up at the Depot Grille or the Mill Street Grill. And if pizza (and more beer) calls your name, Shenandoah Pizza and Tap House is where you’ll want to grab a table. Want to end the evening with a fine cigar? Beverley Cigar Store helps you shop, smoke, and socialize in style.

Day 2: 

Fuel up with caffeine at the new, industrial cool Crucible Coffee Roasters.

You’ll want a big meal before your day, so head over to Kathy’s Restaurant, which serves breakfast all day and regularly turns up on Best of the Valley lists. You’ll probably want to hit up the breweries in the late afternoon, so prepare for that by spending the rest of the day outside being active. 

• Skiers are within easy access of several resorts, including Massanutten Resort and Wintergreen Resort. 
• If it’s off season at the slopes, you can still have a blast on your mountain bike at Massanutten Bike Park. Mountain bikers catch a ride up the mountain on the ski lift before rocketing down on their bikes. Riders who want to work for those descents can take advantage of all the trails in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. Black Dog Bikes offers advice on bikes, repairs, accessories, and more.
• Adventurers who want to sightsee underground will enjoy hiking the newly opened trail through the Blue Ridge Tunnel. The former railroad tunnel is so long that you can barely see daylight at the other end. Make sure you take a strong flashlight.
• Another subterranean option is to visit one of the area’s caves that tunnel through the area’s limestone like swiss cheese. Grand Caverns offers several types of caving adventures.

Hop on the Beerwerks Trail and spend your afternoon exploring the Valley and tasting some of the best craft beer in the state. The Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail consists of 19 breweries, all within an hour’s drive of each other, and ranging from pub-like downtown spaces, to sleek modern taprooms, to breweries with panoramic views of the mountains. Some breweries even offer tours. Grab a Beerwerks Passport at any of the breweries and get it stamped as you follow the trail. After eight stamps, you can redeem it for a cool shirt.

Try a different Staunton restaurant for some dinner and then head back out for more fun. Many Beerwerks Trail breweries host live music on the weekends. If you and your buddies like solving puzzles together, Crack the Code Escape Room is a fun way to bond for an hour. Your group might also enjoy the sounds and smell of exhaust from the drag races at Eastside Speedway. 

Day 3

If you play golf or fish, you’ll want to get an early start. Grab a coffee and quick bite from The By and By or Cranberries Grocery and Eatery.

• Golfers will enjoy one of Staunton’s two golf courses. The city’s public course, Gypsy Hill Golf Club offers steep terrain and excellent views of the city. Ingleside Golf Course also challenges players and rewards them with sweeping views of the Valley.

• Fishermen have access to several incredible stocked waterways. Waynesboro’s South River Fly Shop can outfit you and point you in the right direction. You can take advantage of their guided excursions.
• If you’re more comfortable with a gun than a fishing rod Flying Rabbit Sporting Clays can set you up for a day of shooting. All levels of expertise are welcome. The 15-station course gives you a chance to test yourself in “all the classic sporting presentations.”

Finish your trip with one last brewery stop before you head home. Get another Passport stamp and plan your next visit.

2020 was a rough year for all of us. It’s time to start making your bucket list for 2021. We’ve rounded up Staunton-area bucket list ideas to brighten up your new year. Read on to live your best life.

Walk Under a Mountain

The 2.25-mile Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel trail has just opened for foot and bike traffic. At just under a mile, the tunnel was the longest railroad tunnel in North America when it was completed in 1858. Part spooky, part history lesson, part invigorating and just plain dark, the tunnel stays a temperate 50 degrees, so it’s a good way to get outside even on the hottest and coldest days. Make sure you bring your strongest flashlight and look for subterranean creatures like crawfish and salamanders.

Complete Your Beerwerks Passport

Need some motivation to get more beer in your life? Grab a Shenandoah Valley Beerwerks passport and taste your way through the best craft beer the Shenandoah Valley has to offer. The 18 breweries are located in Rockingham, Augusta, and Rockbridge Counties, making Staunton an enviable jumping off point. You’ll enjoy taproom vibes that range from homey, to cool industrial, to alfresco with bucolic views. Get your passport stamped at 8 breweries and earn yourself a free t-shirt!

Enjoy a Spa Day

Feeling stressed and ready for some major relaxation? This is the time to book a spa day at the new spa at the Blackburn Inn. Choose from massage, skincare treatments, nail treatments, or go crazy and indulge in all of the above! Want to pamper yourself even more? Buy yourself a cute new outfit at Design@9 or the Fashion Gallery, where you can browse 25,000 square feet of high quality clothes, shoes, and accessories.

Better Yourself by Learning Something New

Beverley Street Studio School offers “year-round, non-degree, college-level art classes to the serious art student.” The public can register for classes, lectures, and workshops that are being delivered via Zoom as well as in person. Spring offerings include watercolor, art as exploration, and more. If you’re not ready to take a class just yet, get inspired by their gallery, which shares space with Co-Art Gallery at 22 W. Beverley Street. If you’d rather learn a skill that keeps you outside and active, 2021 might be the year you finally perfect your golf swing. Sign up for some private golf lessons or instructional clinics with the golf pro at Gypsy Hill Golf Club.

Kayak Through a Whitewater Gorge

Does racing whitewater make your heart thrill? Rack your kayak and head to Goshen Pass for six miles of powerful class II, class III, and class IV rapids. The gorge was created as the Maury River cut through Little North Mountain and the water that courses through is considered some of the best whitewater for intermediate paddlers in Virginia.

Take that Hot Air Balloon Ride You’ve Always Promised Her

Picture gliding smoothly through the air, gazing down as the Valley spreads out like a map below you. Enjoy the sunrise or sunset with up to three of your favorite people. Bridgewater’s Star Ballooning takes photos, provides champagne toasts, and can even arrange a special proposal flight, should the mood strike you.

2020 Was a Rough Year. Smash Some *&$% Up!

You’ll have to drive over to Waynesboro to get to Havoc House, but we couldn’t leave this off the bucket list. Has 2020 been rough for you? Suit up in protective gear and get your sweet revenge by taking out your aggressions on glassware, furniture, and small electronics at the newly opened “smash therapy” center. You choose your weapon of choice, like a bat or golf club, and swing away. Best of all, when you’re finished, someone else will come in behind you and clean it all up. Feel better now?

Spend the Night in Lodgings with a History

Much of Staunton’s downtown dates from the Victorian Era, and there are several places to rest your head that date back 100 years or more. Travelers can choose between Hotel 24 South, which was where society ladies went to drink their tea in the early 1900s, or historic homes that have been re-envisioned as B&Bs. Travelers will also enjoy the luxurious Blackburn Inn, which has an institutional past, but is now an updated inn and spa, or Gibson’s Warehouse, which started its life as a warehouse that stored goods as they came off the train, but is now modern suites.

Go on a Wildlife Safari

You don’t have to travel to Africa to take your kids on safari. Virginia’s only drive-thru safari, Virginia Safari Park, is just a short drive down the highway in Natural Bridge. The 180-acre property includes three miles of gravel road through animal habitat. You can drive with your windows down and the animals will stick their heads into your car for feed. There’s also a walk-through section where you can see giraffes, tigers, penguins, birds, and farm animals. If you’re looking for an even rarer experience, sign up to spend a Saturday with a pair of cheetahs, penguins, or sloths and their handlers. You’ll learn how the animal-care specialists feed and interact with them.

Eat an Entire Cake…or Quiche…or Pie all by Yourself

You know you’ve always wanted to do it. Take that first delicious bite and keep on eating until it’s gone. Well, maybe you are capable of restraint, but you won’t want to after you taste a cake from Giancarlo Fine European Pastry. This tiny shop is tucked away, but once you discover it, you’ll return again and again for cakes, chocolates and tarts. Check Facebook for a taste of what’s available. Réunion Bakery & Espresso serves pastries, breads, and if you’re lucky, quiche. You can check out what they’re baking on Facebook and order at the window. And if pie is your weakness, Firkin Pie Company has something in the oven right now that will make you swoon.

Pretend to Be in a Movie

Parts of several major motion pictures were shot in Staunton! Step one is to watch the movie and try to spot Staunton. Watch the Civil War come to life in Gods and Generals or Wicked Spring. Get spooked on Sears Hill after watching Hearts in Atlantis or giggle along with Evan Almighty. Step two is to head to the location and snap your selfie there.  Explore the area while you’re there!

2020 has been a challenging year for everyone but now more than ever, it’s important to support local businesses whenever you can. As you shop for gifts (and gift cards) this holiday season remember local first by purchasing from your Staunton area businesses who could really use your support.

Businesses who would like to be included in the gift guide can tag and share your photos over Instagram and Facebook using @visitstaunton or hashtag #lovestaunton. 

Here are some gift suggestions for everyone on your list:

Gifts for Her

Gifts for Him

For the Foodie

For the Art Lover

For the Outdoor Enthusiast 

For the Little Ones

Staunton has plenty of trendy restaurants, local wine, luxurious lodgings, and unique shopping and entertainment opportunities. That’s why it’s the ideal environment for making new memories during a wonderful girlfriends’ getaway. You and your besties will want to make it an annual trip. Here’s a fun roundup of must-do activities.

We’ve updated this to reflect Covid conditions, however, check each business’s website or Facebook page to see current hours and offerings as these may change frequently. Many businesses are open for business in accordance with the current guidelines.

Explore Staunton

When you arrive, head straight for Staunton’s extremely walkable downtown. The Staunton Farmer’s Market is open from the first Saturday in April until Thanksgiving, and often features live music. Nibble a baked treat and scout out seasonal produce, honey, jams and pickles to take home.

Next, take a walking tour of Staunton’s five historic districts, visit the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace in person or virtually, or explore Augusta County’s living history at the Frontier Culture Museum. Stop in at Paris Cake Company for something sweet. And if cupcakes are your particular passion, you can’t skip the 100+ flavors available at Queen City Cupcakes. Chipotle pineapple or citrus mint, anyone?

Shopping

Staunton has a lot to offer girlfriends who enjoy shopping together. Plan to spend some time exploring our boutiques, galleries, and antique stores. Design at Nine offers the latest in women’s fashion, shoes, and accessories. Try Latitudes for fair trade selections ranging from women’s apparel, to jewelry to recycled metal wall art. If you’re looking for more art to buy, check out Beverly Street Studio, where local artists exhibit and sell their work. You might also be captivated by the spectacular glass work at Sunspots Studios. Bonus: you can go into the studio and watch the artist blowing and sculpting the molten glass.

Relax and Recharge

If you’re serious about relaxing, why not share a spa day with your girlfriends? Indulge yourself Staunton’s newest spa, the Spa at the Blackburn. Choose from an extensive menu of skin treatments, massage, reflexology, and nail care delivered in an upscale, serene setting. You can select single treatments or combine them for a full or half-day experience. You can also relax at  Breezy Hill Day Spa, housed in a historic mansion or Mill Street Body and Soul Day Spa and Salon,  which is right downtown. Breezy Hill and Mill Street’s services also include massage, facials, manicures, and pedicures. Breezy Hill offers an all-day session that includes lunch.

Outside Fun

Take a scenic drive to the Skyline Drive or the Blue Ridge Parkway to admire the world-famous views of the Shenandoah Valley from above. Hikers can take advantage of numerous trailheads along these roads.

For other ideas, see An Alternate Spring Break: 5 Awesome Hikes or Hiking Trips that Are Amazing in Fall.  If it’s spring or summer, consider a side trip to Fishersville for a ramble around the Andre Viette Farm. Viette is world famous for his daylilies, and the farm and garden center is open year round. Get inspired by the beautiful gardens and take some plants home to your own. Another place for spotting blooms is Pebble Hall Wildflowers. Pick a bouquet of whatever’s in season, pet the horses, and plan a picnic to appreciate the view. In warmer weather, you might also rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard from Rockfish Gap Outfitters in Waynesboro for a fun-filled day of paddling on the South River or Sherando Lake.

Drinks and Light Fare

If you’re thirsty, head to Ox Eye Tasting Room to check out their new outdoor space, and taste a variety of their wines. Follow your tasting with a full glass of your favorite. You should also visit one of Staunton’s newest venues, The Green Room, where you can enjoy wine, beer, and light fare such as apps and sandwiches. Or go to Yelping Dog Wine, where wine can be enjoyed by the glass or by the bottle, and you can munch on a cheese plate or gourmet grilled cheese sandwich. If you prefer a vineyard with a view, take a picnic to Barren Ridge Vineyards, only a short drive east of Staunton.

Dinner with Friends

Staunton boasts a rich restaurant scene with much to choose from, but if you’re looking for fare to share with your girlfriends, try a range of Spanish tapas and other Mediterranean food at Aioli Restaurant. If pizza and beer are more up your alley, split a gourmet pie at Shenandoah Pizza and Tap House. And if you still have room for more food, get some scoops of homemade gelato at The Split Banana. Here, a number of flavors, both traditional and exotic will tempt your taste buds. Guinness Extra Stout in a waffle cone, anyone? Many Staunton restaurants are offering indoor seating at this time, but downtown has extended its dining initiative, involving restaurants like Baja Bean Co., BLU Point Seafood Co., Laughing Bird Pho, Zynodoa, and more through January. And if you’d rather carryout, there are plenty of curbside pickup options.

Staunton After Dark

Many of Staunton’s watering holes host events on different nights of the week. Fun stuff includes trivia, live music, open mic nights, karaoke, vineyard walks, and virtual entertainment. Check out the Staunton on Tap and the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail events page for more info on events. And if active puzzle games are your style, book a Staunton’s Crack the Code Escape Room. Groups of six or fewer use their wits to puzzle out clues and escape the room in under an hour. A trip to Staunton isn’t complete without some Shakespeare at the American Shakespeare Center. You can catch a performance – with Covid precautions in place – almost every night year-round.

Other good stuff:

If you’re planning to stay in Staunton overnight, here’s your link to Staunton’s most beautiful rooms. Want to stay in a brand hotel? Click here for our bed and breakfast picks.