Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9:30pm Sun)
has surprisingly good Mexican; the chili
relleños
(stuffed peppers) go down
a treat.
Some 25 miles north, in the town of Winchester, the
Museum of the Shenandoah
Valley
( 540-662-1473, 888-556-5799;
www.shenandoahmuseum.org
;
901 Amherst St; adult/
student $10/8; 10am-4pm Tue-Sun)
comprises an 18th-century period-filled house mu-
seum, 6-acre garden and a multimedia museum that delves into the valley's history.
There's also a cafe.
If you can only fit one cavern into your itinerary, head 25 miles south from Front Roy-
child $21/10; 9am-7pm Jun-Aug, to 6pm Sep-Nov, Apr & May, to 4pm Mon-Fri Dec-Mar)
and
hear the 'Stalacpipe Organ,' hyped as the largest musical instrument on earth.
Staunton & Around
You may want to end your trip and look into local real estate when you get here. There
are some towns in the USA that just, for lack of a better term, nail it, and Staunton is one
of those towns.
Sights
The pedestrian-friendly, handsome center boasts more than 200 buildings designed by
noted Victorian architect TJ Collins. There's an artsy yet unpretentious bohemian vibe
thanks to the presence of Mary Baldwin, a small women's liberal-arts college, and the
gem of the Shenandoah mountains:
Blackfriars Playhouse
( 540-851-1733;
www.americanshakespearecenter.com
; 10 S Market St; tickets $20-42)
. This is the world's only
re-creation of Shakespeare's original indoor theater. The facility hosts the immensely tal-
ented American Shakespeare Center company, which puts on performances throughout
the year. See a show here. It will do you good.
History buffs should check out the
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library
(
www.woodrowwilson.org
; 18-24 N Coalter St; adult/student/child $14/7/5; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat,
from noon Sun)
across town. Stop by and tour the hilltop Greek Revival house where
Wilson grew up, which has been faithfully restored to its original 1856 appearance.
The excellent
Frontier Culture Museum
( 540-332-7850; overlooking I-81 exit 222;
adult/student/child $10/9/6; 9am-5pm mid-Mar-Nov, 10am-4pm Dec-mid-Mar)
has authent-
ic historic buildings from Germany, Ireland and England, plus re-created West African
dwellings and a separate area of American frontier dwellings on the site's 100-plus acres.
