Family Summer Vacation in Waynesboro, VA!
On this episode of “NOM-ing About,” we head to Waynesboro, Virginia, a cute little city tucked in the Shenandoah Valley. Just under 3 hours from DC and 1.5 hours from Richmond, Waynesboro is another Virginia destination ripe and ready for a weekend getaway or staycation.
After a quick lunch munch session, we loaded into the car and hit the road. Pro Tip: Don’t be so consumed with driving the shortest ETA and give yourself the luxury of taking extra time to avoid the interstates by taking the backroads. This allows you to see local attractions along the way that might spark your interest- like the Grand Caverns! We love a good cavern tour and with this one being just 3 miles off-course we figured it was the perfect addition to our road trip! The boys love to adventure outdoors and are impressively brave when it comes to exploring so it was a no-brainer. As a heads up, children have to be over 3 years old to partake in the tour and they are currently only doing scheduled tours so we called in just in time to sign up for the last tour of the day!
We arrived at the Grand Caverns (5 Grand Cavern Rd, Grottoes, VA 24441) and reported to The “Kellow Lodge” Stone House to redeem our tickets. It also serves as a gift shop with crystals, candy, souvenirs, and flashlights in case you forgot to pack one. The boys enjoyed getting to pretend to mine for gems and treasures outside at their “Grand Caverns Mining Co. Gemstones & Fossil Panning” station!
Overall an amazing experience no doubt, with its vastly spacious underground channels and a variety of rock formations. Once you are truly underground it’s a good 50 degrees down there, so we definitely recommend having sleeves and comfortable shoes.
After about an hour of our cave exploration detour, we worked up an appetite and headed towards a well-deserved dinner: the highly recommended “The Fishin’ Pig” (117 Apple Tree Ln, Waynesboro, VA 22980). Between starting with their “Chicken Toes” (hand-breaded chicken tenders), perfectly fried “Nick’s Catfish Basket,” and an abundant serving of smoked BBQ (I’m talking ribs, brisket, pulled pork, sausage plus sides via the “Grady’s Smoke Shack Sampler”)- we were STUFFED, with leftovers to spare.
Right at sunset, we arrived at our lodging for the trip- the incredibly charming Heritage Hill Bed & Breakfast (1169 Sherwood Ave, Waynesboro, VA 22980) ! With perfect sunset views, I’ll always cherish the memory of seeing the boys run through the luscious green lawn towards their two-seater swing. We were warmly greeted by the owners, Dana & Scott- sweet couple who renovated this beautiful (originally 1807) home upon purchasing it in 2017. Upon entering the home, they had freshly baked chocolate chip cookies for us, and Lennon nearly lost his mind in excitement discovering a grand piano in the living room and breaking out in tunes!
The Red Room does not disappoint- outside is a vintage-styled fridge, microwave, and curio with snacks and a Keurig tucked inside for guest use. Scott and Dana did an astounding job renovating a place to include modern luxuries paired with the original historical touches of their home- they are incredibly hospitable and ensured we were all comfortable and felt right at home.
“It feels like a mansion!” - Lennon
We slept SO cozily in our king-size bed, while the boys shared a double twin trundle nestled in front of a window while using their relaxing sound machine (sounds selected by Leo).
When we woke we pulled up the curtains to reveal an awe-inspiring sight of the trees, water tower, and incredible mountain view. Can’t get enough of that! The smells of breakfast greeted us and we were in for easily one of the best meals in Waynesboro. Dana and Scott’s breakfast makes mornings extra amazing! Served on their beautiful collection of china, their player piano adding classical tunes to the experience.
Shortly after breakfast, it began to rain a bit but it didn’t stop the fam from grabbing our umbrellas and hitting downtown. First up, Waynesboro Heritage Museum (420 W Main St, Waynesboro, VA 22980)- a great spot full of the history of Waynesboro, make sure to explore all the way to the back to get into the old bank vault!
Luke’s Hobbies (400 W Main St, Waynesboro, VA 22980)- a shop any RC enthusiast would love. While the boys may not be ready for a full setup yet, we did end up taking home a fire truck model to build together later.
Another great spot we found was Alpha & Omega Antique Mall (232 Arch Ave, Waynesboro, VA 22980)- a mall filled with curiosities and curated areas for those who enjoy looking through eclectic finds- like a vintage Fisher Price cartoon viewfinder or a beautiful beaded necklace that reminded me of the Philippines.
Wandering and meandering we came across a number of options for vittles but The River Burger Bar (137 N Wayne Ave, Waynesboro, VA 22980), their sizeable burgers, and huge soft pretzel + cheese dip were a crowd pleaser.
As true lovers of the arts, we were excited to come across the Wayne Theatre (21 W Main St, Waynesboro, VA 22980). What was almost torn down to become a parking lot was thankfully saved by one of the co-founders, Tracy- who was kind enough to give us a private tour of this premier live entertainment performance venue! From an amazing variety of performances, improv shows, an art gallery upstairs, and a thoughtfully restored historic structure, the Wayne Theater is also available as a rental venue. During the summer they host a “Wayne on the Main,” shutting down Main Street to allow people to walk through enjoying live performances, vendors, and food trucks.
If outdoor adventures of a different kind are more your speed, hit up our girl Amanda from Doah Outdoors for the new experience of floating on the South River! Amanda took us on a scenic hike through luscious trails that lead to our launch site where she had tubes and life vests waiting for us. This was Jarrell’s favorite part of the trip! The boys loved the float and afterward were able to play in the shallow river plus the nearby playground.
A day of adventures means a well-deserved frozen treat for the fam… insert Kline’s Dairy Bar (1235 W Main St, Waynesboro, VA 22980)- with the most perfect purple building plus purple flowers out front. It was exciting to see the options they have for the whole family, like Italian ice and smoothies for those who can’t do dairy.
Even though there are a lot of kid-friendly activities in Waynesboro, none top the Blue Ridge Children’s Museum Natural Playground (150 Race Ave, Waynesboro, VA 22980)- an amazing outdoor playground for kids, not your average plastic playground but a greenspace making use of natural elements like wood and stones. Fostering imaginative play, Leo really loved the mini outdoor kitchen to make mud pies next to their garden! But there’s more, a lot more! Right next door is a gem of its own, Stone Soup Books (150 Race Ave, Waynesboro, VA 22980)- a community book store packed with classics, antiques, and new books of all kinds. We all love reading and spent some time enjoying the AC and perusing through their delightful selection.
Time flies when you are having fun, but no matter how fun, one must stop to eat! Benny Stivale’s Pizza (328 W Main St, Waynesboro, VA 22980) saves the day- Giant. Pizza… By the slice. Need I say more? Or how about Alex’s Tacos? A food truck thats parked at Ben Edwards Auto (250 E Main St, Waynesboro, VA 22980), a short drive from the main downtown area. Fresh & made to order, we crushed some al pastor, chicken & carne asada tacos… make sure you get extra green sauce!
Before making our way out of town I peeked into a couple of other shops. South River Fly Shop stood out in particular. It’s located right across the street from Benny’s. I personally have never been fly fishing but appreciated that the guys inside were kind, knowledgeable, and helpful in explaining the difference of fly fishing. They even offer private day tours if you want to learn and go with the local pros!
We were told multiple times that we HAD to hit the Blue Ridge Tunnel, also known as the Crozet Tunnel, so we ensured to include it for the last of our Waynesboro tour. En route, we found Rockfish Gap Overlook- a pull-off at an elevation of 1,900ft. offering stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. While there we got to see what life is like among the clouds!
And as the saying goes, we saved the best for last… I’ll say it now… The Blue Ridge Tunnel (215 Afton Depot Ln, Afton, VA 22920)- IS SO WORTH THE HIKE! The Blue Ridge Tunnel is a historic railroad tunnel built during the construction of the Blue Ridge Railroad in the 1850s. It is an engineering marvel that to some may look ominous, but begs to be explored. Make sure to bring flashlights (thank you to Tracy at the Wayne Theater for helping us with this). We dove right into the completely dark, straight-shot tunnel. It is much cooler in the tunnel and a little damp, it actually rains inside! It was super fun to see (by flashlight) the boys running around finding crawfish and hearing them yell to explore their echos. Once you see the “light at the end of the tunnel” you know you’ve made it through this excellent engineering wonder. We saw couples, many families, people walking their dogs, and even a guy walking with his lizard adventuring through.
Another Virginia family trip in the books! Waynesboro- we highly recommend it!
Cheers,
Heidi Joy & Jarrell
