Staunton/Charlottesville area visit

Planning a trip to the area to recharge my self. What is not to be missed? Are any of the little towns in the area waterfront? Planning to take in Crabtree falls and a couple of wineries.

Staunton/Charlottesville area visit

Waterfront to what? The area is mountains, so the only thing you will find in the way of water is small streams/rivers and the occasional cow pond.

There are a few man-made lakes for recreation like Sherando.

Crabtree is a nice hike. It is pretty rigorous once you get past the lower part. If you have a 4WD vehicle, there is a way to get to an upper parking area at the top of the trail-head. This site has directions at the bottom of the page:

…away.com/gorp/…waterfalls1.htm

There is the Humpback Rocks mountain farm on the Blue Ridge Parkway only about 6 miles from I-64. This is a living history farm which is neat to see.

If you are up for pampering, Wintergreen Resort is in that area as well.

Staunton/Charlottesville area visit

For a nice, outdoorsy day, wander through the Museum of Frontier culture in Staunton. It takes quite awhile to get to Crabtree Falls, so allow alot of time. Humpback Rock is a nice hike, but pretty much straight up for a mile and lovely views at the top and rock to climb out on. The farm at the base is interesting. Of course there is Wintergreen with spa if you are looking for a modern re-charge.

I am not at all familiar with the area so when I read about Crabtree Falls I thought there must be a water source and there seem to be lots of squiggly blue lines on the map so I thought maybe some of the ';downtowns'; had taken advantage of these waterways.

I would like to be able to sit outside and enjoy a cup of coffee or a meal some where with a little charm(?).

Thanks for the suggestion of Wintergreen but I can get spa treatments back home so I%26#39;ll probably skip that. A yoga class would be nice. Does that exist in Staunton or is Charlottesville the closest place for something like that? Thanks for your help!

Oh, also, any place for live music? Either indoors or out?

If you go on the web site for Shenandoah Parkway, you%26#39;ll be able to access information about hikes that include waterfalls. If you get off 29 S onto 33 W, it will take you to an upper access to the Parkway. Not far from the entrance is Big Meadows. There is a restaurant at the lodge that has never disappointed me. You can sit out back and take in the mountain views. Sometimes on weekends, the lodge has live music. The Parkway is where I go to recharge.

Another place around here with water and hiking trails is Sugar Hollow. Not too far from a number of the wineries. Check out previous posts regarding local hiking. We have a number of lakes and a large reservoir, but unless you%26#39;re swimming/boating/fishing, there really isn%26#39;t an waterside outdoor venue that I am aware of.

You can access The Hook and Cville Weekly online to see what music venues are going on in town. Every Friday night there is free live music on the Downtown Mall that starts at 5:30 PM and ends around 9. There%26#39;s a pavilion there now where the seating is under cover- not as fun as before it was built, but free music none the less. There are a number of restaurants along the mall that have outdoor seating. Weekends are crowded down there with UVA students during the school year and tourists in the summer.

Laura