Toronto_HarrisonburgAndStaunton_10
- 16 years ago
This video was taken on October 2 during our fall vacation in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Somehow the name "Shenandoah" just has such a beautiful ring to it, no wonder, since it means "beautiful daughter of the stars".
We were staying in a condo in Massanutten, a ski area and did a number of day trips. Our first trip took us to Harrisonburg, a historic Virginia town, 15 minutes west of Massanutten. I started by interviewing the travel expert at the Harrisonburg Tourism Office and then set off on a little walking tour of the town. The town features various historic homes, and one of the most impressive buildings is the court house whose roof is crowned by a statue of the goddess of justice.
After a nice lunch at an outdoor cafe we continued our exploration and drove southwards on a country road. Rolling farm country and lots of happy grazing cows surrounded us on this serene drive.
About an hour later we arrived in Staunton, a picturesque city of about 28,000 people in the southern Shenandoah Valley. Staunton has a beautiful main street (West Beverley Street) with many beautifully preserved historic buildings in different architectural styles. The most stunning one is the Masonic Building, reminiscent of a European medieval structure.
Although Staunton goes back to 1747, the town experienced its heyday between 1880 and 1920, so the majority of the architecture is Victorian. Staunton has five historic districts, one of them a right next to the rail line which features old warehouse buildings that have been converted into retail stores, galleries and cafes. Other major sights include the recently renovated Stonewall Jackson Hotel and the colonial-style Mary Baldwin College.
I also had a brief chat (and video interview) with the local tourism representative who gave me further information about this charming town. He pointed out that one of the key attractions in Staunton is the Blackfriars Playhouse, a replica of Shakespeare's Blackfriars Theatre. Staunton was well worth the drive.
We were staying in a condo in Massanutten, a ski area and did a number of day trips. Our first trip took us to Harrisonburg, a historic Virginia town, 15 minutes west of Massanutten. I started by interviewing the travel expert at the Harrisonburg Tourism Office and then set off on a little walking tour of the town. The town features various historic homes, and one of the most impressive buildings is the court house whose roof is crowned by a statue of the goddess of justice.
After a nice lunch at an outdoor cafe we continued our exploration and drove southwards on a country road. Rolling farm country and lots of happy grazing cows surrounded us on this serene drive.
About an hour later we arrived in Staunton, a picturesque city of about 28,000 people in the southern Shenandoah Valley. Staunton has a beautiful main street (West Beverley Street) with many beautifully preserved historic buildings in different architectural styles. The most stunning one is the Masonic Building, reminiscent of a European medieval structure.
Although Staunton goes back to 1747, the town experienced its heyday between 1880 and 1920, so the majority of the architecture is Victorian. Staunton has five historic districts, one of them a right next to the rail line which features old warehouse buildings that have been converted into retail stores, galleries and cafes. Other major sights include the recently renovated Stonewall Jackson Hotel and the colonial-style Mary Baldwin College.
I also had a brief chat (and video interview) with the local tourism representative who gave me further information about this charming town. He pointed out that one of the key attractions in Staunton is the Blackfriars Playhouse, a replica of Shakespeare's Blackfriars Theatre. Staunton was well worth the drive.