Day Trippin'

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The story below is from our May/June 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you! 

These one-day getaways are just the ticket to discovering nearby charm and hospitality, along with history and homegrown culture.

One of the wonderful benefits of living in Roanoke is its proximity to other towns and cities which provides opportunities to go day trippin’ and explore new places. It is fun to discover the history and charm each offers. Not to mention the joy of meeting the locals who are happy to share the story of the place they call home.

Our highlighted trips are all within two hours of downtown Roanoke and each offers something unique. Most of the ideas featured are from personal experience although a few things are still on my wish list.

Clifton Forge

A small town, Clifton Forge might not seem an obvious choice for a day trip. However, if you take the time to wander, you can enjoy meeting the locals and find some interesting places to visit along with unique events including the shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade, the Kriskindlmarkt and The Chocolate Bar.

The Kriskindlmarkt, a fundraiser for The Clifton Forge School of the Arts, is a German style Christmas market held in the old mill behind the school each November. Pick up baked goods, shop for arts and crafts, listen to music and watch the dancers while sipping hot cocoa or glühwein. Then, stroll through the garden twinkling with lights.

You could also plan an art adventure. The Clifton Forge School of the Arts offers drawing, woodturning, fused glass and blacksmithing. While there, peruse the shop and pick up some art supplies. The Allegheny Arts and Crafts Council also offers classes and has a gallery and store downtown featuring over 260 local artists’ work. The Chocolate Bar, their annual fundraiser, is held in February.

Catch a special event at the Historic Masonic Theatre or Amphitheater. The theatre offers a wide range of entertainment and features The Underground Café and Lounge.

Enjoy a latte or other specialty drink at Café Museo. The Museum of Antique Coffee Mills and Coffee Bar is the only museum of its kind in America. Owners Judith and Stephen Sivonda have collected over 300 coffee mills dating from the 17th century. Over 160 of those are displayed in the shop. An expert on the history of coffee and mills, Judith co-authored Antique Coffee Grinders: American, English and European and loves to share her knowledge with visitors. Be sure to grab a scone or biscotti to go with your coffee. (From personal experience, I can say the biscotti are delicious! I had the gluten-free coconut one. Okay, I had two!)

Eat at Jack Mason’s Tavern and Brewery. Or grab soup and a sandwich at Mountain Field Market and check out the local goods while there.

Visit the C&O Railway Heritage Center, a tribute to railway workers.

For outdoor enthusiasts, Douthat State Park is close to town and offers over 40 miles of trails. Or head 15 minutes out of town to one of Virginia’s most photographed spots, Humpback Bridge.

A lovely one-hour drive from Roanoke, Clifton Forge is a relaxing day trip.

Lynchburg

Head out of Roanoke on 460 and you will find yourself in Lynchburg in about an hour. Once there, you will have a smorgasbord of things to do.

Lynchburg didn’t get the nickname City of 7 Hills without reason. Some of the streets are so steep, people try to avoid driving them, so plan your parking accordingly.

Start your day with a trip to the Lynchburg Museum located in the old courthouse. You will find a wealth of information about the area. If you are history buff, you no doubt already know Lynchburg is steeped in history and you will find interesting tidbits at the museum. You will also see one of the Hill City Keys pianos. The other eight are located throughout the city, and you are invited to tickle the ivories and delight those walking by.

Curious History Walking Tours offers an interactive storytelling tour of downtown highlighting history and architecture. There are also self-guided tours through seven historic districts.

Check out The Legacy Museum of African American History and internationally acclaimed poet Anne Spencer’s House and Garden Museum. For a glimpse at life in the 1800s, tour Points of Honor.

Old City Cemetery, established in 1806, is a Virginia Historic Landmark and serves as an outdoor museum. The Pest House Medical Museum, Hearse House and Caretakers Museum and others are housed there. In addition, you will find an arboretum of historic plants. The Antique Rose Festival takes place in April and May and in October, they offer candlelight tours.

You can venture outside to hike or bike the riverwalk trail over the train trestle to Percival Island, a 1½ mile island natural habitat. On the way, snap your photo by the LOVE sign, one of several in town. Other places to enjoy the outdoors and animals include The Claytor Nature Center and The Nature Center at Miller Park, Hollins Park and the Liberty Mountain Trail System. At Liberty Snowflex, you can ski, snowboard and tube year-round.

For the art lover, there are galleries scattered throughout the city including the Academy Center for the Arts, the Daura Gallery and the Maier Museum. Outside murals offer a backdrop for your selfies. Several shops and studios host local artists and their work including Oxide Pottery, Findings Art Store and Riverviews Artspace. Pop up to the third floor of Bailey Spencer Hardware on Main Street to visit photographer JoAnne Becker at Studio 3. Take in a play at the Renaissance Theatre.

There are several lovely shops downtown like the Hip Tulip. Stop by the community market.

Lynchburg offers more than enough for several day trips, experiencing different things each time.

STAUNTON

Staunton features beautifully preserved architecture and six historic districts. It was named one of a dozen distinctive destinations in the United States by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as well as one of the 20 Most Beautiful Main Streets in America by Reader’s Digest. Oprah Daily listed it as one of the 25 Best Small Town Main Streets in America You Need to Visit ASAP. 

Roam the galleries and garden at R.R. Smith Center for History and Art. Housed there, the Staunton Augusta Art Center hosts Art on the Town Memorial Weekend and Art in the Park in September. On Saturdays from May to October, meet in the lobby to take the Historic Staunton Foundation guided walking tour through four of the historic districts.

Visit the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum. The birthplace of Wilson is now a museum featuring his life story, a WW1 trench exhibit and more.

To explore early pioneer lifestyles, visit the Frontier Culture Museum, a living history museum featuring five historic, working farms and costumed interpreters.

Staunton offers plenty of arts and culture. The Heifetz International Music Institute offers an intensive six-week program and daily concerts by participants throughout the summer as well as chamber music concerts on occasion. 

The American Shakespeare Center performs classics and modern plays year-round in Blackfriars Playhouse, the world’s only indoor recreation of Shakespeare’s theatre. They also offer educational workshops and professional development courses along with tours of the theatre. Give yourself time to warm up to the olde English in the Shakespeare plays and be prepared to be part of the performance as the audience is often included in the theatrics.

Watch live glassblowing demonstrations at Sunspots Studio. The gallery features glass designs made in-house as well as by other artisans. You can even blow your own ornament or pumpkin by reservation.

Take in the beautiful stained-glass Tiffany Windows at Trinity Episcopal Church.

Get outdoors at one of several parks including Gypsy Hill Park where you can bike, walk, rollerblade or hop aboard the Gypsy Express with your children or grandchildren. Visit Woodrow Park and Sears Hill Bridge for a beautiful scenic overlook of the town for a memorable picture. Take to the trails at Montgomery Hall Park for hiking or mountain biking. For the more adventurous, climb the summit at Betsy Bell Wilderness Park for a stunning view.

Eat at Cranberries Grocery and Eatery where you can get breakfast all day and organic, locally roasted coffee from Staunton Coffee Company. Or grab a bite at Mill Street Grill or Baja Bean Co. For dessert, The Split Banana scoops up gelato, ice cream and sorbet or The Clocktower has delicious cakes and cookies. 

There are several lovely shops for everything from clothing to home décor. Two that I always pop into when I am in town are The Sparrow’s Nest where I purchase locally made Ruffled Feather candles and Essentially Zen for handmade soaps and body frosting.

Hopefully, you are inspired to get out and explore. There are many additional places to visit within a few hours, like two of my other favorites, Charlottesville and Lexington. There is more to do in each location than I could cover, including wineries, breweries and cideries and much more shopping and dining. And coffee shops.

My recommendation is to scout out a few key things you are most interested in before heading out of town, make reservations for performances and plan your trip around those things. Once there, stop into the visitor’s center or pop into a shop and ask the locals for their suggestions based on your interests. Whether you want to delve into history, explore art galleries and take in a performance, enjoy the beautiful outdoors or shop and dine, you can find a plethora of opportunities in our neighboring towns.

The story above is from our May/June 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!