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Waynesboro, Va

October 25, 2019 by Kris Montgomery

I carry my childhood close to my heart. I didn’t really realize what effect it had on me until later in life, when I started having kids and after my mom’s passing. Several times I find myself wondering what I was like at ages that correspond to my kids’ ages. I love re-visiting special places from when I was young so I can pass those fun memories onto my kids and, also, selfishly so I can feel the spirit of my childhood.

As I’ve written about in the past, my mom was big on taking us to local parks and libraries. My dad, who worked all day at IBM, always spent late evenings and long Saturdays with us on the soccer field or in the backyard. My parents were also really big on introducing us to different experiences, mostly outdoorsy ones like skiing, water sports, and animal husbandry (turkeys, ducks, dogs… you name it and we had it). Though my aunt lived 90 minutes away in Charlottesville, she also played a big part in my childhood. My parents often met her halfway at a car dealership on Route 29 and she’d whisk us away for some type of crazy adventure that usually involved hiking, camping and swimming!

One of the favorite places my aunt used to take us was to Mint Springs Valley Park in Crozet, Va. So, when we planned out our 2018 summer trips (not a typo, that’s how far behind in writing I am), I suggested camping in Central Virginia so I could get back to Mint Springs.

Mint Springs Valley Park

Mint Springs Valley Park is nestled in the mountains of Albemarle County sitting at 1,000ft in elevation. As soon as we drove up, the tree-lined entrance took me back to being 10 years old again. The park seemed just as I remembered, though so much time had passed. We drove past the stocked fishing pond and to the main parking lot outside the swimming lake.

The swimming lake sits between the mountains and features a large sandy beach with designated swimming area. It’s a great place to bring noodles, floats and small inner tubes. The swimming area has at least two lifeguards on duty – one on the sandy beach and one on the wooden dock. The wooden dock sits about 25 yards from shore, and makes for a great spot to sun and jump into the deep water. As a tribute to my childhood, I swam the 25 yards to the dock and sat with my feet dangling over the water and waving to my family back on shore. I thought about old trips with my aunt and siblings where we jumped over and over from the dock into the colder, deeper water. And then, without hesitation, I plunged into the water and swam back to shore.

After swimming and picnicking on shore, we drove to the fishing pond, where we tried to catch some fish. Without any live bait we didn’t have much luck fishing. But, we did enjoy the peacefulness of the pond, casting from the dock, and using our nets to catch and release minnows.

Camping

We stayed for three nights over Fourth of July weekend at North 340 Campground. Overall, it’s a great campground with all the amenities – swimming pool, full hook-ups, camp store, and playground. The campground even hosted a Patsy Cline tribute singer one night, who was really fabulous! The girls loved biking around the campground and per usual, met friends to swing with at the playground and shared sparklers with neighbors. However, we felt the campsites were very closely packed next to each other. We could definitely hear the comings and goings of our neighbors who had a large group of people and dogs.

Exploring Waynesboro

When we weren’t swimming at the campground or at Mint Springs we explored all over the Waynesboro area. From caves to breweries, farms, and downtown parks, we did it all!

Grand Caverns

The morning after exploring Mint Springs, we headed to Grand Caverns in Grottoes, Va to explore the caves. Bernard Weyer (not the landowner) discovered the caves in 1804 when he was looking for his lost raccoon trap. Grand Caverns opened in 1806 to the public, and has hosted many tourists since then, including several Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War. Grand Caverns is an enormous space with many rooms to explore. Rivers once flowed through the rooms, and the cave is mostly formed into the hill so there’s not much cave space underground.

Grand Caverns conducts walking group tours that last about an hour. Our tour guide was super knowledgeable about the caverns and kept our group moving. He told us interesting facts about special events and church services held inside the caves in the 1800s, and pointed out unique stalagmites that seemed to take the shape of old presidential faces. Despite the lengthy tour, there was so much to admire that it held our kids’ attention.

After finishing the tour we enjoyed a picnic lunch at the large covered pavilion. The park also features hiking trails, fitness trail, swimming pool, playground and mini-golf. After lunch, we headed out to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a quick hike before storms came through.

The Slacks Overlook

Despite the name of this stop on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Slacks Overlook (near milepost 20) does not have an overlook. We hoped to find the nearby White Rock Falls so we headed off on an unmarked trail behind the picnic tables hoping it was the White Rock Falls trail. The pull-off area did not have a map and our cell reception was not working, but we pushed on.

After hiking awhile we found a sign showing we were on the Slacks Trail. At the directional sign we continued towards the White Rock Gap Trail. After hiking a bit longer we never found the falls. We noticed stormy weather coming and with little things of interest on the hike, we decided to turn around. The girls also became super frustrated on this hike, which started the idea of bravery stones. They found stones on our hike to hold that helped them refocus and get back to the car with less crying. Since this hike, we’ve found many bravery stones on future trails.

Though our hike was a bust, we made it back to the car right before the heavens opened up on us. After further research I found a similar website highlighting more information about how to find the White Rock Falls waterfall. And, I feel better knowing he, too, had difficulty finding the falls at first.

Breweries

During our trip we explored Basic City Beer Co and Stable Craft Brewing. Even though both places are breweries, that’s where the similarities stop. Basic City Beer Co is located near the intersection of 340/250 at 1010 E. Main St in a renovated warehouse in the older downtown part of the city. The brewery’s name is a tribute to the history of the Waynesboro area, and features a cool steel structure outside. Basic City Beer Co is the first brewery I’ve been to that features an area in the back for food trucks to pull-up to and operate a mini storefront, complete with a counter – genius!! We enjoyed delicious food, played kid-friendly games, sampled beers, and can’t wait to return some day!

We visited Stable Craft Brewing after our big hike fail from above. Stable Craft Brewing is located in the western part of the city among the beautiful rolling countryside. We first visited this brewery in 2015 when it hadn’t quite opened yet, and was the setting for a friend’s wedding. I remember falling in love with this space then, and couldn’t believe the beauty of it the second time around.

Stable Craft Brewing is a working horse farm, special events venue, restaurant, and brewery all wrapped into one. We enjoyed some yummy dinner and beers inside, and then took the liberty to explore the farm before having a final beer overlooking the countryside. The girls loved climbing the spiral staircase out front to look over the barn, seeing inside the horse stalls, and waving to the horses from afar. If you are craving country hills and yummy beers, this is the place. Dare I say it rivals Rising Silo Brewery in Blacksburg??

Ridgeview Park

On a different day we explored Ridgeview Park located adjacent to the South River at 700 S. Magnolia Ave. With its huge open space, rolling hills, established trees and easy river access we all immediately fell in love with this park! Situated on 85 acres along the South River, this park also features a large outdoor swimming pool, ball fields, amphitheater, Serenity Garden, shelters, tennis courts, and soccer fields.

The girls played on the playground for awhile and then cooled off in the river. The South River is very shallow for a good stretch, making it pretty kid-friendly. We walked up and down the banks of the river and even rented kayaks from the nearby swimming pool for some extra activity. This park also features a pedestrian bridge that connects to a large neighborhood on the other side. Bill and I seriously checked Zillow for surrounding houses for sale – the proximity to the park and river would be amazing for any family!

Dining Out

We made most of our food at the campground, but did make it out for food a few times. After our big hike we made our way to Kline’s Dairy Bar for delicious ice cream. They’ve been around for 75 years, so it felt great to support such a historic spot.

For lunch one day we enjoyed coffees and light food at Farmhaus Coffee Co at 908 W. Main St. The weather was perfect for sitting outside on the patio, though they also have beautiful sitting areas inside, too. I loved the farmhouse decor, bookcases of books everywhere, and oh yeah – the food and coffee were delicious too!

Waynesboro, you exceeded all our expectations! We packed in so many adventures, but with the rural settings our trip still felt very peaceful and relaxing. We can’t wait to come back one day!

Thumbs up: Ridgeview Park, South River kayaking and access, breweries, peaceful rural settings, campground amenities, proximity to dining/hiking/adventure

Thumbs down: squished feeling at North 340 Campground, hiking trail signage at Slacks Overlook

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James Mill Scottish Factor Store & 1755 John Mitchell Map (Urbanna, Va)

June 27, 2017June 27, 2017 by Kris Montgomery

With Fourth of July a week away, it’s only apropos that I recount last month’s trip to the historic Middle Peninsula area of Virginia. Not only is it full of small port towns vital to early trade, it’s also the home of the “most important map in American history.” But, before I get ahead of myself, I have to provide some background on why and how we visit that area.

About five years ago my mom visited my uncle’s permanent waterfront trailer at the Grey’s Point RV resort in Topping, Va. Grey’s Point is the last stop before crossing the mammoth bridge over the Rappahannock River into Irvington and Kilmarnock. The river is extremely wide at this point and is close to where it joins with the Chesapeake Bay. Grey’s Point sits high above the river bank, offering amazing sunsets and views of the river. Needless to say, my mom fell in love with the area and idea of having a low maintenance waterfront retreat. So, she bought a permanent waterview trailer where my siblings and our kids made fun memories with her before she passed away. Since her passing, we still try to visit a few times each year, especially during the summer. The kids fell in love with the pool and golf cart rides, while Bill and I fell in love with the views and slower pace of life.

Town of Urbanna, Va

When we visited the area back in May, we took a day trip to the nearby town of Urbanna. Urbanna is a historic colonial port town with unique shops, art galleries, and marinas. In 1680, the House of Burgesses ordered Urbanna to be set-up as a port town for trading. The town was officially named Urbanna in 1705, meaning the “City of Anne” after England’s Queen Anne. We parked near the intersection of Cross St and Virginia St and walked around town checking out the shops. I purchased a handmade mortar and pestle at If It’s Wood & More before we walked to Urbanna’s Museum & Visitor Center.

James Mill Scottish Factor Store

Urbanna’s Museum & Visitor Center, officially called the James Mill Scottish Factor Store, was built in 1766 and once served as a tobacco warehouse. Tobacco planters exchanged tobacco at the store for cash or credit towards imported European goods. They stored the tobacco in large barrels called hogsheads that weighed about 1,000 pounds. When the English ships arrived, men gently rolled the full hogsheads down the adjacent road to the port below. Imagine standing at the bottom of the road making sure the hogsheads didn’t fall into the water? Uh, no thank you!

Starting in the 1960s a preservation group renovated the James Mill Scottish Factor Store. Then, in 1997, the Town of Urbanna bought and refurbished the building. The museum exhibits highlight the town’s historic tobacco ties, its booming oyster industry, and the 1755 John Mitchell Map. The museum is small and not very kid-friendly, but the girls enjoyed touching the oyster shells, standing next to life-size colonial men cutouts and admiring the port and warehouse diorama. The diorama truly captured the tobacco trading operation!

1755 John Mitchell Map

The friendly museum worker shared her personal upbringing in Urbanna and the importance of the 1755 John Mitchell Map. John Mitchell was born in 1711 in Lancaster County, and went on to study medicine in Scotland. He practiced medicine in the Urbanna area for a few years before relocating to London. According to The Unlikely Story of the Map that Helped Create our Nation, the Earl of Halifax commissioned Mitchell to create a map of the British and French North American territories. Mitchell finished the map in 1755 (after the start of the French and Indian war), thoroughly detailing territories, colonies, forts, geography, distances, and towns. Though the map had a slightly British view, it became known as the “most important map in American history” after the American Revolution ended. During the 1783 Treaty of Paris, negotiators used the map to determine boundaries between Canada and the United States.

The Town of Urbanna purchased this first edition map in 1979 for $7,500 not fully realizing its importance. Later valued at more than $500,000, the town properly restored and safeguarded this national treasure. Preserved behind glass, visitors can closely inspect the map details or take in all 24 sq-ft from a nearby bench.

Lunch on the Water

We worked up an appetite after taking in so much history, so we drove a few minutes away for fresh seafood on the water at Shores & Roark Seafood. Bill enjoyed freshly caught fish tacos, while the girls and I shared a dozen steamed local crabs and oysters. The food tasted fabulous and the restaurant’s waterfront atmosphere provided amazing views of the river. The restaurant is part seafood company, so you can watch your live catch before it reaches your plate!

I’m looking forward to spending my first Fourth of July weekend in our Winnebago in such a historic area. The towns of Urbanna and Irvington organize annual parades and celebrations and Grey’s Point will be busy with fun activities, too.

Later down the road I’d love to visit the nearby National Historic Register colonial plantations of Ralph Wormeley’s Rosegill and Christoper Robinson’s Hewick, and attend the Urbanna Oyster Festival.

Thumbs up: breathtaking river views, small-town charm, area’s rich history, local seafood, beautiful places to stay

Thumbs down: nothing to report

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Curtis Memorial Park in Stafford, Virginia

June 19, 2015June 15, 2015 by Kris Montgomery

After my mom’s sudden passing in March, my sister, brother and I immediately went into triage mode when it came to making sure her staffing business ran as usual and getting her personal affairs in order. Before her funeral, we needed a break from all the new terminology we learned and responsibilities we acquired, so we set out with all the cousins and my aunt Jeanne to a special hometown park that meant a lot to our mom and was a big piece of our childhood, Curtis Memorial Park, in Stafford, Virginia.

Curtis Memorial Park (aka Curtis Park) is located at 58 Jesse Curtis Ln in the rolling hills of Hartwood’s farm country (more and more of that area is being developed now). Growing up, we spent a lot of our time here; whether it was attending summer camp or the annual Easter Egg Hunts, taking swimming lessons, being on the swim team, going on spooky Halloween nature walks, having my birthday party, attending my senior year picnic, helping with soccer camp, or working at the front gate, we made a lot of memories with great friends and family.

Curtis Park features an olympic-size outdoor swimming pool with a large baby pool with splash umbrella and zero-depth entry, 18-hole Gauntlet golf course, nature trails, pavilions, sand volleyball, tennis courts, skateboard park, fishing lake, playground, baseball fields and large open fields. As you drive into the park, you pass a beautiful tree-lined entrance road that leads to open fields adjacent to the tennis courts, skateboard park and playground. Turn left before the open fields to access the Gauntlet golf course and small to medium-sized pavilions. The playground features several slides, climbing structures, bridges, teeter totters, tot swings, regular swings and a sliding bar. It is adjacent to a small pavilion and the tennis courts and backs up to a nearby nature trail. The girls loved climbing all over the playground and spent a lot of time swinging together!

Past the open field is a large parking lot with access to the pools, nature trails and large pavilion on top of the hill overlooking the pool. Further down the main road is the large lake for fishing and boating and more nature trails. The main fishing pier and boat ramp is accessible from the other side of the lake on Stony Hill Rd (you must exit the park). After our playground time we picnicked on top of the hill, which offers the best views of the park. The girls enjoyed chasing each other while taking in the site of the drained pool below. The Olympic-size pool has depths of 3ft and 4ft in the shallower end to 12ft in the deep end. The baby pool features a zero-depth entry and splash umbrella. The deep end has two diving board blocks, but with it being out of season when we visited I’m not sure if they actually allow diving. I have very vivid memories of jumping off the since removed 3-meter springboard and 5-meter platform boards during off hours. Being the daughter of the Aquatics Director had its perks!

While the kids were busy picnicking I ventured over to the nearby grave site of the Curtis family where about a dozen family members are buried. According to the Stafford Parks & Rec website, the Curtis family donated land from their farm to the county to be used for recreational purposes. The park opened in 1975 and is getting ready to have a big 40th anniversary celebration this weekend on June 20th. We’re excited to come back for the big celebration and swim in the pool I grew up in!

My mom worked tirelessly to implement new amenities and improvements to the pool and programs, which created positive publicity in the local media. Here are just a few of the fun ideas she implemented over the years:

She updated the baby pool to include zero-depth entry and water splash umbrella
In 1990, she brought a 3-meter inflatable slide to the deep end, which was a huge hit with patrons but a big pain to her staff.
With scorching temperatures in 1991, she dropped in five 300-pound blocks of ice to try to cool things off.
In 1992, she organized meet and greets at the pool with local swimming and diving Olympians, Jeff Rouse and Mark Lenzi. She went on to organize Olympic watching parties at the pool so folks could cheer on the local Olympians as they went for the gold (see local news stories from July and Aug 1992)!

My mom worked as the Aquatics Director of Stafford County from 1981-1993, where she managed the area pools and Aqua Po Beach, but was most proud of teaching swimming lessons to the area’s youth. She met life-long friends and gave several teenagers their first jobs as lifeguards; we were honored to see some of those same teenagers and former coworkers again at her funeral service. I am forever grateful for the memories I have at this park and can’t wait to come back this weekend for the 40th anniversary celebration, which happens to coincide with my mom’s birthday.

Thumbs up: beautiful pool and picnic settings, fun nature trails, one park with EVERYTHING

Thumbs down: I remember little shade around the pool

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Caroline County Park in Ladysmith, VA

July 24, 2014 by Kris Montgomery

During a recent family visit to Ladysmith, VA I inquired about the local parks, to which I heard crickets in response. After an unsatisfying trip to the Caroline Parks & Rec website, I talked to my sis-in-law who is a teacher in Caroline and she remembered there being swings near the high school. So on Sunday before heading home to Raleigh my sister and I met up with my sis-in-law and her daughter at Caroline County Park.

Caroline County is a small county of less than 30,000 people, but one that is steadily growing in businesses and population. Caroline County Park is located across the street from Caroline Middle School around 13690 Devils 3 Jump Rd. For a small town with assumingly small recreation funds, I was pleasantly impressed with the features of this park; however, the general upkeep needed some attention. The park has a large shelter pavilion with horseshoes, a shaded walking trail, a skateboarding park, a playground area with swings, baseball fields, tennis courts, soccer fields, public restrooms, and ample parking.

The pavilion area was great in that it could hold large family gatherings with nearby parking, but the amount of trash scattered throughout the area was disturbing. In reality, the problem seemed to be that the trashcans were light enough to be tipped over by small animals so some heavy duty trashcans with lids would probably solve that problem. The nearby horseshoe pit and sand volleyball court would probably get more use if they were raked and maintained more frequently.

The nearby playground area was the big hit for our little crew. It has a tall double slide, large climbing structure, one tot swing, one handicapped-accessible swing, and several regular swings. Claire enjoyed sharing the tot swing with her sweet cousin, Emma! The playground area has great shade cover, but plan to bring mosquito repellent next time – we left with quite a few bites.

After the playground we headed over to the skateboard park area to check it out. By this time the skateboarders had left so Ashley brought her new (to us) scooter in to wheel it around. After the scooter lost its appeal, she enjoyed running up and down the skateboard ramps.

All in all, this park had several great features despite some maintenance needs. And, it was nice to see so many people enjoying the soccer fields so early in the morning. Hopefully as the county continues to grow, more people will visit the local parks and draw more attention to what fun kids can have here!