Fall foliage at Shenandoah National Park.
|
Cradling western Virginia and a slice of West Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley explodes with color in the fall, calling birders, craftspeople, cyclists, and foodies to Appalachian trails and charming historic towns like Roanoke, Lexington, and Staunton. “Although I grew up in Spartanburg, South Carolina, I didn’t fully learn to love the South until my time as a student in Lexington, Virginia,” writes G&G’s Gabriela Gomez-Misserian in her ode—and diaristic guide—to the Shenandoah Valley gem.
|
|
|
Staunton, Virginia:
The Shenandoah Valley’s Best-Kept Secret |
Warm Springs Pools, America’s Oldest Spa,
Returns to Its Former Rustic Glory |
A Look Inside Fire Station One,
a Roanoke Hotel With Three-Alarm Charm |
On Fried Ham Fridays, This Rural Virginia
Country Store is Worth a Detour |
ELSEWHERE AROUND THE SOUTH |
Seven Places to Sip
Afternoon Tea in the South |
|
|
Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Someone once told me children transition from miserable to pleasant hiking companions around the age of eight. On a recent trip to the Smokies with two on either side of that threshold, I found the statement accurate. Here’s what else I learned:
|
-
Hike the quiet side of the park. Don’t waste your time, as we did, sitting in traffic at a Gatlinburg-area trailhead only to find no parking. Head straight to the less popular access points—like the Cosby campground, where kid-friendly trails include a 1.5-mile nature walk and the 4.2-mile Hen Wallow Falls trek. Our weak link needed some piggyback rides on the latter, but we were rewarded with our own private old-growth forest and waterfall, plus two bear sightings.
-
Play in the creek. Tumbling over round, mossy rocks that conceal salamanders and trout, the Smokies’ countless streams all look like something you’d see on a screensaver. Elk are known to graze along the 1.5-mile Oconaluftee River Trail, where giant sycamore trees lean over the sun-dappled water and where my youngest could have frolicked for hours.
-
When in Rome... In the land of mountain coasters, candy kitchens, and cheesy family fun, we paid the piper with a round of mini golf at Ripley’s Old MacDonald Farm in Sevierville (two thumbs up for old-school interactive features, one down for making us exit through the arcade). After the frustrations of putt-putt took their toll, we revived wounded spirits with Coke floats and chocolate shakes at Graze Burgers on Bruce Street, Sevierville’s quaint historic avenue.
|
|
|
MORE TRAVEL STORIES FROM G&G |
|
|
Garden & Gun is proud to host best-selling author John Grisham for a conversation about his forthcoming book, The Exchange, the sequel to his 1991 blockbuster, The Firm. Grisham will appear in conversation with G&G contributing editor Jonathan Miles on Monday, November 13, at our offices in Charleston, South Carolina. Purchase tickets to the event here. Can’t make it? Become a member of G&G Reads, our free new book club, and you’ll be able to submit questions for Grisham and get exclusive access to a video of the conversation afterward.
|
Did a friend forward this email to you? You can sign up here to receive it every week.
|
SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND SAVE! |
|
|
701 East Bay Street, #115, Charleston, SC, 29403
843-795-1195
|
|
|
Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
|
701 East Bay Street, #115 | Charleston, SC 29403 US
|
| |
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
|
|
|
|
