The Southern Appalachian Mountains are renowned for their beauty, and in our experience there’s no better way to see them than taking scenic train rides in Tennessee. East Tennessee train rides are one of the top tourist attractions in the Smoky Mountains along the North Carolina border. But there are also great train trips that pair … Read more
[Updated October 27, 2024] As longtime Harrisonburg residents, we love celebrating Christmas in Richmond VA to get into the holiday spirit! Coming from the more rural Shenandoah Valley, we really appreciate Richmond VA’s stately old hotels, department stores, and big city charm during the Christmas holidays. The beautiful city of Richmond seemingly transforms into a … Read more
[Updated October 27, 2024] Christmas events in the Shenandoah Valley can be delightfully old fashioned, and yet also quite modern. We’ve lived in Harrisonburg VA for several decades now, and we never get tired of exploring things to do for Christmas in the area. From candlelight to LED Christmas lights, from horse-drawn carriages to camels, … Read more
Located 3 miles from Downtown Staunton VA, the Frontier Culture Museum is the largest living history museum in the Shenandoah Valley and one of the top family-friendly tourist attractions in Virginia. This self-guided walking tour has a wheelchair and stroller-friendly pathway. There’s also a complimentary shuttle available, or you can opt to rent a golf … Read more
As a longtime Western North Carolina resident (formerly of Brevard, currently of Elkin NC), I’ve spent a lot of time in Asheville over the years. From critically acclaimed restaurants and hip breweries to trendy boutiques and swanky museums, there’s an ever-increasing array of fun things to do in Asheville NC. This burgeoning mountain metropolis is … Read more
Though we live just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Elkin NC, we’ve enjoyed visiting the Tennessee mountains numerous times over the last few years. In our experience, there’s something undeniably quaint and charming about the Tennessee Mountain Towns, no matter what time of year you visit. But when we visit Tennessee during … Read more
[Updated on November 10, 2024] The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina are known as “the Fraser Fir Capital of the World” and Boone NC Christmas Tree Farms have some of the best trees in the eastern United States. Fraser fir needles are soft, dark green, and have a silvery underside. These trees are native to … Read more
[Updated November 2, 2024] After living just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Elkin NC for years, I’ve come to realize that there are an endless array of things to do for Christmas in North Carolina. Whether you’re looking for a choose-and-cut Christmas tree, top-notch Christmas light displays, or shopping in charming Christmas … Read more
There’s something nostalgic, even romantic about Tennessee mountain towns. For me, they’ve always conjured up images of log cabins, quilts, and sitting by the fire while savoring spectacular scenic vistas. This has definitely been our personal experience while exploring the mountains in TN, and we’ve visited numerous Tennessee towns that fit the bill. But … Read more
Despite the fact that we’ve lived in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia for 30+ years now, we still love discovering new hiking trails, roads, mountain towns, and scenic vistas to explore. We recently discovered a different kind of trail– the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail– which connects craft beer enthusiasts with 19 impressive Shenandoah Valley breweries. This … Read more
