Always at Play: Finding Joy Around Town

Someday, I hope our kids will feel the need to have fun with the kids in their lives, even close to home.  To that end, here's some treats in and around Daleville, Virginia, our current home ZIP code.  It's convenient to 1-81's Exit 150B, not to mention the fact that Route 220 runs through it and Route 460 is not far off, making it an easy stop.  To that end, here are three activities that specifically promise fun to share with you.

Not too long ago, the exercise studio FlyFit began giving us a novel way to burn calories.  They are home of bungee activities, Pilates, aerial yoga, and more.  Yes, I said bungee -- bungees hang from the ceiling and provide you both resistance and support while you workout.  There's even a kids' class that G adores.

Kim's recommendation?  Try bungee sculpt or aerial yoga.  In aerial yoga, you will use a suspended silk and finish class by making a cocoon in which you will rest.

For an activity that's a little more free form, there's the amazing Addy Grace All-Abilities Playground.

A local family spearheaded the campaign to built the park, the first of the type in the area.  It's great for kids of all ages and features zip lines, climbing equipment, and modern merry-go-rounds.  There's a safe play surface, benches, convenient parking, and a tall fence -- details caregivers really appreciate.  If you are travelling through, this is a fantastic place to let the kids stretch their legs and make fast friends as there are almost always several families busy playing.

And there's another one:  Enchanted Bliss, a lovely place for grown ups but also known for its kids' spa Enchanted Bliss Kids downstairs.  A generous friend of ours hosted a spa gathering and invited G.  We had a blast polishing nails, playing dress up, doing face masks, being pampered with a little up-do, and more.  It's certainly fun with friends and also offers "date nights" and similar events.

Things to Know

• Wear comfy clothes, and if doing FlyFit, know you can book your class through their Facebook page where they run frequent specials.  Any athletic clothes will serve you well in class.
• The Addy Grace Playground is FREE and open to all.  There are some erroneous reviews that state otherwise online -- they are incorrect.  Yes, it is very close to the YMCA, but YMCA membership is not required.
• Enchanted Bliss runs a fair number of Facebook specials as well.
• These places are assets, and they don't have many TripAdvisor reviews yet.  Give them some TripAdvisor love after your visits!
• It's easy to add on a meal at Tizzone or the more casual Town Center Tap House, both having fun promotions frequently as well.  Eat after FlyFit, not before.  Another place we can't wait to try?  Donnie D's Bagels and Deli.

A Stop to Appreciate: National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Slightly off the beaten path in Emmitsburg, MD, lies the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, situated near one of the places where she founded an educational mission.  We always enjoy religious sites, but this one proved both exceptional and highly accessible.  Free to visit, visitors to the shrine are treated to a mini-museum, a basilica, and well-tended grounds.

When you arrive, request the opportunity to see the short video (about 12 minutes in length), which will provide you with an overview of Saint Seton's life -- and a compelling sense of how close in time we are to her canonization in the grand sweep of history.  Clips of a biographical movie of her life are also included and provide nice context.  Plan to spend thirty to ninety minutes ambling around in the small museum; it's professionally presented and worth your time to learn more about both the life of Seton and part of the history and tradition of the Catholic Church.  There's even a pictorial scavenger hunt for kids. Next, you will be treated to the grand basilica, a wonderful spot for reflection, Mass, or confession.  There are beautiful places to walk, including a lovely cemetery.

On the day of our visit, the local community was celebrating Mother Seton's birthday with a small festival "party" on the lawn.  There were numerous old-fashioned children's games, entertainments like face painting, and free treats like cupcakes and Italian ices for all.  G was so excited to have her face made up as a princess; E enjoyed the "passport" concept of having a booklet stamped at various stations and receiving a vintage postcard as a prize.  One of the highlights: having silhouettes cut by hand in a fascinating artistic tradition by Silhouettes by Hand.  Overall, the shrine maintains a calendar of activities that all appear enriching.

If you go, consider piggybacking on a trip to Harper's Ferry, WV; Gettysburg, PA; or Frederick, MD.  Take a little extra time and visit the nearby Grotto -- we spent a lot of time at the shrine and will need to return.  The Mount St. Mary's University campus is literally "right there" and certainly could make for a nice walk and visit.  There's also a gift shop at the shrine with very friendly staff--don't forget to visit! While certainly those of the Christian tradition are welcomed, the site has something to offer for those interested in history, art, culture, and nature as well.

Fantastic Fiction: Natural Bridge's Dinosaur Kingdom II

For those who look to the Halterman Weekend to point them towards Roadside America, you are in luck!  Enter Dinosaur Kingdom II, a Mark Cline attraction, in Natural Bridge, VA.  A walk-through outdoor park of sorts, Dinosaur Kingdom II tells the fantastical story of what might have happened if latent dinosaurs had been awakened and used as weapons of mass destruction during the US Civil War.  Yes, you read that correctly, and yes, it's awesome!

Local artist and author Mark Cline has invented a story where, during the battle of Natural Bridge's Saur Hill, dinosaurs cryogenically "sleeping" in nearby caverns are awakened by the sounds of the battle.  The Union then tries to train them to fight the Confederacy--albeit unsuccessfully, largely because the dinosaurs just eat all soldiers without regard to their loyalties.  The story line is pure fun and never intended to be any form of scholarship--but for the nerds in us, it made a great place to discuss the formation of a good story.  In fact, Kim could totally see a field trip here for budding fantasy/sci fi authors.  There's a companion comic book, and seeing the pages from the book posted at parts of the exhibit honestly inspires reading.

If you go, walk slowly on the gravel paths, looking for surprises beyond the path in the woods, and take a second lap instead of exiting when you come to the out door.  For the most part, the dinosaurs don't move and aren't going to startle you, but there are several fun animations to activate by pushing buttons in the "village" through which you enter.  Be sure to check out the concept art featured in the art gallery of the village and watch the fake documentary about the Natural Bridge Civil War paleontologists--it has a bonus feature of one of the very first cartoons, a short about a dinosaur that G, age 4, adored.  Skip the strollers if you can--this gravel on a gentle grade, but enough to lock most wheels.  Relax and enjoy the all-ages fun--we saw couples, groups of teens, families with young kids.  To make a day trip of this adventure, know you are close to Natural Bridge Caverns, where we understand the DK admission stamp will yield a discount, as well as Natural Bridge State Park, not to mention Lexington, VA--a great place for a stroll and visits to various small museums.  For more fantasy-type fun with kids, check out Boxerwood Gardens.

Long Overdue: American Shakespeare Center for the Evening

In 2011, K bought J a gift card to the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, VA.  It was part of our tradition of giving experience gifts whenever we can--we like adventures more than having things, mostly.  Blame it on busy lives, but we didn't get around to using the gift card until 2016. 2016.  It was just 5 years later.

This fall, we were inspired to take in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, an historical rock musical (think in the vein of Hamilton).  The performance does contain adult content, but the staff warn you fairly.  Would we take our young kids?  No. Would we recommend it to all our friends without exception? No. Were we glad we had the experience? Yes. Did we think it was exceedingly well performed?  Yes.  So, fellow history nerds, ponderers, and people who generally like holding disparate ideas in tension and thinking about connections between the past and present, we promise you can handle it if you so choose.

The play was a great introduction to the intelligent design of American Shakespeare Center seasons--the company is currently featuring three plays, two Shakespearean, designed to get the audience thinking about power.  It's stunningly perfect for an election year.  The physical design of the theatre is quite intelligent as well.  It's the only replica theatre of Shakespeare's indoor theatre, and performances are given in conditions similar to those in Shakespeare's day.  Expect the lights to be on--and the troupe of actors to be interactive, especially if you sit on (yes, on) or close to the stage.  We selected second-level seats because we usually like balconies, and we found our choice, guided well by the box office staff when we called, to be pretty perfect.  It's a good thing as we've already booked close by seats for A Christmas Carol in December.

Really, even if you don't like Shakespeare, don't like theatre, or think one of those two things is true of you, it's pretty impressive that the American Shakespeare Center is in Staunton, VA, and that is excuse enough to try it out and see if your mind changes.  That's right, everyone: The only recreation of Shakespeare's indoor theatre is in Staunton, not Europe and not at the Folger Library.  You can also get ticket deals if you look--there AAA discounts, student rates, and fun specials in their Twitter feed (@shakespearectr).  This is theatre that feels like a shared experience and it. is. worth. it.  Plus, there's a gift shop!

If you go, we recommend arriving when doors open for the pre-show, a time of music and other vignettes from the actors.  Arriving early will also get you good--and sometimes free--nearby parking.  Enjoy walking downtown Staunton while you are there.  Our sense was that it was a very safe area for walking around, and we found a few restaurants open after the show and ate a lovely dinner at Joe's Steakhouse.  There were small shops aplenty, although many had closed for the day. These attractive little places included used bookstores (more than one) and specialty grocers (more than one)--very fun.  If staying the night, the classic Stonewall Jackson Hotel is nearby, and we spotted several B&Bs and boutique hotels, too.  They even have an app for your walk!

Naturally Magical: Boxerwood Garden in Lexington, VA

Labor Day weekend always thwarts us in some regard.  This year, we had planned a trip in the direction of Richmond, VA, and then, Hurricane Hermione made the weather in that direction too unpredictable for our easy day trip liking.  We wanted to be outside; we wanted to walk around; we wanted to keep it simple.  We heard Lexington's Boxerwood Gardens, a place we'd seen pitched in the window of the Lexington Visitor's Center some time back, calling.

Boxerwood, billed as a park and nature center, is a little chunk of paradise for outdoor exploring.  An outgrowth of industrious citizenship if you will, Boxerwood was a family collection of plants and now serves the greater good as a private recreation ground, giving it quite the history.  It's a little bit hippie and a lot magical, especially for young kid explorers.  There's a fantastical children's "trail" that is reasonably confined and includes fun tightropes of repurposed fire hoses, a giant birdhouse-shaped tree house, a mud pie restaurant, "doorways" between trees, and similar places for imaginative play. Beyond these gates, there are acres for the wandering along simple trails.  Seemingly random metal sculptures "pop up" and pathways bend off across swampy lands and near small ponds throughout the more-wild-than-manicured botanical garden setting. Don't expect a ton of signage or staff--this is a mainly volunteer, community-supported enterprise, and that is part of the charm.  We were a bit frustrated we never found the Fairy Garden, but we met some happy travelers who couldn't find it either and will simply have to return.

If you go, venture out in pleasant weather--and be dressed for it.  Consider bringing a picnic--or do what we did and work up a hunger for nearby Niko's Grille for an interesting combination of Greek food and all-day breakfast.  Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty and take along extra shoes--there's a creek in the children's area. There are no fees, but you can leave a donation in the box at the front.  GPS Boxerwood (963 Ross Road) knowing you will be entering a slightly-off-downtown residential section to get there. Visit dawn to dusk--Google told us it was "closed" weekends, but this definitely wasn't true.  They do host special events, and the best way to find out about those may very well be their Facebook page.  We easily combined this trip with pleasant walking in Lexington...

...to Stonewall Jackson Cemetery, also open dawn to dusk...

...to Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University, a site with outstanding docents and a great glimpse into the school...

...to Virginia Military Institute, where K always stops to find the memorial plaques to fallen Alleghany High School classmate Josh Hurley...

...E even walked the Labyrinth at Robert E Lee Episcopal Church.  Maybe not prayerfully yet, but he walked it.

So, go wander.  For our young roadschoolers and afterschoolers, this was a pretty perfect outdoor classroom.

Time to Eat: Kenney's of Lexington, VA

K, J, and G recently made a yummy trip to Kenney's in Lexington, VA.  It was a bit hard to find, but it was worth the trip. Reminiscent of the Virginian fast food franchise popular in the 1950s and 1960s, the classic Kenney's were famed for fun and value in simple foods like "sauce burgers" similar to those found at Tennessee's Pal's Sudden Service.  Today, there are a few independently-owned Kenney's restaurants around, but we'd never stopped in before--although K grew up with her mom bragging on the greatness of Kenney burgers.  We dined on sauce burgers and hot dogs, but we've heard the fried chicken is also fabulous.

The dining room is spartan and a throwback to another time in fast food history, which we liked--just don't expect Starbucks or McDonald's.  There was a strong local clientele clearly present even though the Yelp! reviews we read hailed from other states, a great testament to its Road Food-worthy nature. There were also a number of notes visible at the order counter from various patrons and civic groups thanking the staff for their support of the community...you don't see that much in fast food.

If you go, keep driving after your GPS says you have arrived at the restaurant at 635 Waddell Street. Turn left and drive by the closed medical office and the small used car lot, and you'll see the famous sign.  This is casual food quickly--but at a slower pace than typical fast food.  Pay attention to the hours--most nights, the restaurant is closed at 7 or 8 PM.  For our trip, we tagged on an evening walk in Lexington's downtown.  It's always nice to walk the Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee campuses, and tonight, G met a charming cadet on post at the "castle" (barracks).

Transportation is Everywhere: The Antique Automobile Club of America Museum

Since Elijah's birth, our family has learned a lot about transportation thanks to his interest in it.  During a recent trip to Pennsylvania, this interest inspired us to discover the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Museum, a gorgeous facility devoted mainly to antique cars. 

It's not your average transportation-type museum--in fact, it is a Smithsonian affiliate.  The building is clean and classy; the set up is on theme and beautiful; you will quickly see why it moonlights as a wedding reception venue.  Areas of the museum are designed to look like, say, a drive-in movie theater, providing a wonderful backdrop that allows you to explain often-forgotten technologies to young kids.  There's a permanent display of cars ranging up to the 1980s, and there are changing vehicle exhibits, too.  When we were there, a small fire engine was on display to Elijah's delight.  An impressive collection of buses forms a bus-museum-within-a-museum and includes a bus featured in the movie Forrest Gump and a bus that featured stewardess-type service.  Other vehicles on display include a hearse used to transport alcohol during prohibition and a collection of a dozen or so early motorcycles.  Expect a nod to visual art as well; a gallery was full of vehicle photos, and there were cases of hood ornaments. 

Within the collection, you'll also find delights of Americana including an actual diner (yep, the real thing) that you can enter and a room of model train displays with a few interactive components.  These components of the museum are different than antique cars, but they sure are fun. 

If you go, know you are very, very close to the Hershey's Chocolate attractions, including Chocolate World, which easily can be paired with a museum visit in a single travel day.  Within the museum, you'll find a children's play area featuring a few train tables and various toys as well as tables near vending machines--it's a comfortable place to give kids a break.  There's a AAA museum entry discount--always ask. 

An Introduction to the Factory Tour: Chocolate World and Utz Potato Chips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ask Elijah what he wants to be when he grows up, and he'll tell you he wants to be a firefighter.  Ask him what else he might want to do, and he'll tell you he wants to be a factory worker.  In our tradition of wanting to indulge our kids' interests a bit (we can't wait to find out what more of Gwen's are!), Kim took Elijah and Gwen on two kid-friendly factory tours while Justin "historied" in nearby Gettysburg. It was a milestone trip in that Gwen seemed to engage as much as Elijah.

In Hershey, Pennsylvania, we obviously found Hershey's Chocolate.  Hershey's Chocolate World is a simulated factory tour that features a free ride through of a factory mock up that also includes anamatronic singing cows for the entertainment value.  Elijah and Gwen both loved the ride--so much so that we rode it four times.  There's also a large chocolate/souvenir store with a food court and a few other attractions, like a pay-per-view 4D movie and an opportunity to create your own chocolate bar, that you can purchase.  There's no cost for the ride and for parking at the site under three hours, however, and with two small ones, we did the inexpensive trip and didn't regret it. 

In Hanover, Pennsylvania, we chose Utz Potato Chips, which is, in Mom Kim's opinion, the ideal factory tour for young kids.  The tour is self-paced and includes a walk along an observation deck so you can see the factory in operation; recordings play on demand to explain what you see.  The kids loved watching the action and, in Elijah's case, learning some content.  Highlights included seeing potatoes "dump" off a truck into the factory and watching the forklifts.  There's a nearby outlet store a very short drive away that sells a great variety of affiliated snack foods, including Kim's new favorite chip (Zapp's in many flavors).  While we skipped their tour as we were unsure how Gwen would fare on it, Snyder's of Hanover is nearby, as is Renovah Pretzels.  Both offer regular tours, and we tried Renovah but were offered a chilly welcome and were informed that their website provided inaccurate information about their abilty to provide tours.  If you go, talk to them beforehand--we are in sincere hopes we caught this small bakery operation on a bad day.

If you go, check out TripAdvisor for up-to-date reviews and tips, especially about crowds at the Hershey site, and bring a cooler for any choocolate you might buy.  Kim also considered the Turkey Hill Experience, which may be right for your family and is nearby but didn't appeal as much to us this time.  If you are going with family members who aren't preschoolers, check out the Steel Toe Tour at the Harley Davidson plant (you must be 12 or older).  We took each factory tour we selected on separate days, paring them with other attractions in their respective cities and/or in Gettysburg, to cut down on driving for us. 

Nearby Wilderness: Virginia Safari Park

It must be the year of the zoo for the Haltermans.  Justin and Elijah are just back from Virginia Safari Park, commonly known in the area as Natural Bridge Safari Park, and E's fourth zoo visit this year.  This zoo is a drive-thru safari--yes, you read correctly.  You literally drive your vehicle, or ride an open-air wagon, through an expansive zoo that looks like the African veldt, only with Virginia hills inserted.  You are able to buy a bucket of feed and invited to get close to animals including zebras, camels, kangaroos, and others.  Elijah especially enjoyed the aviary in the "Safari Village," a small walk-through area.  He also loved the opportunity to use his new camera to take pictures--in fact, these are his pictures above.  We realize not all our Halterman Weekend destinations are popular, but this one's a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence winner, a testament not only to fun to be had but also to broad-based appeal. 

If you go, Justin explicitly recommends planning to take one of the wagon rides for an additional charge so you don't worry about your car/driving.  We have plenty of friends who have driven their vehicles through without issue, but we've also met folks who've had vehicle damage like scratches or who have been distracted by their own concerns about driving in an unfamiliar situation so much that they haven't enjoyed the experience as they might have otherwise.  You will need to plan your trip accordingly, as wagons don't run continuously, and you can find out more at the public wagon rides page.  If you are weighing the option of using your vehicle, read the specific requirments at the FAQ page.  It's a great attraction to experience as a group--a family with siblings/friends, an organized school/scout/church group, you get the idea.  Wear weather-appropriate clothes that won't mind a little animal slobber, too.  Picnics are allowed and there's a snack stand; for nearby casual food, try the retro Pink Cadillac Diner.  Don't confuse this destination with Natural Bridge Zoo, a more traditional zoo that is not included in your safari admission price. 

While you are in the area, check out other Natural Bridge attractions.  It would be easy to "add on" one of the "quick visit" attractions like Foamhenge.  As admission to the zoo is good all day long, you could also do a morning drive thru followed by another attraction/lunch and then a repeat drive thru--just keep your receipt. 

More Excursions to Animals: Natural Bridge Zoo and a Jaunt to Lexington

Justin surprised the family with a low-key day out of town that we all appreciated.  First stop: Natural Bridge Zoo.  Kim took a group of kindergarteners there and went as a first grader herself; Justin went as a child and has a picture with his brother under a big fake bear at the site.  As we visted, we found charmingly little had changed.  A family zoo, Natural Bridge maintains a large feeding/petting area with llamas, goats, deer, giraffes, and other animals.  It's home to a number of primates, an alligator, flamingos, a few snakes...it's a menagerie.  Kids are unlikely to mind some troubles with organization, parking, landscaping, and signage.  The North Carolina Zoo it's not, folks, but fun it is.  Take a picnic lunch, buy a small bag of animal food (and grab a bit at the "recycled" animal food area just inside the zoo on the other side of the admission doors), and have a no-frills-zoo good time.  Don't confuse Natural Bridge Zoo with the nearby drive-thru Virginia Safari Park.  We're planning a trip there in July, so stay tuned. 

We drove to Lexington for a late lunch, stopping in at Pure Eats.  Pure Eats is a classy, locovore burger joint inside an old Pure filling station.  It's decorated in a delightful retro style and serves great fries--not to mention milkshakes made with Homestead Creamery ice cream.  It's also close to Lexington's The Antique Mall, an old Roses department store converted into some good junking, particularly for those interested in flea-market furniture.  They also have Toys in the Attic, a vintage toy vendor; and Mike's Postcards, a well-organized and reasonably-priced place to start a collection.

If you go, there's plenty of American roadside to amuse you in the area.  You are obviously near the Natural Bridge area, including the bridge area itself.  You are also in for treats in nearby Lexington, including two historic universities, quaint shopping, and a nifty local ghost tour.

The Tiniest Train Museum: The Augusta County Railroad Museum

Let us introduce you to the Augusta County Railroad Museum, a wonderful storefront museum full of intricate model railroad layouts.  Staffed by welcoming railroad club members, the large displays on view are well-loved and detailed.  There's even a scavenger hunt all ages can enjoy that will help you focus on those details, including a funeral procession, a ski lift, and a subway station.  The museum was a real treat for our 4-year-old railfan:  he very much enjoyed wandering among the trains, working the controls on the young engineers model, and picking up a free back issue of Model Railroader magazine.  We're sure Elijah will mention it all when he sees club members at Virginia Museum of Transportation events in Roanoke. 

If you go, check the museum schedule:  they are only open on particular weekends.  Plan to spend at least a half hour enjoying the displays and the company of club members.  From the museum, you are within easy driving distance of the Green Valley Book Fair, the giant Factory Antique Mall, and other Halterman adventures tagged Up I-81.

A Little Lex-perience

Our newest addition has been enjoying several close-to-home trips.  We're being a bit more sensible than when Elijah first arrived, although Kim's travel hunger has been returning full force.  In any case, it's`been pleasant to enjoy some places that are not too far afield.  Consider our small adventure to Lexington, Virginia.

We visited the VMI Museum, largely to see some "new" Stonewall Jackson artifacts relating to the 150th anniversary of his wounding and death.  The VMI Museum is small and worthwhile, and the displays include a mock-up of a VMI dormroom, an impressively-displayed collection of guns, and purple hearts from VMI soldiers.  The museum's gift shop is the best in Lexington featuring VMI gear, souvenir Christmas ornaments, and books.  On each visit, Kim makes it a special point to remember Josh Hurley, a friend from the Alleghany High School Class of 1997, who was among the first soldiers killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in the current war.  

From the VMI campus, it's an easy walk to Washington and Lee, also a lovely campus.  The Lee Chapel and Museum chronicles parts of university history and even boasts a small gift shop, but the beautiful grounds may be the main attraction.  On the date of our visit, there were two weddings; if you are making a special trip to see the interior of the chapel, be sure to call ahead to check the schedule.  Justin and Elijah went in search of a smaller historical collection housed in the university's administration building, but we found ourselves locked out on the weekend.

When in Lexington, remember to walk--simply park at the Lexington Visitor's Center for free, take a minute to orient yourself to the area by viewing their excellent selection of information on regional attractions, and walk where you wish downtown.  Both of the museums mentioned here are free to visit, and it is easy to "add on" a visit to the Stonewall Jackson House.  We recommend strolling over to The Bookery, a crowded bookstore in which we've found some history texts and local features.  It's easy to find ice cream to enjoy while you walk, and there's a Macado's for sandwiches.