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Hello from the Beautiful Shenandoah Valley!

Yes, we’re traveling again! This time I’m working with Trekaroo and Go Blue Ridge Travel to experience the living history in Winchester, Virginia. We got off to a bit of a rocky start. We planned to leave town as soon as the kids got home from school on Friday afternoon, but my son got off the schoolbus complaining of dizziness and nausea and promptly fell into bed. I couldn’t believe it. This is the same kid who got the flu when we took the family to Arizona a few weeks ago.

We decided to wait and see how he felt on Saturday, and thankfully, whatever he had passed through him, and we were able to get on the road bright and early yesterday morning. We arrived in Old Town Winchester just in time to catch the tail end of a presentation at the George Washington’s historic Fort Loudoun, and we spent the rest of the day enjoying KidzFest and exploring some of the historic sites. Old Town Winchester is a charming little town.

old town winchester

I’ve driven past Winchester probably 100 times in my life. It is located right off of I-81, a route we take every time we drive to Roanoke, Virginia to visit my family. But I had no idea how much there was to do here and what a rich history they have. 

It was the training ground for George Washington during the French and Indian War, a location for prisoners during the Revolutionary War, and a strategic prize during the Civil War, so there are tons of historic sites to visit and lots of colorful stories to hear. I’ll tell you more about it when I get home and get my photos organized, but so far it’s been a really nice time.

Then last night, we took the kids to their first ever drive-in movie, so they can strike that off their bucket list.

drive in

Speaking of bucket lists, Go Blue Ridge Travel has created the Kids Trail — a collection of fun activities for kids in the Shenandoah Valley — and Bucket is their friendly little mascot and tour guide, helping you make your “bucket list” for visiting the region. They left a “flat Bucket” in our hotel room so we could incorporate him into our adventures. R immediately took ownership of Bucket, and she’s been bringing him with us wherever we go.

Bucket

We’ve also enjoyed some good eats while we’re here. You know that we’re serious about our food, so we were thrilled to find some nice eateries in the area.

JL and Caro

Today we’re planning to visit a few more sites before heading home. The kids are dying to get breakfast at a little place called Just Like Grandma’s, so I better get moving. Have a great Sunday!

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10 Responses

  1. How cool that you were in western Virginia! I live in the eastern part, but I have friends who live in Winchester. It’s always neat to read a blog post and be familiar with the area! I’m glad your son didn’t stay sick, and I’m glad you had a great time! (My brother got sick for every single family vacation we ever took, plus all his school field trips, no joke.)

      1. It was pretty awful. We did most of our vacations with my grandparents, so my mom ended up in hotel rooms with my sick brother, while I would go tour the aquarium or whatever. He just got so worked up he’d make himself sick. Fortunately, he no longer does this. But then, he’s also 35 now. 🙂

  2. Looks like a neat place! We’re trying to find some place close to home for a short family vacation. I love the drive in! We’re lucky to have one in town.

  3. If you make it down to Harrisonburg, find Jess’s for a burger, onion rings and a chocolate shake. Chips and salsa can’t be beat at La Caretta. Enjoy the Valley! 🙂

  4. The idea of Bucket reminds me of the great children’s books about a character/paper doll/squished little boy called Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown. Wonder what you guys have planned for Memorial Day weekend? Look forward to reading that post.

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