Virginia Roadside Attractions

Natural Bridge of Virginia

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Attraction | "Natural Wonder, Nature Walk, Indian Village"

The Natural Bridge Photo - Natural Bridge of Virginia, Natural Bridge, Virginia

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First up on our weekend road trip through Virginia was Natural Bridge. The town gets its name from the natural stone bridge that has been attracting tourists since Thomas Jefferson purchased it from King George III of England in 1774 and established a visitor lodge. It’s said that even George Washington carved his initials somewhere in the rocks before becoming the nation’s first president. Today there is a path that leads beneath the natural bridge. This 1-mile nature trail is paved except for a few gravel sections. Regardless, it is an easy, flat walk through the peaceful forest.Along the way, we took an informative detour through a small recreated Monacan Indian village. We ...Read More

First up on our weekend road trip through Virginia was Natural Bridge. The town gets its name from the natural stone bridge that has been attracting tourists since Thomas Jefferson purchased it from King George III of England in 1774 and established a visitor lodge. It’s said that even George Washington carved his initials somewhere in the rocks before becoming the nation’s first president.

Today there is a path that leads beneath the natural bridge. This 1-mile nature trail is paved except for a few gravel sections. Regardless, it is an easy, flat walk through the peaceful forest.

Along the way, we took an informative detour through a small recreated Monacan Indian village. We saw examples of shelters, animal hides, and jewelry. There were postings explaining the exhibits. Additionally, there were two guides stationed in the village to explain clothing and trading. It took us less than 15 minutes to visit all the stations in the village and to listen to the guides. We followed the nature trail to the end where we saw a small waterfall before turning around and heading back to the Natural Bridge.

We attended the nighttime Drama of Creation light show presentation that has been taking place daily at the Natural Bridge since President Calvin Coolidge inaugurated it May 22, 1927. During our early August visit, this 30-minute show began at 9 PM. It helps to set the expectation before going. If you go there expecting Disney-like laser lights and spectacular special effects, you will probably be disappointed. The Drama of Creation is more of a meditational experience. A recorded narrator tells the Creation Story from Genesis (the first book of the Bible) while classical music and hymns play in the background. While this is going on, multi-colored flood lights are projected onto the Natural Bridge. Adding to the tranquility of this experience is the sound of the nearby rushing creek.

There are complimentary shuttles that make stops at the gift shop parking lot, the nearby Natural Bridge Hotel, and the Natural Bridge Caverns. Alternately, you can walk the 137 steps between the gift shop and the bridge.

Natural Bridge tickets cost $21/adult ($12/child under 13) and can be purchased in the gift shop or online. There are package deals that include admission to nearby attractions. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on August 13, 2013

Natural Bridge of Virginia
15 Appledore Lane
Natural Bridge, Virginia 24578
(540) 291-2121

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Natural Bridge Wax Museum

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Attraction | "Fun Tour of U.S. History and Biblical Stories"

Pretending to Catch the Wax Figure Photo - Natural Bridge Wax Museum, Natural Bridge, Virginia

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In addition to the Natural Bridge, there are a few small attractions in the vicinity. The Natural Bridge Wax Museum is one of these. Its admission is included with your bridge ticket. The dimly-lit museum contains wax figures depicting scenes of Natural Bridge history, Virginia history, American history, and biblical stories. Along the way, there are posted descriptions of the scenes and, in some cases, a button that provides verbal narration when pushed. The museum contains 150 life-sized wax figures. Some of the highlights include the American presidents display ranging from George Washington to Barack Obama. Keep in mind this is not a Madame Tussaud’s museum. Some of the sta...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 13, 2013

Natural Bridge Wax Museum
Natural Bridge
Natural Bridge

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Natural Bridge Caverns

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Attraction | "Cool, Damp, and Deep"

Natural Bridge Caverns Photo - Natural Bridge Caverns, Natural Bridge, Virginia

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Driving through the Shenandoah region of Virginia, you will undoubtedly see billboards advertising cavern tours. One of these is located up the hill from the Natural Bridge visitor center. The Natural Bridge gift shop runs shuttles to the cavern. Alternately, you can make the short drive there as we did.The cavern tour lasts 45 minutes. A guide led our group 34 stories underground. This is the deepest tourist cavern on the East Coast. Stairs have been installed and the floor has been smoothed. There is no need to squeeze through narrow openings or scramble over rocks. However, you will need to be careful not to bang your head on a low hanging stalactite. The cavern is cool (54°...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on August 13, 2013

Natural Bridge Caverns
I-81 at exits 175 and 180 and the Blue Ridge Parkway
Natural Bridge, VA 24578
(540) 291-2121

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Foamhenge

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Attraction | "Amusing Roadside Attraction"

Foamhenge - Styrofoam Stonehenge Replica Photo - Foamhenge, Natural Bridge, Virginia

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This was one of the most quirky roadside attractions I have ever seen. It is a full-scale replica of England’s Stonehenge; however, it is made of styrofoam! It was built as an April Fools’ Day prank by Mark Cline, a local artist.The attraction is located on Route 11 about a mile north of the Natural Bridge visitor center. You will need to keep your eyes peeled for this one because unlike other attractions in the area, there is no billboard to advertise it. There is just a simple white sign with foam-like font. We turned onto the dirt road and parked in the grass next to three other vehicles. There is no parking lot or visitor center. I was not sure we were at the right place because I did ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 13, 2013

Foamhenge
Rt. 11
Natural Bridge, Virginia
800-533-1410

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Natural Bridge Hotel

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Hotel | "Nice Location and Friday Seafood Buffet"

Natural Bridge Hotel Photo - Natural Bridge Hotel, Natural Bridge, Virginia

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The Natural Bridge Hotel is situated just across the street from the Natural Bridge visitor plaza. Natural Bridge was one of the stops on the surprise birthday weekend Virginia road trip my wife planned for me. She booked the Friday Presidents Seafood Accommodation Package. It included a mountain view room, the Friday seafood buffet, 2-day unlimited admission to the Natural Bridge, Natural Bridge Cavern tickets, and Wax Museum tickets.The Natural Bridge Hotel has rooms in its main building, the attached wing corridors, and in the cottages across the street. The hotel is referred to as historic. My wife was told that the rooms in the wings are smaller and have old-fashioned furniture. This ...Read More

The Natural Bridge Hotel is situated just across the street from the Natural Bridge visitor plaza. Natural Bridge was one of the stops on the surprise birthday weekend Virginia road trip my wife planned for me. She booked the Friday Presidents Seafood Accommodation Package. It included a mountain view room, the Friday seafood buffet, 2-day unlimited admission to the Natural Bridge, Natural Bridge Cavern tickets, and Wax Museum tickets.

The Natural Bridge Hotel has rooms in its main building, the attached wing corridors, and in the cottages across the street. The hotel is referred to as historic. My wife was told that the rooms in the wings are smaller and have old-fashioned furniture. This did not sound all that appealing so she chose a room in the main hotel building. Our 3rd floor room was spacious and contained Colonial-style furniture. Free in-room Wi-Fi was available. One interesting feature about the room is that it had a sink inside the bathroom and one outside the bathroom (extra vanity station). I’d never seen this before. We had a king-size bed that was very comfortable. Other than the comfortable mattress, there was nothing spectacular about the room. It was fine for our overnight visit to Natural Bridge.

My sister and her family joined us on this surprise birthday road trip. They also booked a room in the main building as part of the Friday Presidents Seafood Accommodation Package. Unfortunately, they were not too pleased with their room. Besides being an older style room than they prefer, their main complaint was the green stains in the bathroom.

We dined at the all-you-can-eat Friday night seafood buffet in the hotel’s Colonial Dining Room. The food was okay. It was on par with the buffet food you get at a place like Old Country Buffet or Ryan’s. I was the only one in our party who does not eat crabs; however, my family told me the king crab legs were a hit. They thoroughly enjoyed them. Although the buffet is included in the President’s Package, you should reserve your dining time.

We also enjoyed the hotel’s breakfast buffet the next morning (not included in the package). The staff struggled to keep up with the demand for the popular tasty French toast sticks.

The Natural Bridge attractions and gift shop are located across the road from the hotel. Visitors can use the walkway that goes beneath the road. It is about a 10-minute walk to get to the Natural Bridge. Keep in mind this walk includes a 137-step stairway. The descent is not much of an issue but the return trip could make you winded. Fear not. The hotel offers complimentary shuttle service to/from the Natural Bridge and to/from the Natural Bridge Caverns as well.

We only did an overnight at the Natural Bridge Hotel. This suited our itinerary well. We were able to take the shuttle to the 9 PM Drama of Creation light show at the bridge after the seafood buffet. The next day, in just four hours we managed to see the bridge, walk the nature trail, visit the Monacan Indian village, tour the wax museum, tour the cavern, see the butterfly exhibit, and browse the gift shop. My 12 year old nephew even had time to enjoy the game room in the lower level of the gift shop. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on August 13, 2013

Natural Bridge Hotel
Rte. 11, PO Box 57
Natural Bridge, Virginia 24578

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Luray Caverns

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Attraction | "Most Magnificent Caverns I Have Ever Seen"

Luray Caverns Photo - Luray Caverns, Luray, Virginia

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Incredible! Luray Caverns are the most magnificent caverns I have ever seen. Down the stairs we went for our entrance into this mind-blowing underworld. A guide gave us a short introduction before sending us on our way to explore the cavern on our own. The whole place looks as if oozing rocks were suddenly frozen in time. In actuality, the rocks are still "oozing" – just extremely slowly. Some of these formations take hundreds of years to increase their size by only one inch. Mother Nature is obviously in no hurry to finish this masterpiece. Lurray Caverns is 400 million years old. Some of the highlights for me were Dream Lake and the Stalacpipe Organ. Dream Lake was so clear and still tha...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 13, 2013

Luray Caverns
101 Cave Hill Road
Luray, Virginia 22835
(540) 743-6551

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Luray Valley Museum

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Attraction | "Great Artifacts on Display"

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The Luray Valley Museum is located across the road from the main Luray plaza. The admission is included with the purchase of your Luray Caverns ticket. It only took us about 30 minutes to walk through this small but fascinating museum. I was impressed by the period of Luray Valley history it covers. You start off by looking at stone tools and weapons discovered in the area. Some of these date back to 5,000 B.C.! You quickly fast forward many millennia to relics of early Eurpoean settlers and then on to the 1800’s. There is a potbelly stove collection, quilts, printing presses, old bibles, and more. There are weapons and uniforms from the Civil War. I spent some reading a moving entry of a young girl’s...Read More

The Luray Valley Museum is located across the road from the main Luray plaza. The admission is included with the purchase of your Luray Caverns ticket. It only took us about 30 minutes to walk through this small but fascinating museum. I was impressed by the period of Luray Valley history it covers. You start off by looking at stone tools and weapons discovered in the area. Some of these date back to 5,000 B.C.! You quickly fast forward many millennia to relics of early Eurpoean settlers and then on to the 1800’s. There is a potbelly stove collection, quilts, printing presses, old bibles, and more. There are weapons and uniforms from the Civil War. I spent some reading a moving entry of a young girl’s diary from the late 1800’s. The particular entry I read was about the day she learned her "Pappy" had been wounded in the Civil War.

I read through another piece of literature that was on display. This one was from a former slave, Bethany Veney. It was rare because slaves were generally not permitted to learn to read and write. This educated woman wrote about her experiences as a slave and how she eventually obtained her freedom.

We progressed through the museum which eventually led to the gift shop. Based on our visit to other attractions that weekend, we assumed this was the end of the tour. However, this is not the case. After leaving the gift shop we discovered a recreated Luray Valley town. There is a gem sluice where visitors can try panning for gems. You must purchase a pouch of dirt from the gift shop to participate in this activity. Aside from the gem sluice, you can have a look inside an authentic African American one-room schoolhouse and a church from 1825.

The Luray Valley Museum has done an outstanding job of providing visitors with a window into the region’s past. As nice as it is, I do not recommend it for young children. Knowing that there is a rope course park, garden maze, and toy museum across the street, a history museum such as this will probably not keep their attention for longer than a few minutes.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 13, 2013

Luray Valley Museum
970 U.s. 211
Luray $zip
(540) 743-6551

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The Mimslyn Inn

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Hotel | "A True Gem"

Sunday Brunch at Mimslyn Inn Photo - The Mimslyn Inn, Luray, Virginia

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This hotel is a true gem. This classy establishment is only a 5-minute drive from Luray Caverns. I have to thank my sister and her husband for recommending this one to my wife who planned my surprise birthday weekend Virginia road trip. As we drove to the entrance of the property, I was truly impressed. At the top of a hill was the hotel with its gleaming white columns and balconies. A long semi-circular driveway surrounds the manicured landscape. The curb-side appeal of this place combined with the fact that we were traveling with my sister and her family, who have rather high standards when it comes to travel, made me think we were going to be paying an arm and a leg for our overnight stay. On the c...Read More

This hotel is a true gem. This classy establishment is only a 5-minute drive from Luray Caverns. I have to thank my sister and her husband for recommending this one to my wife who planned my surprise birthday weekend Virginia road trip. As we drove to the entrance of the property, I was truly impressed. At the top of a hill was the hotel with its gleaming white columns and balconies. A long semi-circular driveway surrounds the manicured landscape. The curb-side appeal of this place combined with the fact that we were traveling with my sister and her family, who have rather high standards when it comes to travel, made me think we were going to be paying an arm and a leg for our overnight stay. On the contrary, the Mimslyn Inn was reasonably priced for such a classy place. The room for my wife and me was in the mid-150’s but was reduced to $143 after applying our AAA discount.

As we made our way to the hotel entrance, we saw well-dressed diners being served on the front patio. A doorman welcomed us into the lobby where we saw a grand piano, fireplace, and winding staircase.

The hotel promotes a 1930’s theme with restaurant names like "Circa ’31" and "The Speakeasy". Despite the old-fashioned theme, don’t expect to find old worn-out furniture at the Mimslyn. We had an immaculate modern room. The hotel offers free in-room Wi-Fi. My sister and her family had a large suite down the hall. It even had a gas fireplace which is apparently just for show. You can watch the flames but it does not give off any heat. Given it was early August, there was not a need for heat.

The hotel has amenities such as a fitness room, outdoor pool, and spa. My wife and brother-in-law both worked out in the fitness room. They said there was not much equipment from which to choose.

The highlight of our stay was the Sunday Champagne Brunch. Once again, I was surprised by how reasonably priced this was. This fabulous all-you-can-eat buffet cost just $14.95 per person. There was breakfast food and non-breakfast food such as chicken, seafood, salad, roast beef (carving station), and an impressive selection of desserts. The restaurant has signature dishes such as its bread pudding, Mimslyn Parfait, and Mimslyn Punch all of which were very good. You will need a reservation for the Sunday Brunch.

Mimslyn Inn was a highlight of my birthday weekend. I highly recommend it even if you only visit for the Sunday brunch. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 13, 2013

The Mimslyn Inn
401 West Main Street
Luray, Virginia 22835
866-539-0036

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