Shadow Mountain Escape Owner Recommended Seasonal top ten “Must Do”s to meet your likes and lifestyle! Summer • Enjoy a chilled white wine under the romantic trellis at Wisteria Farm and Vineyard or in the magnificent scenic tasting room and patio of Ducard Vineyards; find the warm country surrounding of Sharp Rock Vineyard while enjoying a blush wine under Old Rag Mountain; enjoy the fine variety of high quality wines at the world class Rappahannock Cellars, Gadino, Chester Gap or Glen Manor. Be sure to follow the Blue Ridge Whiskey Wine Loop and visit the excellent wineries/distillery and other featured eateries along the loop. • Take in one of the July – September Shenandoah Valley Music Festival performances in the beautiful and historic Orkney Springs for a night to remember • Hike to a waterfall in the Shenandoah National Park (all of them are a treasure – White Oaks and Dark Hollow Falls are the most frequented) or to the Park’s Big Meadows and photograph the many wild flowers and butterflies nature has on display (for those with mobility challenges, drive the Skyline Drive to Big Meadows for a great easy access National Park experience) • Eat ice cream – have a black berry ice cream cone at Shenandoah National Park Big Meadows or visit Fairview Country Store in Luray for quality hand dipped ice cream flavors… for soft serve ice cream lovers get anything you like at “Flotsies” next to Walmart in Luray • Enjoy one of the many local musical artists or festival events performing routinely in area pubs, restaurants, and festivals (recommend seeing local favorites “Acoustic Thunder” or taking in a Blue Grass band for a traditional Shenandoah performing arts experience). Do not miss the Wednesday night live music and dinner usually offered at the Artisan’s Grill in the middle of Luray. • Swim in a pond, Lake Arrow Head or the Shenandoah River and dip yourself into a small pool of running water in a mountain stream • Canoe, cruise or tube the Shenandoah River (recommend Shenandoah River Outfitters or Down River Canoe Company) • Tour the 55 degrees cool and majestic Luray and Shenandoah Caverns and take in their local museums • Have an ice cold beer or Margherita with dinner at one of Luray’s eateries (recommend Rancho Viejo, Artisans Grill, the Mimslyn Inn’s Speakeasy Pub) • Enjoy a barbecue outside your cabin and take advantage of locally grown fresh vegetables and meats (visit Public House Produce by Luray Airport, Saturday’s Luray farmer’s market or road side stands and other town markets) Shadow Mountain Escape Owner Recommended Seasonal top ten “Must Do”s to meet your likes and lifestyle! Fall • Hike a short or long trail to a scenic ridge in the Shenandoah National Park – try to identify the numerous late summer/fall mushrooms along the way • Stroll through the numerous flea markets and antique shops in Luray and Sperryville – visit the Copper Fox antique warehouse in Sperryville – consider taking a short walk through the tiny town of Sperryville and have lunch or dinner at the Thornton River Grill or one of the other specialty eateries in the middle of town. Visit the distillery while in Sperryville. • Visit the numerous diners in the valley and enjoy classic generous county breakfasts and lunches (recommend Hawks Bill Diner in Stanley, Brooks Side, Frost Station and Uncle Bucks in Luray, and Southern Kitchen Diner in New Market – incredible fried chicken) • Buy and eat fresh apples of numerous varieties grown in regional orchards, make a fresh apple pie in your cabin and eat as many delicious fall apples as you can; look for country quilts and other fall season local made preserves, honey and specialties while buying apples • Chat around a crackling campfire on a clear, cool night and roast marshmallows while sipping your favorite cold weather beverage • Eat lunch at Griffin Tavern in Flint Hill (recommend fish & chips, it’s all good) and then go to Rappahannock Vineyards just down the road for nice glass of red wine and take in the lovely surroundings of the Blue Ridge Mountains • Enjoy an evening of comfortable reasonable dining at the Artisans Grill, Mimslyn Inn or Dan’s Steakhouse (recommend checking for scheduled live music nights), for Chinese visit Brown’s, and for exceptional Mexican Food visit Rancho Viejo in Luray; for casual fine dining experiences visit The Mimslyn in Luray or the Thornton River Grill in Sperryville; the best New York Style Pizza can be found at Anthony’s via delivery or at their shop in the Luray shopping center next to Food Lion • Tour the magnificent Luray Caverns and Shenandoah Valley Museum in Luray; or, the Shenandoah Caverns and the New Market civil war battlefield. • Picnic or grill at Lake Arrow Head and take a walk around the lake to enjoy the surrounding mountain views and wildlife • Ride a horse and take a trail ride with Jordan Hollow Farms in Stanley or with the Shenandoah National Park ***Bonus Adventure: Take the Blue Ridge Whiskey Wine Loop.*** Shadow Mountain Escape Owner Recommended Seasonal top ten “Must Do”s to meet your likes and lifestyle! Winter • Walk along the Greenway and Hawk’s Bill Creek and terminate at one of Luray’s eateries for breakfast, lunch or dinner. After your meal, consider taking in a movie at our old style charming Luray Movie Theater in town. • Bundle up under the heavenly stars around a crackling campfire on a cold night while sipping hot seasonal spiced wine or hot chocolate • Visit the regional wineries and sample their holiday specialties; recommend the full bodied dry red wines during winter months • Tour the Luray and Shenandoah caverns and their local museums and enjoy the consistently warm 55 degrees on a cold winter day! • Sample the regional culinary specialties at local diners and restaurants such as Pumpkin Roll, Pumpkin Pie and other spiced desserts (recommend Brook Side Diner in Luray, Hawksbill Diner in Stanley, and Southern Kitchen Diner in New Market) • Bundle up and stroll through the shops and streets of old towns to admire the country holiday (Thanksgiving and Christmas) decorations; visit the Art Warehouse in Luray for a large and wide variety of exceptional art work and jewelry • Take in the local holiday season small town events and performances – refer to local town news papers and public signs in the old towns • Go skiing, sledding, or snow tubing at Massanutten or Bryce Mountain Resorts • On a cold day, relax in front of fireplace or wood stove with a quilt, good book and cookies • Visit the Art Warehouse and shops in old Town Luray for art works, antiques and many unique gifts and items. While you’re out, take in a meal at any of our excellent country diners… to include Brookside, Frost Station, Uncle Buck’s or Hawksbill Diner in Stanley. ***Bonus Adventure: Check www.discovershenandoah.com for seasonal experiences on the Blue Ridge Whiskey Wine Loop. *** Shadow Mountain Escape Owner Recommended Seasonal top ten “Must Do”s to meet your likes and lifestyle! Spring • Drive along the Skyline Drive or take a hike on forested trails in the Shenandoah National Park and observe the spring blooms and new growth (recommend Jeremy’s Run Trail in the spring time for fit day hikers) • Canoe the Shenandoah River and relish the many sights and sounds of water fowl and new blooms (Shenandoah River Outfitters or Down River Canoe Company) • Hunt for morel mushrooms in Poplar Forests (focus efforts on the lower slopes of the mountains between mid – April and mid-May) • Get a wild flower identification book and take walks to search the many different spring blooms (pick your favorites and bring a small bouquet back to your cabin to admire) • Enjoy many spring festivals of the valley’s old towns (Luray May Festival on Mother’s Day Weekend) • Visit Wisteria Farm and Vineyard, Ducard Vineyard, Sharp Rock, Rappahannock Cellars, Chester Gap, Glen Manor located on the Blue Ridge Whiskey Wine Loop. Wineries and have a picnic on their decks while enjoying a lovely glass of Virginia wine in the scenic surroundings of the vineyards • Tour the magnificent Luray Caverns and Luray Valley Museum in Luray; or, the Shenandoah Caverns and the New Market civil war battlefield. • Enjoy an evening of comfortable dining at the Artisan’s Grill, Mimslyn Inn or Dan’s Steakhouse (recommend checking for scheduled live music nights) • Visit the numerous diners in the valley and enjoy classic generous county breakfasts and lunches (recommend Hawks Bill Diner in Stanley, Brooks Side and Uncle Bucks in Luray, and Southern Kitchen Diner in New Market – incredible fried chicken) • For history lovers – visit the valley’s many antique shops and museums (recommend Luray Caverns’ Luray Valley Museum, the New Market Battlefield and Museum, the Copper Fox in Sperryville, and the numerous small antique and collectables shops in Luray, New Market, Harrisonburg and the small old towns along Route 11. .