Waynesboro Getaway

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Waynesboro, Virginia, sports an abundance of outdoor activities nearby (and even in-town) as well as enticing local restaurants and stores. Here’s what we found on a recent two-day visit.

Downtown Destinations

After Bruce left to go fishing, my first stop of the day was The French Press, a coffee shop on Wayne Avenue, one of the main downtown thoroughfares. I was immediately enticed by the pastry display beside the main counter: chocolate croissants, almond cake with almonds, as well as scones and shortbread. The chalkboard menu also listed biscuits with or without gravy - a Southern favorite. I opted for a medium roast coffee called Smoky Mountain, and spoke with owner Mandi Fullwood as she warmed the china cup with hot steamy water before adding coffee.

“We have a lot of regular guests so we get to chit chat with them about whatever is going on with their lives and in the community,” she said. “We hone our drink recommendations based on what people keep asking for. Some popular choices right now are the butter pecan latte with oat milk as well as the snickerdoodle latte and the honey-butter latte. We also do lunches and our turkey-brie panini is a customer favorite.”

During my time in The French Press, I saw Fullwood welcoming customers by name as she began preparing their order. But I felt equally welcomed by her and her staff even though this was my first visit. Fortified, I began more exploration on foot. Waynesboro has plenty of free community parking lots throughout the downtown area so I could easily navigate. As I strolled I referred to the Downtown Historic District Walking Tour Map to gain a sense of some of the area’s architecture.

My first stop was at the Waynesboro Heritage Museum where I enjoyed exhibits highlighting the town’s founding and industry. My lunch stop was at Stella, Bella and Lucy’s on Main Street, named for the owners’ dogs. The cafe is a visual delight, full of antiques and art work, all for sale. Owners Cynthia and Rodger Doyle had previous food service experience, she with restaurant ownership and he in hospitality management at a country club.

“Everything is house-made here, even the desserts and ice cream,” Cynthia said. “Today we are making red raspberry ice cream. Most of our recipes come from family and friends, and some are from old Waynesboro restaurants.”

Two popular items are the potato salad and the Granny - a sandwich of rye bread, corned beef and house-made pimento cheese. I opted for the day’s special, a grilled cheese sandwich with prosciutto, goat cheese and apple slices accompanied by a large bowl of seasonal fresh fruit. My lunch partner, Stephanie Duffy from the Waynesboro Economic Development office, chose her usual favorite - a chicken quesadilla with jalapenos.

“We offer daily specials,” said server Victoria Quickel. “Two popular ones are the egg salad BLT and the Friday crab cakes. That one has people lined up so they can be served before we run out.”

Cynthia wants the cafe to welcome its guests.

“When you come here you kind of feel special. I think we have the trifecta - you like what you see, the people are friendly and the food is good,” she said.

After lunch I wandered Main Street’s shops. The P Buckley Moss Gallery features art for sale by the noted artist who resided in Waynesboro for many years and still returns quarterly. I spent a few moments enjoying the immense dollhouse filling the street display windows, with numerous mice for children to spot.

Next I stopped in Magnolia Rose, a shop with the mission of providing help to survivors of human trafficking. The store runs like a pop-up shop with lots of homemade items.

“We are the only emergency service for human trafficking in Virginia,” said Kristan Crummett-Dollar, President and Co-Founder. “We currently have four cottages where we house people while providing necessary services including help with sobriety, health care, therapy and daycare. Last year, we served 128 people and only twenty of them were people without citizenship so don’t think this is a problem somewhere else.”

Across the street I found Initial Inspiration where many items for sale could be personalized with embroidery or monograms. Nearby Rusticae Country Manor Home sells vintage clothing, jewelry, hats and home goods.

Alpha and Omega Antique Mall was near where I had parked so I stopped by and found a large display of vintage radios that still worked, an old jukebox and glassware galore.

I drove “out of town” less than two miles to Heritage Hill B&B, where I was welcomed by owner Dana Mares. She and husband Scott have owned the property since 2017 and began inn keeping in 2018 after some renovations.

“We had always wanted to own a B&B, and for over 30 years we had gone to different ones on our anniversary,” Dana said. “Once our children were finished with school we began looking. “

“Even when the kids were growing up, ours was always the house where everyone gathered. I would often walk in and find a crowd of our children’s friends. I would soon be in the kitchen making cookies for everyone. In some ways now we are doing the same thing as a business.”

The 1847 house sits on a hill overlooking mountain views. One result of the couple’s renovations is the hallway chalkboard with WIFI and entry information, upcoming breakfast listings and restaurant suggestions. We stayed in the Red Room, with a king-sized bed as well as a twin daybed. The sink was in the room mounted on an antique marble-topped wash stand, and the walk-in shower and toilet were in the adjoining bath. An antique writing desk was in the corner, helpful for work as well as eating. I enjoyed the large lounge chair and footstool beside the bed, perfect for reading while I looked out over the grass and gardens. Three rooms are available, and the whole house can be rented as well.

Dana explained that some of the furnishings came with the house, but even when living with their children at home she had always enjoyed collecting cups and saucers, several of which are on display in the dining room. She also inherited her mother-in-law’s dogwood china.

“China is art,” she said. “It speaks to me. We always used china over the years. It wasn’t just something to put in a cabinet and look at.”

Also of interest was the dining room table.

“When we were first married and Scott was still in college, he worked part-time at an antique store,” she said. “The owner was ready to throw away an old table because the fluted legs needed too much repair. Scott asked for the table, since we didn’t have any furniture at all.

Over the years he repaired the legs and we have had it our entire marriage.”

Breakfast consisted of shirred eggs, blueberry lemon scones, bacon and yogurt with granola and strawberries. The eggs came from the couple’s flock, and the yogurt was sweetened with honey from their hives - a result of remodeling.

“We found that one of the columns that needed replacing in front of the house was full of honeybees and honey,” Dana said. “Replacing the column waited until a beekeeper friend came to save the hive. He split it and we started a hive of our own, and he started a new one also.”

For dinner, Bruce and I went to The River, a downtown burger bar. With outdoor seating roped off by canoe paddles, we knew we were in the right place. Nighttime kitchen manager Justin Robbins explained the restaurant’s popularity.

“We are known as the best burger place around here,” he said. “We make them from a 70/30 percent mix of certified Angus beef, so the quality of the meat is great, and we get a good sear on the blacktop.”

In addition, the restaurant makes all of their sauces in-house and even fries their own pub chips. Bruce chose the Chicky Wrap - grilled chicken with cheddar cheese, mixed greens, tomatoes and spicy ranch dressing. I chose The Hipster, usually made with a certified Angus beef patty, provolone, arugula, tomatoes, roasted red pepper, red onions and spicy mayo. I went with grilled chicken instead and relished a well-flavored sandwich.

“Two of our popular burgers are The Fungi, topped with mushrooms, and The Shiner, which is blackened burger topped with blue cheese,” Robbins said. “We are also known for our draft beer list that we change about every two weeks. Owner Mandi Smack is a beer connoisseur and has ownership in some area breweries so this comes from her background.”

The next morning I walked along the South River Greenway. Access to the Greenway is easy from several different spots in town. Then, I visited the Shenandoah Valley Art Center which has galleries, artist studios and a gift shop. Several participants were taking a watercolor class on this particular day, and I was invited to see what they had been working on.    

Lunch time arrived and Delly Up was the place for me. It is a sandwich and drink shop with the largest selection of craft beers of any restaurant in the area. The beer and wine selection is available on-site and to-go. Owner Mandi Smack explained her menu, which echoed what we noticed at our evening dinner.

“We have great hoagies using locally made bread from Carter’s Bakery, and we slice our meats and cheese,” she said. “We even make our own pickles. Two of our popular sellers are the curried chicken salad sub and our Reuben. Some folks will say this is technically not a Reuben since that sandwich includes sauerkraut, but once you taste ours made from corned beef and house-made coleslaw on rye, you will be sold.”

“I am very mindful of food allergies and cross contamination due to some of my family issues so I don’t use anything with seeds or nuts - you won’t see sesame seeds on a bun here.

And I have lots of ways to do gluten-free foods, too. I am used to substitutions. I am a pescatarian who owns a deli and burger bar. What can I say?”

Outdoors You Go

While Elaine was touring the downtown area, I spent two days floating the nearby South Fork of the Shenandoah with Tommy Lawhorne and John Waller of South River Fly Shop. The South Fork’s smallmouth bass fishery has experienced a comeback, and we caught a number of bass between 10 and 15 inches. Lawhorne describes the South Fork as one of the top smallmouth bass destinations in the region, and Waller says trout fly fishermen who enjoy wading can experience the South River as it flows through downtown.

Hiking, biking, and birding are available close by as well. Among the options are the Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail, Shenandoah National Park, and Blue Ridge Parkway. In short, Waynesboro gave us many pleasurable experiences indoors and out during our two days there.