Events - Event View

Please consider joining us for our Welcome Spring! excursion to historic Staunton Virginia and the Blue Ridge Parkway!  This short weekend will include two scenic drives through the countryside of Augusta and Nelson Counties, along with a visit to the eclectic private auto collection of Paul Wilson which includes brass era, vintage Alfa Romeos (with custom body work created by Paul), race cars and even a Lamborghini Muira. We will also take a guided tour of the showroom of the Antique and Classic Automobiles dealership hosted by Brian Rhodes, who worked alongside well-known car enthusiast Bruce Elder for many years.

Host Hotel:
We recommend the Blackburn Inn or Hotel 24 South since both are located close to our activities and the downtown area, but there are many hotels in the area at a variety of price levels.



Here is the Tentative schedule:

SATURDAY

11:00—We will meet at Wright's Dairy-Rite (346 Greenville Ave, Staunton) for lunch. This is a drive-in restaurant with curb service dating back to the 1950’s which is popular with car clubs.

12:30—We will embark on a scenic drive through farmland past many historic landmarks (public buildings and private farms) on our way to the home of Paul Wilson in Fairfield, VA. Paul is a retired history professor who taught himself to work with metal, eventually developing skills allowing him to create custom bodies for derelict chassis’ he acquired through various sources. He also encourages his visitors to try some simple metal working techniques in his shop.

4:00—5:00—Hotel check in.

6:00—We will meet in the Staunton Gospel Hill neighborhood to begin a walking architectural tour which includes Woodrow Wilson’s birth home and library along with homes exhibiting diverse architectural designs including Romanesque, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Shingle styles built in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

7:00—Dinner is own our own with many restaurants within walking distance or a short drive. Blackfriars Playhouse (10 S. Market St, Staunton) will be doing a production of King Lear which begins at 7PM for anyone in the mood for some Shakespeare.

SUNDAY

10:00---We’ll meet at the Dealership of Brian Rhodes: Antique and Classic Automobiles (810 Grubert Ave, Staunton) for a guided tour of his showroom which includes about 17 automobiles.

11:00—Depart for the Fire Station (500 N. Augusta St., Staunton) to visit "Jumbo"", which is a 1911 Robinson Fire Engine and the oldest motor-operated fire engine in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was restored in the 1970’s by Whitepost Restorations and remains impressively beautiful, although it has not run in about 25 years (according to a local.)

Noon—We will meet at the Blackburn Inn parking lot located at the intersection of Richmond Road (Highway 250) and Greenville Avenue before heading to the Afton Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This drive is a straight route traveling East on Highway 250, but with many intersections, so we will reconvene at the Afton Overlook,  which is near the beginning of the Parkway at Milepost 2.

We will drive about 20 miles South on the Parkway, which has some incredible mountain views, before heading East on Crabtree Falls Highway which follows the Tye River through Nelson County.

We'll stop at the Montebello Country Store (15072 Crabtree Falls Hwy,  Montebello, VA) for a shopping/bathroom stop, then drive through several small (ghost) towns on our way to the Bold Rock Cidery Barn (1020 Rockfish Valley Hwy, Nellysford, VA) for an early dinner and drinks. The Cidery has indoor and outdoor seating with views of the river and mountains.