Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 31

Virginia

"This was the route of a Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad line that ran from the late
1800s to the 1960s and brought people
from Covington to the Homestead Resort.
After that, there was a company that ran
scenic rail excursions for close to eight
years."
Chad Williams is telling us about the
Jackson River Scenic Trail, a basically flat
multi-use pathway that runs for 14.4 miles
(and probably more by the time you read
this) from near Lake Moomaw to close to
downtown Covington. We met him on a
chilly and foggy early fall morning after
having spent the night at Cliff View Golf
and Fly Fish Inn. The inn is on the opposite
side of the river, but it was a simple matter
of walking a few hundred yards to cross the
stream on Smith Bridge, a former roadway
span now open to pedestrians.
According to Teresa Hammond,
executive director of Alleghany Highlands
Chamber of Commerce and Tourism,
Williams, who is director of Alleghany
County Parks and Recreation, is the driving
force behind the trail: "He has procured an
abundance of grants, physically worked on
the trail, developed a loyal following of trail
enthusiasts, and continues to come up with
new and creative ideas to push the project
forward."
The trail meanders away from the river
for a few miles upstream, but the five-mile

section we were walking downstream
remained in sight of the renowned trout
fishing waters the entire time. A small brook
flowed from the hillside into the river and
picnic tables conveniently appeared just
about the time I was thinking of taking a
rest break.
There were certainly long stretches
through thick woodlands, but when my
mind wanders back to this day, the image
that comes to mind is of a pastoral and rural
landscape where cattle graze in sprawling
open meadows as crows caw overhead.
The few houses located in an area Williams
called Dunbrack Circle were so serenely
emitting fireplace smoke from their
chimneys that I envisioned I was walking
through The Shire in Tolkein's "Lord of the
Rings" (although there were no hobbit
holes).
The trail passes within a few yards of the
BELOW: At Clifton Forge's
Hill Crest Mansion Inn, Leonard
and Laurie Adkins awoke to the
"performance breakfast," with five
courses presented by a tuxedo-clad
server.

Petticoat Junction Gas & Grill, and its back
porch overlooking the river seemed the
perfect place to end the walk as we sipped
hot cups of coffee.
To celebrate the successful conclusion
of our river walks quest we spent our last
evening in Clifton Forge, enjoying the
French-inspired cuisine of Café Michel
before checking into the opulent luxury
of the 1911 Hill Crest Mansion Inn. Before
sending us home the next morning,
innkeeper Martha Crawford wowed us
with what Hammond had described as a
"performance breakfast." Each of the five
courses was announced with a hand bell
and described by our tuxedo-clad server.
And what courses they were-fruit compote,
scones, French herb baked eggs, pigs in
a twist (bacon wrapped in a melt-in-yourmouth pastry shell) and a five-layered cake
with caramel sauce.

LEONARD & LAURIE ADKINS

RIGHT: Smith Bridge is near the
southern end of the 14.3-mile, railto-trail Jackson River Trail.

HILL CREST MANSION INN

MARCH/APRIL 2020

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Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020

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