Blue Ridge Country July/August 2021 - 15

OUR BLUE RIDGE TOWNS
Know this about Waynesboro: It's a town
that was made for walking. Just two miles off
the Appalachian Trail, Waynesboro is a designated
Appalachian Trail Community and home
to the much-heralded-among-hikers, all-youcan-eat
Ming Garden Chinese Buffet and Grill.
Churches provide hostel space for hikers; the
YMCA offers showers. Trail angels provide free
transportation from the AT to Waynesboro.
There's a shoe repair shop and an outdoor outfitter
catering to hikers.
Some of those hikers are standing outside
Sam's Hotdog Stand as I begin my town exploration.
How do I know? The knee braces and
ankle wraps give it away.
" We're day hikers, " they admit. " This " -
pointing to the Sam's sign- " is our reward for
that " -gazing at the greening ridge high above
town.
I learn pretty quickly that Waynesboro has
also found a lot of fun ways to lure less adventurous
walkers to town. It's a Trail Town indeed-
with an impressive variety of paths to follow.
The Tree Streets Walking Tour takes you
through more than 28 blocks of Queen Anne,
Tudor Revival, Arts and Crafts, Georgian Revival
and Colonial Revival homes on, yes, treelined
streets. Placed on the National Register of
Historic Places, the Tree Streets area includes
imposing churches, the Fishburne Military
Academy and some of Waynesboro's earliest
buildings.
There's also the Street Arts Trail, with interactive scavenger
hunt clues to lead you to the next mural.
And the Historic District Walking Tour, which starts in
the charmingly retro Waynesboro Heritage Museum and
past the popular P. Buckley Moss Gallery and Shenandoah
Valley Arts Center, and the vast University of Science and
Philosophy/Russell Museum Art Center. (The original Italian
Renaissance Revival home of the organization, Swannanoa,
sits nearby on Afton Mountain. To read Joan Vannorsdall's
1991 story: blueridgecountry.com/swannanoa)
If you'd rather float than walk, the Waynesboro Water
Trail takes you through town on the South River, giving
you a glimpse of the city's industrial past as well as its
present commitment to clean and open space by linking
five parks.
One of them, Constitution Park, will be home to the
Waynesboro branch of the Virginia Museum of Natural
History, based in Martinsville. The 11-acre redevelopment
is part of the South River Preserve, made possible
by the historic settlement (the largest in Virginia history)
with DuPont Chemical.
Last but not least: for those looking for refreshment,
the Beerwerks Trail is a fine one to travel. Ranging from
Harrisonburg to Lexington, it's a fine example of towns
FACING PAGE MAIN: Virginia's aptly named Blue Ridge Mountains form a
perfect backdrop for Waynesboro's historic Main Street.
INSET: The Basic City Beer Co. is the Waynesboro stop on the Shenandoah
Valley's Beerwerks Trail.
BELOW: The South River runs through downtown, giving kayakers plenty to see as
they navigate the Waynesboro Water Trail.
and counties working together, sending thirsty beer lovers
to breweries up and down the Shenandoah Valley.
(Bonus: eight passport stamps earns you a Shenandoah
Beerwerks Trail t-shirt.)
Charming walking tours, mountain beauty, interesting
history and good beer aside-what makes Waynesboro
a notable Blue Ridge town?
In a word, REACH.
Initiated by the Wayne Theatre Alliance and funded
by the Virginia Tourism Corporation, the Reimagining
Excitement for Arts, Culture, and History in the Shenandoah
Valley (R.E.A.C.H) project brings together the creative
energy and attractions throughout the Augusta/
Rockingham County area.
Tracy Straight, Wayne Theatre Executive Director, has
high hopes for R.E.A.C.H. " We are not going to work in a
silo. We want open and big vision. The more we collaborate,
the more we grow. "
Strong and visible regional cooperation rather than
competition is, from what I've seen over the past few
years traveling the Blue Ridge, the future of our towns.
And after so many months of stay-at-home, limited-vision
isolation, collaboration and wide-angle vision seem
like just the ticket.
JULY/AUGUST 2021 15
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2021

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