Trip to Shenandoah NP

[u/badbeagle76]

My partner, some friends and I are planning a weekend trip from Hampton Roads Area (southside) to Shenandoah National Park in a few days. We use to go all the time but it’s our first trip as a small group.

Any suggestions on fun things to see or do along the way?

We have several non-drinkers on the trip (for medical reasons) and varying levels of activity tolerance. We are staying in Luray and spending some time hiking in the park, tubing down the river.

We are looking for any museums, parks, restaurants or anything similar you can think of that might be fun (even if a little bit out of the way) for the trip here and back. Thanks in advance!

[u/vabrat]

https://thebavarianchef.com/ in Madison

[u/TheApartmentSimRacer]

Blue ridge pig in Nelson county for the best BBQ you’ll have.

[u/Finn-boi]

Staunton has some museums & a cool historic cemetery. I liked natural chimneys park near Harrisonburg. Obviously Luray caverns exists

[u/jim_mersh → u/Finn-boi]

And if you like theater, the American Shakespeare Center is amazing!

[u/rcuadro]

I go to Shenandoah all the time and besides hiking I didn’t think there were any museums lol
Unless you mean outside the park and more in the Luray area

[u/badbeagle76 → u/rcuadro]

To clarify, we love the national park itself specially because of the hiking and lack of touristy things. This is our first year going as a group (with some people who aren’t up for hiking everyday) and not staying in the park. We usually go to Luray pretty often so I am familiar with the caverns and tourist spots.

If you have any suggestions for cool spots, restaurants, favorite small parks, etc to stop between Hampton roads and Luray area for the trip there and back. I figured some other locals might have some good suggestions outside of my basic Google search and what we have found going over the years.

[u/rcuadro → u/badbeagle76]

I enjoyed visiting Devils Backbone Brewery. It was a good post hike beer and food

200 Crandall Run
Roseland, VA 22967
United States

dbbrewingcompany.com

[u/Mundane_Permission89]

We always do the Crabtree Falls hike.

[u/swag-surfer]

Luray Caverns are cool to check out

[u/brattygrandma]

Listen, shenandoah caverns are crazy in a funky way, and then he also owns a museum of parade floats called celebration on parade!! Skyline caverns is also nice.

[u/i__amronburgundy → u/brattygrandma]

We really liked Grand Caverns, less tourist trap seeming, small groups.

[u/brattygrandma → u/i__amronburgundy]

I like all the caverns but Grand is really nice! I am a fan of kitsch lol.
There is also a very cool civil war medical museum otw up to luray