Rediscovering America_ Exploring the Small Towns of Virginia & Maryland - Bill Burnham [8]
Delight is the best word to describe what awaits shoppers in Abingdon. The Cave House Craft Shop, an 1858 Victorian home, displays room after room of the wares of more than 150 members of the Holston Mountain Arts and Crafts Cooperative. Just as delightful is the story of how Cave House got its name. Apparently there’s a cavernous limestone grotto beneath the house. Legend holds that Daniel Boone camped at the base of this hill on his first expedition to Kentucky in 1760. Wolves came out of the cave at night and attacked his dogs, so he named the area Wolf Hills (279 East Main Street, tel. 276-628-7721).
William King Arts Center houses galleries and studios for painters, weavers, sculptors, dancers and potters and offers arts classes. (415 Academy Drive, tel. 276-628-5005)
Recreation
The towns of Abingdon and Damascus established the 34-mile Virginia Creeper Trail. Originally a Native American footpath, then a railroad bed, this hiking, biking and nature trail gets its name from the early steam locomotives that struggled up the steep grades (the Virginia Creeper engine is on display at the Abingdon trailhead). The trail runs from Abingdon, through Damascus, to the North Carolina border, crossing Whitetop Station at an elevation of 3,576 feet. Daniel Boone used the path too, evidence by four documented campsites along the route. Bicycle rentals and shuttles are available from outfitters in both towns. Pick up a trail guide at the Abingdon Convention & Visitors Bureau, or at the trailhead.
Dining
The Abingdon General Store & Gallery is an art gallery, gift shop, bakery, gourmet deli, gardener’s supply, general store, and an outdoor seasonal restaurant. (301 East Main Street, tel. 276-628-8382)
At the Starving Artist Café, sandwiches are named for famous artists, but art on the walls is by those lesser-known. The owner, once a starving artist himself, believes in promoting local artists who need to make a living doing something else – like restaurant work. (134 Wall Street, tel. 276-628-8445)
The Tavern is located in Abingdon’s oldest building. Built in 1779, the likes of Henry Clay and King Louis Philippe have stayed under this roof. A later addition housed the first post office west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Today’s fare mixes Cajun dishes with meals reflecting the owner’s German heritage. It features an extensive wine and imported beer list. (222 East Main Street, tel. 276-628-1118)
See the Dining Room at Camberley’s Martha Washington Inn in Lodging, below.
Lodging
The B&Bs and inns in the Abingdon area are simply too numerous to list here. You’ll have your choice of a stately home within walking distance of the historic district, a secluded cottage in the mountains, a country inn with a view of the river or grazing sheep. The Abingdon Convention and Visitors Bureau publishes a brochure listing more than a dozen of them. Call and request it at tel. 800-435-3440, or visit www.abingdon.com/tourism/lodging.htm.
One establishment must be mentioned, however. The four-star historic Camberley’s Martha Washington Inn is quite possibly the best place to rest your head in Southwest Virginia. The 1832 private mansion became the Martha Washington College for Women in 1860, and served as a Civil War hospital. Many believe it’s haunted by several ghosts. While the Depression spawned the Barter Theatre across the street, hard times closed down the college and the mansion was used as a boarding house for actors. Today the hotel is graced with chandeliers, polished hardwood floors, elegant suites with fireplaces, period reproductions and fresh flower arrangements. The Dining Room is known for its Friday seafood buffet and Sunday champagne brunch. It’s open