We were going to do the Skyline Drive today, but as a result of Hurricane Matthew it rained all day and there was very low cloud over the mountains. So we spent the day in Front Royal.
It was actually the day of their ‘Falling Leaves’ festival, a day-long event they hold in the town to welcome the fall. Main Street is closed to traffic, there are stalls, all the shops and restaurants are especially welcoming, and all the museums are open. The bad weather meant that attendance was about less than half what they were expecting, and all sorts of outdoor events were cancelled – a parade, and various bands. But the museums in the historic houses were open, and we spent the day, from 10:30 until 4pm doing a 1 hour guided walk around them. Ok, we stopped for tea, lunch and more tea, but even so we spent a lot of time exploring the various houses and having conversations with the various re-enactors. We especially enjoyed talking with the two women in the (separate) kitchen of the oldest house in town who were cooking food using late 18th century ingredients and late 18th century cooking techniques. We also enjoyed talking to the guys in the just-opened Virginia Beer Museum – both of these on Chester Street. So a day that initially we didn’t think would offer much ended up full of interest and conversation.
This evening we had a steak at Joe’s Steak House. Val said it was possibly the best fillet steak she’d ever had, and we washed it down with a very nice bottle of Cabernet Franc from the Rappahannock Cellars winery; i.e., a Virginia winery. Not far from Front Royal, in fact.
Tomorrow we’ll do the Skyline Drive….