We spent the weekend exploring the Shenandoah Valley: Staunton, Augusta County, Waynesboro and the Beerwerks trail.

Last Friday, we traveled from Richmond to explore the Shenandoah Valley’s Beerwerks trail and had the BEST time. If you are looking for a day trip, one night trip or a full weekend, this is a great option. We’ll take you through all of the places we visited and guarantee that by the end you’ll be planning your next trip!

Basic City Beer, Waynesboro 
“Basic City Beer Co draws a brand from the smolderings and lore of a ‘Lost Town’- Basic City, Virginia: Circa 1899- to reclaim the enduring American Spirit from this pre-prohibition, Industrial era & to Repurpose the Intoxicating Lure of the American Dream.”

We started off our trip at Basic City Beer after exploring downtown and seeing some of the gorgeous murals as a part of the Waynesboro Street Arts Trail Murals. We LOVED the vibe of Basic City, in its historical industrial warehouse and the beers were great, too. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating & pizzas, too! Bonus points if you can find the mural seen below!

When you visit Basic City for yourself, be sure to taste the Tart Up: Golden Blueberry beer. After trying our beer flights, we both decided that was our favorite!

Grab a Beerwerks Passport at any of the Shenandoah breweries and keep track of all the breweries you visit along the way.

Stable Craft Brewing, Augusta County
“Every detail has been meticulously preserved so that visitors to Hermitage Hill Farm and Stable Craft Brewing get the finest farm and brewery experience possible”

Stable Craft is a working horse farm (Hermitage Hill Farm) transformed into a brewery & restaurant with event space and suites on site where you can stay to get the full farm & brewery experience. Our experience was AMAZING, as was the food and the beer. We enjoyed some delish nachos along with our beer flights and it was the perfect combination. This brewery has stunning mountain views you won’t want to miss, it’s as if every moment was instagram worthy! It is definitely a must-do if you’re a beer lover visiting the area.

Blackburn Inn
“The Blackburn promises a distinct blend of timeless glamour, modern finishes, artful design, and superior hospitality.”

Newly opened in 2018, The Blackburn Inn is a a historic 49 room boutique hotel just outside of downtown Staunton. Originally designed by Thomas Jefferson’s protege Thomas Blackburn, the historic property is the perfect setting for a getaway in the Shenandoah Valley. With a full spa, conference center and 80 acres of gorgeous property, it doesn’t get much better!

We loved everything from the charming Queen Bed rooms, to our facials at the Spa. The location is great for being close enough to downtown to explore, but also far enough away to feel like you’re truly getting away from hustle and bustle.

BLU Point Seafood
“We’ve combined our explorations of the beautiful Chesapeake Bay with our love of the New England Shore to bring the freshest seafood available to the Shenandoah Valley “

BluPoint Seafood was an absolute treat. From the cocktails to dessert, we were consistently impressed. We split our two entrees – crab cakes & the shrimp seafood basket – and we were glad that we did because they were both equally amazing!

Does anybody else have the best kind of trouble ordering from a menu that looks too good? We also dabbled in fresh oysters, a cup of Lobster Bisque, and ended our meal with Donut Holes. Don’t think twice, order the Donut Holes.

Reunion Bakery & Espresso

One of our favorite parts of the trip was the people. We had so many heart warming conversations throughout our Shenandoah Valley experience and we will never forget that! When our conversation with our new friends in Staunton drifted to the subject of Reunion Bakery & Espresso, their eyes would light up with the suggestion of pastries!

We learned quickly that Reunion has quite the reputation for their delicious pastries and we have to agree. But make sure you get there early because they do sell out fast! From chocolate croissants to quiches, there is something on their menu for everyone. If you love a fancy latte, check out their lavender latte, YUM.

Latitudes Fair Trade

Latitudes Fair Trade is a store in downtown Staunton that specializes in handmade, artisanal goods from all over the world. We were drawn to the chic mugs handmade in Guatemala and the elevated journals handmade in India.

Not only does Latitudes prioritize helping developing nations but they also have a philosophy that encourages conscious consumerism and green shopping. They are a light in the world of shopping and we admire everything they are doing to improve the world around us.

Latitudes Fair Trade in Staunton is one of three locations. You can also visit them in Fredericksburg and Warrenton.

Skipping Rock Brewery, Augusta County
“Our beer is a reflection of place, as all beers should be, but they also speak to a more enlightened way of life; of worrying less and living more”

We ended our trip at Skipping Rock Brewery with our husbands, which was the icing on the cake of a perfect weekend. Skipping Rock prides themselves on creating quality beers, down to the last detail and you can tell. John and I have passed this brewery on our way to the Homestead countless times and always say we will stop in, but never have. This was the perfect opportunity to try it out and we’ve decided it will be a tradition from now on.

Our favorite beers were the Strawberry & Blackberry sours, but we liked everything we tried! They have an excellent food truck : German Bratwurst and we basically ordered one of everything on the menu. So good.

We truly had the best time exploring a mostly new part of our home state! If you’re looking to plan a trip, we reaaally suggest checking out the Shenandoah Valley. Our trip was inspired by the Travel the Beerwerks Trail Guide, which is a great resource for all sorts of weekend getaways: fishing, wineries, breweries and lesser known travel destinations. Shoot us a DM or leave a comment with any additional questions you might have about this trip!

Thanks so much to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley for setting up this trip for us & sponsoring our adventure.

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