{"id":7006,"date":"2020-04-09T11:52:36","date_gmt":"2020-04-09T15:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/?p=7006"},"modified":"2020-04-09T11:52:39","modified_gmt":"2020-04-09T15:52:39","slug":"travel-discover-abingdon-virginia-and-the-crooked-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/creekline-st-johns\/travel-discover-abingdon-virginia-and-the-crooked-road\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel: Discover Abingdon, Virginia and the Crooked Road"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>By Debi Lander<br>mail@floridanewsline.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cVirginia is for Lovers\u201d ranks as one of the most successful tourism campaigns of all time. The Old Dominion, however, entices more than romantics, from its seashores to its mountains, for its colonial and Civil War sites, its presidential mansions, and aerospace museums, not to mention many popular culinary and musical festivals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Visiting Southwest Virginia last year, I discovered a small city with a fascinating history, architectural gems, and yet very modern activities. Abingdon kept me hopping over three days \u2014 not long enough to see and do it all.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abingdon\u2019s best known for the Barter Theater, Virginia\u2019s State Theater. The professional residential repertoire company, one of the few in the U.S., presents multiple stages, letting visitors see more than one performance over the weekend. The Barter began in the Great Depression, taking vegetables locals couldn\u2019t sell in exchange for laughs. Milk, eggs, and livestock turned ham to Hamlet (vice versa for the equally struggling cast). It\u2019s cash or credit cards today, but folks still leave in fine spirits.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a Barter performance, walk across the street to stay at, or at least visit, the Martha Washington Inn and Spa. The historic hotel, originally built as a residence for a large family, became a school and in 1935, a hotel. Renovated and updated, it maintains a colonial atmosphere and fine antiques blended with modern amenities. You\u2019ll want to spend time at the Martha, not just sleep there. The parlor begs with an afternoon tea setting and the library calls others to curl up and read. The manicured grounds make for a relaxing stroll.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Where do you eat? Join those who\u2019ve been doing so since 1779 at The Tavern. One of the oldest surviving restaurants, it also served as a Civil War hospital. If you are into ghosts ask the owner to give you a peek in the attic. The initials carved into the wall are real, but are the ghosts? Abingdon\u2019s Haint Mistress offers ghost tours of the city and claims there are many scattered about town.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not far from the Tavern lies a scenic rails to trails path, the Virginia Creeper Trail, great for biking, hiking, walking or horseback riding. You can rent a cycle and ride over to the Abingdon Vineyards to quench your thirst. Don\u2019t miss the small Visitor Center next to the train. Inside you\u2019ll find some O. Winston Link\u2019s black and white photographs; he\u2019s considered the Ansel Adams of train photography. Hear stories about the lengthy endeavors he took to set up a shot- before the days of strobe lights and digital cameras.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a real treat, drive over to the Southwestern Cultural Heritage Center for a free bluegrass concert. But hang on to your wallet \u2014 this place will make you want to redecorate your house. From bedroom sets, to tables, chairs, clocks and quilts, beautiful artisan crafts are displayed. I challenge you to leave without buying at least a small gift for someone. The variety and quality are outstanding, and there\u2019s also local Virginia specialties like smoked hams, peanuts, jams, pickles and wine. I honestly have never been to a visitor center as spectacular as this one.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abingdon and the SW Cultural Center sit on The Crooked Road, a 300-mile trail dedicated to musical heritage within the state. Nearby Bristol offers the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. You can also visit the Carter Family Fold for programs of Old Time and bluegrass music on weekends.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I bet you\u2019ll fall in love with Abingdon, Virginia. (<a href=\"http:\/\/visitabingdonvirginia.com\">http:\/\/visitabingdonvirginia.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Visit <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bylandersea.com\"><em>www.bylandersea.com<\/em><\/a><em> to read more of local travel writer Debi Lander\u2019s stories and travel tips.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo courtesy Debi Lander<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Barter Theater<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Debi Landermail@floridanewsline.com \u201cVirginia is for Lovers\u201d ranks as one of the most successful tourism campaigns of all time. The Old Dominion, however, entices more than romantics, from its seashores to its mountains, for its colonial and Civil War sites, its presidential mansions, and aerospace museums, not to mention many popular culinary and musical festivals.&nbsp; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6894,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5,4],"tags":[9],"class_list":{"0":"post-7006","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-creekline-st-johns","8":"category-mandarin","9":"category-ponte-vedra","10":"tag-travel"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Travel: Discover Abingdon, Virginia and the Crooked Road - Florida NewsLine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"CreekLine, Mandarin NewsLine, Ponte Vedra NewsLineBy Debi Landermail@floridanewsline.com \u201cVirginia is for Lovers\u201d ranks as one of the most successful tourism campaigns of all time. 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