On August 5,6,7 the Caverns Shrine Club will present their 6th annual Blue Grass Music Festival at the Page County Fair Grounds here in Luray, VA.

On Saturday, August 14th the Luray Caverns will celebrate their 132nd Anniversary with a Grand Illumination. The caverns will be lite with candlelight providing the feeling of what guests experienced in the late 1800′s. They will have fireworks and officially open the new Luray Valley Museum.

The Shenandoah National Park is offering a Fee Free weekend on August 14 & 15. Take in the views from the various overlooks, explore the hiking trails and enjoy lunch or dinner at one of the 2 lodges. You might also consider a packed lunch from West Main Market. Bill has the best sandwiches in town!!

Wisteria Vineyard & Farm have two upcoming events in August. On Saturday, August 14th – Birthday Party! Music and food. The music will be from FrikNFrak, another local duo who play a range of music from classic rock to blues to folk. And on Saturday, August 28th enjoy the 3rd Annual Pick ‘em and Stomp ‘em.

Jordan Hollow Riding Stables

The Performing Arts of Luray are featuring the play, Charlotte’s Web on August 6 & 7 at 7:30 p.m.with a Matinee on August 1 & 8 at 2:30 p.m.

You can also enjoy tubing and canoeing on the Shenandoah River, horseback riding with Lisa at Jordan Hollow Riding Stables. She offers a 1 hour ride for $38 per person, 2 hour ride for $48 per person or a 2 hour private ride for $58 per person.

Caption Bo is offering various cruises in his pontoon on the Shenandoah River to fit your needs.  He books up quickly so give him a call.  With the fall season fast approaching can you just imagine how beautiful it will be on the Shenandoah River!!

Enjoy a pontoon cruise with Caption Bo on the Shenandoah River

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello

May 10th we took a trip to Monticello in Charlottesville, VA with our friends Eleanor & Al. We decided, at Al’s recommendation, to take the scenic route down RT 231 from Sperryville to Madison. It is a beautiful and less traveled route through the countryside. At the end you pick up Route 29 which takes you into Charlottesville.

We arrived at Monticello around 2:00 p.m., paid for our tickets which are $22 per person and took the shuttle over to the main house. Our tour didn’t start until 2:40 p.m. so we enjoyed walking the gardens and reading some of the sign age throughout the area.

The tour began outside in front of the grand old house and then moved inside to the various downstairs rooms of the house. We were instructed not to use cameras or to touch anything as the house is a museum.

The tour is very informative about Thomas Jefferson’s life and those that lived on the property during that time period. The tour last about an hour and afterwards you can visit the other building such as the smokehouse, icehouse, summer kitchen and various other rooms at your own pace as well as the grounds.

The Univerity of VA can be viewed from the upper deck on the property.

We came upon a group that were working on an archeological dig. One woman was kind enough to explain what they were doing, the history that they were hoping to unearth and showed us some of their finds for the day.

During our tour we were told that more exhibits are in the works which would offer a tour of the upstairs bedrooms as well as more history of family and friends during that era. There was evidence of additional exhibits in the basement.

One thing that I found interesting after the tour is there are no grand stairs in the main entrance foyer like many VA mansions have.  The stairs instead are located at each end of the house. The one set that I saw was very narrow. It was said that Jefferson had many visitors daily, many of which were invited to  stay for dinner.

Thomas Jefferson cemetery marker

My thought is  that there were no stairs in the main area as he didn’t want people making their way up to the bedrooms uninvited!  LOL  I think it was stated that visitors traveled a minimum distance of 30 miles.  Which, during that time period could take an entire day to travel.  I’m sure they were hoping for an overnight stay invite as well.  On the grounds you can also visit the cemetery at your leisure, where Thomas Jefferson and his family are buried .

Afterwards we headed to downtown Charlottesville and enjoy a nice dinner at Bizou. We were able to dine in the outside courtyard which was very nice as the weather was sunny and pleasant.  We then headed back towards home. Hank mentioned ice cream and Al’s eyes lit up so we stopped off at the Dairy Queen in Elkton and all had an ice cream to finish off the evening. After dropping off Al & El we drove back home to Piney Hill and were faced with our left behind chores, LOL

For those that haven’t been I would surely recommend a trip to Monticello during your stay. For those that had been before I would definitely keep up with the changes that are soon to take place.

It is about an hour and a half drive from Luray, but during an extended stay of more than 2 nights to the area, well worth the drive. Take the scenic route as we did, you’ll enjoy it!!

Artifacts from Monticello Archeological Dig

Archeological Dig at Monticello

Piney Hill B & B

Are you planning a trip to the Shenandoah Valley? Why not consider an extended visit to Luray, Virginia!

Luray is a one stop wonder offering so much to do and see. Piney Hill Bed & Breakfast is located in close proximity to  many activities.

Check out our “Activities & Events” Page for lots of ideas.

We look forward to your stay at Piney Hill Bed & Breakfast!

Innkeepers Hank & Wiley with Guests

Hank & Wiley have been the owners and innkeepers since 2000. Piney Hill Bed & Breakfast is an 1800′s farmhouse nestled in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley of Luray, Virginia.

The home is surrounded by rolling hills of farmland and mountain views as far as the eye can see! The wrap around porch, lined with rockers allows you to kick back, relax and enjoy. Watch an amazing sunset over the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains.

Piney Hill Bed & Breakfast and the Rosebud Cottage is  a Luray Virginia bed and breakfast in the Shenandoah Valley, located just minutes outside the town limits on 2 acres in a peaceful country setting.

Piney Hill is the perfect place for your romantic, relaxing or adventure get-away offering honeymoon packages, anniversary package, horseback riding, birthday, cycling and various others to fit your needs.

Trip Advisor Best Inn 2010