Day Trip: Blue Ridge Tunnel and Swannanoa Mansion, Afton, Virginia

The day after my stay in Staunton, Virginia, I drove east about 19 miles through Waynesboro to Afton, Virginia, to take part in a photography event at the Swannanoa Mansion.

But before that, I checked out the east entrance of the Blue Ridge Tunnel just a few miles away.

The tunnel was built in the 1850s. From Wikipedia:

"At 4,237 feet (1,291 m) in length, the tunnel was the longest tunnel in the United States at the time of its completion. The Chesapeake and Ohio routed trains through the tunnel until it was abandoned and replaced by a new tunnel in 1944. Records show that about 800 Irishmen and 40 enslaved African American laborers worked on the tunnel and there were 189 recorded deaths during its construction including men, women, and children who died during a cholera epidemic in 1854."

I was struck by how this rock formation near the entrance looks like a face.

By 12:30 p.m., I was off to the mountains for a tour of Swannanoa with a few hours to take pictures both inside and outside this lavish palace. It was built in 1912 by millionaire and philanthropist James H. Dooley as a summer home for him and his wife, Sallie May. It was later passed on to James' sisters, and at one time was a country club that entertained President Calvin Coolidge on his hunting trips.

Along the front of the mansion. Marble was brought over from Italy and carried up by mule.

Later the mansion would serve as the University for Science and Philosophy, which offered a home-study course.

"In 1948 Dr. Walter Russell and his wife Lao were searching for a new home for their art and cosmic consciousness center. Walter (1871-1963) was a talented luminary known for his artistry, music, philosophy, sculpting, and writing." - Swannanoa: Deconstructing an American Palace

If you want to read about the crazy history of this home, go to this website. Here are more pictures of the exterior and interior.

Now removed, sculptures were once positioned within the nooks of this fountain.

A lookout tower behind the house.

A fresco painting above the stairs in the main entrance.

The staircase on the first floor of the main entrance.

Photographers in our group receiving an oral history of the magnificent stained glass window.

This Tiffany window with over 4,000 pieces cost $100,000 to install in 1912.

Notice the detail of this carved gold ceiling in a room just off the main entrance.

Deterioration of old buildings and fixtures has a certain kind of beauty to it.

Ornate lamps and detailed wood mantels can be viewed in several rooms.

How to get yourself in two mirrors in one shot.

Only a few pieces of furniture remain throughout the house.

James H. Dooley and his wife Sallie May Dooley. Sallie May died on the second floor in 1925.

When I win the lottery and make this my summer home.

Check out my day in Staunton, Virginia here.

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Weekend Trip: Staunton, Virginia

It had been years since I visited Staunton (pronounced Stan-ton) after a hiking trip with a local outdoor group. Even then, we only stopped at the Depot and an antique shop before heading back home. So this past weekend I made this quaint town one of several locations I visited before attending a photography event at the Swannanoa Mansion in Afton, Virginia. More on that in my next post.

East end of Beverley Street in Historic Old Town Staunton.

My trip to Staunton began early Friday morning. The second half of the 135-mile excursion was literally clouded by a dense fog. It seemed to hang around forever. After about 60 miles and around 10:30 a.m. when I arrived, the sun finally broke through.

The Fog on I-81 South for 60 miles.

The first thing I did upon entering town, after checking my hotel, was a photo op by the giant watering can and pot in the middle of the intersection of Greenville Avenue and South Coalter Street. Here you can see me mid-air, realizing at that precise moment that the ankle injury I had two weeks prior had not fully healed. Nothing like injuring yourself at the beginning of the trip. But I stuck it out and continued on. The pain was minimal.

Don't jump up in the air if you've recently twisted your ankle.

The other side of the median also had another giant pot tipped on its side.

Staunton is a railroad town, and next to the Depot Grille you can climb up steps to get a good view of the city.

The central road of the historic Old Town is Beverley Street. This is where you'll find most of the restaurants and shops, and it has a wonderful mix of both. Here are photos of the many places I visited that afternoon with captions.

Burrow and Vine. I was delightfully surprised to come across a houseplant store.

The Staunton Antiques Center had three floors to peruse.

Top floor of the Antique Center with views of the downtown area.

The name of this store escapes me, but it had an eclectic mix of Scottish decor and trinkets.

Remedy Burger was my lunchtime hangout for a burger and a cold Sprite. They also serve spirits.

Burners Blue Burger: 1/4 lb. Patty, Blue Cheese, Mango Chutney, & Arugula.

The town has many interesting architectural features at every turn.

After my afternoon trip in the historic Old Town, I checked out The Factory Antique Mall a few miles up the street. This place is humongous.

I love tribal masks, but I talked myself out of buying a scary $195 piece with hair.

Taxidermied animals could be seen throughout, including a giant alligator.

The aisles went on and on and on. Surely a day to see it all.

I was wonderfully surprised to see a booth dedicated to houseplants.

If you need to rest, the Mall has a café called Tasty Bites to wet your appetite.

But the day wasn't over! After checking in at the Red Roof Inn (just $79 for the night) for a short nap and a shower, I made my way back to downtown Staunton to experience the nightlife.

Red Roof Inn north of Staunton sits up on a hill. You need to travel up a back road to get to it.

Every Friday and Saturday after 4 p.m. they close off Beverley Street to patrons only.

My first stop was The Green Room, where I indulged in some fine wine and a charcuterie board of delicious cheeses and spreads. Total cost for this indulgence: $32.

White wine with and a board of truffle cheddar, smoked chèvre, spreads, and crackers.

Young servers kept me company and filled me in on some of the best Staunton hangouts.

Me originating from a small rural town, I find it comforting to hang around, well, rednecks. So I asked the locals to point me to the redneckiest establishments. They did not disappoint. First stop was Baja Bean.

Bottle beers were only $2.25, and the food looked terrific. This is a bar I really enjoyed.

Next stop was Tempest on the opposite side of the block. This was the first time I was ever checked over with a metal wand before entering, so you know this is where things go down sometimes. They even had a metal pee trough in the men's bathroom.

The view from the second floor to the bottom of this spacious venue with a performance stage.

We were soon serenaded by a folk band from Philadelphia named Darlingtyn. You can listen to a short clip below as they sing "Shoo Fly Pie."

I soon acquired a very nice gang of interesting and kind people to hang with for the night.

This was the only picture where I didn't smile, but everyone else looks great.

Okay, much better.

The night was still young, and so I wanted to make it to one more bar before I went back to the hotel. Mind you, I'd only had two small glasses of wine and one beer at this point. So point me, I asked my newfound friends, to the roughest toughest redneck place in town. They sent me to Rackem Smacken four miles north in Verona, Virginia, with a fair warning.

Now this is what I'm used to: great people having a great time in a bar with pool tables and ribs. Aside from the one tipsy woman who came crashing down off her table stool, bottle and all, I enjoyed my few minutes there. How bad can a place be when one of the tough guys sings "Easy" by the Commodores for karaoke? After one beer I headed back to the nearby hotel and called it a night.

Here are a few more pictures from my day in Staunton, Virginia:

It was nice to see how inclusive the downtown area was.

Queen City Barbershop on 115 Greenville Avenue, Staunton, Virginia.

R.R. Smith Center for History and Art.

I so wanted to buy this model RV camper at Frontline Model Kits and Hobbies.

Check out my trip to the Blue Ridge East Tunnel and Swannanoa Mansion the following day.

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