Prior to today, my only knowledge of Clifton, Virginia, was it was how far I had to drive to get to the nearest Outback Steakhouse. But that is five miles north of the Historic Downtown District, which is where I had my eyes set for a short afternoon trip today. With the town only nine miles from Manassas, I'm surprised in my 28 years here that I've never visited this quaint location.
Don't let size fool you. This town was bustling with people on my Saturday visit.
The main attraction is Main Street. At one end you have a few blocks of shops and restaurants, and the other end is lined with historic houses, which give the town its rich history. Let's start with the shops.
Most shops are situated in houses with history. Belle Jar Design is one of several that feature home décor, soaps, etc. This used to be called the "Pink" before it was repainted. It was built in 1905 by the Ambler farm family. Each room features plenty of items to peruse and purchase, including the bathroom.
Across the railroad tracks you'll find the Clifton General Store. Also a part of the building is the Main Street Pub, which features outdoor shaded dining.
Directly from that is the Wine Attic store and adjacent restaurant.
Inside you will find several rooms of wine, one in which you can partake in wine sampling.
Back across the street is the Clifton Cafe, which is where I chowed down on a BLT.
Don't let this picture fool you. They were very busy during my visit.
Next door is Peterson's Ice Cream Depot. I was way too full to have any on this trip. Next time!
Virginia Mercantile, down Chapel Rd. a block, features locally produced goods and décor.
Back on Main Street, literally just a hop and a skip and a jump from the eateries, are some quaint homes with RAD histories. Here I am standing in front of Buckley House. Writer Jeff Arch worked on the screenplay for "Sleepless in Seattle" here.
Directly across the street is the former home of Oscar Scott Woody, a sea postal clerk who perished on the Titanic at the age of 41. This house is known as the HuckBill House and was built in 1902.
Oscar Scott Woody
The Quigg house, built in 1872 by Louis Quigg, "was considered the finest with its mansard roof and open 3-story staircase." I'm getting Amityville Horror vibes.
There are several more houses along these streets, each with its own sign letting you know about its history. I'll let you explore them on your own. Here are a few more pictures to round out my visit:
The sun beating down on this train car has faded its once-red facade.
A basket of beautiful flowers and colorful foliage.
I'm hoping this area of Clifton can make use of the infrastructure money to bury power lines.
It's been well over 20 years since I visited the Great Falls National Park in Northern Virginia. My memory is a bit foggy, but I believe I also biked through the area with a friend once. With the falls only 31 miles away, it was high time that I revisited this natural wonder along the Potomac River. My travel companion, John, made it that much more enjoyable.
John and I and a view of the falls from Overlook 3.
After driving through much construction along Route 7, and past a throng of mansions along a tree-lined road, we managed to navigate around detours to the park entrance. Though the day was hot and humid, we spent enough time to enjoy Overlooks 1-3. Here are some pictures:
Mather Gorge from Overlook 1 is probably the most impressive angle.
A slightly zoomed-in view from Overlook 3.
Kayakers battling the waves and rock fronts to navigate the rushing water.
Enjoy this four-minute video of two views of the falls.
Afterward, we made our way to Mookie's BBQ. Established in 2015, this local eatery features more than just delicious BBQ. I had the Turkey Club with balsamic mayo, which included real chunks of turkey instead of deli-sliced meat. Our bartender, Greg, and an elderly man nearby, who didn't speak much but turned his head towards us now and then, listened to our non-stop chatter about our travels.
Our return trip had us avoiding most of Route 7 via the Fairfax County Parkway, back to 66, 28, and home. Of course, we had to stop off at our local tavern to relive the day with friends and acquaintances.
While helping out a friend moving to Blackburg, Virginia, we decided to make it a scenic tour of Central and Lower Virginia. The 550-mile round trip did not disappoint. Here are photos and some highlights of our trip.
Day 1: Natural Bridge, Virginia
We arrived at the Natural Bridge Historic Hotel in Natural Bridge, Virginia on Monday, July 18. The hotel was rebuilt in 1964 after a fire devastated the original wooden structure. Reminded us of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining.
The interior of the hotel was quite impressive. Here is the lobby and the Washington Room.
The Natural Bridge can be accessed across the street via an under-road tunnel. This spectacular 215-foot limestone structure was carved millions of years ago via Cedar Creek. No picture can do this justice. It is mammoth in size. Notice the tiny people under it in the distance. We were so in awe of this natural wonder that we just wanted to sit on one of the many benches and enjoy it for hours.
About half an hour later we reached Lace Falls at the end of the trail.
Here's a time-lapse of mist rolling over the mountains as we finished our evening off in the hotel tavern and retreated to our room balcony.
Day 2: Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg, Virginia is a college town, home to Virginia Tech. The central town area is bustling with eateries of every kind. The Cellar Restaurant has been around for over 40 years.
Colorful murals of every kind can be seen at almost every turn.
A mural honoring the 32 people who died in the April 16, 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech.
This bleach bottle looks like a face.
The college campus is just a stone's throw away. Talking traffic lights warn pedestrians when to go.
Day 3: Crabtree Falls, Virginia
On our return trip we were able to stop at Crabtree Falls and spend our last night at another hotel. With over 1,000 feet of cascades, Crabtree Falls is said to be the largest falls east of the Mississippi River. Enjoy this tranquil video of the lower portion of the falls. We were too exhausted to hike the whole thing. We'll save that for another time! The 11-mile road to the falls is quite curvy. Go slow.
In the evening, we stopped over for some food and drinks at Smiley's, a truck-stop restaurant with awesome prices. I ate a large plate of nachos with house-made Texas BBQ for only $3 on special.
Day 4: Antique Shops in Ruckersville, Virginia
Lastly, a trip isn't complete without checking out a few of the many antique shops along the rural highways. I purchased a 1947 postcard of Natural Bridge for $2.
More Photos:
Enjoy some of these other photos from our trip. I am so glad I was able to get out for a vacation this summer, and now I have the bug in me to do it more often.
Our neighbors, Karen and Marcia, join us on the balcony at the Natural Bridge Hotel.
Having food and beer in The Cellar Restaurant.
Writing out names on the wall of Gertie's Restaurant along the route to Crabtree Falls.
Our hotel tavern bartender, Sherry. This house wine was awesome.
Kelsey, our bartender and server at Smiley's. I told her she looked like a Stephanie. She said she hated Stephanie because of bad friends with that name. Lol.
I have the terrarium bug again, and now I'm stepping up the game with interesting containers and more elaborate landscapes. Here, I will show you how I created this plant enclosure with steps and a pond.
I've always had a love of houseplants and terrariums, ever since I was 10 or 11 and my mom gave me one of those scientific growing kits. It came with a petri dish, a clear cone cover, and a bean seed. Within days the seed sprouted, traveled up through the hole in the top of the cone, and wound its green tentacles around my pole desk. It was fascinating to watch it grow, roots and all.
In my adult years, I took a liking to more elaborate terrariums. Here is a 40-gallon aquarium I turned into a jungle setting, fake snakes and all.
Now I am into smaller, more interesting containers, like this birdcage glass and metal enclosure I purchased as a Christmas gift to myself. Here's how I turned it into the finished terrarium.
1. First I sealed the bottom corners and part of the inside crevices with clear silicone since the enclosure it not 100% watertight. After letting it cure for a few days, I added a layer of dark gravel and activated charcoal. Then I covered that with black mesh.
2. Next I baked some sifted potting soil at 200 degrees for 45 minutes to remove any possible bugs or contaminants. I covered the pan with aluminum foil.
3. The pond idea I got after removing the top tray of a store-bought salad. The large round area would serve as the pond. Brilliant, right?
4. I placed the "pond" on top of the mesh inside the terrarium, then formed dirt around it so the back was higher. I kept the pond area covered with cardboard to keep the soil out.
5. Next I placed small slabs of thin slate stone to form the steps and secure the soil in the back.
6. Then I thought about where I wanted the plants. The moss I purchased at a local nursery that was kind enough to scrape a chunk from below one of their outdoor plant bins.
7. Now came the fun part: placing the plants and inserting the moss. The plants include a nerve plant (fittonia), a button fern that recovered after I almost killed it, and a peperomia puteolata. You don't need too many because plants will grow and fill out spaces.
8. I added dark rocks and water to the bottom of the pond, but it still wasn't enough. Then I saw these two guys at Dollar Tree: a Zen turtle and frog. I laid down a bridge with a couple of sticks, and now the pair can chill out within their peaceful surroundings. I may change it later, but for now, it's pretty cool to look at.
So there you go. It takes a little bit of preplanning (plants and hardscape materials), but now I have something alive that I can enjoy for months and hopefully years to come.
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