THE WASHINGTON POST • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2010
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Escapes MONTEREY, VA.
Who needs the Alps?
by Julia Duin Pre-dawn light drenching a landscape of
smoky blue and green ridges. A soft wind stirring through the trees. It doesn’t get much better than this. Watching the sun rise from a bed-and-break- fast with a 180-degree view of Highland County, Va., was heavenly. About two miles to the west was Monterey, the
county seat that mostly serves as a fueling stop for folks headed to nearby West Virginia. Which is a shame, as there’s plenty to see around Mon- terey, advertised as the “Little Switzerland” of Virginia’s western highlands. At 2,900 feet eleva- tion, it has temperatures that stay cool and re- freshing even when it’s sweltering at lower alti- tudes.
When I drove there with my 5-year-old daugh-
ter at the beginning of one of Washington’s steamier summer weekends, we kept hopping out of the car to enjoy the spectacular views. The best was 20 miles west of Staunton, atop Shenan- doah Mountain at a spot known as the Confeder- ate Breastworks Interpretive Trail. This delight- ful half-mile walk at 2,875 feet memorializes the hilltop’s occupation by the Confederate Army in the spring of 1862.
Driving over three more mountain passes, we coasted into Monterey, population 158. It was originally known as Bell’s Place in the late 1700s, but the name was changed in 1848 after the Mexican town of Monterrey, the scene of a major victory for U.S. forces in the Mexican-American War. The 96-year-old Highland Inn, an imposing
two-story Victorian structure, dominates the town. We had crab quesadillas in the sparsely oc- cupied formal dining room. The service could have been a bit perkier, but the fresh bread was worth the wait. Afterward, we clambered up the stairs to peek into one of the Victorian-furnished bedrooms and relax in the rocking chairs on the hotel porch. The Highland Inn houses a visitors center, which could use a good county road map. I cob- bled together two maps that I found on various brochures to guide me on scenic drives, but both were incomplete. And because of the restrictions from the National Radio Astronomy Observato- ry’s huge radio telescope just across the state line in Green Bank, W.Va., only one cellphone tower exists in the county, and cellphone service is sparse. “We think of that as a plus,” said Carolyn Po-
howsky, executive director of the county’s cham- ber of commerce. “Highland County is where you come to leave all those things behind. Visiting
Monterey is a little like stepping back in time.” We spent our nights at Laurel Point Retreat just east of Monterey, a stunner of a lodge with vistas to die for. Folks in town told me that the views are the best in the county, and I believe them. Proprietors Jim and Lorraine White bought 104 acres atop Jack Mountain in 1989, then spent seven years building their inn. The brick veranda was surrounded by huge clumps of yellow daisies and purple petunias. Nearby is a large field with the couple’s long-horned Scottish highland cattle and a large vegetable garden, both a source of delight for my daughter. The next morning, we drove six miles to the
village of Blue Grass and wandered into a service at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, a
0 MILES VIRGINIA WEST 219 77 79 Charleston 250 64
Charlottesville VIRGINIA
81 Roanoke Norfolk LARIS KARKLIS/THE WASHINGTON POST
GETTING THERE Monterey is about 200 miles from Washington. Take I-66 west to I-81 south to Staunton, then US 250 west.
Sunday in Travel: The Impulsive Traveler roots around the real Beacon, N.Y.
Richmond 64
50
Cumberland 68
70 81
Monterey Staunton
66 95 PA. MD. Baltimore D.C.
tiny building with a bright red door and friendly congregants. From there we drove 30 miles south to the Jef- ferson Pools (a hot spring spa dating back to 1761 named for Thomas Jefferson, who visited there around 1818), which my daughter didn’t want to leave. We took in a concert at the Garth Newel Music Center, which offers esoteric chamber mu- sic concerts on Sunday afternoons. We came home by way of the Bullpasture Valley, a 14-mile scenic stretch of bucolic farmland. The next day we ended up at Lake Moomaw, about 30 miles to the southwest. The limpid mountain lake is surrounded by green hills and the George Washington National Forest, and we were virtually the only ones there. Back in Monterey, which has lots of galleries, mom-and-pop stores and restaurants lining Main Street, we lunched at Evelyn’s Pantry, which carries an awesome array of bulk foods, candies and sweets in large glass jars in the front room with a deli-cafe in the back. There were many hiking trails, historic spots and wildflower walks we didn’t get to. I do rec- ommend the Sugar Tree Country Store in Mc- Dowell, nine miles east of Monterey, originally an old country store built in the mid-1800s. It’s owned by Mennonites who sell maple syrups, candy and other country goods. At the end of the third day, we repaired to
Hap’s High’s Restaurant on Monterey’s Main Street, which offers country cooking at reason- able prices, and ordered takeout. Then we head- ed back to Laurel Point, the perfect place for din- ner with a view.
travel@washpost.com
Duin lives in Maryland and writes about travel, religion and politics.
JULIA DUIN Laurel Point Retreat atop Jack Mountain has sweeping views. STAYING THERE
Laurel Point Retreat 414 Sounding Knob Rd. 540-468-3470
www.laurelpointretreat. com
Atop Jack Mountain two miles east of Monterey. Rooms start at $89 a night.
Highland Inn 68 W. Main St. 888-466-4682
www.highland-inn.com Prices start at $99 a night.
EATING THERE
Monterey Dining Room 68 W. Main St. 540-468-2143
www.highland-inn.com In the Highland Inn, serving regional American cuisine and Sunday brunch buffet. Dinner entrees start at $15.
Evelyn’s Pantry 216 W. Main St. 540-468-3663 Deli sandwiches, salads and soup. All entrees under $10.
Hap’s High’s Restaurant 73 W. Main St. 540-468-1700 Virginia country cooking, hamburgers and cheeseburgers. All entrees under $7.
PLAYING THERE
Lake Moomaw George Washington National Forest Swimming, boating, fishing, hiking and camping.
Garth Newel Music Center 403 Garth Newel Lane Hot Springs, Va. 540-839-5018
www.garthnewel.org High quality chamber music concerts. Tickets $22, children 12 and younger free.
INFORMATION
www.highlandcounty.org
IF YOU GO
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