Touring the Shenandoah Valley Backroads

By Andrea Sutcliffe

Book Overview

Shenandoah--most often translated as "Daughter of the Stars"--is one of the loveliest names in the language. Backroads travelers will find that it fits the Valley perfectly. Most people know the Shenandoah Valley for its Civil War-era history, from Robert E. Lee's capture of John Brown at Harpers Ferry in 1859 to Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862 to the Battle of New Market in 1864. Fewer know that the Winchester area was home to George Washington, explorer Richard Byrd, novelist Willa Cather, and singer Patsy Cline. Or that Thomas Jefferson owned the geologic wonder known as Natural Bridge. Or that the McCormick Farm near Steeles Tavern was the site of a revolutionary breakthrough in agriculture in the early 1800s. The word Shenandoah may have had as many spellings as there are stars in the sky, but the area's scenic vistas are practically endless. Travelers will know they've reached the Valley when every turn in the road reveals another photoworthy image of stunning mountain views, scenic rolling fields, or quaint country towns and villages. From the picturesque Goshen Pass, to the winding country roads between Lexington and Staunton, to the Mennonite farms around Harrisonburg, to the dramatic river confluence at Harpers Ferry, the Shenandoah Valley has been attracting visitors and inspiring artists, photographers, and writers for more than 200 years. The thirteen tours in this book explore areas of unspoiled countryside and Appalachian landscapes within easy range of metropolitan centers like Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Richmond, and Norfolk.

Originally from San Antonio, Andrea Sutcliffe has a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She was a writer, editor, and publications manager in the Washington, DC, area for twenty years. Her writing and editing career began in 1990 as director of the EEI Press in Alexandria, Virginia. In 1996, Andrea Sutcliffe moved to Virginia's Shenandoah Valley to devote herself full-time to writing. Andrea's love of her new home in the mountains of western Virginia, and a desire to learn more about the region's fascinating history, led to her book, Touring the Shenandoah Valley Backroads.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0895873869
• ISBN13: 9780895873866
• Release Date: October 2010
• Publisher: Blair
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Touring the Shenandoah Valley Backroads

For those who want an indepth and historically interesting book to help explore the Shenandoah Valley area, this is the book to buy. It has a number of short (up to two hours) car tours complete with maps, historical facts and places of interest to visit or drive by. I highly recommend this book to locals and visitors alike. I gave this book as a gift to friends who live just north of the Shenandoah Valley area for their own use and that of visitors to their area.

Great ideas for weekends!

This book is full of great short trips on lesser traveled paths in the Washington DC area. We have done a few and have had a great time discovering some out of the way places. Great as a starting point for further discovery!

I-81 Road Warriors: This Is The Road Less Traveled

This book is truly a work of art. Each of its thirteen driving/walking tours is thoroughly researched, exquisitely detailed, and wonderfully arranged in such a way that they can be enjoyed in as little as two hours, or savored over an entire weekend. In all my years of driving up and down I-81, I never appreciated the depth and intensity of these places that seemed nothing more than exit signs along the interstate. Andrea Sutcliffe's delightful stories of the people that once lived in this valley would be entertaining enough by themselves; seeing first-hand their homes and the towns in which they lived has brought them to life in a way that I am thankful to have experienced and highly recommend to fellow travelers.

Extremely useful guide to a beautiful area

I've made good use of this book as we've explored one of the loveliest places in the world, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and West Virginia. The maps are helpful and the descriptions are valuable history lessons. If you are coming to the Shenandoah, get this book and plan to extend your stay - there is so much to see and do.

TOURING THE SHENADOAH VALLEY BACKROADS

HOW WONDERFUL TO RELIVE THE VIRGINIA BACKROADS OF MY "GROWING UP YEARS" THE DESCRIPTIONS AND LOVELY PICTURES WERE A PURE DELIGHT. I ORDERED SEVERAL FOR MY FRIENDS. I FELT I HAD RENEWED ALL THE BEAUTIFUL SITES OF MY CHILDHOOD. THANKS ANDREA