{"id":21149,"date":"2024-02-06T20:29:25","date_gmt":"2024-02-06T20:29:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitabingdon.org\/?p=21149"},"modified":"2026-02-27T14:03:01","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T19:03:01","slug":"adventure-and-pampering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visitabingdonvirginia.com\/stagingprop\/blog\/adventure-and-pampering\/","title":{"rendered":"Adventure and Pampering"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Adventure and Pampering<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After the grit and grime, the best way to cap off an epic outdoor adventure is with a little well-deserved pampering. Southwest Virginia offers the best of both worlds\u2014it\u2019s an outdoor lover\u2019s paradise brimming with adventure, from mountain-swaddled lakes to wilderness-cloaked trails to cloud-splitting summits with plenty of epicurean delights, engaging cultural heritage, and cozy places to spend the night. Here\u2019s just a sample of how to spend an adventurous weekend in Southwest Virginia while still enjoying the good life.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Day One: <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Begin your adventure-infused weekend in Abingdon. Once one of the last outposts on the Great Wilderness Road for settlers headed to the frontier, the 250-year-old town has a long history of welcoming travelers. For breakfast, peruse the sizeable\u00a0Abingdon Farmers Market<\/a><\/strong>, where you can grab both indulgent pastries and pick-up picnic fixings for lunch. Head to\u00a0The Girl and The Raven<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0for a quick caffeine infusion, or fuel up with a healthy brew at the\u00a0White Birch Kitchen & Juice Bar<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>

Next, choose from the smorgasbord of Southwest Virginia adventures on tap and easily accessible from Abingdon. For a quick hike, ride, or run\u2014without even leaving town\u2014head for the trailhead for the 34-mile\u00a0Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail,\u00a0<\/strong>in the heart of downtown Abingdon. The nationally recognized rail-trail was once a thoroughfare for the supply-laden locomotives huffing through mountain-rippled Southwest Virginia in route to North Carolina. Rent a bike or arrange a shuttle at the\u00a0Virginia Creeper Trail Bike Shop<\/a><\/strong>, just steps from the trailhead.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Then, pick your adventure from Southwest Virginia\u2019s backcountry buffet. Head for\u00a0Grayson Highlands State Park<\/strong><\/a>, where hikers can hop on the Appalachian Trail and head for the high country of\u00a0Mount Rogers National Recreation Area<\/strong><\/a>, touted by thru-hikers as one of the highlights of the entire 2,190-mile footpath. You\u2019ll find roving ponies graze alpine meadows in the shadow of Virginia\u2019s highest summit. Rather climb instead? Grayson Highlands is the state\u2019s premier bouldering destination, with scalable formations scattered throughout the park offering more than 1,000 problems to tackle. Mountain bikers craving single-track can hit the 2.3-mile Wilburn Branch Trail or the park\u2019s portions of the 52-mile Virginia Highlands Horse Trail.<\/p>

Rather spend a day on the water? Scope out Southwest Virginia\u2019s mountain-cradled lakes. In nearby Marion, Hungry Mother State Park offers 108-acres of forest-fringed flatwater to explore\u2014and when you need a little time on dry land, hit the 17-miles of trails ringing the lake. Or head for the secluded, 300-acre Laurel Bed Lake, which sits at a celestial elevation of 3,600-feet in the upper reaches of the\u00a0Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area<\/strong><\/a>, the most biodiverse spot in the state of Virginia.<\/p>

When you are ready for some rest and relaxation, head back to Abingdon for some well-deserved pampering. Drop your bags at the elegantly luxurious\u00a0Martha Washington Inn and Spa<\/strong><\/a>, and head for the glasshouse enclosed saltwater pool or soak in the expansive, two-tiered hot tub. Cozy up on one of the overstuffed barstools at the hotel\u2019s Sister\u2019s American Grill and don\u2019t forget to swing by the front desk for the inn\u2019s token final nightcap\u2014a “goodnight” glass of port.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Rather hit the town instead? Mosey over to the\u00a0Sweetbay Brewing Company<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0for a pint. The taproom offers an array of flavor-loaded brews, and the place is named for the lively local legend about Daniel Boone\u2019s encounter with a roving wolf pack near Courthouse Hill, now the heart of town. Take a stroll down Main Street to\u00a0The Tavern Restaurant<\/strong><\/a>. Built in 1779, the Tavern is housed in one of the oldest (and purportedly, most haunted) buildings in town. It has served as everything from the first post office on the western side of the Blue Ridge Mountains to a Civil War hospital. Charcoal-etched bed numbers still adorn the attic walls. Today, the establishment serves up elegant cuisine, including German-inspired fare, and boasts a lengthy libation list.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Day Two:<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Hit the road and head for the nearby town of Norton, just an hour from Abingdon. Swing by the nostalgic, jukebox-bedecked Corner Diner at the Inn at Wise for a tasty calorie-infusion before beginning your day of outdoor adventure.<\/p>

After breakfast, head for the forest-cloaked mountains soaring above town to hit the newly carved, 8 miles of single-track lacing the\u00a0Flag Rock Recreation Area<\/strong><\/a>, which overlooks Norton. Mountain bikers will find trails catering to both seasoned riders and newbies. The gorgeous sweep of land is both a pristine playground for outdoor lovers and sanctuary for rare species\u2014including globally rare green salamanders and, allegedly, a Bigfoot-like critter called the “Woodbooger.” Head slightly further afield to the\u00a0High Knob Recreation Area<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>of the Jefferson National Forest, which was built by Franklin Roosevelt\u2019s Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. If the skies cooperate, hardy hikers can revel in a view encompassing five states and the region\u2019s loftiest peaks from the observation tower crowning the recreation area.<\/p>

For a more mellow but equally scenic hike, run, or ride, head for the stunning 5.8-mile\u00a0<\/strong>Guest River Gorge Trail<\/strong><\/a>. The trail, constructed from a converted railway bed, hugs the Guest River as it charts a course through Stone Mountain, showcasing the 300-million year old rock formations and ribbons of forest frequented by flycatchers, tanagers and warblers. Or, use the Guest River Gorge Trail as a portal to the\u00a0Heart of Appalachia Bike Route<\/a><\/strong>. The 128-mile road-mapped route meanders all the way to Burke\u2019s Garden\u2014a 10-mile crater aptly nicknamed God\u2019s Thumbprint.<\/p>

Featured image provided by Perry Smyre<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Adventure and Pampering After the grit and grime, the best way to cap off an epic outdoor adventure is with a little well-deserved pampering. Southwest Virginia offers the best of both worlds\u2014it\u2019s an outdoor lover\u2019s paradise brimming with adventure, from mountain-swaddled lakes to wilderness-cloaked trails to cloud-splitting summits with plenty of epicurean delights, engaging cultural […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":22625,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[255,265,252,256],"tags":[91,76,79,77],"class_list":["post-21149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-attractions","category-blog-and-itineraries","category-food-and-drink","category-outdoors","tag-adventure","tag-family","tag-getaway","tag-itinerary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/visitabingdonvirginia.com\/stagingprop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/visitabingdonvirginia.com\/stagingprop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/visitabingdonvirginia.com\/stagingprop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitabingdonvirginia.com\/stagingprop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitabingdonvirginia.com\/stagingprop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21149"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/visitabingdonvirginia.com\/stagingprop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21149\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitabingdonvirginia.com\/stagingprop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/visitabingdonvirginia.com\/stagingprop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitabingdonvirginia.com\/stagingprop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visitabingdonvirginia.com\/stagingprop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}