North of Berkeley Springs but before the Maryland border, this marker on the west side of the…read morehighway points out some of the earliest colonial history of this area. The marker reads, "Lovers' Leap. Beautiful panorama of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. It overlooks the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal which was started by George Washington and associates in order to improve communication with the West." Unfortunately, there does not appear to be any long term parking here and the brush towards the Potomac River appears to be private property. [Review 15548 overall, 1052 of 2021, number 46 in West Virginia.]

I was late to enjoying the ginkgo garden but it's still beautiful. The facility was clean and…read moreorganize.

It's amazing after all the years I've lived in and around the Winchester and Fauquier County areas,…read morethat I've never visited (BlandyFarm). State Arboretum of Virginia. -It's beautiful. Especially on Nov 1st 2024 when it's just at 80 degrees, wow. The sun was out. There was a slight breeze. The leaves were falling. What a great day! My daughter in law and my grandson came with me today. Area is 100% stroller friendly. Great places to throw down a blanket and have lunch. A couple picnic tables onsite also. Beautiful tress. Beautiful pollination fields. We had a really good time. I know I'll be back.

The definitive Museum of Berkeley Springs. Located above the historic Roman Baths in the same…read morebuilding, the museum portrays the history and development of the town. Some pretty cool exhibits inside. The old fashion steam box makes for a great pic opportunity! Definitely worth a visit, why not, its free ?

On the side of the road near where Greenbelt Road crosses the Beltway is this historical marker…read moresign denoting the Taoping Castle (circa 1750). It is on Walker Road. It reads: On this site, Isaac Charles and Nathan Walker erected a large white oak log house named for their ancestral stronghold in Scotland which the three brothers had fled after the failure of attempts to unseat George I, King of England, as ruler of Scotland. Isaac permanently settled here and obtained land grants for 188 acres. He and his three sons served in the Revolutionary War. The graves of Isaac and his son Nathan are north of here. Taoping Castle was the birthplace of Samuel Hamilton Walker (February 24, 1817 - October 9, 1847). Lt. Colonel of the Texas Rangers and Captain of the US Cavalry, he left home at age 19 to fight Indians and later became a leader and hero of the Rangers. His suggested changes to Samuel Colt's revolver resulted in Colt's success as an arms manufacturer. 1000 Colt-Walker pistols - the first, heaviest and longest revolvers ever issued to American forces - were purchased for the Texas Rangers during the Mexican war. Walker was killed in that war at the Battle of Hua Mantla, Mexico. The family cemetery is all that remains of the Taoping Castle estate.

This place is epic! EPIC!! you could literally spend an entire weekend here exploring and you still…read moreprobably wouldn't get to see everything! It's truly a colossal piece of history. We went on a Saturday..got there around 3pm and left at 5pm. We barely ran into anyone while exploring..which was great. 2hrs was obviously not enough time. When we got there we checked in at the table..you get a wristband while on the property. Purchasing your tickets ahead of time..it makes life for the employees a lot easier. It's dark and there isn't power..so using the iPad to check out is a pain for them. They give you the rules and what not to do..where to stay out of..and they let you explore all on your own. We literally had so much fun. Make sure to bring plenty of flashlights and warm clothes if you're going during that winter season like we did. There are tunles that run from building to building..awesome! The chapel is incredible, the cell housing areas are just as cool..just so many things..the prison barber school..the cobbler shop. So many nooks and crannies. We learned theyll have overnight explorations in the spring/summer/fall in 2023. There will be a hydroponics building as well. The place is just spectacular, and the drive to keep this place open for people to come see history and not let it wither away is amazing. Thank you! Truly appreciate places like this. Please don't leave trash and break things here and ruin it for people who have an appreciation for places like this.

The first covered bridge that I've been to which is actually open to vehicular traffic. I drove…read moreback and forth on it safely! Constructed in 1892-1893, it was originally just used to provide access to a local farmer's apple orchards. Rumor has it that this bridge was a replacement for one that was burned by Union troops during the Civil War. Handed over to the Virginia Highway Department in the 1930's, they took over maintenance and inspections. It did a great job until Halloween 1976 when it was damaged by vandals. Much of the bridge materials were recovered and incorporated into the replacement, though it is undergirded by modern steel beams and concrete piers before it was reopened to traffic in 1979. There is a picnic area on the east side (close to US-11) and an unofficial walking trail if you want to get some pictures. When I stopped by today, it was being used by parents and children as a watering hole. If you're traveling on Interstate 81, it's a very quick detour to see this piece of history. [Review 15111 overall, 613 of 2021, number 1324 in Virginia.]

Covered bridges thrill me! I love planning trips and seeking out these architectural "dinosaurs"…read moreof the past. This one is still operational to vehicular traffic and it's the longest covered bridge in Virginia spanning 204 feet! With its stone foundation entrance and the gorgeous arched trusses, this fascinating bridge over the Shenandoah River is a sight to be seen! I loved walking thru it (watch for cars) and having my imagination take a journey to the past. This deep red wooden bridge has a rich history connecting to the Civil War, and has had its ups and downs. It has been destroyed by floods and fire on various occasions but has been rebuilt several times, rising above its adversity and has truly stood the test of time. Now standing proudly as a monument to its heritage and as a landmark to Virginia's history. If you are in the Shenandoah area, or traveling thru, a trip to this glorious bridge is worth the stop! I'm definitely planning another visit here soon!

I recently photographed a wedding at the Scenic View. The grounds are really beautiful and the…read morelookout trumps all. There's a tower up a long, winding road, but you don't even need to go up into the tower to see the gorgeous mountain view. The landscape is breathtaking, I'm sure, during any time of the day. But we went up at sunset after a storm and it was nothing short of spectacular. I cannot wait to get back to Penn's Scenic View for the view alone!

Penn's Scenic View is such a beautiful place. My large family would go up every year and rent out…read morethe Stable Lodge there. Of course, I loved being with my family. However, I loved going for walks in the area. It's such an amazing experience. Peace, quiet, utter bliss... what more could you ask for? If you walk up this dirt road, you'll encounter a wooden tower on a hill. If you walk up the tower, you can take in the breathtaking view. A full 360° of trees. It's all picture-worthy. You truly won't be disappointed. You can continue to walk around to discover new things. There's a lake next to the Lakeside Lodge. I would always see weddings take place at the lake from the Stable Lodge. It was really nice to see something like that. Unfortunately, this place is private property. You can't just walk in willy-nilly. We rented out a cabin, that's the only reason we were granted access. The place is being sold. It's up for around $1.3 million dollars. Therefore, we can't rent out the Stable Lodge anymore. The whole place is gated off. I wish I could go back up there, just one last time. It's truly amazing. That place means a lot to me. My family has been going up there since I was a baby, and I'm 17. A lot of memories are kept there. It's also the place where I found myself. I would do whatever I could to go up there just one last time. I want to share the experience with my girlfriend. I would pay that $1.3 million to go back up there. If you're lucky enough to visit the 18 acres of pure scenery, you won't be disappointed for even a second.

History is worth looking at. This is an interesting spot if you're a Washington fan. Get to know…read morehis early days.

Borrowed from the below site:…read more www.mdmountainside.com/listing/george-washingtons-headquarters/2042/#:~:text=The%20Headquarters%20of%20George%20Washington,the%20United%20States%20of%20America. "The Headquarters of George Washington is a historic site, located at 38 Greene Street, in the historic downtown district of Cumberland, Maryland. The centerpiece and primary attraction at the site is a historic log cabin twice occupied by George Washington, the first President of the United States of America. The cabin resides in an area known today as Riverside Park but was originally built about 2 blocks away. The original site is located nearby at 16 Washington Street. The cabin was originally built by General Edward Braddock's men, between 1755 and 1758, for then Colonel George Washington's use during his service in the French and Indian War. He later returned and used it briefly during 1794, then as the Commander in Chief, in order to review the troops gathered to put down the Whiskey Rebellion. This site is notable, as it signifies Washington's first military command. The original site lies on a hill that overlooks Wills Creek and the Potomac River. It was once the location of Fort Cumberland (Maryland) and today, The Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Cumberland, Maryland). The headquarters was part of Fort Cumberland during the French and Indian War, and it is the only building to survive from the original Fort. Though closed to the public, the cabin has windows visitors can peer into and see historical displays and artifacts of what the cabin may have looked like including a bed, desk, and fireplace as well as a life-size wax replica of Washington." If you come here, parking in the area is somewhat tight. During our visit, Greene and Baltimore Streets were under a lot of construction so we parked two blocks away for a buck in a pay lot near Basecamp Coffee. If you're so inclined, you could also park on the other side of the creek at the visitor center and walk over the bridge to get here. We came, read the placards, took a few pictures, walked a short distance to read a few more of the placards that go under 68 but then saw a few loud locals (i.e. homeless-hobo-vagrant) and thought better of going any further. With that said, this is by no means a stop that you're going out of your way for. At best, this is a few minutes passing curiosity just to say that you saw it. If you want something more substantive about Washington's time in the general area as a British officer, the NPS site Fort Necessity is the place. Tons of stuff there that George did including surrendering to the French. www.nps.gov/fone/index.htm

Winchester may just be one of my favorite towns in Virginia. I was first introduced to it back in…read morehigh school when I visited Shenandoah University on a whim. It ended up being my second-choice school, so I didn't land there, but the town etched itself into my memory pretty strongly. I've been back a few times since, most recently this summer, and it always feels like such a calming experience to pull into the downtown area. The pedestrian mall is well kept with lots of cute shops and restaurants. I look forward to future visits in the future.

Great spot for all ages! The pedestrian mall has the street closed off so it's safe to walk up and…read moredown the blocks. In old town you will find lots of shops, bars, restaurants, and a splash pad for kids. It's a great spot for both locals and tourists!

Quite a view! It is really neat to see this massive road cut. There is an access behind the…read moreMaryland Welcome Center, and there is also a pedestrian bridge that connects the rest stop on the other side of the highway to this access. Climbing up the steps gets you to the view. Looking at the opened walls is very interesting since you can see the various layers going back through time. We somehow managed to end up here at great timing for the sun coming through the hill too, which was an added interesting feature. There is also signage available that provides more details about the National Road and Sideling Hill.

I lived in Baltimore Md as a child, my grandparents had a cabin in West Virginia. Four or five…read moretimes a year we would drive out I83, through the "V in the mountain" on the way to our vacation spot deep in the woods! Sideling Hill became our halfway stop, many times I used the bathrooms there, and ate many sandwiches made by my grandmother in the parking lot! All the employees were always so nice and seemed super informative... Always kept clean! Bathrooms included! As for the hill, Beautiful is an understatement for this very unnatural yet breathtaking view of a mountain, and each season offers another opportunity to see this impressive feat of mankind. There's even a walkway bridge that spans the highway with interesting views of its own! If you travel out western md and happen through Sideling hill, take fifteen minutes and stop in! I'm not sure if it's still there but they had a stuffed black bear standing guard inside. Check it out, definitely a beautiful view that won't disappoint.