1 Front Royal
Straddling the northern
entrance to the park is
the tiny city of Front
Royal. Although it’s not
among Virginia’s fanciest
ports-of-call, this lush
riverside town offers
all the urban amenities
one might need before a
camping or hiking trip
up in the mountains.
If you need to gather
your bearings, an obvious
place to start is the Front
Royal Visitor Center
(%800-338-2576; 414 E Main
St; h9am-5pm). Friendly
staff are on hand to
overwhelm you with
information about what
to do in the area.
For a summer
night under the stars
with endangered
species, check out
the Smithsonian
Conservation Biology
Institute (p262).54 p264
The Drive » Dinosaur Land
is 10 miles north of Front Royal,
towards Winchester, via US 340
(Stonewall Jackson Highway).2 Dinosaur Land
Before you head into
the national park and
its stunning natural
beauty, visit Dinosaur
Land (%540-869-2222;
http://www.dinosaurland.com;
3848 Stonewall Jackson Hwy,
White Post; adult/child $6/5;
h9:30am-5:30pm Mar-May, to
6:30pm in summer, to 5pm Sep-
Dec; c) for some fantastic
man-made tackiness.
This spectacularly low-
brow shrine-to-concrete
sculpture is not to be
missed. Although it’s an
‘educational prehistoric
forest,’ with more than
50 life-size dinosaurs
(and a King Kong for
good measure), you’d
probably learn more
about the tenants by
fast-forwarding through
Jurassic Park 3. But
that’s not why you’ve
stopped here, so grabyour camera and sidle
up to the triceratops for
memories that will last a
millennium.The Drive » Head back to
Front Royal, then go south on US
522 (Remount Rd) for about 9
miles to reach Huntly.3 Huntly
Huntly is a smallish
town nestled in the
green foothills of the
Shenandoahs, lying
just in the southern
shadows of Front Royal.
It’s a good spot to refuel
on some cosmopolitan
culture and foodie
delicousness in the form
of Rappahannock Cellars
(%540-635-9398; http://www.
rappahannockcellars.com;
14437 Hume Road; $8 tasting;
h11:30am-5pm, to 6pm Sat),
one of the nicer wineries
of north-central Virginia.
Frankly, you get a lot
of wine for your buck
here, although the real
draw is the vineyard-
covered hills shadowing
the horizon, like some
slice of Northern Italian
pastoral prettiness that
got lost somewhere in
the upcountry of the Old
Dominion. Give the portq
Peninsula to
the PiedmontAt the end of this trip,
continue on to the park
exit, then turn east
to Charlottesville to
explore the Piedmont’s
breweries and wineries.
p
Blue Ridge
ParkwayYou can also head from
the park exit to Staunton,
VA, about 20 minutes
away, to start America’s
favorite drive.
LINK
YOUR
TRIPHandy stone mileposts (MP) are still the best means
of figuring out just where you are on Skyline Drive.
They begin at MP 0 near Front Royal, and end at MP
105 at the park’s southern entrance near Rockfish
Gap.MILEPOSTS
TOP TIP:
VIRGINIA.TRIPS.21
.SKYLINE DRIVE