ROAD TRIP
BOB TAGERT
Return to Berryville & Beyond A
s the leaves began to turn color this past October we thought we would take a final drive west to the Virginia countryside before the yellow and red leaves turned to brown and started to fall. To be honest, we weren’t impressed with any of the vistas. Maybe we were a little too early. It was worth the drive in any case. In addition to taking a drive through Virginia horse and wine country, we were on a mission to repay a debt. About five years ago we visited the beautiful Waypoint House Bed and Breakfast owned by Rachel and Jonathan Worsley. During our stay the four of us consumed a bottle of their Bones Virgin Island Rum. It was great and we promised to return with a bottle of one of our favorite whiskeys...Copper Fox Original Rye. We accomplished our mission and had a beautiful drive along the way. There are three options to get to Berryville and two involve dealing with road construction. The first is I-66 and the second is Route 7, Leesburg Pike. The third is the Dulles Access road to the Greenway, to Route 7. We opted for I-66 on the way out and Route 7 for the return trip. The construction along I-66 is progressing nicely and except for a couple of early merges, the traffic is not too terribly bad, except during rush hour. After a couple of slowdowns, we picked up Route 50 west and set our sights on the mountains in the distance. Soon three lanes became two and then one lane.
28 | November 2020
After crossing Route 15 we came to the charming town of Aldie. Here you will find the historic Aldie Mill. I remember driving my dad’s 1965 Chevy Impala to Aldie...and the car was new. This classic town hasn’t changed much at all except for the addition of the Little Apple Pastry Shop and the remake of the Aldie General Store & Cafe. Great places to stop for a snack. Continuing on Route 50 we passed farms, fields and new housing projects. We eventually reached the town of Middleburg - horse country - including the Upperville Horse Park, past the towns of Upperville and Paris. All of these places are worth a stop. The Upperville Colt and Horse Show is the oldest and most prestigious horse show in America. Established in 1853, the event is held on the site of Grafton Farm, one of the properties adjacent to Route 50, and known for stately oak trees and good grass footing. As Route 50 becomes a four-lane highway again, at Paris we continue west over the Shenandoah River. Soon after crossing the Shenandoah we made a right turn on Millwood Road to take us to the small town of Millwood. The first thing you will notice on Millwood Road is the stone fence and the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center sign. The Center is a unique and special place. It is the only wildlife teaching hospital in northern Virginia. The staff and volunteers of BRWC work to care for native wildlife ROAD TRIP > PAGE 29
Old Town Crier
