The Monsters of White Post

Yesterday we had lunch at the Butcher Block Buffet in Stephen's City and drove from there to the lake house so that Marie could see it. When we reached Route 340, there was Dinosaur Land! Marie asked to stop to take some pictures, even though the attraction was closed for Thanksgiving.

A couple of dinosaur models are outside the fence, keeping vigil over the parking lot and the traffic speeding past.

Dinosaur Land, White Post, Virginia

Dusk of the Dinosaurs

I drove past Dinosaur Land as the sky deepened and the clouds took on the glow of sunset. Ah ha! This could make some interesting twilight photos!

For views more views of this roadside attraction, see all my Dinosaur Land posts. It's not far from Front Royal and Winchester.

Linking to Skywatch Friday.

Signs at Dinosaur Land

No Park & Ride

Dinosaur Land is near Front Royal. (Click for directions.)

Theme: Curiosities

The City Daily Photo theme for September 1st is "Curiosities." When it comes to something odd about the area where I live, I just can't ignore Dinosaur Land. It's been entertaining children for 50 years and seems a bit quaint in this age of electronic amusements, but it's still a fun place to visit.

I've posted pictures of Dinosaur Land previously so I'm just providing this one for Theme Day. This month's theme was chosen by William Kendall a faithful commenter and extraordinary blogger in Ottawa.

Photo Op with Dinosaurs

On our way back from lunch in Rippon, we stopped at Dinosaur Land to take a few fun photos. We also did a little shopping in their gift shop.

I've posted images from Dinosaur Land before. It's not very far from home.

Sharing with: Our World Tuesday

Posing with the King

Dinosaur Land has more than dinosaurs. And the folks who created it understood the value of a photo opportunity. The giant figure of a Kong-style gorilla is designed with a place for you to sit in the palm of his hand Faye Wray-style. We took advantage of the photo op.




This big gorilla doesn't seem scary once you sit in his hand. I wonder how many folks have posed there?

See Marie's album of our dino-tour.

Link: Dinosaur Land

Today in White Post, Virginia

1797 Livery, Stable, General Store

This fellow stands at the entrance of a driveway just outside of town. Why a dinosaur? Well, a little way down the road is a tourist attraction called Dinosaur Land.

Walking at Sherando Park

Disambiguation: This Sherando Park is in Frederick County, Virginia, not to be confused with Sherando Lake Recreation Area near Waynesboro. The name Sherando is related to the name Shenandoah and the exact origin of the word is the subject of a number of possible histories.

This park is located between Stephens City and Dinosaur Land. It features various athletic fields, picnic areas, a playground, and a lake.

Spillway

Linking to: Sunday Bridges

and Sunlit Sunday

Country Fences Near White Post

These scenes are in Clarke County. There are farms and ranches around there, so we often see horses.

The seasonable decorations are inflatables, and the little brontosaurus is a tribute to nearby Dinosaur Land.

Sharing with Fences and
Little Things Thursday.

Because It is Shark Week

At Dinosaur Land in Virginia, there's a model shark so huge you can walk inside. And stranger yet, when you get in there you see this symbol for a fallout shelter.

Those of us who are old enough to remember when bomb shelters were commonplace know that the threat of air raids was more frightening than the threat of sharks.

Disclosure: I combined two images (using Photoshop) so that you can see the shelter symbol inside the shark's mouth. In reality, it's dark in there and I did not see the symbol from the outside.

(See the shark here and here.)

Dinosaurs

Perhaps you are driving east from Stephens City en route to the Virginia State Arboretum and as you pull up to a traffic light, there they are: Dinosaurs!

Yes, you should stop and take some pictures. Admission is reasonable.

Links:

Dinosaur Land website

Story on RoadsideAmerica site

Marie Meets Monsters

After Marie and I hiked at Harpers Ferry two weeks ago, we had lunch and cooled down. Then we went to White Post, Virginia to visit Dinosaur Land. We had stopped there briefly on Thanksgiving but the place was closed. She vaguely remembered going there as a small child, and of course she wanted to go back.

Double Tollgate and Lake Frederick

This church stands at Double Tollgate, a small town at the intersection of Fairfax Pike and Front Royal Pike. The roads have other names and Route 340 turns at this point, so rather than confusing you with all the names and numbers, I'll just say this is on the corner that's diagonal from Dinosaur Land.

Between that intersection and Front Royal you'll see a sign to Lake Frederick. A new restaurant has opened there with a deck overlooking the lake. It has the odd name of Region's 117 because they try to buy food that's grown within a range of 117 miles. 

The restaurant's deck overlooks the lake. You can see the public boat landing and new townhouses.

Sharing with InSpired Sunday and Sundays in My City