Hawksbill Creek

Viewing the closeup of Hawksbill Creek, you might think you were in the wilderness. But the picture was taken in downtown Luray, Virginia.

Luray has capitalized on the creek's location right in the middle of town. The Luray Hawksbill Greenway features a path and benches.

I went through Luray yesterday and the Greenway looked inviting so I went down to a bench and pulled a little can of chicken and some Corn Nuts out of my snack bag. With temperatures in the 60's, it was warm enough to eat my little picnic and walk around taking pictures.

I must say Luray seems to be looking more prosperous than it used to.

Murals along Hawksbill Creek

Luray, VA

Luray has a number of murals in town, partly due to the efforts of the Luray Tree and Beautification Committee. Here we can see the popular walking trail along Hawksbill Creek.

I love the white owl and the deer in this mural. See the mountains? This town is situated between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Massanutten Range. It's known for Luray Caverns.

A sign on the red mill tells us it is Willow Grove Mill, which is just south of town. I showed the mill itself in a January post.

Sharing with Monday Murals

Mural of Luray Train Station

The town of Luray has a great selection of outdoor murals. On the far left of this one you can see a sign that says "Another Project of the Luray Tree and Beautification Committee."

Below we see a scene in downtown Luray. Do you see a train? It's crossing the street a block ahead.

Sharing with: Monday Murals

Animals at the Luray Zoo Animals, Luray Zoo

    

The Luray Zoo is primarily a rescue zoo. I can remember when it was mostly a reptile zoo with some goats for good measure, but that was years ago. They still have a large collection of reptiles in a dark creepy room that you pass through if you want to see the other animals.

Recently we went there on a day when it rained off and on. There was a slight drizzle while we were there but we were still able to enjoy our visit.

The zoo is located on U.S. 211 on the west side of Luray.

Across Massanutten to Luray

Today I drove to Luray by way of the "slow route" across Edinburg Gap and past Camp Roosevelt. It doesn't take much longer than going to New Market and crossing the Massanutten Range using Route 211. I couldn't resist stopping at the scenic overlook on top of the mountain.

Here you’re looking down on Page Valley and Luray with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance.
 

Once I got to Luray, I drove down to Ruffner Plaza to check out the murals. The faded mural I photographed several years ago has been replaced by three different panels.. 

Dogwood is our state flower. The mural in the center shows an old-fashioned scene, perhaps in honor of the mural that was there before.

Monday Murals / Garden Affair 

Nearby were some planters with flowers, including chrysanthemums and decorative cabbage.

There was also a display of painted rocks with a Halloween theme.

L-U-R-A-Y Mural

Along Hawksbill Creek

When I was planning to drive through Luray last week, I looked up the location of a new mural. That town has an impressive number of murals and I have photographed quite a few of them. I saw that there was a new one where Virginia Avenue crosses Hawksbill Creek. When I got there, I found a parking spot and realized I had been there before and had taken pictures of a mural under the bridge. But that was four years ago, so I decided to walk a little ways and see if there was another one.

I found it in the underpass across from the older mural. There was no way to get a straight-on image so I had to make do. Illustrated letters spell out the name of the town.

I walked through and photographed each letter. They include a train because this is a railroad town. Inside the R is a scene from Luray Caverns. At the far end is a painting of the “singing tower,” which has a carillon that still plays music. 

Monday Murals / Mosaic

Dreams of Luray

I noticed this pretty new mural in Luray and stopped to get a picture of it. It’s on E. Main St. and shows some of the nearby attractions, including Luray Caverns and the “Singing Tower.” This is signed by the artist G. M. Grant.

I believe this replaces a previous mural which was peeling and fading.

Sharing with Monday Murals.

Small but Mighty Mural

Luray, VA

This painting of a raptor is on the side of Broad Porch Coffee. I did not find information on it, but I am going to guess that it depicts a hawk because it is steps away from Hawksbill Creek.

Luray is a small but vibrant town, popular with tourists because of Luray Caverns, and proximity to the Shenandoah River and Shenandoah National Park.

Mosaic Monday / Murals

The Pond at the Singing Tower

Carillon Pond Park, Luray, Virginia

In October we found a nice little park with a duck pond near the carillon in Luray. This is near the famous Luray Caverns.

The carillon has 47 bells and is called the Singing Tower.

Road to Freedom: Bethany Veney

Luray, Virginia

A new interpretive sign commemorates Bethany Veney, who wrote one of the few slave autobiographies from Virginia. See my 2018 post for a link to her short book, which I found fascinating.

Born into slavery on a farm just east of Luray around 1813, Bethany Veney lived a remarkable life of faith, resilience, strength, and forgiveness. Her 1889 autobiography, Aunt Betty’s Story: The Narrative of Bethany Veney, a Slave Woman, recounted her experiences both while enslaved in the Shenandoah Valley, and as a free woman in New England.

Bethany had several owners in Page County, one of "a most violent temper," but found comfort in her religious faith. She met and married a fellow slave, Jerry Fickland, but they were separated when he was sold and taken south. "I stifled my anger and grief..." Bethany remembered. "So we parted forever, in this world."

Bethany's daughter with Jerry, Charlotte, was born in 1844. But the joy of her birth was tempered by fear. "You can never understand the slave mother's emotions as she clasps her new-born child," she said, "And knows that a master's word can at any moment take it from her embrace."

In the 1850s, she married Frank Veney, gave birth to a son, Joe, and earned enough money to rent her own home. She and Joe were purchased by a northerner in 1858, taken to Rhode Island in 1859, and then freed. Soon after, John Brown's 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry and the Civil War cut off communication with her "old home."

Joe sickened and died in late 1859. Bethany moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, where she built a new life and become a successful businesswoman. When the war ended, she journeyed back to Luray where, "I found my daughter Charlotte grown to womanhood, married, and had one child." She brought Charlotte and her family (and eventually 16 family members) back north.

With the help of a close friend of Frederick Douglass, Bethany published Aunt Betty's Story in 1889. She died in Charlotte's home in 1916.

Luray: Collins Avenue and Sunnyview Drive

InSpired Sunday

Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church is in the town of Luray. It was built in the 1950s with a parish hall added in 1960.

Apparently there were not many Catholics in Page County before the railroad came through. Services were held in private homes, and by 1912 residents were traveling to Front Royal for weekly mass. This was over 20 miles away so many took the train. In 1951, services were held in the Mimslyn Inn in Luray, and land was procured for the church in 1953.

Now let's head north of town on US Route 340. We pass this older home at the corner of Sunnyview Drive, and if we turn right we find ourselves on a pleasant road through the country.

The Barn Collective: This is a farm on Sunnyview Drive. Eventually that road meets Vaughn Summit Road which takes you north to Rileyville where you can rejoin 340.

Train Mural in Luray

Art Where You Park

This is one of a series of murals in Luray, Virginia. I read that the Luray Tree and Beautification Committee has been sponsoring large-scale art like this since the 1940's.

Linking to: Monday Murals

Mural of Luray's Singing Tower

On a Wall in Luray, Virginia

I've posted photos before of the carillon, or bell tower, that's near Luray Caverns.  Here we see one of the colorful murals that have been painted on exterior walls in that town.

Linking to: Monday Murals

Along U.S. 340 in Page County

Not Far from Luray

Here we see the South Fork of the Shenandoah from a boat landing just off 340 where it bypasses Luray. There’s also a business route 340, the old route that goes through Luray and Stanley. U.S. 340 runs from Greenville, Virginia to Frederick, Maryland, and I’ve traveled all of it at one time or another. It passes through some beautiful country.

I took these pictures at the end of October. I imagine the leaves have fallen since then. We had a frost yesterday, and today there was much-needed rain.

 The third picture is from later that day when I was driving back along 340. In the distance is a peak in the Massanutten Mountains.

Skywatch