February 26, 2010

Northern Shenandoah Valley Activities

Note: This is the last part of a piece that Nancy Meyer wrote about the Basye-Orkney Springs Community.

The Shenandoah Valley as a whole offers a wide variety of activities, events and opportunities for enjoyment by the whole family. Many of these are listed in the local, weekly and monthly newspapers and Virginia tourist booklets. Numerous volunteer organizations offer opportunities to help others and to meet new people and neighbors, including:
  • Orkney Springs Basye Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad
  • SEARCH Thrift Store in Mt. Jackson supporting a group home for mentally challenged adults
  • Mt. Jackson Food Pantry
  • Lion’s Club; Mt. Jackson Lioness Club; Ruritans; Masons; Elks; Moose Club
  • Shenandoah County Memorial Hospital, member of the Valley Health System
  • “Friends of the North Fork Shenandoah River”
  • Shenandoah County Public Schools
  • Music Guild supporting the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival in Orkney Springs
  • Masterworks Chorus
  • “Art Group” in Mt. Jackson
  • VECCA; Valley Education for the Creative Arts
  • Active art workshops and Gallery 7 East in Woodstock
  • Mount Jackson Garden Club
  • Basye Orkney Springs Library: Part of the Shenandoah County Library system
  • Shenandoah County School System
The Shenandoah Valley Economic Tourist web site offers a comprehensive list of Valley activities such as numerous wineries, several caverns, Civil War battlefields and museums, historic homes, Cultural Frontier Museum and it’s proximity to Shenandoah National Park. Throughout Shenandoah County from Strasburg to New Market and beyond there are dozens of antique shops and shopping complexes.

belle grove manorPlaces to visit include wineries, caverns, battlefields, historic homes, Shenandoah National Park, Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Belle Grove Plantation, and art galleries. Winchester to the north and Harrisonburg to the south offer dozens of attractions, activities, and shopping areas. Harrisonburg is home to James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University; Winchester is home to Shenandoah University. Middletown is home to Lord Fairfax Community College and the Wayside Theater. There are many other small colleges.

The Basye/Orkney Springs/ Bryce Mountain Community is a very special multi-faceted place with a variety of cultural groups. It is a very beautiful environment with outdoor activities and spectacular scenery. For those leaving large urban areas, it offers the amenities of an old fashioned caring community.

There are now quite a few web sites that provide additional information, including local builders, time share companies, churches, and many local businesses.

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