Edible Blue Ridge Fall 2022

EDIBLE EXCURSIONS

for the bread. e Porridge Loaf, a grainy seeded bread made with locally grown and milled flours, is a perfect mid-morning snack slathered in some salted butter. (Pro tip: Reunion offers online ordering, so you can purchase your pastries and bread ahead of time and avoid worrying about missing out on those canelés.) BEFORE YOU HEAD HOME As you leave downtown, you must visit the Frontier Culture Museum before you end your trip. A live-action museum, here volunteers and staff interpret the lives of indigenous Native American tribes in Vir ginia, the arrival of European settlers, and the horrifying journey of enslaved Africans to the region. All buildings are original and have been transported piece by piece from their native homelands. You can step back in time and speak with the blacksmith hard at work at an Irish forge, or sit and chat over the fire as a Scots woman spins wool to yarn. If one of the interpreters is missing from their ‘residence,’ you’ll most likely find them out farming the fields or feeding the hogs.

Besides the stunning architecture, bustling main street and old-world feel, what sets Staunton apart is the immediate warmth of the population, which can be felt even on a short visit. e residents of Staunton love their town, and after spending a short time here, it’s easy to see why. It acknowl edges and preserves its history while still being progressive. It has a thriving business district. It is situated within an easy drive to a myriad of stunning vistas and other cities (Charlottesville, Lexington, Harrisonburg). It has long been a place that believes in education, historically having one of the first schools of continuing education for women in the country and the first school for hear ing/vision impaired students in the U.S. In 24 hours, Staunton managed to captivate me, and I cannot wait to explore further upon our next visit. As always in our travels throughout the re gion, there are more businesses than we have space to highlight. We encourage our readers to use Edible Excursions as a guide and to tag us as you discover! #edibleblueridge #ebreats

From top: Beer from Redbeard Brewing (photo by Grow Explore Photography). Blacksmith at the Frontier Culture Museum. Period buildings at the Museum (photos by edible Blue Ridge ).

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