The CrossRoads Heritage Center, also known as the Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center is a must-see for Valley visitors, particularly people who wish to learn more about how the Valley was settled.

It was not the December and January snow storms that caused problems for Highland County maple syrup producer Glen Heatwole. Even in January there was hope for the thaw so that they could soon be back up on the mountain ridges to tap the maple trees. By the end of February, however, it was snow, snow and more snow.

But it is all finally starting to melt away and sugar camp producers are now scrambling to collect the sugar water they'll need to make this year's batches of maple syrup.

E. Montel was a Frenchman who, in 1860, rolled into Harrisonburg, Va. and started talking to the locals about his new idea. He called it “a new method of painting.” But what Montel was actually talking about was photography, and his new method may have not been as new as he thought. 

As early as the 1840s there already were Rockingham County photographers developing their trade in the Valley, and it was their collective work that has since provided the wealth of visual history that is currently on display at the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society Heritage Center museum in Dayton, Va.

As people continue to dig themselves out of Winter's snowfalls, there's a good chance that they may not be quite ready to think about a trip to a Shenandoah Valley farmers market. But one farmers market here in the Shenandoah Valley will be ready for them when they are.

The Clarke County Farmers Market has been hanging in there with the rest of us during the winter season, carrying on with their monthly “winter market.”

The Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park is gearing up for expanded visitor services that include interpretive programs led by National Park Service rangers. Park Ranger Eric A. Campbell, one of three rangers tasked with developing new programs at the park, says that the new programs could begin as early as next June. The park has been in existence since 2002, when a partnership was formed to join a 3,700-acre district that includes the Belle Grove Plantation and the Cedar Creek Battlefield.

Shenandoah National Park Superintendent Martha Bogle announced on March 11 that the 12-space “upper lot” on the park boundary at the Ridge Trailhead access for one of the parks most popular hiking and climbing attractions, Old Rag Mountain, will be permanently closed to public vehicle access and parking. 

Old Rag Mountain is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shenandoah National Park in Madison County near Sperryville, Va. The mountain is 3,291 feet tall.

Where else in America does the founding father of the United States, George Washington, meet the founding mother (of country music, anyway) Patsy Cline? It's in Winchester, Virginia, and this charming city manages time and again to weave together for visitors its history, culture, and flair

The history of Winchester goes back to the earliest European settlements in the Shenandoah Valley, the American Revolution and the French and Indian War. The Great Wagon Road to the American Frontier rolled through the city on what eventually became the Old Valley Pike and is now U.S. Route 11. The Wilderness Road, Virginia's Heritage Migration Route, begins in Winchester.

Page Valley is a favorite escape for people who visit the Shenandoah Valley. The area offers scenic beauty and easy proximity from the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area.  It is located along the South Branch of the Shenandoah River, which flows along the western flank of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive. Many visitors choose to experience this lovely Valley destination while staying at a vacation cabin.

When early American settlers followed the Great Valley Road through what was then a frontier to the West, many just stopped to settle in the Shenandoah Valley. They brought with them diverse European styles and skills that influenced whatever they built or handcrafted. The melting pot of cultural influences can be easily seen in Valley furniture designs. The latest Changing Exhibition Gallery exhibit at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is a collection of wooden chairs that represent the Valley's regional woodworking styles in the late 1700s and 1800s.

Shenandoah Caverns makes it easy for visitors to behold the beauty of its special formations within 17 underground rooms, some of which are 100-feet-high. Open to the public since 1922, guests embark on the tour by entering the only elevator in a Virginia cavern. There are no steps to climb!

Bryce Resort is a four-season resort for the entire family.  Located in the beautiful and historic Shenandoah Valley nestled between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, Bryce Resort is within easy driving distance from the Washington D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan areas, as well as the Tidewater and Charlottesville areas of Virginia. For more than 40 years the resort has been the source of year-round recreation from golf, tennis, swimming and boating to summer and winter mountain activities.

The 150th anniversary commemoration of the American Civil War kicked off last year in the Shenandoah Valley in Harpers Ferry, W.Va. That's where slavery abolitionist John Brown unsuccessfully raided a federal armory on Oct. 16, 1859, an act some say was the actual beginning of the war between the states.

Although the main portion of the war was fought over a period of about four years, the Sesquicentennial is covering a period of six years.

Page County is the home to over 250 cabins available for vacation rentals. They provide cozy accommodations for tens of thousands of visitors each year who find them a unique way to experience the beauty of Virginia.  Page County cabins are generally located on the Shenandoah River or in the mountains. They are also found near world-class attractions such as Luray Caverns and Shenandoah National Park.

Between Winchester and Harrisonburg lie several charming Shenandoah County towns, well worth a trip off the beaten path.  The location from the metro D.C. area is easy to find: Just drive west on I-66 until it ends at the junction of I-81 and turn left.

The Shenandoah Valley is known for its fine wineries and Shenandoah County, along with it's charming small towns, is home to several vineyards that take advantage of the perfect mix of climate, elevation and rainfall to produce perfect grapes. Visitors can discover four delightful wineries along a designated wine trail that includes North Mountain Vineyard, Shenandoah Vineyards, Wolf Gap Vineyard and Cave Ridge Vineyard. Each winery offers their own unique wines from Chambourcin and Merlot, to Traminette and Viognier. 

The annual Highland Maple Festival was started by the Highland County Chamber of Commerce in 1958 as a way to promote the county's quality maple syrup. Each second and third weekend in March, hoards of people descend on the normally sleepy little county seat of Monterey. Highland county is a breathtakingly-beautiful, mountainous western Virginia county, often referred to as “Virginia's Switzerland.” It's also one of the least-populated counties in the east and boasts one of the highest mean elevations of any county east of the Mississippi River.