Are you looking for a chance to rest and recharge in peace and solitude? Do you want to immerse yourself in the natural world or try a new local experience? Are you hoping to connect with new people? There’s lots for the solo traveler to do in Waynesboro. Read on for our 48-hour itinerary.
Day #1:
Check into Your Lodging
Waynesboro has many terrific places to stay, including brand hotels and bed and breakfasts.
Treat yourself right at Heritage Hill Bed & Breakfast. Not only will you get a large room with mountain views and breakfast, but you’ll also get special touches like access to a stocked refreshment station, remote-controlled candles, a sound machine.
A second option is a sweet escape at Cider House Bed and Breakfast, a 1790s historic home with modern conveniences located on a 20-acre organic farm. You’ll enjoy the mountain views, the seclusion, and the gourmet breakfast that emphasizes local meats, eggs, ripe fruits, and seasonal vegetables in dishes like apple pancakes, frittatas, omelets, and more. Enjoy the privacy of your room, but head to the common spaces to mingle if you feel like company!
Grab Some Food and Entertainment
The French Press hosts an Open Mic Night each Friday from 7-10 p.m. Celebrate the arts by watching talent of all sorts on display while you drink coffee and eat fancy sandwiches. Kick back and watch quietly, or show your appreciation and make a connection by chatting with one of the performers. Have a song to sing or a poem to recite? Step right up. You might also find yourself tempted to return for the Saturday and Sunday Belgian waffle bar or sausage and biscuits.
Day #2
Morning
After breakfast at your bed and breakfast, head down to the Waynesboro Farmer’s Market in Constitution Park. You’ll want to select from fresh fruit and baked goods to nibble on later, and you might find a special craft souvenir at the market or some fresh flowers to brighten your day. You’ll enjoy the friendly atmosphere and community spirit surrounding the market, and just how open the producers are to talking about their processes!
Afternoon
If it’s a day to be outside, plan to kayak or fly fish along the Waynesboro Water Trail. There are several boat access points, and if you don’t have a kayak of your own, you can rent one from Rockfish Gap Outfitters. Though the folks at Rockfish Gap won’t drive you to the water, they can help you get the kayak on your car and direct you to the best local paddles. If you’ve always wanted to try fly fishing (or up your game with a lesson or guided trip), visit South River Fly Shop. The shop’s guides offer a number of packages to outfit you and get you on the water.
If the day brings inside weather, visit the Russell Museum, which features artwork created by Walter Russell and displayed at the beautiful, marble Swannanoa Palace when Walter and Lao Russell used it to house their University of Science and Theology. Visitors can enjoy “40-plus tons of art and sculpture” including Russell’s paintings and sculptures as well as occasional exhibits that show the work of other local artists. Swannanoa also hosts tours on select weekends, and the palace is just a short drive up Afton Mountain.
Plan to sit down at Basic City Beer Co. for a cold craft brew chosen from 11 on tap and a late lunch of Lost Town Billy Pie Pizza hot from a 700-degree, wood-fired oven. Work off that lunch with a stroll down the South River Greenway, a one-mile paved trail along the river with natural and urban views.
Evening
How about starting your evening meal with a serving of fried alligator from the Green Leaf Grill? Follow it up with a drunken shrimp New Orleans-style po’ boy, a fried seafood sampler, or a vegetarian coconut curry. Everything on the menu is good, so it might be hard to choose! Meals are available on site or takeout. After you eat, settle back to watch a movie on one of the eight screens at the spacious and comfortable Zeus Digital Theaters. There’s an arcade if you have time (or on-screen monsters) you’d like to kill.
Day #3
Relax over breakfast at your bed and breakfast before donning your headlamp to explore the Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel, one of the area’s newest walking/biking trails, which ventures under Afton Mountain. The tunnel was the longest train tunnel in the country when it was constructed. Used for railroad travel from the 1850s to the 1940s, it sat neglected for years until its recent restoration and repurposing as a recreational area.
After your underground adventure, fuel up for your drive home at Weasie’s Kitchen, a diner where a friendly staff serves big helpings of country-cooked comfort food for breakfast or lunch.
What I did: This is a 2-day itinerary I wrote for Waynesboro Tourism.
It’s written for the solo traveler who is looking for things to do besides business. This content needed to be written and edited in a few hours due to time and budget constraints.
What I did: I researched and read reviews of lodgings that offered privacy and easy ways to connect with others during a stay.
What I did: I wanted my reader to be able to imagine going to one of these restaurants and having a meal without feeling like the only solitary diner in the place.
What I did: Since we can’t predict the weather, I offered options for both indoor and outdoor entertainment.
