About 45 minutes from AFTON PEAK

An easy drive west through the Blue Ridge brings you to Staunton, a town where art, history, and architecture share the same winding streets. Its brick downtown hums with galleries, antique shops, and small theaters, all set against the spires and hills that make it one of Virginia’s most beautiful towns. Spend the afternoon exploring before settling in at Maude & The Bear, a restaurant that feels both European and Appalachian, quietly ambitious with seasonal dishes and a sense of calm that lingers. From there, wander to a show at the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriars Playhouse or pause for a drink along Beverley Street as the sun drops behind the ridge. It is a perfect day’s outing, close enough to return by dusk yet far enough to feel you have gone somewhere entirely new.