An unusually mild summer day in June in Virginia (High 70′s)got me a bit excited about a drive that afternoon. A friend of mine mentioned some good BBQ(Peck’s) in Staunton, VA and that was to be my end destination. I remembered back in February a road I had taken from Lexington, Va back to Charlottesville, Va. It was Rt 56 that went over The Blue Ridge Parkway and headed back down the mountain passing Crab Tree Falls. The whole time I kept thinking what a technically fun road to drive other than for the fact there was some snow on the shoulder and quite a bit of sand on the road. Not great conditions with a BMW with summer rated tires on the car. Today however was a different day with different conditions.
My dog Adele and sometime driving companion was just picked up from the groomers after having her summer cut. Adele is a Goldendoodle and a terrific dog. Demanding and lovable, Adele is never one to complain about quick turns and high speeds. She loves taking rides and more often than not gets excited about hearing the car keys. For the BMW I bought a seat cover from Duragear, and for Adele a harness from EZY Dog and a generic seat belt to keep her in place. After getting her all strapped in we hit the road from a different direction than back in February.
To pick up Rt56 to Lexington take Hwy 64 West from Charlottesville. Take the exit for Rt 151 heading towards Wintergreen. Rt 151 is a terrific road that passes a number of Breweries and places to eat that include in order of appearance on Rt 151: Blue Ridge Brewery, Wild Wolf Brewery and Devils Backbone. The beer is top notch and the food is what you would expect from a brewery. Some dishes are better than others. There are also some wineries that can be visited in the area. Two in Particular: Veritas and Afton Mountain.
Head south on Rt 151 passing meadows and incredible vistas. Watch your speed on Rt 151. With all the alcohol in the area there are more patrols watching for speeders. After you pass the turn off for Wintergreen you start a bit of an incline to get to Rt 56. The turns come quick and the exits out of the turns give you an opportunity for some acceleration. Midweek driving is always preferable to weekend excursions. We drivers know the difference.
Rt 56 comes up next and the drive through the valley floor up to the start of the climb is sightseeing worthy. The start of the climb begins the fun. Lots of tight turns and some sweepers. The river/creek shows up on both sides of the road as you head up to Crab Tree Falls. If you like hiking and waterfalls stop and check out the sights. There is a charge. If you are just about driving continue up and over the mountain.
Rt 56 finds it’s way to Rt 11. Head south and watch for police if you have a heavy foot. Rt 11 brings you into the start of Lexington and on the right is Rt39. Rt 39 will take you to Rt 252N which is really the main event. Up to this point the twisty turns and uphill climbs have been great but 252N is another experience. 252N packs in some tight turns but delivers an abundance of sweeping turn opportunities with generous straight aways that will let you unwind and open up that throttle for about 40 miles until you arrive in Staunton. This road has recently been paved so the pavement is in great shape. The scenery is open farmland with mountains on both sides. You quickly pass cows, row crops, grassy fields, small towns, a spring water outlet(Bring a couple of jugs) and beautiful vistas that will keep you entertained throughout the drive. 252N is my latest great road find. Enjoy the drive….
As a side note I will point out points of interest including places to eat. Peck’s BBQ was tasty. The pork and spice had some good flavor but I am not a big fan of the Carolina BBQ Sauce. They are also known for their hush puppies and hand cut fries.
Heading back to Charlottesville is a quick drive on 81N to 64E .