It's a cheery pine paneled roadhouse that has been serving superlative fried chicken and incomparable baked goods since 1947. The children also were thrilled by an authentic Fifties restaurant, Wright's Dairy-Rite, in town. You phone in orders from inside tables or at the carhop stations outside. There's a 1988 Wurlitzer and kids' meals come in paper Thunderbirds or Chevies. The best bed and breakfast we found was ten miles west of Harrisonburg, in Rawley Springs.
Boxwood is an enchanting stone cottage on wooded grounds next to the rushing Dry River.
Valley games are 70 to 180 miles from Washington, an easy weekend drive if you're not fighting I-66's rush hour on Fridays. After driving 25,000 miles to more than 85 stadiums in 45 states and Canada, our friends thought we would have burned out on baseball. Instead, discovering the Valley League rejuvenated us. When we think ahead to the coming season, it's this slow lane mountain baseball that captivates us. We'll be on the road again, seeking these pristine small towns, the determined play of amateurs, and the All-American vignettes that occur when community teams take to the green fields.