The Washington times., 1933-07-15

Hidden away between the
mountains of the Massanutten
Range, near Luray, is Powell's
Fort Valley, once the scene of
counterfeiters' operations, hiding
and resting place of Stonewall
jackson and his foot cavalry" I"
and now the George Washington
National Forest.
AS a national forest it is given
over to a camp site for the CT
william Conservation Corps and to
q recreation spot for city dwellers
who, once a week, like to get out
and picnic far from the hum and
hustle Of a city.
The valley lies about 100 miles
from washington, a little beyond
Luray. It is best reached from
Woodstock, from which town a
road climbs the precipitous
mountainside to the top of the
mountain.
Near Are Seven Bends
At the top is an observation
tower from which can be seen
miles and miles Of the Shenan-
doah Valley and the Allegheny
mountains. Almost directly be"
meath, the North Fork Of the
Shenandoah river makes seven
majestic bends.
The view there is one Of the
most beautiful in the entire east
ern part of the country. The
tower is in a sad state of disre-
pair and the path to it is no
royal road.
But mountain roads, rock strewn
foot paths and weatherbeaten
tower fit so perfectly into the pic
ture that the inconvenience does
not seem to matter.
BY U. S. Route 211
Aside from the valley as a place
to picnic and relax the trip Sug-
gested this week by The Washing
ton Times offers great caverns,
known the world over, two other
mountain vistas and pretty roll
ing farming country in the Fau-
quier, Shenandoah and Page val
leys.
The trip is made from Washing
ton on United States Route 2l1
to Warrenton, where a right turn
by the side of gasoline station
puts the motorists on the same
route for Sperryville, Panorama
and Luray.
Beyond lies New Market, almost
exactly halfway between the End
less and the Shenandoah cayerns.
On the outskirts of Luray are the
caverns bearing the towns name.
The Drive Begins
From Warrenton the road
<Climbs gradually through the
western end of the Fauquier Val
ley, the last miles westward OF
Piedmont Virginia.
Sperryville is a small commu-
nifty nestled at the foot of the Blue
Ridge Mountains. The road begins
to climb swiftly as soon as the
edge of the village is reached.
There is a short left turn few
miles beyond Sperryville and the
drive up the mountain begins in
earnest.
Along the face Of the mountain
the finely paved road climbs. Sud
den and sharp turns occur fire.
quently and the view to the east
over the Fauquier Valley-changes
with the minutes.
Hotel, Tea Room
Ahead, the mountains loom
high and glimpses of the road yet
to be travelled can be seen cut
across the side of the mountain.
The road straightens out and
suddenly reaches the crest at Pan
Drama.
Panorama stands at the crest
Of Thornton's Gap, 5000 feet
above sea level. There is a fire
hotel, tea room and restaurant
there and for those who would
go horseback riding along the
mountain top, or play tennis or
swim, there are ample facilities.
The Skyline Drive, as yet not
open to the public, starts south
from Panorama. It is the most
ambitious of all the proposed or
attempted projectS8to make Shen-
andoah National Park one of the
most delightful out-of-doors areas
in the East. It runs 40 miles south
to the Spotswood Trail~near the
Green-Rockingham county line.
Saltpeter Cave
Panorama stands in the center
Of the Shenandoah National Park