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Virginia’s Adventure Towns: Harrisonburg – Friendly by Nature with Vince Mier, Walkabout Outfitter (Ep 91, Part 2) · Virginia Outdoor Adventures: Hiking, Camping, Kayaking, Local Travel and more!

• 1:17
  Okay, Vince. Let's move into art, culture, and unexpected things to do. And there are some interesting things in and around Harrisonburg that I think we just need to briefly mention.
• 1:27
  Maybe you don't want to monopolize yourself in the outdoors. Maybe somebody in your group is not all about the outdoors. Harrisonburg's had a good balance. So we've got an arts and culture district. We've got public murals. So literally, you might be walking downtown, and on the back side of the building is one of the most beautiful paintings I've seen.
• 1:44
  And they're still in the process of completing that one. There's sculptures. There's the love work sign. There's a literal tour that you can do. Again, started at the visitor center.
• 1:54
  There's art shops, galleries, oasis. One that's really unexpected, potentially cat cafes. So you can go hang out with some cats. I know that you might have done that recently, Jessica.
• 2:05
  Yes, I sure did. It's kind of funny because I wanted to mention all these things because, like you said, not everybody in the group is going to be outdoorsy, or maybe it's pouring rain when you wake up on your day in Harrisonburg, and you just want to do something different. There are lots of options. I know there are people who are visiting the Love Work statues all over the states, like they're they're checking it off as a bucket list item. So I wanted to make sure people know.
• 2:29
  And where is that sign? Isn't it near the farmers market?
• 2:32
  Yeah, it's really near the farmers market. Turner Pavilion is what that area is called.
• 2:34
  That's a good one to check off.
• 2:37
  Lots of shops. Kristen was telling me where to go to shop, and there are a lot of really good options. There's not one but two cat cafes. Like who would have thought? I just think that's so funny that there's two. Remember, I texted you. I said, "Oh my gosh, all these fluffy, adorable little predators are free to adopt this weekend.
• 2:57
  We have our cats competing. We have two cat shops.
• 3:00
  Yeah, and it it was beautiful. I mean, I've been to a couple of cat cafes in different parts of the state, including Old Town Alexandria. And when I walked into this one in Harrisonburg, it was clean. It was beautiful.
• 3:11
  It is an actual cafe, so you can get whatever drink or snack that you want, and then you sign up for a certain time slot to go into you know actually interact with the cats, and they are all up for adoption. And on that particular day, they had a lot of kittens from the Humane Society, I believe, and they were waiving the adoption fees on that weekend. So I got really excited because I've been catless at home for too long, and I just needed to get my fill, so that was something I was going to do before I left town.
• 3:43
  I'm glad that you found it, and yeah, how unique. We talk about all the good stuff that comes from the outdoors, but who doesn't love a good pet too?
• 3:49
  For shopping, do you want to mention some of the shops that people might want to stop into?
• 3:53
  Two in and of themselves are very unique, in that one's called Agora Market, the other one's called Liberty Street Mercantile. And to go in there, and it's not just one shop; it's a collection of shops. Very unique things that you can pop in there and see. A lot of like makers are presenting their stuff there. Could get a cup of coffee, etc. There's Rocktown Gift Shop that's in the visitor center, and then mentioned briefly the Oasis Fine Art and Craft, and we've done some partnerships with them in the past as well.
• 4:18
  Yeah, and what I like about these is that they're all unique. You're not going to find these things anywhere else. So if you're looking for something local, made locally by local artists, these are the places to go.
• 4:27
  Absolutely, all locally owned.
• 4:27
  We are speaking obviously about outdoor adventures, and so a lot of retail places. If you need that new piece of gear or just want to see what's out there, so one of the newest ones is the Outsider Gear Exchange. That's kind of like a consignment shop, and so Walkabout does a gear swap a couple times a year. But this place has designed that to be what they're all about, and so you can go in there on any given day, switch out an old piece of gear for a different piece of gear, and try something new. We also have all kinds of different bike shops like Bluestone Bike and Run, Shendo Bicycle Company, Rocktown. If fishing's more your speed, Mossy Creek is very well known, and so fly fishing, fishing of any kind, certainly experts that we're fortunate to have here in Harrisonburg. Earlier, I showed that Lester Zuck. He does guides of varying outdoor activities, but super well known for his timing guide, and then obviously walkabout outfitter is what led me to Harrisonburg.
• 5:24
  I have been inside all of the bike shops, and what I find really interesting is that none of them really seem to be competing with each other.
• 5:30
  Instead, they actually collaborate together and they support each other, which is unique. I feel like that's such a really great sense of community, and to make sure that everybody succeeds. And I think that some of them do joint events together as well.
• 5:45
  That is certainly the case. And so, what's true about the restaurants is true about the outdoor retail. We want downtown to thrive and be dynamic, so we welcome like-minded businesses and like-minded people. We're blessed for it, and so yeah.
• 5:59
  When we do an event, when we do some volunteering, like trail work, people from all of these shops will show up because we're not only doing it because it's our job; we're doing it because it's our passion.
• 6:09
  And speaking of passion, you definitely feel passion when you walk into Mossy Creek. It is a beautiful store. I think it is the biggest fly fish. Shop I've ever been in, and as soon as you walk in, they are eager to help you and to talk anything and all things fishing with you. And I'm sort of a newbie at fly fishing, and they were really good at recommending you know what type of gear I should look at as a beginner and also as somebody who doesn't want to break the bank, right? You know, like I like fly fishing, but I don't get to do it very often, so I'm not going to spend a ton of money on you know a new rod or or other types of gear. I just want something that that I can use to get outside. So they were a great resource, and then Lester is amazing. I have been climbing with him a couple of times. He also does caving adventures. I've not gone caving with him, but the climbing he is so good, and he's so much fun.
• 7:00
  He's a character, so he gets he gets really into it, and he's just a fun person to go out with, especially if you're new to climbing, because I know a lot of folks are. And the locations in and around Harrisonburg are so fantastic for beginners. There are routes that are really fantastic for people who are just for the first time trying it out, they're not too difficult, they're not too scary or intimidating, they're not too high. It's like just enough for you to get a good feel for it and get comfortable. And he does many beginner experiences. So there are hidden rocks, for example. That's one of the hikes that you and I did, but we could see all the climbing routes, and I was walking up, going, "Wait, I feel like I've been here before. And then the light bulb went off, like, "Oh right, I was here with Lester. So it's beautiful.
• 7:47
  And so, from beginner to expert, like that's a great example of a local guide. And similar with Mossy Creek, like it's in our interest. If we love it, we want to set people new to it or visitors up for success. I'm glad that you had such a good experience at both locations.
• 8:01
  I think people who have been listening to this podcast know, but I will be dropping links to some of these things that we're talking about in the show notes.
• 8:06
  So if you want to go climbing with Lesser or caving, you can find the link to him in the show notes. We have covered a lot, Vince, but we have not yet talked about one thing that is really unique to Harrisonburg that I think is different from other locations. But let's talk about the farmers market. What makes the farmers market part of the Harrisonburg experience?
• 8:29
  Well, Harrisonburg historically has been an agricultural community, and very much in a lot of ways still is. Talk about farm to table. So it's whether you're going to buy ingredients and take home, or you're going to go out to the restaurant and now their menu has switched because it's listing what's new at the farmers market, so it just pairs well. It's that blending of history with modern historical farming community that's still thriving, and we want to support that and make sure that that continues to be the case, but also a brand new restaurant, basing what they're cooking and showcasing at their establishment, based on the vegetables and the produce available from the farmers market.
• 9:06
  And didn't we have that exact conversation with the owner of Cuban Burger?
• 9:10
  At Cuban Burger, we'll talk about Elephant Head. It's so fresh. I mean, like I've bought stuff that's typically featured at the farmers market, I went into the co-op, got some green beans, but it was the same farm that you could find at the farmers market, and that made for such a good side to the meal that I was cooking.
• 9:27
  And I just love a good farmers market. My markets up here in Northern Virginia are very small and limited, but when I go to a community like Harrisonburg, I'm like, wow, and then I start loading up on everything, so I I enjoy a good farmers market. The colors, the presentation-I mean, it's a work of art when you walk through a good, well-put together farmers market and meeting the grower and asking them the story behind whatever it is and how to potentially cook it if it's new to you.
• 9:56
  Yeah, so I believe the Harrisonburg Farmers Market has been around for 45 years. I heard is that right?
• 10:02
  I suppose that's the establishment of that farmers market, but I got to figure even longer than that. Certainly, farmers have been selling their wares in the area and have been a key instrumental piece of Harrisonburg.
• 10:15
  And what days and times is it open?
• 10:17
  So it's typically Tuesdays and Saturdays, going off of memory.
• 10:21
  I want to say like eight to one, but that's all online. And again, that visitor center is going to set you up for success.
• 10:26
  But the earlier you can get there, the better your produce and selection is going to be because they do sell out, which is their goal. And it's just a cool way to see everybody in the Harrisburg community out and about, visitors and locals alike.
• 10:39
  Yes, and last time I was there, they had live music, which was fun. But also, it's not just produce, right? There's also artisan products, flowers, coffee, art. You know, all kinds of things. It's not just food.
• 10:51
  Certainly, no, it runs the gamut, and every time you visit, it's something different. But certainly, I've had just breakfast there because I was running behind, or the smell was just too intoxicating that I couldn't pass it up.
• 11:02
  Too intoxicating, yes, I understand that. Let's move on to where to stay in Harrisonburg, because if it's going to be your base camp, you need a place to lay your head down. So, if someone's coming to Harrisonburg for an outdoor adventure weekend, what types of lodging accommodations are available?
• 12:00
  Harrisonburg has all the typical hotels that you would come to expect, but I'd strongly encourage you to find a unique place, a memorable place. Even where you spend the night can be an awesome memory that you'll keep with you, versus just another cookie cutter hotel, for example. I know you recently stayed at Hotel Madison.
• 12:17
  I did, and I've stayed there a couple of times, and they seem to cater to JMU, but for the most part, it's sort of your standard hotel. It's very nice.
• 12:24
  There's a restaurant on site.
• 12:28
  It's a beautiful hotel, and it's very conveniently located. So, if you're looking for sort of your traditional upscale hotel, this is a great option.
• 12:37
  Yeah, and Kristen and I recently had the good fortune to stay at Friendly City Inn, so a true bed and breakfast within easy walking distance to downtown Harrisonburg, and we just pretended to be tourists in our own town. Becca is one of the owners of it, and her team just did a phenomenal job. It's a historic inn to begin with, I want to say they started in like 1888 is the origin of that house. Becca and her husband are the newest owners of it, but it was seamless. It was so enjoyable. I mean, one funny thing is like the doors are all wide. I mean, looking at their pamphlet, the reason is because when they hosted parties, women had bigger hoop skirts, and so to get it into this grand entrance, it was set up in that way. And so we had a great night's sleep before hitting the bed. We went downtown, went to Pale Fire, like I was saying, hit a couple of other night spots in Harrisonburg. But then when we got up in the morning, we let them know. They gave us time slots, so a little bit behind the scenes, 830 to nine if you wanted breakfast, or nine to 930, and so we signed up for our time slot. Sure enough, we come downstairs, delicious coffee, amazing food, and then we were just fueled up. And so from there, we went to Shenandoah National Park and a good night's sleep, a good meal.
• 13:49
  We hiked like 11 miles in the park.
• 13:54
  I have stayed at Friendly City Inn a couple of times too. Becca gave me the tour once. The architecture of this house is so amazing. Like you walk in and it's jaw dropping. It's so beautiful. The there's ornate woodworking everywhere. There's stained glass windows. Did you notice the stained glass windows above each room's door that I was telling you about?
• 14:12
  I don't know if we've seen that, but we did have like an amazing sunset going down of Harrisonburg that we love looking out the window.
• 14:19
  There's really unique details everywhere you look because of the architecture and the historic aspect of the house.
• 14:25
  But they've done a really great job of restoring all of that and and keeping it really beautiful.
• 14:28
  I think it's amazing. But the best part of Friendly City Inn is breakfast. It just does not get any better than the breakfast there. Every single time I've had breakfast down there, it's just to die for.
• 14:41
  There's a time and a place for a hotel, but I would strongly argue there's a time and a place for a bed and breakfast. There's another one called By the Side of the Road. Just recently, Table 1888. It's a restaurant and a hotel opened up in downtown Harrisonburg. Lots of options. Choose it and keep that as part of your adventure. As more unique you can make it, the better experience you'll have.
• 15:00
  I have not yet stayed at by the side of the road, but I did look at their website and they look awesome. That's going to be the next place that I stay when I'm in town. It seems to be very friendly to hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts, so I really want to check that out. And then Table 88 Restaurant and Hotel is formerly the Joshua Wilton House. So some people might know it as that, but it's under new ownership now, and that's more the restaurant, especially is more fine dining. And then I think they have a limited number of rooms that look beautiful from what I saw online.
• 15:30
  So many options, places to stay, places to eat. You were talking about friendly sitting in. We were meeting some other people that were staying, and so one couple was from Seattle. They were coming to take advantage of the biking in the area, and then another couple was from overseas that just happened to find Friendly City Inn. It was cool to interact with the people staying at the inn, where potentially you might not have that at a hotel.
• 15:55
  I think you make a good point because when I stayed there, I was sitting in the lobby next to the gorgeous fireplace by myself because I had some work on my computer I had to do, and I didn't want to sit in my room.
• 16:03
  And so I saw people checking in and out, and there were families coming from all around the state saying, "We really loved this place, and we're going to have to come back. So I think that says a lot. And then, of course.
• 16:16
  You said all of the major chain hotels are in and around the area too. So if somebody has points or status with some certain hotel chain, that's available as well. We talked about Harrisonburg being a place that is constantly changing and new things are coming. So let's talk about some of the new and noteworthy aspects of Harrisonburg. What keeps you excited about Harrisonburg?
• 16:41
  There's a new place to visit. It seems every time I go downtown, took you to one of our newest restaurants, Elephant Head. That was brand new to me, and now tomorrow I've got it on my calendar. I've got friends visiting, and that's where we're going to be going.
• 16:54
  Oh, good, because that place was so good.
• 16:57
  And so, yeah, keeps me excited about Harrisonburg. Yes, new places to eat. Munch is another restaurant. We mentioned one of our newest stores, Outsider Gear Exchange. What excites me about Harrisonburg is they thoughtfully developed the area without losing the character.
• 17:10
  You're not going to see a corporation in downtown Harrisonburg, but you are going to see incredibly unique and varied locations, whether that's to shop, to enjoy some culture, whether it's the groups that we have that come in to perform in Harrisonburg or the restaurants.
• 17:29
  I think it's just the blending of a city coming to life, vibrancy of having it be in a college town, and then just the population of people, the influx of both new and generations that have grown up here.
• 17:41
  How about we build the perfect Harrisonburg adventure? Let's say somebody is coming into town for the weekend. Certainly, they're going to be outdoorsy, but they also want to experience great food and a little bit of culture. How about we build the perfect Harrisonburg weekend?
• 17:54
  What do you think that would look like?
• 17:58
  Any given weekend could definitely be the perfect one, and it also be dependent on time of year. I kind of did that for you and your visit, and then I got to tag along with what I put together, and it was an amazing Harrisonburg visit. It reopened my eyes with what I love about this area. Morning, we started at Heritage Bakery, got to meet Isabel. Shout out to her mom who is instrumental in getting Heritage Bakery going. Coffee, breakfast there. Poke into the visitor center, which is conveniently located right next door. And then, if we're talking about Saturday morning, if it's true weekend, we're going to go over to the farmers market, see what's fresh, see what's new, see what some of the local artists have been putting together. And then, depending on what we're doing, a gear stop at any number of the shop. Fuel up, see what's new at the farmers market, and get ready for whatever adventure.
• 18:44
  This sounds perfect already. Can we talk about heritage a little bit because the food we had was so amazing, and talking to Isabel, the owner, was really eye opening because she talked about how livable the community is-not just for visitors, but people come and they want to stay.
• 18:59
  And again, it was just like a walk back through history. I remember working with Isabel when I first moved up here before Heritage existed. I mean, they have tea time now. They have the most amazing bakery items. You can order cakes from them. You can walk in and get it right out of the counter.
• 19:13
  Yes, I think I had avocado toast with an egg, which is like one of my favorites, and then tea as well, because I almost felt like you had to order tea. They had these beautiful ornate teacups with saucers, and I was like, okay, I just need to have that.
• 19:28
  It was so cute. And as Kristen pointed out, she has absolutely no idea how the team puts together all of these amazing pastries in the small kitchen space that they have back there, but they do, and it's incredible.
• 19:40
  It is, yeah, and just a great way to start your day.
• 19:43
  What would be next on the agenda for midday?
• 19:45
  Let's go do something. Head out to Home Quarry, and like I was saying earlier, we could knock off two really, really good hikes. That cliff trail, get up to the top, see a good lay of the land, get back down, and then explore hidden rocks.
• 19:57
  Whether we did bring our climbing gear and do a little bit of climbing, whether we time it and go see that waterfall, whether we just slow way down and see some of the wildlife that might be out there, some of the flowers that are in bloom, two hikes, both amazing in the same park. That's a cool way to experience Harrisonburg.
• 20:14
  We mentioned earlier that Home Quarry Cliff Trail was short, like a mile up to the top. I think good weight, like you said, to warm up your legs, and then you get a really great view at the top. Hidden rocks. I feel like we need to describe that a little bit more because the beauty was stunning, and we haven't done it justice.
• 20:31
  And it is tough to describe in words. That's why we all love getting outdoors and experiencing it. The route that we took, we went past the waterfall in all of its glory this time of year, and then went into the woods, started gaining a little bit of elevation, and then literally these rocks open up, hidden, tucked into these trees, but it's like a good quarter mile, half mile of rock wall, and yeah, to your point, beautiful and unique to that area.
• 20:56
  Yeah, I can't wait to post the photos and videos that I took because you two are hiking in front of me. So I have these really cool videos of the two of you in front of me to give you some sense of scale as to how big these rock walls are, and they are so neat. It's a great place to see wildlife, but it's also just a great place to appreciate the geology of the area.
• 21:16
  And if they do look closely at those videos, and maybe not so close, you'll see Kristen and I swatting bugs, and wish that we came more prepared, like Jessica.
• 21:24
  Yes, don't forget your head at the buggy time of year, but it's a really beautiful trail, and I wish I could remember how many miles it was. Do you recall Hidden Rocks? I want to say is like two to three miles on the shorter side, but really, like if you're looking for more miles, Home Quarry has many more options than just the two that we're naming. You could put in 10, 20 miles in that area, seeing multiple waterfalls and multiple sections.
• 21:49
  The hike to Hidden Rocks also follows a stream before you get to those rock walls, so you've got some smaller cascades as well. It's really pretty.
• 21:57
  Yeah, definitely something for everyone on that one.
• 22:27
  Okay, so after those two hikes, now it's afternoon. What do we do next?
• 22:31
  Well, we've worked up an appetite, so we're going to have to fuel up and get ready for the second half of our day. Cuban Burger. I mentioned that earlier. That's a really good spot. Variety of foods there. We could also go to Bella Luna, have an amazing wood fire pizza, and then walk across the street and get some gelato. Go shopping in any number of the shops that we were talking about earlier.
• 22:50
  Get a bottle of wine to enjoy or take home with us as a souvenir, and see some of the art in downtown Harrisonburg, which is really nice.
• 22:58
  I think one thing I want to point out about Cuban burger is you said you're vegetarian. I am too, and there are still options on the menu. I think all the times that I have visited Harrisonburg, I avoided Cuban burger because I just thought it was burgers, and there's so much more on the menu besides that.
• 23:13
  Some of the most healthiest food, and I look forward to returning again and again.
• 23:17
  Okay, so in the evening, this is something that you and I did together. What would you recommend?
• 23:22
  It was really fun way to do it.
• 23:22
  Like I mentioned earlier, High Knob Fire Tower, you can get a 360 degree view, but if you're not an early bird and you want to catch a sunset instead, that turned out to be amazing. Yes, we had some rain coming and going, but we got all the way to the top and back. That's a three mile hike. We walked to the top of the fire tower, and we could even step inside the fire tower.
• 23:41
  But the views that we got, the cloud coverage that was coming and going, and then ultimately the sunset pictures couldn't ask for anything better.
• 23:50
  I think I was really pushing hard for the sunset hike, and we pulled it off.
• 23:55
  Yeah, we did barely because you know it was it was really touchy. It was like okay, it's raining, it's not raining, it's raining, it's not raining, and it wasn't just rain. It was like pretty epic thunderstorms rolling in, especially through the downtown area. And I know you were getting text messages from people saying, "Oh my God, are you guys okay? Because what was happening downtown was pretty fierce, and everybody was a little concerned about us up there, but we ended up being able to dodge it. And there was some rain, but we were inside the fire tower and stayed dry until it passed, and then hiked our way back down. But it was worth it because of the amazing views from up there. You can see right into West Virginia, and we saw the storm from a distance over the valley, and we could see these rays of sun beaming through a hole in the cloud, and right next to that torrential downpour coming down, it's you know one of those things that you don't get to see very often, except from that vantage point, and it really reminds you, I think, of how small you are in the world.
• 24:52
  It's also a critical point to make in that don't always trust your weather forecast. What's happening here doesn't necessarily is happening there, and it's also a reason to make sure you have the right gear.
• 25:02
  Because had we passed, we would have missed out on such an incredible experience. So yes, look at the weather forecast.
• 25:08
  Yes, come prepared, but don't make that the be-all and all to whether or not you go out and try something.
• 25:15
  I think that's a really great point because if we weren't pressed on time and we didn't have like a small window to make it happen, I don't know that I would have really pushed for it. I would have.
• 25:23
  Oh yeah, you would. Okay, okay, fair. But it was worth it. And Heinub is a really cool historic piece of architecture, and it's really neat that you can actually go into the fire tower because many historic fire towers have either been removed, or the ones that are still standing are not in great shape, and it's not safe to go inside.
• 25:41
  But there are some really steep steps to get up that tower. You better be hanging on to the handrail, right? Like this is not something you're just gonna, you know, skip up and skip back down.
• 25:52
  Especially when the wind and rain kicks in.
• 25:54
  It was neat too because once the rain passed, then we had the fog roll in, so like these pictures that I took of you, which I think I'm going to use on the cover of this episode. So everybody should look at your cover right now. The fire tower is behind you, but it has such a how do you describe the feeling?
• 26:11
  Because it's sort of dark and it's like you know covered in this fog and it's just very. I don't want to say that it's eerie because it's not eerie. It just has a different feel to it.
• 26:21
  It's not the sunshine and rainbows that you're used to seeing in outdoor photos all the time. And you know, I I first thought, oh, I don't know if I want to use these photos because it's sort of gray and it just sort of has like a dark feeling to it. But isn't that what the outdoors is like? Those are the experiences that you're going to have, and just because the weather isn't all rainbows and sunshine doesn't mean that you need to stay inside or that you need to skip it or go home. Like there's an experience to be had, and I think when I think about the outdoors and some of the more memorable experiences that I've had over the years, those are it. It's that time that you climbed up to the fire tower, and you saw the most epic views of a storm approaching in the distance. And I would have really been missing out had we said, "Let's skip this.
• 27:06
  One of the things that I took away from my thru hike is bugs and bad weather and blisters.
• 27:09
  That doesn't have to equal a bad hike.
• 27:13
  Well, I think maybe your tolerance level is probably a little higher too. Anybody who thru hikes knows that you're not stopping because the weather isn't perfect. It's not going to be so. Yeah, great point. Okay, so then we went to dinner after we came down from the fire tower, and oh my gosh, let's talk about Elephant Head.
• 27:33
  That was a such a unique one because if you're with a group of people, that's what it really lends itself well to. And so you order a bunch of small plates, medium plates, large plates, and then it sample and try something new and talk about it. Makes it much more communal, makes it new and novel. And then you'll find something that you might not have realized that you ever liked because you were too nervous to place your entire order, throw everything in on just one dish. It's kind of a sample opportunity.
• 27:59
  Yeah, I loved it. Remind me when we were there. I know they had done a soft opening, but had they even done the official opening yet?
• 28:06
  Grand opening has happened full speed ahead, and so strongly encourage people to check out Elephant Head when they're looking for a unique restaurant to visit. It was amazing. And then afterwards, if there's still time, there are some brewery and live music options as well, right?
• 28:21
  We've mentioned all kinds of different things that you could do at any of our local breweries. A lot of our restaurants will feature live music. Sometimes we'll have comedy going on. We have a Court Square Theater that might have a good show. So yeah, lots of nightlife that can continue it going if you haven't already hiked and eaten and drink yourself to your bed.
• 28:39
  We forgot to mention that there's outdoor seating at Elephant Head too. The patio is beautiful.
• 28:44
  That worked out well because I think it was continuing to rain, but we were still outside, but covered in just a nice space.
• 28:49
  Okay, so day two, you know, everybody has had a wonderful first day. What to do in the morning on day two?
• 28:56
  Well, if you didn't wake up at Friendly City Inn and have their amazing breakfast, I would strongly encourage you to get up early and time it so you're in line at Magpie. That will reduce your wait time. Magpie is very popular with locals and visitors alike, and with good reason.
• 29:10
  Incredible coffee and a wide-ranging menu. And what did you have, Jessica? It was a plant-based dish, and there was potatoes and arugula and a fried egg on top, and it was delish. It was amazing.
• 29:29
  Yes, and then I had waffles, and I think it was like peach-inspired because they were in season and just incredible.
• 29:36
  And then not only that, we walk over to the bakery and get a bunch of to-go stuff as well.
• 29:41
  Yes, I had a pistachio croissant. I was going to eat it on my way home. It didn't last that long. I came out of the cat cafe and I was I was like, I'm just going to take a bite. That whole thing was was gone in like a matter of moments. It was amazing. I remember thinking that you were kidding about having to get in line at Magpie when it opened, I was like, "Oh come on, how busy can it be? And then we walked up a couple minutes before opening, and yeah, there was a line. So it was very smart to get there early, and I think the line just got longer the longer we were sitting there. So getting there early is a good plan.
• 30:18
  They take that into account, and so they take good care of their customers. And so you can also just leave them your cell phone number, walk around downtown. It happens to be a Saturday. Go to the farmers market. You get that text, then you better hightail it back. But you don't literally have to just linger at the restaurant. And so there's shopping to be done nearby.
• 30:37
  Definitely worth checking out day two magpie.
• 30:40
  So then, in the afternoon, what would you recommend after breakfast?
• 30:45
  So yeah, after an amazing breakfast, just like you were mentioning, you could go check out one of our two cat cafes, whether that's Cat's Cradle or go over to Aristocat Cafe.
• 30:55
  Yes, Aristocat is the one that I visited, and it's funny because they have a giant sign outside that says "There's literally cats in here, and there's an arrow pointing towards the door.
• 31:04
  I don't know how you could miss it though, because they have a beautiful window, and the cats like to sit in the windows and watch the people go by and the traffic. That's a fun and unique thing to explore in the afternoon. And then what else?
• 31:15
  Other options for afternoon.
• 31:18
  Sticking with our hiking theme, if that's what you're in Harrisonburg this time to check out, strongly encourage you to go over to Fridley Gap. We spoke about that earlier. Beautiful stream, beautiful mountaintop views, beautiful dropping into valleys. And so, if you have that bee-free filter that I was talking about, you don't have to carry the three liters of water you might drink along the way because there's water out there.
• 31:38
  You could pair that with, or just head over to Kaler Knob and do a really nice ridge walk and have views on the left and the right as you're hiking out.
• 31:44
  Bring a lunch and and eat up there on top of the mountain.
• 31:48
  For the gap, you could do that for a mile. If you just wanted to do the stream walk, you could extend it, do six miles, and then Kaler Knob, you'd be looking around three miles. And again, if you're feeling energetic and you want to extend it, you can keep going on that trail as well.
• 32:03
  Yeah, my recollection from both of those hikes is there's a network of trails around them, so you can pick up any other trail in the area and make it as long as you want.
• 32:11
  Yes, and I mean I'm also like I mentioned into kayaking, so if you brought the boat, you could do one of the hikes and then go for a paddle, or just day two, go paddling instead.
• 32:20
  How about the evening on the second day?
• 32:23
  Pick and choose. We've listed off so many restaurants, and so whatever you are in the mood for, whether it's straight up burger from Aaron's Jack Browns, some chop chop at Cuban Burger Pizza, my favorite Indian food, or one of our Thai restaurants, sky's the limit. So whatever you're in the mood for, you could find it and close off on another amazing night in Harrisonburg.
• 32:44
  Before anybody gets on the road to go home, or even as a first stop in Harrisonburg, Friendly City Co-op is a great place to load up on snacks and drinks for the weekends.
• 32:54
  Yeah, and like I mentioned, like taking a picnic up to one of these hikes, go to the co-op and get your supplies there. Whether it's on their cold bar or their hot bar or any of their just organic options, and put something together and pair that with some good drinks. And again, all of our local breweries, you can find their beverages there as well.
• 33:12
  Not every town has a co-op. Can you explain what a co-op is? Yeah, it's very open to all.
• 33:16
  So you don't necessarily have to be a member, but in being a member, you support what they're doing there. You get certain specials, you get certain events that you get to take part in.
• 33:26
  But ultimately, what it is is it's just a very mindfully sourced place to get locally sourced produce, vegetables, meats, cheeses, wines. It's basically like an outfitter, but for food.
• 33:40
  Yes, and we picked up. There was some vegan jerky, like it was mushroom jerky. I think, right?
• 33:47
  It was yes, indeed. I don't know. Yeah, and we were like, we were like pulling them all off the shelves because we wanted to sample all of them, and then we also got some really great kumbacha, right?
• 33:57
  Yep, and I think those came out of I want to say Waynesboro, and so we did like a sampler of those.
• 34:02
  We did. Is there anything else we picked up? I can't recall.
• 34:04
  I know that in the past I'll get some trail mix from the co-op.
• 34:09
  They do have really good breads and cheeses. Sky's the limit with what you come up with there.
• 34:13
  Vince, I think we're going to have to wrap things up here pretty shortly. We have shared a lot of information. Could you share some of your journal excerpts from your time on the AT? Because this was a special moment that we had while we were dining at Magpie, and you brought with you excerpts from your trail journal to share, and also some of the photography that you had taken from the trail. Because we had been talking about that on our drive back from High Knob Fire Tower, and I said I would love to see some of your photos. So you brought it with you the next morning at breakfast, and I was flipping through, and there's just some stunning, jaw-dropping photos that you have. But then the excerpts from your journal were so reflective, and some of them really hit close to home for me, and so I think it was during that moment that I said,"Do you think we could share some of these on the podcast?
• 35:05
  And I was so glad that you said yes.
• 35:07
  I'm very honored to share from my journal from day one at Springer Mountain all the way up through Katahdin and coming home. Each day, I entered into a couple pages into my journal of like what happened that day, so I'm covering like side trails, bears, moose, people from around the world that I met, trail magic examples. In particular, I think a cool way to close this out would just be to share my last entry in the journal. I had finished Katahdin and I needed to figure out how I was going to get home to Roanoke, and so hitched a ride to Bangor, and then got a ticket to a bus ride home, and so had a lot of time on my hands. What I want to share it's this one I titled"Trail Wisdom for Life, and so I was really just sitting down and trying to write down anything that I felt like I learned that I didn't want to lose as I got back off the trail, and so this is from August 14, 2011, and I'll just share six of them in particular. One because they came from my thru hike, but also that they very much apply to Harrisonburg, our small businesses, and then just everything that we have to offer as an outdoor community. I said I'm watching the sunrise from my seat on the Greyhound bus in a parking lot in Bangor, Maine, as the miles. Cities and states begin to disappear outside of the bus windows. I realized that soon I would be home, back to the life I had left behind, back to responding to the name Vince and not the trail name Blaze. I realized that perhaps I'd learned some things by walking from Georgia to Maine that I can continue to carry with me on whatever trail I blaze in the future, the feelings of being alive, truly living, the joy of conquering a challenge, the ongoing push to accomplish something huge. This mindset must not be tossed aside like my worn-out hiking shoes. So here are the six that I thought would be applicable to the podcast today. Trail magic does not have to end at Katahdin. So in a lot of ways, I feel like here in Harrisonburg and Walkabout Outfitter and just my life in general, that trail magic that thru hikers talk about, it's not over. It continues if you look for it. Good people vastly outnumber bad people. People go out of their way to help someone who's following their dream, and so with that one, we talked about all of these small businesses, all these people that I got to introduce you to, and that I've gotten to meet over my years, and it's people looking out for one another in whatever their adventure or their dream is. Each person has their own trail to hike and their own method of hiking, and you could swap hiking and hike for any word that you would like, any adventure, any point in their lives. But everyone has a unique thing going on, and they're on their own journey.
• 37:40
  Have respect for your surroundings and what you are doing. That's kind of the point of pride in Harrisonburg. And then don't take even the smallest kindness for granted. I could not have completed my thru hike without people's help along the way, and I never thought that that would be the case, or looked for that. And just like in Harrisonburg, all the kindnesses that have happened over the years and will continue into the future, I think Harrisonburg is very welcoming, and we take pride in what we're doing, and we look out for those that are locals and visiting us.
• 38:11
  Yeah, I think that that is really beautiful, and thank you for sharing all of that because I know that that was personal, and you weren't writing it for an audience when you wrote those things, so I appreciate you sharing them. But I also feel like it really embodies a part of Harrisonburg. There are many aspects to Harrisonburg, but it is still a trail town. You know, people who are hiking the AT stop in Harrisonburg to rest and refuel and restock on supplies.
• 38:35
  The things that you have learned from your experience as a thru hiker are things that you continue to give back to the community in Harrisonburg. So that's why I was really eager and excited for you to share those.
• 38:48
  It's very reciprocal. That trail magic goes both ways, friendly by nature, and it's unique that Harrisonburg is. You mentioned a trail town, but it's officially designated as an Appalachian Trail town, yeah, lots to be proud about here in Harrisonburg, and pairing up the outside adventures with the downtown community just blends so well.
• 39:07
  Because Harrisonburg is not simply a place that you pass through on your way to an outdoor adventure; it's an adventure town in its own right, and it's a place where you can spend the day exploring the mountains and the trails, and that includes river trails, water trails, and then come back downtown for incredible food, support local businesses, art, music, and just a really great sense of community. So thank you, Vince, so much for sharing your knowledge and your expertise and your love for Harrisonburg in this episode.
• 39:39
  Appreciate you making the time, Jessica, and we thoroughly enjoyed hosting you and seeing Harrisonburg through your eyes as well.
• 39:44
  So, if listeners are looking to connect with you or are looking for more information about Harrisonburg, where should they go?
• 39:50
  Please do visit the Harrisonburg Tourist Center Visitor Center in Harrisonburg, and then also you can email me directly, Vince at walkaboutoutfitter.com. No s at the end of Outfitter. And again, you can pop into the visitor center or find them online.
• 40:06
  There's even an app that Harrison Briggs put together that's very useful.
• 40:10
  I will put links to those in the show notes so people can find them easily. Vince, thank you again for being a guest on Virginia Outdoor Adventures. I really hope to see you on the trail during my next visit to Harrisonburg. Happy trails! Adventure on.