GhostStop & Lynchburg Ghost Tours Search for the Paranormal

By: Jeremy Angione  |  Photos By: Ashlee Glen

Lynchburg, as you might expect of a city founded in the late eighteenth century, has its share of rich and unique history. While the Lynchburg Museum and other historical preservation societies tend to focus on stories related to its founding, one business in particular is more interested in the weird and macabre history of the Hill City.

Originally founded in 2006, in Florida, by Shawn Porter, GhostStop specializes in manufacturing and selling ghost hunting equipment to paranormal enthusiasts. Although Porter claims he could have never seen himself opening a store like GhostStop, many of his life experiences prepared him for it.

“My background is theme park marketing,” Porter said. 

After working as the marketing director for Universal Studios Orlando for 14 years, Porter joined The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), made famous by their Travel Channel television show, Ghost Hunters (now streamable on Netflix). Porter says that possible paranormal experiences as a child spurred on his curiosity for the paranormal.

Porter always had an interest in technology. He’d built websites “before they were even called websites,” and worked a few positions at Universal Studios Orlando that required and enhanced his technical knowledge. His technical prowess made him an asset for the TAPS team and other paranormal teams that needed equipment to capture ghostly phenomena. 

“There was really no equipment for ghost hunting,” Porter said.

After his inventions gained traction in the niche field, Porter decided to open up his store. Although the store makes for an interesting spectacle for passersby, much of GhostStop’s operations are dedicated to the in-house manufacture of nearly all ghost hunting equipment.

“We actually make all the equipment that you see on those shows,” Porter said.

In 2023, Porter, along with most of his staff, decided to move the business to Lynchburg for lower cost of living and doing business, appealing scenery, and to be closer to family. Despite the niche nature of ghost hunting, GhostStop has had enough success over the years for Porter to purchase all of 918 Commerce Street where the business now resides, each floor serving a different function.

Porter says that he believes he may have experienced paranormal phenomena in the building on a few of his late-night work sessions.

“I’m a big skeptic myself. I’ve never had an experience that I considered evil or scary. For me it’s just more of a curiosity,” Porter said. 

Although he and the GhostStop staff all employ a healthy level of skepticism when it comes to their work, they revel in the fun of all the different possibilities that might cause phenomena in a particular location.

The shop space itself comprises mostly ghost hunting equipment for the avid paranormal investigator, and fun ghostly merchandise for more casual fans of all things spooky. Porter’s theme park marketing experience is on full display at GhostStop, as the shop looks as if it were a gift shop at any amusement park.

The store acts as the first stop on the Ghost Tours, which commenced last Halloween.

Operations Manager Megan Paxton handles much of the logistics of arranging the Ghost Tours. Despite the name, Paxton and Porter try to differentiate the experience they bring to their tours from other similar services.

“It’s definitely more history driven. Our goal is not necessarily to scare, it’s more to intrigue,” Paxton said.

Currently, the walking tours are about one mile in length and explore the history of popular locales on Commerce Street.

“I want to look at the history in a very in depth and respectable manner. Then intertwine some of the stories we get here and try to see how they connect to the weird history of this town,” Porter said.

One locale that illustrates the weird history that Porter mentions is the old C.B. Fleet building across from GhostStop. Although there have not yet been any confirmed sightings of Fleet’s ghost, the tour guides often share that his claim to fame was his invention of ChapStick and the enema.

Both Porter and Paxton agree that the shop has become a beacon for so many people—local, national, and even international—to come in and share their interests in the paranormal.
Porter says that many locals come into the shop to share stories of paranormal experiences they’ve had at specific locales.

Paxton says that GhostStop uses those stories to cross reference with the established history of those locales to uncover more unique stories for the tours.

In that way, Porter says that no two tours are the same and that many of the stories shared are essentially “crowdsourced.”

“The overall history remains the same. It’s just the stories that are told might be different,” Paxton said.

According to Paxton the tours have been popular and typically see a wide range of demographics, from out of state visitors, to friend groups looking for a unique evening activity.

“It’s very family friendly too,” Porter said.

Currently, the tours take place roughly twice a month, a number Porter hopes to increase if the demand is there. Tickets for a tour are $25. Although the tour is a fairly short walk, a major priority for GhostStop was to make the tours as accessible as possible,

“We make sure everything is ADA accessible. That’s very important for us,” Porter said.

The GhostStop team is in the process of building out new routes for more variety in the tours. There is even a plan to start conducting paranormal investigations at certain locations that community members can assist with.

To book or find more information on the Lynchburg Ghost Tours you can visit lynchburgghosttours.com. Information on GhostStop can be found at ghoststop.com.

Smith Mountain Lake’s Pirate Days Set Sail

By: Olivia Carter | Photos courtesy: Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce & P.J. Nagel

Pirates and landlubbers alike rejoice as the 11th annual Smith Mountain Lake Pirate Days is back again, from July 19 to July 21.

What started as a handful of buccaneers has grown into a grand spectacle, drawing thousands from near and far, doubling in size with each year.

Led by P.J. Nagel, commodore and chief organizer, Smith Mountain Lake Pirate Days is a gathering of the local community and a chance for businesses to come together in the spirit of adventure and camaraderie.

Pirate Days was started as an effort to bring lake area businesses together to “pick up the slack” after Fourth of July, Nagel said.

“Business kind of took a tank and the theme of Pirate Days was introduced for local businesses to basically create a new holiday and it’s since morphed into a community event,” he said.

In its first year a handful of attendees, including Nagel and his crew, took to the waters and were met with curious stares from onlookers who were unsure of what was going on, Nagel said.

For the first event, there were just ten people dressed as pirates, he said, and six were with him.

“We actually decorated a boat and sailed around to different ports on the lake and people were looking at us like we were strange and had no idea what was going on,” he said. “It wasn’t marketed, it was something sent out through the Chamber of Commerce to the businesses and basically, they said, ‘Hey, this weekend is going to be pirates weekend.’”

With each passing year, Pirate Days grew and what began as a small gathering soon escalated into a full-fledged event, complete with pirate balls, sea battles, and celebrations.

But as the event grew, so too did the need for a larger space—Bridgewater Plaza, the event’s original home, eventually became too small to contain the pirates and those on land looking on.

Every year, Pirate Days looked for larger harbors, finally finding room at Crazy Horse Marina.

“We realized that, if we increase again, we’re not going to be able to stay here, right? So we started looking for a new venue and we ended up moving the entire event to Crazy Horse Marina because of the size of the property. And with moving there we subsequently saw just as much of an increase in attendance as the previous year and each year it just keeps stepping up,” Nagel said.

However, with the sale of Crazy Horse Marina, Pirate Days found itself once again without a venue.

The new venue must be waterfront and the overall space must be able to fit 100 vendors as well as a few thousand vehicles.

The events over the weekend include a Pirates Ball at Mango’s Bar & Grill at Bridgewater Marina, where staff dress as pirates and professional pirates pay a visit. There are bands playing throughout the weekend as well as mermaids swimming around, Nagel said. Pirate crews from multiple states come for the event and bring their cannons and vendors are set up on land.

Shadow Players Stage Combat Group, theatrically trained swordsmen from Raleigh, will be in attendance and there will also be sea shanty groups that play music and sing. 

Not including volunteers, there are just five paid staff members who put the weekend on.

Last year, the event brought in 10,000 over the weekend.

A large portion of Pirate Days is the water battles that take place over the weekend and many spectators watch from land.

Nagel said the water fights mysteriously evolved during the third or fourth year.

“It’s something that just happened, and it took off like wildfire. It’s nothing that we coordinate. It’s nothing that we regulate other than putting out a public service announcement,” he said.

He said pirates on the lake will load their boats with kids and super soakers and drive around the lake “attacking” other boats with water battles and it happens throughout the entire weekend.

“We do advertise a time that they should be there and the reason why we were doing that in the past is because the Virginia Dare [cruise boat] would sail to whatever venue we were at, and they sell a pirate cruise and they outfit all their customers with water guns and they would sail to a location. So in an effort to coordinate the arrival of all these public boats, we’d set a time,” he said.

Due to the popularity and size of the event, many of the area rental homes get sold out ahead of time.

“If you talk to any real estate agent that rents houses, or a real estate company that rents houses on the lake, you’d be hard pressed to find one that will tell you that the third weekend of July isn’t the most requested week of the year,” he said. “These people are spending a fair amount of money not just for the house, but they’re going to all the retail stores and all the restaurants. So the economic impact for the businesses is widespread.”

Pirate Days also employs volunteer groups from non-profits such as the Bedford Humane Society, the American Legion, and local churches. Volunteers contribute to various tasks and in return, organizations receive monetary donations. 

Nagel’s dream is to one day expand Pirate Days into a larger event like Gasparilla in Florida, which draws 700,000 people to a one-day event.

But the biggest thing Nagel takes away from the weekend is interacting with the kids that come out.

“Pirate Days is and always will be family-friendly and every year there’s always a couple of kids that stand out.”

He looks at a photo of a kid who came dressed as Captain Hook the second year the event was held who challenged Nagel to a sword fight. The kid, now a teenager, still attends and finds Nagel each year.

“We have updated pictures of the sword fight every year with the same kid,” he said. “So it’s always…it’s about the kids.”  

A mother of two runs Amherst-based Alcock Threads

By: Izzi Diaz Young  |  Photos By: Ashlee Glen

When the owner of Alcock Threads, Renita Kuepfer, was gifted a sewing machine by her parents for her twelfth birthday, she had no idea the impact it would have on her life. What began with creating miniature clothes for her dolls and small quilts for herself eventually grew into Alcock Threads, a custom linen clothing shop based out of Amherst, Virginia. 

Uprooting from her home in northern Michigan about eight years ago, Kuepfer settled in the town of Amherst after she and her husband got married. Now, she is a mother to two little boys; when she is not parenting, she can be found with a needle and thread, hand sewing custom creations for customers across the globe. 

Her love of sewing and creating was inspired when she was only a child, but was amplified around eight years ago, as Kuepfer realized what might be lying within the details of her beloved materials. Her medium of choice was validated once she began discovering hidden chemicals lying within household objects and many synthetic fabrics. 

“When I got married in 2016, I became very aware of all the toxins and chemicals that come with so many cleaners and fabrics, and I really wanted to cut down on that for my own home,” Kuepfer said. 

With that, an idea formed. 

“That’s when I found linen and fell in love with how sustainable and versatile it is for all your home linens, and, it is so incredibly comfy yet classy while wearing it!” she said.

After having her first son and experimenting with sewing linen, Kuepfer found her niche.

“I really had a hard time finding clothes that actually fit my preferences and body type, and so I resorted back to my initial ability to sew my own clothes,” she explained. “Then I fell in love with the art of being able to take a piece of fabric and some measurements and making something that I wanted to wear and felt beautiful in.” 

While she began crafting her vision and designing her stunning products in 2016, it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic struck that the store, Alcock Threads, was brought to life. 

“I was in the crunches of being a first-time mama and needing to stay home and quarantined. I badly needed something to do as a creative outlet,” Kuepfer noted. “So, out of desperation, I started an Instagram account to document my sewing. Within a few months, I started getting messages about sewing custom orders and I eventually started up an Etsy shop to take orders.” 

Alcock Threads shoppers can browse tank tops, dresses, aprons, and anything in between, and purchase hand-created, stunning garments by Kuepfer that are all custom, made to order, and designed specifically for the customer. Browsers will see that all the listed designs have unique names to fit their personal style, such as a linen buttoned bodice dress named Charity, or linen maxi skirt by the name of Evelyn. One might even notice the linen tee the shop offers with a familiar name of Reni, short for Renita. 

Kuepfer stated that much of her clothing and style inspiration is drawn from her love of minimalism, and how linen is often associated with “simple yet elegant designs.” 

She noted, “Often I find this inspiration from Pinterest…but I also do have four wonderful sisters that I bounce ideas off of!”

Alcock Threads features an array of apparel that is perfect for everyday attire, but can also be adorned for more formal events, succeeding in being versatile to fit all phases and stages of life. Her designs can be woven to fit all body types and styles, becoming the perfect addition to anyone’s closet. 

“I’m a hands-on person,” she explained. “So I hand-draw my patterns with a grading process, inspiration photos, and use either USA letter sizes or your specific measurements.” 

When asked what her favorite thing about being a business owner is, Kuepfer said, “I love being able to work with people I have never met, creating a design I know will put a smile on their face whenever they wear it.” 

She certainly makes her customers happy, having received an average rating of five stars for her listed items. One customer commented, “Renita has a gift, and she is excellent at it! I have bought two dresses and they are both some of my favorite pieces I own.” 

Another remarked, “Reni works really hard to make sure you are satisfied with her garments and willing to make changes until you are happy.”

Kuepfer had a goal, a plan to execute her vision, and much help along the way. Kuepfer now operates as a mother and small business owner—two full-time jobs that aren’t for the faint of heart. With much dedication, an immense passion for what she does, and the support of a happy clientele behind her, Kuepfer’s dreams have come to life. 

Her community of consumers and encouragers is growing daily and spans the country.

“I’ve met some lovely local friends through sewing orders, but the majority of my business has come from the nationwide online community,” Kuepfer stated. 

Kuepfer’s advice for folks interested in starting their own small business? “Just do it,” she said. “Find your niche and stay consistent. It’s hard work but being creative is worth it! Most importantly, have fun with it!” 

The Importance of Kids Spending Time Outside

By: Shannon Kelly  |  Photos Courtesy: Jill Waugh

Nature is healing,” said Catherine Eubank, founder of ONE Forest School near Smith Mountain Lake in Bedford County. 

Her sentiment echoes myriad studies on the healthful impacts of spending time outdoors—and studies that examine what can happen when there is a lack of connection to the natural world.

“Nature deficit disorder” is a term coined by Richard Louv in 2005, in his book, Last Child in
the Woods. In an interview with Jill Suttie for Greater Good Magazine, Louv said the term
“is not a medical diagnosis, but a useful term—a metaphor—to describe what many of us believe are the human costs of alienation from nature: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses, a rising rate of myopia, child and adult obesity, Vitamin D deficiency, and other maladies.”

Louv further said urban planning and loss of green spaces contribute to diminished engagement with nature.

Some places in and around the Lynchburg area aim to remedy that.

ONE Forest School

Located near Smith Mountain Lake in Bedford County, ONE Forest School is an accredited forest school and is also accredited by the American Camp Association for the summer camp program it offers. Launched in 2017, the school operates on a 10-acre campus on Deerhead Nature Preserve.

Open to children from preschool through eighth grade, ONE Forest School’s curriculum and setting aims to address what Eubank said is a root cause of school and workplace violence, substance use issues, and suicide rates, particularly among young people: a lack of knowledge on how to healthfully manage strong emotions, and how to communicate them appropriately. 

Part of addressing this issue starts with acknowledging its connection to nature deprivation.

“If you’re in the middle of the forest, and you are not surrounded by anything but sticks and twigs, and beautiful images, and the birds tweeting, it’s a natural sedative. It’s been scientifically proven, the endorphin levels rise in your brain, and all the things that you need to quiet your mind are already right there,” she said.

Eubank has seen the transformative difference nature immersion makes on children as they learn to acclimate to more time outside—building sure-footedness and tuning in to nature rather than manufactured noise and artificial stimuli.

Playing with sticks, making mud cakes, working the garden, putting on skits, making crafts, sharing in talk circles, and spending time in the sand box are all part of the holistic experience. Students learn to identify the flora and fauna by touch, sight, and smell. 

“The kids that have been in public school, and were made to sit down, and made to be quiet have a really hard time also adjusting to our way of things, where we don’t sit down, and we’re moving around, and we’re investigating, and looking, and touching, and feeling, and speaking, and communicating. We have to use that time as an unschooling process,” Eubank said.

More details about ONE Forest School can be found at oneforestschool.org.

Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center

In the City of Lynchburg, Camp Kum-Ba-Yah is a 47-acre nature oasis that, according to its mission statement, “serves emerging social needs through the process of engaging children, families and community in meaningful outdoor experiences.” In 2021,
the camp expanded on that mission by placing 42 of its acres under a conservation easement and rebranding to a new name: Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center.

Featuring a large field, creeks, and some pools, the property is predominantly wooded. Pollinator and sensory gardens are tended there, along with native plants. Students and campers who participate in certain programs have the opportunity to help in the vegetable garden, harvest their own food, and cook with it, learning about nutrition and how to make healthy meals that benefit physical and mental wellbeing. 

Being outside tends to make one want to learn, said Amy Bonnette, Camp Kum-Ba-Yah’s executive director. 

“Not 100 percent, but the majority of the behavior issues or challenges you might see in a traditional classroom setting just disappear, and a lot of children who might struggle in a traditional academic atmosphere can really thrive and succeed, and are willing to ask questions, and willing to share, and are able to use their hands to explore and to learn,” said Gage McAngus, program director at Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center. “It’s been really phenomenal, because in discussions we’ve had with teachers, they’ve seen a completely different side of their children.”

Further initiatives underway at Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center include building renovations, handicap accessibility improvements, addition of a kitchen and event space, and the organization is working toward the goal of breaking ground for a new amphitheater. The nonprofit camp also has scholarships available for a limited number of eligible kids.

“I want people to find their place in the woods,” Bonnette said. The experiences at the nature center help develop confidence and self-esteem in the children who participate, building community, exploring new interests and activities, cultivating listening and communication skills, and developing compassion for other living things as they interact with the natural world and with each other. Leadership and mentoring opportunities are also available for teens through the camp’s programming.

“There seems to be a real kind of gentleness when it comes to nature that you might not get from the anxiety that can come from being in front of a screen, playing a video game, or watching a show that’s going to end after 20 minutes with an ad in the middle.

They really are able to take time to breathe, and to calm down, and to appreciate just the beauty of what’s around them every day,” McAngus said. 

There are a few public access points around the property to walking trails, athletic fields, and pollinator gardens the community can enjoy. The KinderWoods area is also open to the public every day from 9 a.m. ’til dusk when summer camp is not in session.

More information and a calendar of events is available online at campkumbayah.org.   

Books by local (and local-ish) authors to enjoy this season

All the Little Hopes
By: Leah Weiss
All the Little Hopes is a Southern tale of friendship set in North Carolina during World War II. Thirteen-year-old Lucy Brown, eager for adventure, befriends Allie Bert Tucker, a mysterious newcomer. Inspired by her hero, Nancy Drew, Lucy teams up with Allie to solve local mysteries. Their sleepy town, now hosting a Nazi POW camp, is stirred by disappearances and silent townsfolk. As the girls delve deeper into their investigation, they confront the complexities of right and wrong in a world shadowed by war. This coming-of-age story is rich with Southern charm, highlighting the bond between the girls and the blurred lines of morality during tumultuous times.

Chasing Space: An Astronaut’s Story of Grit, Grace, and Second Chances
By: Leland Melvin
In Chasing Space, former NASA astronaut and NFL wide receiver Leland Melvin shares his inspiring journey from the football field to the cosmos, highlighting the crucial roles of community, perseverance, and grace in achieving success. Despite facing severe setbacks, including a career-threatening injury that left him temporarily deaf, Melvin’s determination and support from his NASA family enabled him to recover and eventually serve on two space missions aboard the shuttle Atlantis. His memoir not only chronicles his unique achievements but also celebrates the many individuals who helped him overcome adversity and achieve his extraordinary destiny.

Operation Dimwit: A Penelope Lemon Novel
By: Inman Majors
In Operation Dimwit, Penelope Lemon returns for more uproarious mom adventures. With her son away at camp, Penelope dives into phase two of her post-divorce life, starting with a date with the enigmatic Fitzwilliam Darcy. However, her plans for relaxation are disrupted by her boss Missy’s kooky sting operation to catch a suspected thief in their trailer park, a tough new gym trainer, and a skunk infestation requiring the help of a mystic wildlife expert. This hilarious southern comedy by Inman Majors offers a warmhearted look at the chaotic life of a single working mom navigating modern middle-class challenges.

The End House
By: Michael Robertson, Jr.
Declan Scheider, a struggling writer, wakes up alone in an abandoned farmhouse hidden in the mountains, grappling with fragmented memories that feel both familiar and foreign. As he navigates the eerie house, he experiences unsettling visions and sounds, feeling constantly watched. His discovery of an ancient, gruesome book blurs the line between reality and hallucination, consuming his mind with its horrific tales and leading him to question his identity and surroundings. Amidst the creeping dread and confusion, Declan struggles to hold onto his sanity and uncover the truth about himself and The End House.

Doomsday: A Remy Jones Adventure
By: Heather Elizabeth King
In a world where magicians are exiled and a wall separates Bal’Mor from traditionalist cities, peace under Triune’s watch is threatened by a vengeful magician. Investigator Remington Jones, living undercover in the Underground, must navigate a complex case involving magic, zombies, and Triune’s questionable involvement. Teaming up with Vincent Hall and his genetically enhanced team, Remy delves into a web of intrigue to uncover the truth behind the rising unrest and the dark secrets at the heart of Triune’s operations.  

Everything You Need to Know About this Nearby National Park

By Abby Price

Shenandoah National Park is spread over 200,000 acres of preserved land. It showcases lovely plants, stunning waterfalls, beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, exciting hikes, and amazing wildlife encounters. It’s an excellent place to escape and appreciate Virginia’s natural beauty.

The park is also home to Skyline Drive, which extends 105 miles within the park. This drive showcases Virginia’s stunning natural beauty and is renowned as one of the state’s most picturesque drives.

The Journey To The National Park

The most convenient way to reach Shenandoah National Park is by car. Four different entrances provide access to the park: the Front Royal North Entrance, located near Front Royal; the Thornton Gap Entrance, close to Luray; the Swift Run Gap Entrance, near Elkton; or the Rockfish Gap South Entrance, near Waynesboro.

If you’re coming from Lynchburg, the best entrance to use is the Rockfish Gap Entrance at 282 Skyline Drive, Waynesboro, Virginia, 22980. This entrance is about an hour’s drive away, taking you along US-29.

Once you’re on Skyline Drive, the views are breathtaking. You’ll have panoramic vistas of the Shenandoah Valley to the west and the Piedmont region to the east. The road twists and turns, offering different perspectives of the surrounding mountains and forests at every bend.

Cozy Accommodation Options

There are plenty of places to stay near Shenandoah National Park, so you can be close and maximize your time exploring the park. If you want a nice place to stay, consider booking a room at Skyland Resort. It’s located at the highest point on Skyline Drive and has terrific views of the area.
They have different room options like premium rooms, suites, cabins, and more to fit what you like. Besides the rooms, they also have a dining area, taproom, and even a Starbucks. It’s an excellent spot for a relaxing getaway with great amenities and beautiful views.

If you prefer camping, check out Big Meadows Campground along Skyline Drive at mile marker 51. They have over 200 sites, each with space for a tent or RV, a fire pit, and a picnic table.  Just make sure to reserve your spot ahead of time to ensure you get one.

Essential Experiences

Old Rag Mountain is a top spot in Shenandoah National Park and a favorite among hikers. The trail is a challenging loop covering a little over 9 miles. It climbs more than 2,500 feet and offers fantastic views at the summit. Due to its popularity, the National Park Service now requires $2 day tickets, which you can reserve online.

Consider Hawksbill Summit, the park’s highest point, for a shorter hike with great views. This trail is 1.7 miles round trip with a 690-foot elevation gain, providing panoramic views of the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains.

And don’t miss the waterfalls in the park, like Rose River Falls. A 2.4-mile hike with a manageable elevation gain leading to this 67-foot waterfall will leave you amazed.

If hiking isn’t your cup of tea, consider visiting the park after sunset to appreciate stargazing at Big Meadows. With minimal light pollution, it offers stunning views of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Outdoor Adventures To Enjoy

Shenandoah National Park is the perfect destination for immersing yourself in nature. While a scenic road trip along Skyline Drive is a great way to experience the park, several outdoor activities are also available.

While hiking is one of the most popular choices, the park offers much more than just hiking. Birdwatching is a fantastic option, with over 190 bird species inhabiting or passing through the park, including Carolina Chickadees, Barred Owls, and Red-Tailed Hawks. Although birdwatching is possible from various locations throughout the park, specific trails are prime spots for this activity. Limberlost is a notable example, offering ADA accessibility and being recognized as one of the park’s top trails for birdwatching. Another excellent choice is the Fox Hollow Trail. Regardless of your chosen spot, you will want to remember your binoculars and camera to capture these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat.

For an exciting adventure, consider horseback riding. From May 3rd to October 27th, 2024, guided rides are available through the park’s wooded trails, departing from Skyland Stables. Another option is if you have your own horse; over 180 miles of trails are open for horse use, providing stunning views and enjoyable experiences from spring to fall.

Fishing enthusiasts will appreciate the park’s over 90 mountain streams, offering excellent fishing opportunities. While Brook Trout is a favorite catch, there are over 40 fish species in the park, all wild and not stocked. It’s important to note that you are required to have a Virginia State Fishing License to fish in the park.

Camping is another highlight, with options to book reservations at main campgrounds like Big Meadows Campground or Mathews Arm Campground. Alternatively, you can purchase a Backcountry Permit for a wilderness camping experience in Shenandoah’s backcountry. It’s a perfect way to disconnect from the world and experience the beauty of nature firsthand without distractions. 

To add to the list of outdoor adventures, remember to take in the sights of the park’s flora and fauna. The park is home to more than 1,400 species of vascular plants, including common trees like Chestnut and Red Oak and others such as Tulip Poplar and Cove Hardwood. You’ll also find a variety of flowers like Quaker Ladies, Azaleas, Columbine, and Daisies and plants like Goldie’s Wood Fern and Mountain Laurel.

In addition to the rich plant life, the park is bustling with wildlife, including over 50 mammal species,
20 reptiles and amphibians, and many other critters and insects. During your visit, look out for birds,
white-tailed deer, black bears, salamanders, box turtles, butterflies, and more.

Insider Secrets

While Shenandoah National Park offers an exceptional experience throughout the year, there’s a distinct charm to visiting during the spring, summer, and fall. In spring, the park bursts with colorful wildflowers, creating a picturesque landscape with shades of white, pink, and purple. In contrast, fall gives visitors a stunning display of foliage in vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges.

However, one of the prime times to visit is during the summer months, despite it being peak season with expected crowds. To make the most of your visit, I suggest arriving early to avoid congestion and fully appreciate the park’s tranquility. This strategy also helps beat the summer heat. If possible, plan your visit on a weekday to avoid weekend crowds, allowing for a more peaceful experience. Additionally, summer is ideal for wildlife sightings, so keep a lookout for bears, deer, and other animals that frequent the park during this season.

Another great tip is to spend a whole day exploring the park. Choose a few activities you really want to do and take your time to enjoy them fully. Bring along a picnic and relax at one of the picnic areas while taking in the scenery and having a meal. Shenandoah National Park is wonderful, so taking a whole day to soak it all in is the best way to appreciate its natural charm. Consider staying overnight at one of the lodging options or campgrounds to end your day with stargazing. Seeing the starry sky light up is one of the most memorable ways to top off your visit.  

Foraging and Food Forests Resurge as Locavore Trends Take Root

By Lindsey Cline-Shrader

Virginia’s lush landscapes contain a cornucopia of edible treasures. Like much of our evolving local food system, the art of foraging has undergone a renaissance, capturing the imaginations of foodies, homesteaders, and environmentalists. From upscale eateries’ haute cuisine to grassroots gatherings, foraging offers culinary delights and a pathway to health and sustainability—and, of course, this path sparks debate.

In modern culture, foraging has resurged with every back-to-the-land movement starting in the 1930s, 1960s, and early 2000s when, rather than subsidizing, foraging joined a broader movement of sustainable food systems and permaculture design. The current ease of information sharing is building a new generation of wild food advocates. Foraging experts and online influencers like Alexis Nikole and Gabrielle Cerberville translate in-depth wild food knowledge into quick, digestible videos for their respective 1.7 million and 359,000 Instagram followers. 

Viewers already educated in the flaws of a chemical-heavy industrial food system are ready for the good news. While more people get outside to taste and test, a growing awareness of responsible foraging practices has taken root.

Wild ramps are the poster child for a well-loved and occasionally over harvested wild food. In early spring, this edible onion carpets the forest floor of the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. Ramps are prized for their unique flavor profile, which adds a spicy, earthy depth to dishes. For decades, foragers and chefs were beckoned to the hills to bring ramps to high-end restaurants in DC and beyond. 

While ramps often grow in patches of hundreds, they take up to seven years to produce flowers and several more years for the seeds to germinate. This slow growth, coupled with their particular growing conditions, led West Virginia to ban harvesting in many parks and recreation areas as wild populations began to disappear. Responsible harvesting now includes taking a leaf or two from large plants and rarely, if ever, harvesting bulbs. 

The lesson from ramps has led some farmers and gardeners to revive the concept of sustainable cultivated food forests. This ancient practice, a lesson from Native American culture and cultivation practices, means planting in multiple layers, which builds an ecosystem and creates more food per cubic foot. For example, a canopy top layer might consist of nut trees like oak and chestnut, followed by understory fruit trees like pawpaw and persimmon, interplanted with berry bushes like elderberry and blueberry. The herbaceous and ground-cover layers can include your favorite hardy edible perennials like wild strawberries, asparagus, rhubarb, sorrel, Jerusalem artichokes, mayapples, or wild violets.

My food forest would first and foremost contain yaupon holly, the only caffeinated plant that grows wild in Virginia and across the South. Yaupon seems to be a lightly caffeinated wonder plant full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and theophylline and theobromine, the “pleasure molecules.” 

Since it’s locally grown, yaupon has a smaller carbon footprint and causes less environmental stress compared to coffee farms. Project Communitea, a Richmond-based company, grows and sells yaupon tea regionally and online.

Treasures like the pawpaw, a custard-like fruit, tempt some palates (and decidedly not others) with their creamy sweetness. Despite their delicious fruit, pawpaws refuse to submit to the conventional horticultural industry. The first challenge lies in their flowers, which emit a faint musky odor that fails to attract many critical pollinators for fruit production. Additionally, the fruit’s delicate nature makes it unsuitable for shipping and storage, limiting its commercial viability. 

Thus, pawpaws remain wild, found in thickets along bottomlands and streamsides, leaving us to celebrate and preserve wild populations and enjoy the fruits where we find them. Or, for the adventurous, to cultivate pawpaw trees in gardens. If this entices you, remember that pawpaws are dioecious, so you’ll need both male and female trees for fruit set and pollination. Edible Landscaping in Nelson County grows and sells pawpaw trees and a variety of edible plants. 

Beyond this hidden gem, more commonly found herbs and plants offer nutritional value right outside your door. The humble dandelion, often considered a nuisance, reveals its charm in everything from teas and tinctures to infused oils, syrups, and vinegar. Roots can be stored in a dirt-filled basket in a shed or basement to provide a steady supply of greens throughout winter.
Dried, mature leaves make a medicinal tea full of vitamins A, C, and K and many minerals. The bloom is the main ingredient in dandelion wine, for which there are nearly as many recipes as winemakers. 

Other flavorful and spicy greens include the common horseweed, which can be thrown into salads or blanched and added to soups. Chickweed grows abundantly in moist, shaded areas and can be eaten fresh or brewed into a tea for soothing medicinal properties.

While it’s easy to dismiss wild food as lackluster, renowned chef René Redzepi proved that foraged foods hold their own. He prioritized indigenous ingredients in his culinary creations and earned three Michelin stars for his Danish restaurant, Noma. 

Chefs like Alan Bergo, a former chef in fine-dining restaurants, left the kitchen to write the popular The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora, which eventually spawned a TV show and earned a James Beard award.

Virginia’s landscape offers edible wonders waiting to be discovered and savored. The resurgence of foraging in our evolving local food scene reflects a broader cultural shift toward sustainability and connection with the land. Let’s hope the allure of wild foods continues to inspire us to revere and appreciate nature’s bounties.  

Sattva Yoga & Wellness Center Promotes Wellness to the Community

By Megan Williams  |  Photos by Ashlee Glen

Sattva: quality of goodness, purity, positivity, and truth.

In Ayurveda—a practice and philosophy stemming from India and believed to be one of the oldest healing sciences in the world—there are three modes of existence: Sattva (goodness), Rajas (activity/passion), and Tamas (darkness). With this philosophy, it is believed that goodness, passion, and darkness have always existed and exist within everything and everyone. While all three exist in everything, it’s the proportion of each that defines the character of someone or the nature of something.

In downtown Lynchburg, one would argue that there’s an extra proportion of goodness
and positivity radiating from 12th Street—and it’s Sattva Yoga and Wellness Center.

“During the COVID pandemic, I was inspired to start a nonprofit yoga center to help people find a support community to overcome the struggles of isolation, depression, and poor health conditions,” explained Gary Sullivan, Executive Director and Founder of Sattva Yoga and Wellness Center. “We use the practices of yoga, healthy nutrition, and disciplined lifestyle to help others pave the way toward more healthy and productive lives. We aim to help those struggling in their daily lives to stay happy, healthy, and joyful.”

A former manager at BWXT, Sullivan discovered the personal benefits of yoga at age 59 and shortly after became a certified yoga instructor.

“I knew it’s what I needed—the mental clarity that comes from yoga,” he said. “In six months, I was teaching.”

Sullivan focused his training and certification on trauma-informed instruction and began teaching a yoga class for veterans at the downtown YMCA in 2018. Over the years, he gained a loyal following of students, particularly Vietnam veterans who quickly saw increased mobility and flexibility through Sullivan’s classes.

In October 2022, Sullivan was given the opportunity to expand and build on his vision by leasing the 100-year-old former Salvation Army building on 12th Street.

“We have been cleaning, restoring, and improving the building over the past 18 months to help meet current needs and to enhance the use as a health center space,” he said. “In the building, we have our yoga center where we do daily yoga classes, tai chi, cooking lessons, workshops, and retreats. We have a meditation garden and lease offices for our providers who offer their services on a sliding scale cost basis and supported by a grant from the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation.”

Sattva Yoga and Wellness Center lives true to its name. When you walk through the unassuming side door of the looming 12th Street building, you are greeted with a silencing sense of calm. The front entrance room is kept open on purpose—it’s an empty vessel waiting to be used by the community. On one evening, it may be filled with veterans gently stretching while seated in chairs. The next, it could be filled with mats, blankets, candles, and Tibetan Singing Bowls as students are guided through a sound healing. And one afternoon, the room could be filled with community members as they take a cooking class, learning techniques and recipes to cook nourishing meals for themselves and their families.

“Almost every activity at the Sattva Center is intended to promote wellness and increase mindfulness,” said Sullivan. “Weekly yoga classes and support groups for veterans and those in recovery help overcome physical disabilities and trauma experience. These practices rebalance and restore the nervous system to a natural state of health. We have retreats for women to allow release of trauma and PTSD, with support groups and counseling to augment the healing process. Sound baths, breathwork classes, energy healing, and meditation practices aid the individual in reducing stress and anxiety and returning back to the present moment. Counseling and coaching are provided for youth and adults, specifically geared toward those struggling with anxiety and depression.”

Sullivan believes that improved physical health is achieved through daily yoga classes, healthy living workshops, and nutritious cooking classes, all activities Sattva aims to offer at an accessible price.

“We also have community events like drum circles, music events, and community socials for all to find community and overcome the impact of isolation and social media,” he furthered. “These practices help those suffering from mental and emotional distress and depression.”

Of course it’s not just Sullivan taking on the responsibility of guiding the community to improved health and wellness. Within Sattva’s space, there are a number of providers and instructors, offering everything from yoga and tai chi classes to nutrition classes and energy healing.

“We try to teach people how to incorporate wellness tools into their daily lives,” explained Lauren Platanos, National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach and Ayurveda Instructor for Sattva.

Sattva members as well as the broader community can seek health and nutrition support from Platanos, who will focus on the individual’s health history, current health challenges, and current state of health across a full spectrum of holistic wellness. Sessions are either in-person on the second floor of Sattva Yoga and Wellness Center, where a number of providers maintain offices, or via phone or Zoom.

“I help get to the root of health challenges, uncover your personal vision of wellness, and set realistic habits and goals to move toward that vision,” she said.

“The key is bridging the gap,” continued Brooke Mays, Marketing Director and Reiki Master for Sattva. “Our goal is to make [wellness] more accessible and understandable.”

Through Reiki, Mays uses energy force to reduce stress and anxiety and encourage relaxation. Reiki is based on a century-old belief that vital energy flows through your body. Established originally by a Japanese Buddhist monk, the idea is that a reiki master, such as Mays, uses gentle touch—
or places their hands just above a student’s body—to help guide energy in a way that leads to balance and healing.

Both Mays and Platanos describe Sattva as a “multi-disciplined wellness center,” which is appropriate considering Sattva’s ever-growing roster of offerings. Their event calendar is constantly expanding with breathwork classes, self-defense training, recovery groups, youth counseling, yoga, and so much more. It’s clear that Sattva is on a mission to pour as much goodness into the community as it can and meet whatever needs that may arise.

“Our membership is small but steadily growing,” said Sullivan. “We have had over 200 people participate in our programs and activities during the past 19 months and we see this steadily growing as our community becomes informed of our services.”

The community can take advantage of Sattva Yoga and Wellness Center’s programs via a monthly membership (just $32 per month), which gives an all-access pass to any yoga class taught at Sattva. Workshops and individual classes can be reserved and paid for separately. 

“We have recently added a family yoga option for $50 [per month] for a family of two with kids,” Sullivan concluded. “The unlimited single memberships are $32. We really hope to motivate families to bring their kids and incorporate wellness practices into their daily lives to encourage healthy minds and bodies at a young age.”  

Sattva Yoga and Wellness Center is located at 300 12th Street, Lynchburg, VA. More information on membership and programs can be found at sattvacentercv.org.

Lynchburg Local Embraces Artistic Lifestyle  through designing two-story home mural and more

By Christian Shields  |  Photos by Ashlee Glen

Whether it’s painting, home renovation, gardening, or designing a two-story mural for her house, Lynchburg resident Sallie Sydnor consistently looks for ways to improve her craft as well as strengthen her relationship with her fellow artists. 

From a young age, Sydnor has had a passion for the arts. The daughter of a church minister, she remembers spending her Sunday mornings drawing on the church bulletins during her father’s messages. She later attended Eckerd College in Saint Petersburg, Florida, with the goal of one day becoming an art teacher. After spending several years as a special education teacher, she left that career to stay home with her children. Once they grew up, she returned to her artistic pursuits.

Although oil painting is her style of choice, she recently completed a two-story mural at her home, which she and her husband Walker moved into last May. Sydnor said that she got the idea for the mural after shopping for wallpaper and realizing the incredible cost to cover her entire stairwell. Instead, she purchased a stencil kit and some wall paint and set to work.

Not only did this method allow her to save money on wallpaper, but it also allowed her to customize the decoration to her own liking. Featuring picturesque imagery of nature, the mural transports the viewer to a wooded forest occupied by birds and deer. Sydnor described the mural as a “colonial and early American inspired grisaille,” which follows a monochrome coloring style.

“I have an affinity for anything creative,” she said. “I’m afraid I live a very creative life, for better or for worse. I’m always thinking up projects and getting myself into things like that mural. I thought about it the whole time we were doing the [other home renovations], I was thinking ‘How am I going to do that? And when am I going to do that?’”

The project, which took a couple weeks from start to finish, also required scaffolding to go up inside the house for a week so Sydnor could reach the higher points on the wall, adding an additional challenge to navigating the house.

Describing the project as an “adventure,” Sydnor humorously remarked that she has “more guts than talent” regarding her artistic ability. She completed the project with help from her daughter, Brantley.

Since moving to her current house last spring, Sydnor has completed a number of major renovations to the home, including adding additional rooms. With the completion of the mural earlier this year, she does not currently have plans for another project of such magnitude. Instead, she plans to spend her time working on her oil paintings.

Sydnor credits a large portion of her expertise to the numerous art workshops that she has attended both locally and in the surrounding states. She currently has trips planned to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as the Nimrod Hall Artist Retreat later this year. These trips allow her to not only fellowship with like-minded artists, but also help provide inspiration for future art projects.

“Any creative person will say that you never stop learning and you never stop acquiring inspiration from all spheres of life,” she said. “The more you can get out there and experience life, the more inspired you are.”

“Maybe there are artists who enjoy a solely introspective life, but I can’t imagine that,” Sydnor added. “It’s too much fun to do this with other people. It’s also very encouraging. Creative people feed off each other, encourage each other, boost each other. It’s all good.”

In addition to these workshops, Sydnor also participates in the local art community through her membership in the Lynchburg Art Club as well as participating in the Lynchburg Art Festival each year. Although she does not create her paintings primarily for profit, her works can often be found at local businesses such as Findings Art Gallery in Boonsboro as well as on www.artworkarchive.com.  

Lynchburg’s First Childcare Center Continues to Thrive

Photos by Ashlee Glen

As a child of former enslaved parents, living in a time when Black Americans had to piece together their lives with what the era would allow, Mary McLeod Bethune understood the importance of preserving family and ensuring children are properly cared for, no matter their circumstances. 

Despite the challenges and injustices facing Black Americans, including segregation, Mary would go on to found Bethune Nursery School, Lynchburg’s first childcare center, in 1936.

Today, Mary Bethune Academy carries on the legacy of its founder, nestled among a quiet neighborhood on Halifax Avenue, emphasizing its place in the community.

Although it is a daycare center for families who need childcare, Mary Bethune Academy embraces
its academy moniker acting as an early learning center.

The academy partners with the United Way of Central Virginia and receives federal assistance for roughly 70 percent of families, helping to make resources for the academy and childcare rates for families as accessible as possible.

As you enter the academy, every color imaginable is splashed over the walls, tiles, and furniture to keep the young minds engaged. Four classrooms divide up children by age, from infants to toddlers, with each class overseen by a lead teacher and an assistant or two.

“I’m thinking about what has contributed the most to our center’s longevity, and I really do keep coming back to our staff and the incredible job they do every day with our children,” said Karen Fitzgerald, Director of Office Operations for Mary Bethune Academy. “They really do treat every child as if he or she is their own, and they truly have a passion for children and wanting them to succeed. They are, without a doubt, the reason our center is trusted and supported by the Lynchburg community, and has been for almost a century.”

A few staff members at the academy have been woven into the long legacy of Mary Bethune, caring for generations of families in Lynchburg over the years.

Director of Facilities and Senior Lead Teacher Mary York has worked at Mary Bethune Academy since 1994, and her dedication to the community of families and children in Lynchburg has not wavered over that time.

York was born and raised in Chicago to a single mother who had to work while Mary attended daycare. York cites her mother as her initial inspiration to enter the childcare field. She went on to receive her Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education.

Mary, her husband, and her three kids moved to Virginia in 1984, where she has lived since. Now a grandmother to seven, Mary says that “being a parent and a grandparent helps me to understand the concerns and expectations parents have when they place their children into someone else’s care.”

“From when I started to now, I believe I’m more in-tune with my kids. I see their potential and enjoy listening to their views and explanations on everything,” York said.

As York speaks about her work at Mary Bethune Academy, she often, if not always, refers to the children attending as “my kids.”

Considering the teachers at Mary Bethune care for and teach children in their most formative years, Fitzgerald’s thought that the academy is “kind of like a little family” is demonstrated every day the center opens its doors.

“Working at MBA has brought me closer to the community because I’ve gotten to know the families. I am fortunate that I have been at MBA for so long that I’ve had the children of former children in my class. I think we, as childcare workers, become part of a child’s extended family,” York said.

Because of her continued dedication to quality childcare, York was recently awarded the Heart of Service Lifetime Achievement Award. The Virginia-based award is granted to the individual with “longevity and overall excellence in the field, with 20 plus years of service, and a demonstrated commitment to a career of caring for children.”

York’s consistent work over 30 years likely made her an ideal candidate. Reflecting on her career, York suggests that childcare has mostly remained the same over the years, as teachers try to support the social and emotional needs of their kids, with a recent and increasing focus on their readiness for elementary school.

“I feel that receiving this award means that I have truly made a positive impact on the lives of the children and families MBA has served,” York said.

While the academy staff are experts in their field, there are many challenges inherent to the work they do. York says that the most prevalent issue is having enough space and resources to accommodate the increasing childcare needs of the community. Fitzgerald echoes that sentiment saying that there is “no such thing as a slow season.”

“We are always looking for new ways to partner with our local schools and area organizations to provide services for more children and their families,” York said.

Fortunately, Mary Bethune Academy will soon make an addition to its facility that the kids will likely enjoy much more than the parents and staff. A new state-of-the-art playground is under construction, and set to be complete by Spring 2024, thanks to several donations to the facility. 

No matter the shape of the facility, the academy is continually ensuring that Mary McCleod Bethune’s legacy of care and love for all of the community’s children is being carried on through the generations.