- [Announcer] Support comes from Blue Heron Realty Company, specializing in waterfront and water access properties in the coastal communities on Virginia's Eastern Shore since 1993.

Learn more at Blueheronva.com.

Support comes from Capital Records Nashville, part of the Universal Music group Nashville, bringing you new music from John Pardi, Carrie Underwood and Eric Church.

Capital Records Nashville, available anywhere music is sold.

Support comes from Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.

Kids need special care and grownups need to know that care is nearby.

We know how to treat kids.

CHKD.

Lids are more than patients, and we're more than a hospital.

Sponsored in part by the Roc Solid Foundation.

Roc Solid believes that play defeats cancer because when kids are playing, cancer is the last thing on their minds.

Roc Solid Foundation, building hope for kids fighting cancer through the power of play.

(energetic music) - Hi everyone.

I'm Dave Parker with "Virginia Found."

I am on Main Street in one of the most interesting towns in Virginia.

Abingdon.

Small town, southwestern part of the state, only about 8,000 residents, but hundreds of thousands of people visit here every year.

It has been voted as being the best small town food scene in the U.S. so we're gonna eat a lot of food this trip.

Also, it has incredible outdoor activities for you, a lot of history and a great arts community.

"Virginia Found" is in Abingdon.

(upbeat music) We're going to start our trip together in the same way many of you start your day, with breakfast.

One of the best breakfasts in Abingdon is downtown at the Chick-N-Little Family Restaurant.

While chicken and waffles may not be a surprise in a southern mountain town, this was - their crab cake biscuit.

Starts with a homemade biscuit, a fried egg, Hollandaise, gremolata, spinach, all perched atop a crab cake.

What a great way to start your day, huh?

[Dave] You know sometimes in life, you wonder if something is going to be as good as it sounds.

Well, this crab cake biscuit is every bit as good as it sounds.

And it's not just a hint of crab cake at the bottom, it is a nice big crab cake mixed with gremolata and the Hollandaise and the spinach and a great biscuit, it is a fantastic dish.

One of the things we loved about Abingdon was Main Street.

There's a little bit of everything here.

My wife, Joy, found a couple of great gift and accessory stores, local artists are featured, and from ice cream and coffee, a juice bar, other specialty stores, it's a nice, relaxing way to spend some time here.

Not everything is on Main Street, just a block or two off is where you'll find an apothecary and a natural food store.

But there was one place in particular that was a surprise to us, the Abingdon Olive Oil Company.

In case you didn't know that the varieties and complexities of olive oil can rival that of wine, this place is an education.

With things like white truffle olive oil and 18-year aged balsamic condimento, this will ruin the grocery store aisle for you.

But it gets better.

What happens when you mix blood orange olive oil with Cara Cara orange vanilla balsamic?

- [Joy] Oh my gosh.

- [Store Clerk] Tastes just like... - [Dave] Orange Dreamcicle Sherbet Ice Cream?

Okay, that seems impossible.

Olive oil.

- Okay.

- Mind blown.

You have to try that, it really did taste like an Orange Dreamcicle.

Delicious.

Even though that olive oil combo was like having dessert, it was time for brunch on Main Street at The Tavern.

Established in 1779, which is why it looks like this inside, the building itself is part of the reason you'll want to stop in, not to mention the Manmosas and Bloody Marys.

Huge stuffed omelet for me, generous salad for Joy, and these addictive scones made for a good meal in a must-visit place.

(water whooshing) One of the things about Abingdon and the surrounding area is how pretty it is.

Sitting at around 2000 feet in the Great Appalachian Valley, it's in a beautiful part of Virginia.

So much so, that about a quarter of a million people come to a small town outside of Abingdon to ride bicycles.

Damascus is known as Trail Town USA.

While hikers on the Appalachian Trail cut right through town, it's two wheels that bring in visitors by the thousands.

The Virginia Creeper Trail is a rails to trails thing of beauty.

Named after the train that used to roll through these mountains and after the Virginia creeper vine that's so prevalent, the trail runs for 34.3 miles from Abingdon, through Damascus, and then outside of town to Whitetop Station.

Most visitors will enjoy the 17 mile section that runs from Whitetop Station to Damascus because at least half of it is some variation of downhill, It's more coasting than pedaling.

I actually heard someone say it's the only bike ride on which you can gain weight.

Bike outfitters in Damascus are as ubiquitous as the Creeper vine.

If in need of a bike, you'll start at an outfitter, then take one of their shuttles up to Whitetop Station, the highest point on the trail.

Depending on how much you pedal, the trip takes about two and a half to three hours.

And yes, there are bathrooms along the way as well as a few stops for food and drink.

[Dave] All right, so we're at Hellbender's Cafe.

It's about halfway through the trail, so about seven more miles to go.

What do you think so far?

[Joy]It's gorgeous.

I had no idea that this is here in Virginia.

It is far more scenic than I could have even imagined, I love it.

(bright piano music) - Most of the trail runs beside the Whitetop Laurel river, which adds another layer of beauty to the ride, but the trail also repeatedly crosses that river with 47 old train trestles to carry you across.

They're great vantage points for photos.

By the way, no need for a shuttle bus on the way back.

The trail will take you right back to Damascus and straight to your outfitter.

[Dave] We did it, we just finished creeping.

It was our first time on the Virginia Creeper Trail, 14 miles on a bike.

It sounds like a really long way, but.

[Joy] Well, it is a long way- [Dave] Okay.

[Joy] But it's much more scenic than I had imagined.

And I'm not an athlete, I'm not a cyclist and I was able to do it and I was a little worried about that.

I think if you can ride a bike, you can ride on the Creeper Trail.

[Dave]Highly recommend.

[Joy] Highly.

(upbeat music) - Back in Abingdon, Joy and I had a big night planned with dinner and a show.

More on that in a moment.

But after a bike ride through the countryside, you might want a refreshing beverage.

The locally owned brewery in town is Wolf Hills Brewing.

Foosball, (dog barks) dogs, funky art and beer.

It checks all the boxes.

Just a block or two off Main Street, it's an easy stop while in town.

While the Virginia Creeper Trail is Virginia's most famous bike trail, the most famous stage in the state is the Barter Theater.

The first known production here was held back in 1876, but the reason for its name started in 1933 when visitors could barter fresh produce for admission.

Wittingly called Ham for Hamlet, its first season only cleared $4.35 in cash and two barrels of jelly.

Through renovations and innovations, the addition of a second theater across the street and a tremendous history of talent performing here, the Barter is now designated as the State Theater of Virginia.

With approximately 160,000 visitors each year, The Barter is the historical and present anchor to the thriving arts community in Abingdon.

[Dave] So I'm here with Katie Brown with the Barter Theater.

Now, Katie, there are theaters all around the world, but there's something special about the Barter, what is that?

[Katie] There's a combination of two things I think that make Barter very, very special.

One is the history of the place.

We were founded back in 1933 on the idea of bartering.

[Dave] Right.

[Katie] During the Depression, people could come and trade food for tickets.

[Dave] Sure.

[Katie] And the people here still value story at the same level that they value food and you can feel that in the room, that's one thing.

And in our present day, everybody who works here is resident, and they are creating things particularly for this audience, and you can feel that in the room.

And one of the stories we like to tell is, there's a couple that sees theater all over the world, a Chicago couple, and they say their favorite place in the world to see theater is right here in part because of what happens on the stage, but they say even more so because of what happens out in the audience.

This theater belongs to the people that live here in a way that I haven't experienced anywhere else, and the love that you feel in the room during the shows is really, really exciting, especially at this level of professionality.

[Dave] Oh, I can't wait to see the show.

I've heard about the Barter Theater for years and it's just, so thankful to be here.

[Katie] Absolutely, we're pleased to have you.

[Katie] This is our most famous ghost story because of the tunnel.

[Dave] Now, you have to know that a building this old has stories as well as plays, right?

In the basement is where you'll find a small dark tunnel used during the Civil War for gun running.

Katie says that something, the tunnel, is still in use.

[Katie] The building, I know a lot of people who won't work in this room at night by themselves, so.

[Dave] Wow.

[Katie] Yeah.

In the nineties, they were doing a big renovation down here and there were some workers on their lunch break at two o'clock in the morning and they all felt the temperature drop and they dropped their lunch bags and they ran out of the building and they called my boss at the time and said, "We're not going back inside your building."

So he had to come and pay them a check and come and get their things and send 'em away- [Joy]Oh my gosh.

[Katie]} So this is our ghosty room, but it's a beautiful, you know, remnant of the past.

[Dave] As I'm sure you've heard before, there is no flash photography or filming during a performance so I can't show you highlights from "Frankenstein," but everything about the Barter Theater lived up to expectation.

Well, I just finished my first attendance at the Barter Theater.

It was "Frankenstein" and this just happens to be Halloween.

The performances, the creativity, the adaptation, and of course this incredible venue is something I will not soon forget.

Thank you, Barter Theater.

Just in case you missed it at the beginning of the show, this small community of approximately 8,000 in the mountains of Southwest Virginia has been voted by USA today as the best small town food scene in the country three years in a row.

Billed as a blend of Italian and Mediterranean, one of the newer editions in town is Foresta, nominated for Best New Restaurant in the U.S. Now, we were there on Halloween so it doesn't always look like this and the owner isn't always dressed like this, but regardless of the festivities, it's another sign of a progressive food, art and cultural scene here.

Inventive cocktails, delicious and well presented entrees, cool atmosphere, we had a great dinner.

Congrats on the nomination by the way.

While Foresta is a new kid in town, one of the venerated dames is the Martha Washington Inn and Spa.

The Martha Washington Inn and Spa, often referred to as simply The Martha, is said to be an elegant testimony to a colorful past.

And that past dates all the way back to 1832 when this beautiful property was originally built.

Now, it has since been through several renovations, making it a Four Diamond hotel and rated as one of the most successful properties in the entire U.S.

It is certainly one of the signature hotels in Virginia.

(gentle upbeat music) A couple of quick mentions before we check out of The Martha.

You really get a sense of the history here by simply listening to the sound of the foyer floor.

(floor creaking) You'll also see that history in the number of luminaries who have stayed here.

How many of you just can't wait to have that first cup of coffee in the morning?

Yeah, me too.

That's why our first stop this morning was at The Girl & The Raven coffee bar and cafe.

With a logo like this, you know going in that there aren't going to be checkered table cloths or word games on the placemats.

Hip and sleek with great reviews, The Girl & The Raven is another one of the reasons Abingdon has the restaurant reputation that it does.

But back to the coffee, it is serious business here.

They even came up with their own coffee guide.

More importantly, they have this, the Victoria Arduino Black Eagle espresso machine, which I learned is the machine of choice used in the World Barista Championships.

Your cup of Joe here is measured in pounds of pressure, grams and seconds.

Approximately 20 pounds of pressure with this- - [Zen] You want it to be like a nice... - [Dave] 43 grams of coffee, 24 seconds per espresso.

By the way, adding to the hip vibe here, the head roaster's name is Zen Moon, and he makes a mean espresso.

Despite the precision of one of the world's nicest espresso machines, in the end, it's the art of the pour and of course, the taste.

According to Co-owner, Hugh Belcher, that taste needs to be specific.

[Hugh] We like to think that we roast coffee that tastes like coffee.

There's a lot of roasters today that are looking to bring out flavors that they would call floral and citrus flavors, and we just go back to the old school and bring out the coffee flavors.

♪ So I'm calling you ♪ [Dave] Yeah, Hugh said he wanted his coffee to taste like coffee, and it is every bit that, it's delicious.

(quirky music) Let's do a little sightseeing.

A few of the locals said that one of their best-kept secrets was a graveyard.

Sinking Spring Cemetery is right off Main Street and offers a walk down the memory lane of not just those who have passed, but of our nation's history.

You'll find markers here for those who fought and died in the Revolutionary War, the war of 1812, the Civil War, and a marker for almost every decade since our nation's founding.

There's also a cabin from 1773.

It was built nearby and moved here in the 1970s.

Adding to the thriving art scene in town is the William King Museum.

Billed as Never The Same Museum, they are continually rotating a selection of local and global art through its doors.

But there was one museum where I couldn't get through the doors, The Southwest Virginia Cultural Center and Marketplace is normally only closed on Mondays, but it was election day, so we only had the chance to view this interesting design from the outside, but it does feature the area's largest eclectic collections of art from some of Southwest Virginia's most talented artisans.

It's hard to escape the art scene in Abingdon, you also can't escape the food, those two things seem to be baked together here.

We saw both of those at lunch at 128 Pecan, or is it Pecan?

[Jack] Pecan.

I think Pecan is Georgia, but here it's Pecan.

- [Dave] Owner, Jack Barrow says his restaurant is quirky, a little bit of everything, which is kind of how he describes Abingdon.

[Jack] You know, it's a great little community.

It's diverse, it has variety of indoor and outdoor activities, a vibrant restaurant scene with something for everybody.

You know, we cover all the bases I would say, and it's just a nice little town.

[Dave] How would you describe the food scene here in Abingdon?

[Jack] Ever changing.

You know, it's fun, you know, you can get your tried-and-trues, but then people are not scared to just go out there on a limb with it, so there's an ever-changing element.

[Dave] So when you say, ever-changing, implicit in that is that it's heading somewhere.

- [Jack] Oh yeah.

[Dave] Where do you see the food seen in another 10 or 20 years in Abingdon?

[Jack] Oh, I think it they'll be probably twice as many restaurants and I think Virginia's loosening up a little bit.

I think we're gonna have more of a bar ratio kind of thing, you know, it's just gonna be fun.

Food itself is changing, the ability to get, which, whenever you are challenged in one area, it makes you look at an area that you didn't look at before.

[Dave] So what did we have?

Mine was a grilled pimento cheese sandwich.

Oh man, that was good.

Joy's was a spinach, tomato and feta cheese quesadilla, Caesar salad on the side and topped with goldfish.

And this dessert was just, well, we could have eaten four of these.

We've talked about how pretty it is in this part of the state, adding to that is a winery sitting right along a river.

I'm not sure I've seen that before.

This is Abingdon Vineyards.

With a beautiful and different setting for a winery, it really takes advantage of the feel of this area, and tasting their wine with Cellar Master, Adam Bolt, makes it even better.

[Dave] Well, I've never tasted wine in a setting like this.

This is absolutely spectacular.

So, Adam, what are we trying first?

[Adam] First, we'll try the Steel String, which is stainless steel Chardonel grape.

[Dave] Okay.

[Adam] It's Virginia Chardonel.

[Dave] Hm, which I've never tried before.

Super light.

[Adam] It is, yep.

[Dave] You know, sometimes with a chardonnay you get that really heavy, oaky taste.

This is really light, delicious.

[Dave] Imagine sitting by the river sipping your flight of wine with friends, and you can see why this is a popular stop for locals and tourists.

Of course, maybe cider is more to your liking, Tumbling Creek Cider Company is right downtown.

They have a great selection using locally harvested fruits.

It's a combination of hard work and circumstance.

[Dave] So I'm here with Tom McMullen who was one of the owners at the Tumbling Creek Cider Company.

I was gonna ask Tom why he put down roots here or what he liked about putting roots down here, but it is the story of that that is fascinating.

What is that story, Tom?

[Tom] Well, about 25 years ago, I found out that I had a half brother that I didn't know I had, and I came down here to visit him and his wife.

And it's very strange actually, I came down what's now Exit 17 off the Interstate 81 and I had kind of an epiphany like I was supposed to be here.

It's very weird.

[Dave] Hm.

[Tom] And I decided I'm gonna follow that, I'm gonna follow that.

And my current wife and mother of my kids, we were dating at the time and she just finished her master's degree and I invited her to come along.

She said, "Sure, why not?"

And the rest was history really.

[Dave] Well, that's a great story.

Well, now that you're here, what do you like most about living in Abingdon?

[Tom] Really, Abingdon's got such a great community scene.

There's so many, like, farm to table restaurants, there's the Barter Theater, and a whole bunch of artists here, there's a lot of folks here like doctors and lawyers, so there's a good amount of money here in town which is nice, but really, it's the folks here in the community that try really hard to make this community awesome.

I don't know, it's like, that's part of our mission here at Tumbling Creek Ciders is we're trying to make some of the best ciders, again, by doing it, you know, doing it right, start with an apple, end up with a bottle.

[Dave] And by the way, the blueberry in the whiskey barrel cider, fantastic.

Sometimes when traveling, you have to go through not so pretty places to get to the ones that are.

For example, being surrounded by trucks on I81 in order to visit Grayson Highlands State Park.

It's about an hour and 15 minutes from Abingdon.

The race on the interstate doesn't last long because soon the scenery turns to this.

Quickly, you'll find more turns than not.

We're climbing to around 4,600 feet.

So why are we exploring this far from town?

In hopes of seeing wild ponies.

[Dave] Hey buddy.

It didn't take long.

There are approximately 100 to 150 wild ponies that roam across the 4,800 acres of the park.

Because they could be anywhere at any time, there's no guarantee you'll see them, but most visitors do.

[Dave] Good morning, on a brisk morning at Grayson Highlands State Park.

Right now, 28 to 30 degrees.

If you're coming up here, everyone in town told us to park at the Massie Gap parking lot, it's about an hour and ten, hour and fifteen outside of Abingdon.

Unfortunately, this is our second trip here.

If you're gonna be going to any of the state parks in Virginia, make sure to check their websites.

'Cause we came up here a couple of days ago and the park was closed even though they had it posted on their website, which we didn't check.

Make sure to always check the website.

About a hundred wild ponies are up here.

We were worried about seeing 'em and we actually saw one before we got to the parking lot.

It's a beautiful morning, looking forward to it.

(gentle music) A reminder that this is not a petting zoo, these are wild animals, you're not supposed to feed them, and keep your distance while getting the best photos you can in this unique treasure of a spot.

(gentle music) [Dave] How about that view, huh?

It's one of the many reasons people love coming to this part of the state.

I gotta tell you, we didn't know what to expect from our trip to Abingdon, but we were more than pleasantly surprised with the incredible food scene, the outdoors, the arts, the history.

We can't wait to come back, and hopefully you can put Abingdon on your to-do list.

I'm Dave Parker with "Virginia Found."

- [Announcer] Support comes from Blue Heron Realty Company, specializing in waterfront and water access properties in the coastal communities on Virginia's Eastern Shore since 1993.

Learn more at Blueheronva.com.

Support comes from Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.

Kids need special care and grownups need to know that care is nearby, and we know how to treat kids.

CHKD, kids are more than patients, and we're more than a hospital.

Support comes from Capital Records Nashville, part of the Universal Music group Nashville, bringing you new music from John Pardi, Carrie Underwood and Eric Church.

Capital Records Nashville, available anywhere music is sold.

Sponsored in part by the Roc Solid Foundation.

Roc Solid believes that play defeats cancer because when kids are playing, cancer is the last thing on their minds.

Roc Solid Foundation, building hope for kids fighting cancer through the power of play.