Summer road trip: Lewisburg, West Virginia

Source: The News & Advance, Lynchburg, Va.新蒲崗迷你倉Aug. 28--It's the type of place where traffic never seems to rise above a steady hum, where an afternoon spent browsing art galleries that line the historic downtown can be capped off with fly-fishing at twilight.Street names -- Washington, Jefferson, Lafayette -- hint at the history of Lewisburg, a town that's tucked away in the hills of the Greenbrier Valley in southern West Virginia and traces its roots to a 1750s outpost during the French and Indian War.These days, mostly artists, retirees and shopkeepers live amid the community's early-20th-century charm, while vacationers stop over for a night or two to check out stylish boutiques and dine at a fine selection of local eateries.But there's a laid-back, unpretentious vibe, a rather befitting quality for this rural enclave made up of fewer than 4,000 residents. Rugged beauty and rich farmland border just on the outskirts, creating that unerring blend of backcountry grace and suave sophistication."The town is something unique, in the middle of this lush, hilly mountain area. We fell in love with it here," says Monica Maxwell, who moved from bustling South Florida to Lewisburg with her husband, Aaron, nearly a decade ago to open the Harmony Ridge Gallery on Washington Street.Lewisburg is about a two-hour drive from Lynchburg, with stunning sierras looming large on both sides of the highway as you travel across state lines. Just take Virginia 130 west off of U.S. 29 north and, after short stints on U.S. 501 and I-81, you'll hop on I-64 for roughly 80 miles.Our first stop was the Greenbrier County Visitors Center on Washington Street, the main thoroughfare. We picked through racks of pamphlets for everything the town and surrounding county have to offer, from a walking tour of the historic district to a 78-mile hiking and biking trail along the Greenbrier River to restaurants for all tastes and budgets.Other activities include First Fridays After Five, a Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays from May through October, and a schedule of upcoming performances at various venues around Lewisburg, which is named after Col. Andrew Lewis, whose militia defeated Chief Cornstalk and the Shawnee in 1774.After getting our bearings, we strolled over to North House Museum, an 1820 building that serves as headquarters for the Greenbrier Historical Society.North House was built as a home by a wealthy lawyer and later converted into a hotel, where guests watched the Battle of Lewisburg from one of its balconies in 1862, when Union troops defeated an untested Southern force in the predominantly Confederate town.For an engagement that lasted less than one hour, it was packed with action, ranging from a surprise attack and artillery barrage to an infantry assault and panicked retreat. On a hill just to the south of the museum, a cross-shaped mass grave holds the remains of 95 unidentified Confederate soldiers.Steps away, it's hard to miss the imposing Carnegie Hall, which sits on a lawn shaded by a string of oversized maple trees. Built in 1902 by industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who put up the money for the stately Greek Revival performance theater, it has hosted the likes of renowned violinist Isaac Stern and internationally acclaimed trumpet player/composer Wynton Marsalis."We got a lot going on," says Lynn Creamer, who's been Carnegie Hall's artistic director for nine years. "Our season opens next month with [country artist] Ricky Skaggs. And we'll probably sell that out. This is a community of natives and transplants who value the arts and support the arts."Across the street, there's the Old Stone Presbyterian Church, one of the oldest buildings in town. Dating to 1796, it was one of several used as temporary hospitals after the Battle of Lewisburg, often housing the wounded from both sides together.Today, you can go in and observe its unadorned, white-walled sanctuary, should you need even more peace than what's afforded by strolling the sidewalks. The adjacent churchyard occupies prime real estate, its cemetery lined with headstones of the town's pioneers."It's the people that make this town," Aaron Maxwell says. "West Virginia isn't exactly a melting pot but, as much as it can be, you will meet people in Lewisburg from all over. It's very cultural. So there's all these kinds of things happening."The Maxwell's Harmony Ridge Gallery -- featuring a range of American handcrafted works, from jewelry to furniture to canvassed paintings -- adds its own sense of diversity to the community's eclectic spirit. The space is expansive, complete with a front door wide enough to drive a car through and an in-house coffee and wine bar."When we were starting this, people thought we were crazy," Aaron Maxwell says. "The locals were standing outside when we were demolishing the front and putting these big windows in and they were like, 'These guys are crazy.' But this is the thing; artists need outlets for their work. And that's what we do."With the late afternoon upon us, we decided it was time for a bite to eat, which meant grabbing a table at the Stardust Cafe a couple of blocks away on the opposite end of Washington Street. The restaurant is a true farm-to-table affair, where local, organic meats and vegetables and artisanal breads abound.We tried the grilled three-cheese sandwich (topped with creamy goat cheese, Swiss, aged reggiano Parmesan, sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil and served on homemade ciabatta) and the burger (local grass-fed beef from nearby Swift Level Farm, served on a homemade sesame bun and topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and bacon -- worth every penny of the extra charge.)The food was incredibly tasty, and our appetites were more than satisfied.Lewisburg, voted America's Coolest Small Town by Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine in 2011, is decidedly less flashy and formal than its neighbor, the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, where suits are expected at dinner and golf tee times reign.The sprawling, 6,500-plumini storage acres of groomed fairways and color-splashed interiors are more of a time-machine throwback to earlier notions of luxury and leisure in the States, from those of the antebellum South (Gen. Robert E. Lee was a regular guest) through the cold war jet-set era.Still, if the resort's 40,000-square-foot casino or 300-seat movie theater -- the size of an airplane hanger -- or 55-foot climbing tower don't strike your fancy, you might find solace back in Lewisburg.Call it a country town with a cosmopolitan edge."That is what small-town America has sorta become," Aaron Maxwell says. "It's a place for great restaurants and unique shops that are not going to be chain stores. Each small town is a different, one-of-a-kind experience. And Lewisburg is lucky that it has all of these little things that meet the eye."------THE SITESCarnegie Hall, 105 Church St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-7917, .carnegiehallwv.org; visit the website for the 2013 fall scheduleThe Greenbrier Resort, 300 W. Main St., White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., (855) 453-4858, .greenbrier.com; open year-roundGreenbrier River Trail, Caldwell, W. Va., (turn off of U.S. 60 onto Stonehouse Road and follow the signs), (304) 799-7416, .greenbrierrailtrailstatepark.com; open year-roundHerns Mill Covered Bridge (drive west on U.S. 60, heading out of downtown Lewisburg, W. Va., for roughly two miles and follow the signs)North House Museum, 301 W. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-3398, .greenbrierhistorical.org; open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through SaturdayOld Stone Presbyterian Church, 200 Church St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-2676, .oldstonechurchwv.comTHE SHOPSBella -- The Corner Gourmet, 100 E. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 520-4921, .bellathecornergourmet.com; open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. SundayBrick House Antiques, 123 E. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-4082; open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. SundayCopper Gallery, 122 E. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-6439, .coopergallery.com; open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. SaturdayHarmony Ridge Gallery, 209 W. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-4333, .harmonyridgegallery.com; open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. SundayHazel Boutique, 204 W. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 647-4007, .hazelboutique.com; open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through SaturdayHigh Country Boutique & Gallery, 122 W. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-5222, .highcountrylewisburg.com; open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. SundayPlaid Eagle Antiques, 117 E. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-0000; open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. SundayRobert's Antiques & Wine Shop, 120 E. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 647-3404, .robertsantiqueswv.com; open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. SundayThe Washington Street Gallery, 123 W. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 647-4561, .washingtonstgallery.com; open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through SaturdayTHE EATSThe Bakery, 102 N. Court St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-1106, .thebakeryllcwv.com; open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. SaturdayDel Sol Cantina and Grille, 206 W. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-1717, .delsolcantinagrille.com; open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday for lunch; 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday for dinnerFood & Friends, 213 W. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-4548, .foodandfriendslewisburgwv.com; open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through SaturdayGreenbrier Valley Baking Company, 110 S. Jefferson St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-6159; open from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through SaturdayHistoric General Lewis Inn and Restaurant, 301 E. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-2600, .generallewisinn.com; open from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday for breakfast, 11:30 to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday for lunch, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday for dinner, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday for brunch and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday for dinnerIrish Pub on Washington Street, 109 E. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-7386, .irishpubonwashingtonstreet.com; open from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday, 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. SundayThe Livery, 217 E. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-9836, .liverytavern.com; open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through SundayThe Market, 215 W. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 645-4084, .foodandfriendslewisburgwv.com; open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. SaturdayStardust Cafe, 102 E. Washington St., Lewisburg, W. Va., (304) 647-3663, .stardustcafewv.com; open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday for lunch, 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday for dinner and 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday for dinnerUPCOMING EVENTST.O.O.T is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, in Lewisburg, W. Va. Thousands gather on the streets of the historic downtown for the annual Taste of Our Towns festival to sample delicacies from local restaurants, civic clubs and organizations. For more information, call (304) 645-7917 or visit .carnegiehallwv.org/toot.A Holiday Open House is set for Sunday, Nov. 17, and runs through Saturday, Nov. 23, in downtown Lewisburg. This annual event offers live music, performances, delicious treats, carriage rides, holiday decorations and a visit by Santa Claus. For more information, visit .downtownlewisburg.com.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The News & Advance (Lynchburg, Va.) Visit The News & Advance (Lynchburg, Va.) at .newsadvance.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesself storage