COVER STORY: Stable Tour | by Judy Sheehan
FROM THE PUBLISHER | by Terry McEnaney
Posted July 27, 2010
Question, what’s a great way to spend your Memorial Day weekend?! Answer, going on the Hunt Country Stable Tour in Middleburg and Upperville, VA, of course!
Yes, I know there are a multitude of great things to do on Memorial Day weekend, you can go to the beach, picnics, shopping…the list seems endless. But this year, I decided to try something completely different. My husband and I went on the self- driven Hunt Country Stable Tour, and we are so glad we did! We found a wealth of treasures right in our own back yard.
Our day started by getting our Stable Tour tickets at the beautiful Trinity Episcopal Church located in Upperville, VA. I spoke with a wonderful volunteer, Ellen Hall, who told me the Stable Tour, in its 51st year, supports the ministry of the church, and the monies raised from the self driven tour goes directly into their outreach programs, which in turn goes right back into the community. Ellen gave us our admission tickets which listed fourteen Stable Tour activities to go to. On the back of the admission ticket was an easy-to-read map of where each activity was located. In addition, we received Stable Tour guide books which gave a background and summary of each listed event.
The events on the Stable Tour were all unique and fascinating. There was definitely something for everyone to enjoy! The events ranged from touring exclusive private estate stables and grounds, seeing Civil War re-enactments, a tour of the Boxwood Winery, the Middleburg Training Track, the MARE Center, the Northern Virginia Swim Center, horseback lessons and pony rides, a polo match and much more! With so many great events to choose from, where do you even begin?! (asked the girl who can’t decide on what shoes to wear.)
So, my husband and I decided to begin our Stable Tour right where we got our tickets and began touring the beautiful Trinity Episcopal Church. It is definitely one of the most magnificent churches I have ever seen. After touring through all of the church’s nooks and crannies, we then walked over to the country fair taking place on the church grounds. The fair was terrific, filled with all kinds of unique homemade crafts and wares. I could have stayed all day, but we couldn’t wait to experience the other great events listed. Now, to figure out where to drive next.
It was a tough decision, but we opted to go see a beagling demonstration at Rokeby Farm, as I love dogs and was totally intrigued as I had no clue what beagling was. We drove up to the Rokeby estate, owned by Mrs. Paul Mellon, widow of philanthropist Paul Mellon. The estate was awe inspiring, definitely the crown jewel of the Stable Tour! We showed our tickets, parked our cars, and I immediately asked a volunteer to....
...to read more of this story, please see page 57 of the May edition of The OurTownPaper.
Posted July 27, 2010
Hi, everybody, and welcome to the summer issue of Our Town! Two months ago, we had just barely eight wonderful towns on our masthead. There are now twenty towns and counting. This is exactly what we hoped would happen and, thanks to all of you, it is now a reality. All of these towns and their citizens represent the best of our country. Each has its own marvelous personality, and we at Our Town promise you that you will not want to miss a single one of them. And you’ll want to go back again and again.
Pam and I recently sat in the Garden of Eden Restaurant in Edinburg, VA, talking to a senior couple that had a parish in Broadway (a few towns further south). They had been missionaries in Ethiopia for forty years before returning to the U.S. We gradually felt as though we had known this delightful couple for an entire lifetime. This kind of experience happens in each and every town we visit. We arrive as sightseers and leave as members of that community, and we are confident that you’ll experience the same exact thing when you visit.
Enjoy the summer. See you in the fall! — Terry M.
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