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Southern Virginia Girls Trip
Girls, get ready to hit the road and experience the charm of Southern, Virginia! Enjoy the peacefulness and hospitality that make Martinsville – Henry County so special. Dedicate a weekend to explore the Smith River Blueway, the award-winning foods and drinks, the iconic amenities and the unique experiences provided, that you didn’t know you were missing.
Day 1
As you roll into town, stop by the iconic Martinsville Speedway and get an up-close look at NASCAR’s half mile of mayhem with a self-guided tour. Be sure to have those phones ready to snap those Speedway selfies! After you're done with your tour, swing by the ticket office to purchase Martinsville Speedway souvenirs or tickets to an upcoming NASCAR Cup Series Race for you and all your BFFs.
From the speedway, make tracks to One Starling B&B in Uptown Martinsville to check in for the weekend. You’ll admire all the details of the recently renovated home that come together to complete this impressive space. Even better, your stay at One Starling will have you in the heart of Martinsville’s Arts & Culture District!
After you are settled in, get ready for a water adventure with a guided fishing excursion with Smith River Outfitters and choose between Fly-fishing, Spin Tackle Wading or Raft fishing! Whichever you choose, you will have a professional angler to guide you down a premier trout stream that offers both stocked Rainbows, Brookies, and Wild Brown Trout. For added fun, stop by Cocoa Trail Chocolates as you make your way back into town, and pick up a few trout-shaped candies to commemorate your day’s catches!
Speaking of fresh catches, wrap up your day with dinner at 3rd Bay. Fresh-caught seafood, including seabass and scallops are local favorites as well their hand-cut ribeyes. Enjoy your meal on the outdoor patio and compliment it with a glass of wine, beer, or a cocktail.
Day 2
Wake up to a continental breakfast that you can enjoy on the oversized side porch of your quaint B&B. Spend your morning strolling through Uptown Martinsville and enjoy shopping and browsing public art. Daily Grind will get you perked up for your stroll with a selection of coffees, lattes, or espressos.
If the Ars & Culture District has you feeling extra artsy, a visit to Studio 107 is a must. The artist studio space showcases many of Martinsville-Henry County’s artists’ work that is available for purchase and is also the working space for several artists. Plus, you can even call ahead to schedule a private art class to paint, draw, make jewelry, or learn wood-turning. After your time in the studio, explore the streets of Uptown Martinsville to find the fun murals decorating the buildings, including the Elephants on Parade Mural, Old Glory, June German Ball, and others.
After shopping, art class, and exploring the murals, grab lunch at Shindig where you can B.Y.O.M. (Build Your Own Margarita)! When you are ready, move from those delicious margaritas to the award-winning wines of Hamlet Vineyards available for purchase at Hamlet Kitchen. Visit the kitchen to pick up a bottle and a gourmet to-go meal for dinner. Hamlet Vineyards 2016 Eltham was included as 1 of 12 wines in the 2019 Governor's Cup Case and the 2016 Petit Verdot took home a silver medal!
Now that you’re refreshed, you can take the party to the farm! Stonehaus Farms, that is. Enjoy a tour of the farm and add some education to your excitement while taking part in a Cheesemaking, Farm-to-Table or Bride’s class. The goats, donkeys chickens, and their owners, will be ready to greet you! Or, register for a Goat Yoga class at Infinity Acres Ranch!
After all that hard, but fun, work, you deserve to treat yourself. Make your way to Dipper’s Ice Cream to indulge in one of your frozen favorites. Dippers specializes in homemade ice cream that's made daily with fresh sweetened cream and the finest ingredients. Many varieties include special indulgences like hand-stirred fudge, homemade pies, cakes, cookies, and more. Their rotating menu consists of 18 unique flavors that they make fresh with their own recipes. The menu includes freshly made waffle cones, specialty milkshakes and floats, sundaes, banana splits, fresh fruit sorbets, fresh baked cake cups, and other seasonal additions. Did we mention that Dippers is the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC)’s 2014 March Culinary Madness Champion?
Head back to your B&B to unwind, and to enjoy your meal from Hamlet Kitchen, and the cheese you made at the farm.
Day 3
Pack it and enjoy your breakfast, picnic-style, a few blocks down the street at the Public Art Garden. Piedmont Arts' Gravely-Lester Art Garden features six sculptures, a walking path, a 100-year-old Remarkable Tree of Virginia, and is home to the museum's Historic Little Post Office, a former working post office (c.1893) on the USPS's Star Route. 
Next, get ready to bike the beautifully scenic and award-winning Dick & Willie Rail Trail by borrowing a bike and equipment, for free, at the YMCA’s Bike Barn! The D&W Trail is a beautiful 6.9 mile, soon to be 11 mile, paved rail trail that runs the former lines of the old Danville and Western Railroad. While pedaling along, stop and read about the history of the Danville and Western Railroad on the informational signs along the trail.
Wrap up your weekend fun at Hamlet Vineyards with a wine tasting and/or a mouth-watering lunch. Along with their signature selection of wines, Hamlet also serves their crowd-pleasing Sangria. Wines include: Pinot Gris, Eltham, Viognier, Bottled Blonde, Rose, Old Virginia Red, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Sparkling Viognier.
All this fun – and more – is waiting for you and your BFFs in Martinsville-Henry County, VA. Go to www.VisitMartinsville.com for more trip ideas!
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