On the road: Harrisonburg

I took a whirlwind 24 hour trip to Harrisonburg, VA, this weekend, and forgot all about DC for a while. I was in H’burg to dance, so unfortunately I didn’t get to see many of the sights–whatever they may have been–but it was still a worthwile vacation.

Three reasons to go to Harrisonburg:

1. The trip there, along 66 and then 81, is lovely. 81 in particular is great this time of year, with light green spreading everywhere and the roadside dotted with blooming redbud trees.
2. The Little Grill Collective, a small hippie joint serving tempeh, tofu, and all the typical veggie food, but also meat for those who can’t live without it. The place was cluttered but charming, and everyone was friendly. I’ve long bemoaned DC’s lack of a genuine hippie culture, so it was good to feel at home for a little while.
3. The Artful Dodger, a downtown cafe (pictured below) serving coffee, alcohol, food and sweets. It’s just the right kind of cafe–funky, relaxed, cultivating the “hang out here” vibe but not at all overly pretentious (gasp!). The owner clearly has a thing for the ’50s and early ’60s and has the most amazing collection of star-shaped clocks I’ve ever seen.

Those two joints were the coolest places I’ve been in a while. This city could learn a thing or two from Harrisonburg, perhaps.
the artful dodger

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

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