Two Weeks in the Shenandoah Valley

There is a lot to do at this resort: go-karts, miniature golf, shows (magic, comedy), fishing, hiking, chair lifts, etc. There is even a new Waterpark on property. It looks nice but we felt the admission was high. Actually, we found all the activity prices at Massanutten high. They promote their weekly activity card ( per person) to cut your costs but a family of four would still spend a lot of money as the card reduces the activity cost but doesn't make it free. The card would probably pay for itself if you were really into golf, but I couldn't justify the cost myself.

We stayed in (one-bedroom) unit 173E, the small side of what Massanutten refers to as a 2-bedroom. We had a quick peek at 173K (the other half) and it certainly looked larger, having a full kitchen and a large Jacuzzi as well as a King Bed. These units have a common entry door off a long indoor hall (feels like a hotel) and each has it's own interior door. There is no washer/dryer in either unit. There is a laundry room on each floor. The laundry has two washers and two dryers, a sink, and sideboard. It seemed clean and the machines were free and in good working order.

Unit 173E was certainly adequate for two adults although I'm not sure I'd want to stay in this unit with more. The unit was nicely furnished and was very clean. They give you a small supply of materials (tissue, toilet paper, paper towel, plastic garbage bags, dishwasher soap, laundry detergent, and dish soap) but when you run out, you're on your own. As we were staying a second week (Sunday to Sunday), they cleaned our unit on the Thursday of our FIRST week and told us they would not be around again - they weren't! Everything in the unit was in good working order EXCEPT our bed - the worst bed we've slept in over 14 years of timesharing. It was small, too soft and the box spring was shot so that the bed sagged when you rolled over. We were rolling toward the center all night. Linens were clean but not of great quality. To be fair to the resort, we asked other people what their bed was like and everyone said their bed was very good - it may just be Unit 173E.

Quick Tips:

We really enjoyed this area - very beautiful and lots to do. We went hiking up in Shenandoah National Park several days (Park Pass is good for week) and we really enjoyed driving the Blue Ridge Parkway. Tip: ask which hiking trails start off going up so that on the return you're walking down. Our first hike was about 4 miles, mostly down and then we had to hike back up in the heat of the day - not fun for two out-of-shape Baby Boomers! We visited Charlottesville (pretty town) one day and purchased the President's Pass to see Monticello, Madison's home and the Tavern. Another day we drove north to Luray, visited the Cavern, had a picnic and then drove back through Shenandoah. Harrisonburg offers lots of shopping opportunities just off Hwy 33 at the Interstate (Costco, Books a Million, Barnes and Noble, Home Depot, Walmart, etc.). There is a Regal multiplex theatre in this area and lots of restaurants. If you like burgers, try Five Guys - excellent! We visited the Farmer's Market in Dayton and had a nice meal in town at the Thomas House (meals from .50-.50 including side dish and a piece of pie). We visited Staunton (nice main street) to see the Frontier Culture Museum - and enjoyed our meal at the Mill Street Grill in town. Mostly we just enjoyed driving the back roads in this beautiful farming area.

Best Way To Get Around:

This is a very large property (2400 acres) with a lot of roads and activities - you will need a car here. They were putting in a new road up to Woodstone while we were there - this will make the approach as far as Woodstone Checkin a divided, 4-lane road. Based on the traffic that comes into this resort each day, this will be a needed addition.