 Indeed it is! The Front Royal area has long been a sought-after destination for lovers of the outdoors. The area boasts great outdoor adventure options for groups and loners, ranging from rugged backwoods experiences to family friendly fun. But what if your favorite hiking buddy happens to be your dog? Come right along! There’s lots to love about the Front Royal scene for dog-owners too.  Pet-friendly Front Royal! If you’re looking for a daytrip that your dog can enjoy with you, put Front Royal at the top of your list. Pets can be part of the adventure in many of the fantastic outdoor spaces that surround our town. When you’ve finished hiking, you and your four-legged buddy can relax at one of several local breweries. So use our guide to plan a day for yourself and your dog in this welcoming mountain town. You and your favorite hiking buddy will have a great time experiencing Front Royal together. We’d even go so far as to call it a “pawfect” adventure. Plan the “Pawfect” Outdoor Adventure For your dog-and-human hiking needs, look no further than Front Royal’s most popular tourist attraction: Shenandoah National Park. With its pet-friendly protocols that allow leashed dogs on most trails, Shenandoah National Park has been rated one of the most dog-friendly national parks in the entire United States! This incredible national park boasts mountain vistas, forests, streams, waterfalls . . . and around 500 miles of trails that your dog can hike with you! It’ll keep the two of you going for a long time!  Hiking trail and dog tails! If you want a change of scene from the National Park, see here for Discover Front Royal’s full list of hiking locations in the Front Royal area. Most welcome pets, so you can enjoy mountains, forests, or the Shenandoah River along with your pup. Double check the pet policy of each individual location to make sure you fully understand any rules or guidelines that might apply to you and your pet.  Pet-friendly dining! Breweries that Welcome You and Your Dog There’s nothing quite like relaxing with a beer and a burger after an outdoor adventure. Several of Front Royal’s breweries have outdoor dining where your dog is welcome to enjoy this part of the day with you too. The Front Royal Brewing Company is located right in Front Royal’s historic downtown, so you and your pet can enjoy a stroll on Main Street before or after your meal. For a more rural setting head out to the Backroom Brewery in Middletown, where you can enjoy your beer against the scenic backdrop of a working herb farm.  Backroom Brewery But beer isn’t the only brew you can find in the Front Royal area. To mix things up, check out one of Front Royal’s meaderies. Mead is an ancient beverage that’s been making a comeback, and Front Royal is a great place to try it out. Saga Meadery and Honey and Hops Brew Works both have seating to welcome you and your dog. The Vikings drank mead after their adventures. Maybe you should try it too!  Born to ride! Owning a dog is a big responsibility. Most dog-owners know the stress of trying to plan an excursion and making arrangements for a pet that you’re leaving behind. The good news is that if you’re heading to Front Royal, your four-legged friend can come right along with you. This is one destination where your favorite four-legged hiking buddy will fit right in. Start planning your pawfect adventure today!
Late fall can be a bleak time of year. But for those who know what to look for, late fall has its own beauty. Among the mostly bare trees, you’ll still find a few that are holding on to their leaves. When the best of the fall foliage has passed, it’s a great time to look out for oaks and beeches. These two species typically hold onto their leaves for the longest. In fact brown leaves can remain on oak trees through the whole winter, until the new growth in spring replaces them.  'LOVE in Front Royal' - Clinton Minnicks - Fall Photo Contest Entry But as the season of fall slowly winds, down, there’s still time for some fun in the town of Front Royal. Located at the northern entrance to Skyline Drive, Front Royal has even more to offer than just its natural beauty. In the town itself, you’ll discover a wide range of fun activities, together with delicious local food and drink. It’s small-town living at its best. Here’s our top ten ways to have fun in Front Royal. It’s a small town, but it can make your leaf-peeping day complete. 1. Throw an Axe! The brand new sport of axe throwing appeared in the U.S. in 2006. It’s growing fast, and it’s come to Front Royal. To spend an hour throwing axes, visit Shenandoah Valley Axe Throwing Co in the heart of Front Royal. 2020 has been a stressful and frustrating year. Axe throwing is a fun way to let off some steam!  SVAXECO Front Royal 2. Become Part of a Pizza Tradition  Melting Pot Pizza is a local favorite haunt. Visit once and you’ll know why. This Front Royal tradition has been serving up delicious East Coast thin-crust pizza since 1972. It’s a fun, family friendly environment. There are even gluten-free options, so all your friends and family can enjoy. With delicious pizza and a friendly vibe, it’s no surprise that this place has been around for almost forty years.  Melting Pot - Photo Credit: Scott Turnmeyer Photography 3. Sip on a Latte If you’re looking to unwind with a book and a cup of something warm, look no further than Happy Creek Coffee and Tea. This cozy coffee shop has delicious beverages and plenty of character. In addition to hot drinks, they’re famous for their cold brew coffee on draft. If you’re there around breakfast time, you can enjoy a fun yogurt and oatmeal bar. Gluten free baked goods are available throughout the day.
4. Feel the LOVE Outsize letters spelling out the word LOVE have been popping up all over the state of Virginia in recent years. In turbulent times, they’re here to remind us that our beautiful state is all about love. It’s become a statewide tradition to hunt down the LOVE signs. If you’re on a LOVE sign hunt, you’ll want to stop by Front Royal. If you’re new to the idea, Front Royal is a great place to start. Front Royal’s LOVE letters were made right here in town at AG Laser Technology. Stop by the Front Royal Visitor Center and Main Street Gazebo area to check out Front Royal’s very own LOVE letters. Don’t forget to snap a picture and share on social media using the hashtag #LoveVA.  #LoveVA 5. Enjoy a Craft Beer Front Royal is a great destination for lovers of craft beer. The Front Royal Brewing Company offers award-winning craft beer brewed on site (as well as delicious food). The names of the different beers honor the local area. Pavemint Taphouse is a conveniently located micro-brewery, housed in a creatively renovated gas station. Pavemint offers a wide range of craft beers. Drive by most days, and you’ll see the smoker outside with wood piled up next to it. Delicious meat is on the way for lucky diners. Tap into history and the beer at the one and only Virginia Beer Museum! With Virginia having over two hundred craft breweries, this unique stop allows you to experience Virginia beer while appreciating the history of its growth in our state! Don't miss it!
6. Sample Kale Ice Cream (or Another Flavor You’ve Never Tried Before!) C & C’s Frozen Treats is a fun ice cream shop with a retro vibe, located on Front Royal’s Main Street. The shop specializes in unique flavors of ice cream. Recent offerings have included Tomato and Basil, and Kale. You’ll also find flavors to suit more traditional tastes such as brownie batter, peach, or salted caramel. The menu changes weekly, so fall tastes such as pumpkin pie will likely pop up. You shouldn’t count on a particular flavor, but you can count on being deliciously surprised.
7. Paint Your Own Pottery For a fun fall craft project with no clean-up, visit the Kiln Doctor to paint a piece of pottery in store. You can choose from a range of unpainted pottery pieces, including plates and mugs, or seasonal ornaments such as jack-o-lanterns and garden gnomes. Get to work and enjoy yourself. They’ll take care of the clean-up, and they’ll give your piece of art a professional finish.
8. Ride the Trolley For a retro adventure, take a ride on the Front Royal Trolley. The fare is only fifty cents each way. Relax and enjoy the scenic town of Front Royal in a whole new way.  Trolley, Main Street, Front Royal 9. Discover a Classic or a New Favorite Royal Oak Bookshop is the perfect place to hunt for a treasure in a used book. It’s the rambling used bookstore you’ve been looking for, complete with friendly cats!  Royal Oak Bookshop, Royal Avenue 10. Go for a Riverside Walk The Shenandoah River runs right through Front Royal. Visit Eastham Park for a scenic stroll on an easy walking trail by the side of the river. The trail is lined with trees, so you can enjoy fall foliage here too.  Eastham Park  Lots of Lattes The pumpkin spice latte has become a favorite treat of the fall season. And it’s not hard to tell why. You’ve got cozy fall spices, sweet milky goodness, and (of course) coffee. It’s definitely a combination that’s hard to resist. But if you’re looking for something delicious to sip on this fall, Front Royal has options that might tempt you to branch out beyond this crowd-pleasing favorite . . . in favor of something a little stronger. Read on for a list of Front Royal’s best fall beverages. If you’re in search of an alcoholic drink, you’ll find beer and cider options, as well as mead. But for those who prefer to stick with an old favorite, we’ve identified some great spots for a pumpkin spice latte. Also included: other non-alcoholic drinks that whisper “fall” with every sip! Front Royal’s Fall Craft Beers If you’re looking for a cozy fall drink, craft beer is a great place to start. Americans have fallen in love with the German Oktoberfest tradition, and if you’ve ever attended an Oktoberfest celebration, you know that hearty German-style beers play a big role in this fall festival!  Front Royal Brewery A visit to the Front Royal Brewing Company during the month of October will give you the opportunity to sample the best of locally crafted Oktoberfest beers. This fall (2020), Front Royal Brewing Company is featuring five Oktoberfest beers, all for a just limited time.  Virginia Beer Museum Definitely make your way to the Virginia Beer Museum, where you'll 'experience Virginia and experience beer'. They celebrate Oktoberfest in a grand fashion! Take a museum tour where you'll learn about the heritage of Virginia beer, stretching from 1607 to the current craft beer renaissance. The beer is flowing, the beer is cold, and admission to the museum is free! For another option in fall beer, check out Pavemint Taphouse. Here, you’ll also find a selection of Oktoberfest style beers. Pavemint Taphouse features a range of hard ciders in addition to its beer offerings. Apple juice meets beer: what better drink for apple-picking season? The Backroom Brewery in Middletown is definitely worth a visit since it has more than 25 beer recipes approved by the State of Virginia. You'll enjoy the beers, the surroundings, and a much more.  Backroom Brewery For a more rural experience in the Front Royal area, visit Hinson Ford Cider and Mead. You’ll find a range of ciders here, as well as meads. (Note: Hinson Ford’s taproom is closed for the 2020 season, but check their website for options to buy by the bottle.) As for dedicated meaderies, you can find two right in the town of Front Royal, both offering seasonal fall drinks. This fall, Honey and Hops will release two “cysers” (ciders with honey). They also promise two “surprise” fall flavors. And if you’re looking for traditional tastes of fall, search no further than Saga Meadery. Here you’ll find Pumpkin Spice Mead. You can get your fall flavor fix while enjoying an ancient favorite beverage. In Search of the Pumpkin Spice Latte (and other non-alcoholic options…) If you’re determined to stick with the pumpkin spice latte, or can’t think of anything more satisfying than a warm fall beverage, don’t worry. Front Royal has you covered here, too. Visit one of our three local coffee shops for something deliciously cozy to sip on. Daily Grind is an old local favorite. Another option is Happy Creek Coffee and Tea. A great coffee shop with a unique atmosphere, Happy Creek has a variety of fall drink options. Check out their hot and cold apple cider, or savor a hot chocolate. Finally, DL Campus on Main is the latest addition to Front Royal’s roster of coffee shops.  Latte Lover Whether you’re a beer lover, a mead enthusiast, or a pumpkin spice latte connoisseur, you’ll be able to find something delicious to sip on in Front Royal. Don’t forget to make a fall drink part of your leaf-peeping visit to the Shenandoah Valley.
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AuthorDiscover Front Royal Archives
September 2021
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