There’s nothing that says “I love you” to a mom quite like the chance to spend some special time with family. And on Mother’s Day, the beautiful spring weather makes spending time outdoors together a perfect fit. This Mother’s Day, head to Front Royal and give the gift of a fun outing in the Shenandoah Valley. You and Mom can connect over something you both love to do. 
 

Read on for ideas on a range of delightful outings in the Front Royal area for you and Mom. You can enjoy the beautiful spring of the Shenandoah Valley together. We’ve given suggestions for moms of all kinds, so you’re sure to find something your mom will love! 
 

 For the Mom who Loves Outdoor Adventures
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We think of mothers as a safe-haven, and rightly so. But moms are also some of the most adventurous people there are! Taking on responsibility for one or several tiny humans is not for the fainthearted!
 

Does your mom love to adventure in the great outdoors as much as she loves the great adventure of motherhood? If so, you’ll have no problem finding a Mother’s Day outing she’ll enjoy in the Front Royal area!
 

With the Shenandoah River winding through Front Royal, a day on the river is a great way to adventure and relax at the same time. Front Royal has a range of friendly outfitters who’ll take care of your needs. Check out Front Royal Outdoors, or Down River Canoe Company, to find a river trip that works for you.
 

If you’re more interested in getting out on some hiking trails, you have some great options in the Front Royal area too. With the George Washington National Forest, the Shenandoah National Park, and the Appalachian Trail all within easy distance, you can find an iconic hike without too much trouble. If your mom is a serious hiker or biker, combine this outing with the gift of an All Trails Pro subscription. All Trails Pro is like a GPS app, but for hiking trails! Mom can enjoy the trails with a whole new sense of security.
 

For the Mom who Loves a Small-Town Vibe
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Depending on your tastes, spring weather can be just as enjoyable on the streets of a quaint small town as in a mountain landscape. If your mom is a lover of small town life, she’ll definitely enjoy an afternoon in Front Royal. 

Be sure to attend C & C Frozen Treats 7th Annual Family Fun Day on Saturday, May 7th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on East Main Street! It's the perfect event for a family outing! 

To give your outing a bit more structure, consider following the Front Royal Walking Tour. This self-guided tour takes you through Front Royal’s most historic and picturesque streets. You’ll learn some local history along the way. Feel free to take a break along the way and enjoy hunting for treasures in an antique store, sipping on a coffee, or savoring an ice cream cone. 
 

Another great idea for enjoying Front Royal’s small town atmosphere is an afternoon at the Dr. Seide Memorial Botanical Gardens. Within the 3.5 acres of beautifully planned gardens, you’ll find benches, walking paths, and even a stretch of Happy Creek. The same complex is also home to one of Front Royal’s most extensive parks, so the whole family can enjoy playgrounds, sand volleyball, tennis, basketball, and more. ​

For the art appreciation moms, ARTFEST maybe the perfect end to a perfect day! Come and enjoy beautiful live music and more!
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For the Mom who just Wants to Relax
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For some Moms, a slower-paced day in the countryside is the best way to relax and rejuvenate. If you’re looking for an outing along these lines, you might consider heading to Sunflower Cottage in Middletown. Mom can enjoy this picturesque herb farm, and visit the retail garden center to pick out herbs, flowers, or planters for the coming season. Don’t forget to include a stop at the farm’s Backroom Brewery for some refreshment. Here you’ll find craft beers made with hops grown right on the farm. The brewery is open from 12-8 on Sundays, so on Mother’s Day you can enjoy brunch, lunch, or dinner!
 

For another relaxing option, consider planning a picnic at one of the many fantastic wineries surrounding Front Royal. Sipping on a glass of Virginia wine in a gorgeous setting will be a restorative experience for anyone!
 

Celebrate Mom in the Front Royal area this Mother’s Day weekend. With a range of options to suit all tastes, you can get out in the fresh spring air of the Valley and enjoy a memorable day together.

There are so many reasons to love biking. 
 

• It’s the most energy-efficient form of human transportation ever invented
• It allows you to enjoy the outdoors while traveling significant distances
• It’s a great, low-impact way to exercise

With all these wonderful perks and many more, it’s not surprising that biking is extremely popular as a sport, a hobby, and even a mode of transportation. But since most American towns were designed with the car in mind, finding a convenient and safe place to ride a bike can be a challenge.
 

The Front Royal area is surrounded by great mountain biking trails for those interested in an intense and adventurous biking experience. But there’s also some scope for more laid back “leisure” biking. Read right on here for our guide to leisure biking in the Front Royal area. In this post you’ll find tips about where to enjoy a more relaxing bike ride in and around Front Royal. 
 

Take a Bike Ride around Front Royal
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For those interested in an around-the-town bike ride, Front Royal has a treat in store. Royal Greenway is a five mile biking/walking/”baby-strollering” loop trail around Front Royal. It’s a varied ride with the fun of biking through town as well as a heavy dose of natural beauty. Follow the trail and you’ll get to enjoy the sights and sounds of Front Royal’s charming downtown area, as well as exploring Eastham Park’s riverside walking/biking trail, right along the banks of the Shenandoah River.
 

Take your Bike to the Park
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Another exciting Front Royal option is Rockland Park’s Carson Trail. This gently sloping gravel trail runs alongside the Shenandoah River. When fully complete, it will cover 2.62 miles to the Front Royal Golf Club, giving leisure bikers the opportunity for a fun out-and-back adventure in a beautiful setting. 
 

Enjoy a Weekend of Organized Bike Riding
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For biking enthusiasts looking for some fun and challenging riding in the Front Royal area, the Strasburg Bike-Around event is a great fit. Mark your calendar for June 10-12, and enjoy three days of pre-planned routes in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. You can relax and enjoy the ride while event organizers take care of logistics. It’s a great opportunity to connect with other cyclists, too. And you’ll be contributing to the future of leisure biking in the Shenandoah Valley the whole time. Part of the registration fee for this event goes to support the development of the Shenandoah Rail Trail, an exciting new initiative aimed at turning a disused rail line into a vibrant new bike path. 
 

Explore Biking Trails in Nearby Towns
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If you’re in search of a biking trail, and are willing to go a little farther, Front Royal’s neighboring towns have some great options in store. Luray’s Hawksbill Greenway is a fun two-mile trail that combines town and countryside. Another slightly closer option is Winchester’s Green Circle Trail, which takes cyclists around the city of Winchester with an emphasis on the city’s scenic streams.
 
Biking is a great way to exercise and have fun! With safe and scenic biking trails popping up all over the Front Royal area, it’s an activity to add to your to-do list for your next Front Royal trip.

We live in an era in which high quality videos and pictures of the world’s most fascinating sights are at our fingertips for most of our waking hours. Spending long periods of time outdoors peering through binoculars in the hopes of catching a (perhaps distant) sighting of an elusive bird may seem . . . a bit out of touch. But birdwatching is a pastime that grew in popularity throughout the twentieth century, and still commands a large number of devotees. If you’re in the Front Royal area, it may be time to discover (or continue enjoying) the thrills of birdwatching for yourself. The Shenandoah Valley is a great place to birdwatch. With habitat for some of America’s favorite birds, as well as rarer migratory species, the area draws birdwatchers every year. Read on to explore three reasons why birdwatching is still worthwhile in the smartphone era, and find our tips for great birding spots in and around Front Royal.
 

1. Birdwatching is Good for Your Health
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Birdwatching requires slowing down, peace and quiet, and often a hike into less-frequented areas of nature. Research has shown the negative effects of the constant stimulation and instant gratification we get from our digital devices. It’s affecting our mental health, as well as our attention spans, and even brain function. Taking a break from the screen and focusing your attention on observing a bird at the slower pace of real life can provide a much needed change. Especially when combined with exercise such as walking, birdwatching can boost your mental, physical, and emotional health all at once!
 

In the world of google and countless information apps, finding thousands of answers to any question can be as quick as typing it in and hitting go. All that information can be overwhelming, and it also takes away the unique satisfaction of figuring out a problem on your own. When you’re out in the field watching birds, identifying a species you haven’t seen before is the perfect opportunity to exercise your (perhaps neglected!) sleuthing skills! Flipping through a field guide, making comparisons, sometimes getting stumped, and finally arriving at an answer is a uniquely satisfying process, one many of us experience all too infrequently.
 

3. Birdwatching Brings Its own Thrills
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Perhaps it’s partly because birdwatchers aren’t guaranteed success every time: birdwatching is full of thrills. Whether it’s spotting a new species for the first time, finally laying eyes on a bird you’ve been patiently awaiting, or sharing the joy of exploring nature’s wonders with friends and family, birdwatching has excitements all its own in store. It’s another great way to get outdoors and explore all the natural world has to offer.
 

If you’re considering a birding outing around Front Royal, you’ll find there are loads of great places in the area to explore. See our post here to learn more about birdwatching at Shenandoah National Park or the Virginia State Arboretum. Between these two locations there’s scope for almost unlimited birdwatching. For a lesser-known park with lots of birdwatching potential try Shenandoah River State Park. A thrilling local hike that’s name for the bird sightings it includes is the George Washington National Forest’s Buzzard Rock Hike. A fun climb up through the woods emerges onto an exposed rocky outcrop at the top, with thrilling scenes of buzzards wheeling through the skies and stunning views of the surrounding countryside. It’s a local favorite you’ll want to check out.

​Whether you’ve never tried birding or you’re an experienced birdwatcher, let this spring be a time to get out there with your binoculars and field guide! Birdsong is one of spring’s most exciting sounds. It’s a great time of year to get out there and get to know the wonderful creatures that fill the air with song.  

We all know how much women love friendship and social connection, and there’s something extra special about time spent with “just the girls.” Planning a getaway or weekend together is a great way to take these strong, sisterly bonds to the next level. If you’re planning a girls’ trip in 2022, put Front Royal at the top of your list of destinations. With fun shopping, outdoor adventure, wineries, gourmet food, and more, there’s too much to do for just one weekend! Read on for six ideas to help you plan a girls’ trip that any group will love!
 

What better way to kick off some time with the girls than by enjoying some wine together! Especially if you’re reuniting a group that hasn’t been together in a while, sipping on some wine is a great way to renew old bonds quickly. Plan your trip to Front Royal, and you’ll get to enjoy wine against some of the most stunning views of the Shenandoah Valley. Front Royal has lots of fantastic wineries waiting to host you. Try Rappahannock Wine Cellars, Chester Gap Cellars, or Glen Manor Vineyards for outstanding wines and amazing ambiance. 
 
Want to switch out wine with something that may be new to you, but is old news for humanity? Consider planning a mead tasting instead at one of Front Royal’s two local meaderies.

2. Get Creative Together
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Artsy group? You’re in for a treat in Front Royal! Head to Explore Art and Clay for a fun adventure painting your own pottery. Or schedule a Paint Party at The Studio! Bring your own refreshments, relax, and enjoy a painting project together under professional instruction. You’ll even bring home a memento of your trip. Plan a totally creative weekend and visit both studios. Art lovers will want to check out Turnmeyer Galleries for souvenirs too. 
 

3. Explore the Town and Shop
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Talking of shopping, if you have a group of eager shoppers you’ll have a hard time finding a more unique, fun, and memorable place to shop than Front Royal. Set aside some time to wander around in the historic downtown area, where you’ll find antique stores, farm markets, unique gift shops, a used book store, and more, all within walking distance. Don’t forget to save time for taking a break and treating yourselves to some delicious coffee, baked goods, or ice cream!

In Front Royal, it doesn’t have to be all about doing stereotypically “girly” things! Many women enjoy exercising in the great outdoors, and sharing an outdoor adventure can be one of the best bonding experiences you’ll have! Pack snacks and plan a day on the river, or head to Shenandoah National Park or George Washington National Forest for an unforgettable hiking adventure. 
 

5. Explore the Front Royal Dining Scene
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When you’re ready to relax over that delicious meal that someone else cooked, Front Royal is a great place to be. For a girls’ weekend, ViNoVA might be our top pick. Enjoy more wine with tasty tapas to share. 
 
To treat yourselves to a classic fine dining experience, check out The Element. Or enjoy craft beer and gourmet food at PaveMint Taphouse or Vibrissa Beer.

6. Relax and Get Cozy with Accommodations that Feel Like Home
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The activities and the food are only half of what makes a girls’ weekend amazing. The other component that can make or break the trip is where you stay! Sharing an Airbnb will give you a great way to extend your time together, get cozy in pjs, and maybe even bust out the popcorn and enjoy some romantic movies. Front Royal has lots of accommodation options that are cozy and unique. To get your search started check out this one and this one. Or see here for a fuller list of lodging options in the Front Royal area.
 

​With cozy lodging, fun activities, and adventure in store, Front Royal has everything it takes to make for a great girls’ trip. As an added bonus, it’s conveniently located within easy distance of Northern Virginia, so if you’re in the D.C. metro area, you won’t have to spend half your weekend travelling. Start planning your 2022 get together with your girls today, and make Front Royal the destination!