Short on Time? These #TinyTrips Offer a Taste of LYH in 24 Hours
By Jodi Helmer
Lynchburg has it all: an historic downtown, world class restaurants, museums and galleries, outdoor adventures. Use one of these themed 24-hour itineraries to plan your next trip and discover why visitors love LYH.
Dog Lovers
LYH loves dogs. Grab breakfast at My Dog Duke’s Diner where your four-legged friend is welcome on the patio.
After fueling up on breakfast tacos, explore the James River Heritage Trail. Your dog can sniff out the path to the Percival’s Island Overlook Bridge on the 9.5 mile trail that passes through the heart of historic Lynchburg.
Grab lunch to go from El Jefe Taqueria Garaje and head to Poplar Forest; leashed dogs are welcome on the grounds and onsite kennels provide a safe place for dogs to stay while you tour the house.
You—and your pup—will love the patio at The Water Dog. Order the Land and Sea Dog, a hot dog served with seasoned crab meat, beer cheese, spicy aioli and an egg.
Dog tired after a day of exploring? Check into a pet-friendly hotel like tru by Hilton Lynchburg.
Adrenaline Adventurers
Love a heart-pumping adventure? Hit the slopes at Liberty Mountain Snowflex Center. Thanks to creative engineering that simulates snow, you can go skiing, snowboarding and tubing all year long.
Grab a quick lunch at Macado’s before getting behind the wheel of a go-kart at Putt Putt Lynchburg where you can race around the go-kart track, take out the competition during a game of laser tag or speed across the water in a bumper boat.
Impress your travel companions with your adventurous appetites by ordering seasoned chicken cracklings, Nashville hot chicken or honey Sriracha bites from Iron & Ale before heading back to your room at the Craddock Terry Hotel, a turn-of-the-century shoe factory that was remodeled into a luxury hotel.
DIY Enthusiasts
Order breakfast and coffee—with latte art—from Dublin 3 Coffeehouse and spend the morning shopping downtown where shops like Spearman Artisanry, Taletellers Fly Shop and The Art Box will help inspire your next art project.
After lunch at Waterstone Fire Roasted Pizza, head to a class at Vector Space where you can make items ranging from clutch purses to kitchen knives. Check their workshop calendar.
Spend the afternoon checking out LYH’s artsy side at Riverviews Artspace, Academy Center for the Arts and Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College. If you’re lucky enough to visit Lynchburg on the first Friday of the month, First Fridays arts crawls are not-to-be-missed events.
Dinner and craft cocktails at the rooftop Skyline Bar and Grill are the perfect way to end an evening. After the sun sets over downtown, check into your room at The Virginian hotel.
Little Travelers
Get up close with wildlife from five continents at SeaQuest. Kids will delight in opportunities to hold lizards, feed the birds or snorkel with stingrays during the interactive animal experiences.
Stop at Market at Main for lunch—and save room for a scoop of ice cream from MayLynn’s Creamery or Cinn City—before heading off for an afternoon of adventure at Amazement Square. The interactive museum is both educational and entertaining.
If the pint-sized adventurers are up for more activities, check out the indoor climbing wall, Rise Up Climbing or Jump, an indoor trampoline park and then check into the Hilton Garden Inn Lynchburg where everyone is sure to have sweet dreams of their family adventure in Lynchburg.
Jodi Helmer writes about food, drink and travel for National Geographic Traveler, Hemispheres, Huffington Post, AARP and Our State. She lives and works on a hobby farm near Charlotte, North Carolina.
Learn more about Jodi HERE