Travel Spotlight: 48 Hours in my Rural Virginia Hometown
Day One
Morning
Like most small towns in the south, this one has a very old diner that that smells like cigarettes even though smoking hasn’t been legal in restaurants in a really long time. Perfect for breakfast! Try to choose a booth with an operational mini-juke box, and bring cash, as they don’t take cards. Seriously. Even though it’s 2020.
Afternoon
Main Street in Old Town is the heart of any trip here, and that hasn’t changed with the closing of a staggering number of small businesses in the past few years. Pretend it’s not a Subway in that centuries-old building with the gorgeous windows. Wander the lawn of the historic hotel where the high school still holds their prom. While strolling the quiet grounds you will no doubt relish the time wonder what your gay prom date is up to, as well as the fight you had with the guy you actually liked at the after-party down by the creek.
Have a late lunch at what you understand from Facebook to be a quaint café with a killer Sage Pesto Italian Panini owned—miraculously!—by your alcoholic ex-boyfriend. [The author was unfortunately unable emotionally to check it out, but the Yelp reviews are great!]
Evening
If you choose to visit in the summer or fall, plan to catch a concert at the nearby venue named for an automotive company. No one you’d actually like to see will be performing, but it will kill some time. Budget Traveler’s Tip: Don’t pay for a concert ticket! Park in the industrial lot across the street. The sound quality is terrible, but it’s only the Steve Miller Band, and the lack of lighting is good for kissing Justin, a boy who will repeatedly just absolutely destroy your heart in the coming years.
Cap off the night at one of the two bars in town dancing to a mediocre cover band featuring slightly fatter versions of the guys you went to high school with. Free Bird!
Where to stay? Field camping—aka passing out from wine coolers and weed—is big here, so why not join in the fun and sleep like a local? I think there’s also a Hampton Inn.
Day Two
Morning
Why not begin with a driving tour? We recommend the high school as a starting point. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of very pretty girl in a red soccer uniform who reminds you of Courtney from your neighborhood who made fun of you on the bus. (Fun education fact: This county’s school system was one of the last to integrate—and they did it begrudgingly!)
Then hit up the tractor repair shop; the little ones will love the John Deeres, while you can wince at the Confederate flags stuck to the front window.
Unfortunately, the best restaurant in town burned to the ground under “suspicious circumstances” a few years back, so head east to the gas station for an egg-like breakfast.
Afternoon
Of course, no trip is complete without a shopping fix! Take a stroll around the Wal-Mart. If it’s been a while because you vehemently disagree with their labor practices, you’re sure to be surprised by how cheap lip balm is. Souvenir time!
Afterwards, head next door to the hospital, but don’t think you’re getting a bed (there’s only 86!). Instead, pack a picnic (Lunchables from Wal-Mart?) and enjoy the view from the hill out front. Be careful, though—a guy you’ve been seeing might break up with you on the way home, as though he decided during a picnic that he couldn’t stand you for one day longer.
Evening
Before you leave town, swing by the pool hall parking lot. Smoke cigarettes with the skaters and consume as little liquid as possible because the walk to the bathroom is sketchy.
As you head home, you’re sure to feel both excited to get out and weirdly devastated. Don’t worry though—there’s plenty more to do on your next trip, including visiting the crumbling 20-foot roller skate and tours of several other parking lots!
Jessica McCaughey’s work has appeared in Fourth Genre, The Colorado Review, The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Best American Travel Essays, and The Rumpus, among other publications. She teaches academic and professional writing at The George Washington University.