Back Creek Farms in Highland County. Photo courtesy of Back Creek Farms.
Stewing over new ways to explore Virginia? The Brunswick County Stew Tour and Highland County’s Maple Syrup Trail are perfect ways to get a taste of what Virginia’s all about.
The Brunswick County Stew Tour, launched in February 2020, offers weekend and day trips. Both tours start at the Brunswick Byways Visitor Center in Lawrenceville, where visitors can learn the history of the stew and purchase exclusive stew merchandise. Itineraries for the self-guided tours feature stops at The Club House Grill in Lawrenceville, The Kitchen Table in Brodnax, and Dot’s Country Store in Alberta to taste the famous stew. Visitors can walk along the Tobacco Heritage Park Trail and enjoy up to 13 miles of Brunswick County’s natural beauty or explore downtown Lawrenceville. Stop at Lake Gaston’s only waterfront bar in Brunswick County, the Shady Shack Grill and Flip Flop Bar, to enjoy a “Stew Master” drink and enjoy live music. Overnighters can stay at the Mineral Springs Bed and Breakfast in Lawrenceville. Take the flavor of Brunswick home by stopping at the Alberta General Store to pick up a quart of frozen homemade Brunswick Stew. VisitBrunswickCoVa.com/BrunswickStewTour
Another tasty trail is the newly developed Highland County Maple Syrup Trail, which began in September 2020. Chris Swecker, the executive director of Highland County’s chamber of commerce, says, “We were thinking visitors might want a smaller experience than the regular Maple Syrup Festival at High-land County. There are eight participating sugar camps, and they all use different techniques to make their syrup—some are more traditional, some are more modern.” Visitors begin the self-guided trail by calling ahead to the sugar camps to schedule a tour and tasting. Participants will receive a passport they can get stamped at each sugar camp; once they’ve completed the passport by visiting all of the camps, they’ll receive a commemorative T-shirt and bumper sticker. The tour can be completed during multiple visits, or all at once. HighlandCounty.org
This article originally appeared in the December 2020 issue.
