Trees, Caves, and the Capital (cont.)

Day 4: Shenandoah to Staunton (120 Miles)
Break camp and take Skyline Drive 82.9 miles to its end at Rockfish Gap (milepost 105). This isn't your typical 80-mile drive. It's scenic, winding, frequently crowded, and comes with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour. We advise you get an early start and allow three hours if you don't stop. But be kind to yourself and the kids by taking more time; pull over at the overlooks, pack a picnic lunch or snacks, and be sure to get out of the car at Big Meadows Lodge (mile 51.2), where there's a restaurant and a children's playground. Loft Mountain Wayside (mile 79.5; open May 19 to October 29) sells snacks, gas, and camping supplies.

Staunton (pronounced "stanton') is 11 miles west of the southern end of Skyline Drive. From Staunton it's about 25 miles to Todd Lake Campground (540.432.0187; www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/dryriver/recreation/camping/todd_lake.shtml) in Virginia's George Washington National Forest (540.265.5100; www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj). Since the 30 sites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, it's a good idea to claim your campsite as early in the day as possible, pausing in Staunton just long enough to pick up supplies. From mid-May through October, Todd Lake has bathhouses with hot water and flush toilets. Nearby, the North River campground (540.432.0187; www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/dryriver/recreation/camping/north_river.shtml) has ten additional sites, but only pit toilets and no running water.

Spend the rest of the day relaxing and swimming in the 7.5-acre lake. For an easy hike, walk the one-mile trail around the lake.

Day 5: Staunton
Staunton is the birthplace of Woodrow Wilson and you can tour the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library (540.885.0897; www.woodrowwilson.org). The Frontier Cultural Museum (540.332.7850; www.frontiermuseum.org) pays tribute to Virginia's pioneers by re-creating the dwellings used by different ethnic groups who migrated to the region in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The buildings, laced along a 0.6-mile dirt loop, illustrate the hopes and customs that these hardy immigrants from Germany, Scotland, Ireland, and England brought with them and planted in the fertile Virginia soil. Costumed interpreters make the visits fun. Chat with a hausfrau outside the 18th-century German home as she knits fingerless gloves. At the mid-19th-century Scotch-Irish farm with its thatched roof, pull up a "creepie stool" (because you crept closer to the fire as the night wore on.)

Shakespeare in the Shenandoah? That's part of the magic of Staunton's American Shakespeare Center (540.851.1733; www.americanshakespearecenter.com). Two-hour performances let you experience the Bard as Renaissance audiences did: a simple stage, minimal sets, and with the lights up.

For dining out, try the family-friendly Pullman Restaurant (540.885.6612; www.thepullman.com). It's located in the restored train station and serves pasta, sandwiches, salads, and prime rib, plus has a kids' menu.

For those who want less of Staunton and more of the forest near Todd Lake, try the Trimble Mountain Trail, a four-mile loop with gentle grades; allow about three hours. With little kids, try a scenic drive to the top of Shenandoah Mountain, where you can see Massanutten Mountain and the Blue Ridge peaks in the distance, then continue on to Reddish Knob for another scenic overlook.