harrisonburg va-any sights or activities?
 

my wife and i will be here for 1 day on our way to tn. is there anything to do besides fill the car with gas and sleep? i think i saw on a map that there were some mountains behind this town. I am interested in the civil war but do not know if there are any sites within a 1/2 drive.thanks in advance.

According to a close VA. friend of mine (so close he's sitting next to me on the couch!), the battle of New Market took place in New Market about twenty minutes away from there. It is reenacted every year. A lot of very young soldiers were killed, making it a particularly poignant battle.

Harrisonburg is a lovely college town. Nearby is the Skyline Drive if mountains are your thing. There are civil war battles commemorated all over the valley. I believe that state of VA tourism website has resources to find some of the more obscure ones. My favorite place to visit near Harrisonburg is the Dayton Farmers Market. It is open Thursday through Saturday. It is run by members of the Mennoite Church and is located about 5 miles south of H'burg on route 42. There are Old Order Mennoites living in that area so watch out for horses and buggies. Old Order people do not drive cars. The area around Harrisonburg is one of the most beautiful places in the US. But I am prejudices, I grew up there.

If you are heading south on I-81, stop off in Woodstock and climb the Woodstock tower for a view of the Shenandah Valley and the Seven Bends of the Shenandoah River. Also visit the old courthouse in Woodstock before stopping off at the battlefield in New Market. If you are not into battlefields, drive the scenic route 42 from Woodstock south to Harrisonburg, stopping of at the Dayton Farmers Market, as previously posted, along the way.

You did not mention what time of the year you would be travelling. If it is not winter, you could do the skyline drive. Other nearby attractions are the caverns (Shenandoah and Luray) and Natural bridge

We just stayed in that town for a few days recently, although most of our time was outside of town. The New Market battlefield is indeed very interesting. Nice exhibits and many things to see on the walking tour (farm cannon, river view). Other than that, a cavern visit or a drive on Skyline drive would be great, depending on your interests.

There is a wonderful county(?) museum in Dayton that will give you a good perspective into the importance of the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War with its electronic map display. Even if you're not into local crafts and produce, you should plan on stopping at their Farmer's Market for a quick lunch before proceeding on down the valley....

About a half hour south of Harrisonburg is Staunton - a nice small town that has a few worthwhile attractions. Woodrown Wilson's birthplace and the Frontier Culture Museum.

If you like country cooking, there's also a worthwhile restaurant called Mrs. Rowe's in Staunton.

Massanutten is just down the road from Harrisonburg as well. They have some nice golf courses and a small ski area.