Orange is a farm town in the Central Virginia plateau. This is the town that Mayberry wanted to be. Most of the more than 2,000 residents are involved in blue-collar jobs (plumbers, builders, etc.) that cause them to have long commutes from Northern Virginia to Richmond.

History is big here. Part because this is home of Montpelier, the ancestral home of Fourth President James Madison and his wife Dolley. And partly because this is Virginia, the original commonwealth. There is plenty of things to do for a little town, not the least of which is some of the best bluegrass music and civil war re-enactments in the region. Here is a site that lists activities during 2009.

Skydiving is big here. I don't know why. I personally would never jump out of a perfectly good airplane. The Somerset Steam Engine Pasture Party is an August hoot. People with old time steam equipment pop out from everywhere, wanting to show off the engines, locomotives, trucks, tractors, log splitters and other devices from another era. Last year, they had an actual steam-powered saw mill in full operation. Its a chance for the geezers to show off and I can't wait for the next one.

Blue Grass concert

Don't go hungry in Orange. For a good breakfast and coffee that comes from locally roasted beans, stop by the Not the Same Old Grind cafe. And there's a Dairy Corner and Country Cooking for mingling with the locals. But for real Five Star cuisine, make resrvation at elmwoood at Sparks on Main Street.

Trinity Methodist Church

Evangelism Committee web group

Faulconer's Hardware

The Cave

Rob Marquis

Prospect Heights Middle School

I am still looking for some commuter options frm Orange to Herndon/Reston. The best I can do seems to be some commuter lots along Rte. 29. Why isn't there a van between Orange and that parking lot on Sunset Hills Drive. Hmmm. I wonder if there is such a thing as catching a flight from Orange Airport to Dulles!? http://www.rrcommute.org/index.cfm?pageID=15 http://www.virginiadot.org/news/culpeper/2008/new_park_and_ride37365.asp

http://www.mwcog.org/home.asp

A blog about goings on in Charlottesville: Curbplaces.com

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