When I started this page, I promised to write about places that speak to the soul, or pluck the proverbial “heart strings”. It’s time to talk about St. Paul Virginia. This place is special. Of course I captured some aerial views that you can find on my YouTube Channel here.

We checked into the Western Front Hotel on a Thursday afternoon, and immediately noticed the charm of the hotel and town. It’s clear there are people that care deeply about making St. Paul a vibrant recreation destination, while continuing to honor it’s past. Every so often we spotted a Polaris ATV cruising down main street with a smiling driver and passengers. This is because ATVs and side by sides are legal to drive within St. Paul town limits, but more on that later.

The Western Front Hotel was renovated and revitalized, and many of the staff there (who were born and raised in St Paul. seemed very proud of the history, explaining how the space has been everything from a video store, a liquor store, apartments and more. We walked through town and found “The Coffee Station” which appeared to be a renovated bank, complete with vault and more.

To take a quick aside- I love seeing any kind of revitalized main street in our country. We drive through a lot of downtown areas, and it’s sad to see when they are bail bonds or “We buy gold” locations. So seeing this space expertly turned into a hotel honoring the history of the town speaks to America loving heart.

Back to the Western front for a moment, and their connected restaurant “Puerto Nuevo”. The pricing was fair and the food & service were good. I cannot remember the last time I was able to have a $6 dollar margarita or a $4 draft beer, but Puerto Nuevo offered both. In addition, on this Thursday night, there was “Music Bingo”, which had our whole family listening to 80’s music hits, attempting to win free appetizers. As I’ve mentioned before, I love when a restaurant is fun for the whole family while having engaging activities that keep the kids at the table.

On Saturday morning we walked to a small farmers market in town, with locals selling hand made crafts, sprouting vegetables, locally grown produce and more. Imagine the children’s excitement when one of the local reps gave them each a $5 dollar voucher to spend, as a part of a program the town was running. With their combined $10, my kids purchased pepper plants, snacks, hand made fudge, and at least 10 pounds of potatoes! They were overjoyed. We made sure to buy some hand crocheted bags and towel holders, and spent time talking to the locals. Everyone was incredibly nice, specifically to the children.

The highlight of the trip for me was the ATV ride. As a suburbanite, my neck has never been very red, so I haven’t spent a lot of time “muddin” or 4 wheeling. Western Front had a 4 seater ATV dropped off at the hotel for us, and we were on our way up the mountain and Spearhead trails. To see some of that footage and more, check out this post from my wife (NCMomAdventures).

The stay in St. Paul provided quiet, charming lodging, walkability, and adventures. The peace of the surrounding area provided time to slow down and connect with the family. It’s an experience that will stay with us, and I had to write about it. Thanks again for reading!