♪ ♪ LAUREN: The skyline like drive is super, super windy up through the mountain.
Oh yeah we are like pretty high up in the mountain.
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LAURITA: And we're at a beautiful overlook... LAUREN: Mm-hm.
LAURITA: As you can see from behind us, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Allegheny Mountains are there.
The fall foliage is of course spectacular!
I tell you what that drive of Skyline Drive was beautiful.
LAUREN: Beautiful, and this view right here is really pretty as well.
LAURITA: Outstanding.
NATHAN: Skyland is a hotel and restaurant located at the highest point on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park.
Skyland is 164 guest rooms in total, we are open from the beginning of April until the end of November each year.
Peak season being in October when the leaves change and draw in all of our leaf peepers as they are called.
LAUREN: They said this is the highest point on the mountain.
LAURITA: Perfect place for a restaurant.
LAUREN: I know, but I just know I'm gonna have to come back so we can go hiking.
I heard there's over 500 miles of trails.
NATHAN: Our other properties throughout the park are great spots for hikers on the Appalachian Trail to rest their feet and get a good meal and a warm place to stay for the night.
The Pollock Dining Room as well as the Mountain Tap Room serves both our hotel guests as well as day traffic.
They love to stop in for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
ABBY: Welcome to Skyland my name is Abby, I'll be taking care of you.
LAUREN: Awesome, so can I start with the Brussels sprouts?
ABBY: Sure.
LAUREN: Also want to do the Old Bay wings, and then a cup of the tomato basil soup as well.
ABBY: Okay, and for you ma'am?
LAURITA: Oh definitely another cup of that tomato basil soup.
ABBY: OK. LAURITA: And I'm going to do the herb chicken salad bowl.
Abby the blackberry lemonade sounds so good, is there dessert?
ABBY: We have a blackberry pie that you should save room for, it's everybody's favorite.
LAUREN: Oh, OK. LAURITA: Ahhh, I will save some room!
ABBY: OK. NATHAN: Skyland was originally the Stony Man Camp, which was founded back in the 1800s by George Freeman Pollock.
Who later built Massanutten lodge here on our property, which is where they lived until they sold the property through the Skyline company in the 1930s.
Back when it was Stony Man Camp, Skyland was a private mountain resort, which then was expanded to the hotel and restaurant and stables that we have today.
Shenandoah National Park was established by Act of Congress in 1926 and dedicated in 1936 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the general thought was with most of our original national parks being in the western states, there was a desire to have a National Park and recreational area on the eastern side of the country.
LAURITA: That shredded basil really makes it.
LAUREN: That's really, really good.
LAURITA: Yeah I'm gonna just mix mine in so I can get some in more that one bite.
LAUREN: Mmm, now this is what you call good eats.
I could totally see myself taking a hike and coming back here, and getting some Brussels sprouts and that soup.
LAURITA: How are the wings?
LAUREN: These wings are good.
LAURITA: I'm gonna have a few more Brussels.
But I agree this is like a hearty meal.
LAUREN: That's huge, oh gosh.
ABBY: Here you go, Skyland's famous pie.
LAUREN: I heard that they also called this like the Mile High blackberry pie.
I'm gonna give it a nickname, I'm gonna call it the yummy in my tummy pie.
LAURITA: I love that.
LAUREN: We should hop back on Skyline Drive so we can get to Massanutten.
LAURITA: OK. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
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