Blog Archives
Beverley Street Studio School Gallery opens new exhibit
Servant of the Map by Elizabeth Schoyer will open Friday, December 2, in the Beverley Street Studio School Gallery at 22 West Beverley Street Staunton.
The opening is from 5:30 – 7:30pm with an artist’s talk at 6:00pm. The event is free and open to the public. The exhibit runs through Sunday, January 22, 2017.
Elizabeth Schoyer holds a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Philadelphia College of Art. She shows her work at Les Yeux du Monde in Charlottesville, VA and most recently there was an exhibit of her work at Indiana University, Indianapolis. She is a drawing professor at the University of Virginia.
Elizabeth’s paintings and gouaches are guided by Maria Sibylla Merian, Napoleon Bonaparte, Henry Bates, and Ernest Shackleton as they travel across Suriname, Egypt, Amazonia, and Antarctica. These explorers’ and naturalists’ resolve to continue to questioning the mysteries of the world in spite of the perils and comedy of errors that characterize their journeys, greatly influence Elizabeth’s work.
Like them, she is drawn to the wonder and beauty of discovery regardless of the apparent futility of the expeditions and great challenges that they presented. United in their common curiosity about the natural world, Elizabeth considers them to be her “collaborators”.
American Shakespeare Center gears up for the holidays
The American Shakespeare Center is gearing up for its annual Holiday Season with festive, funny, and heartwarming performances that will please both the naughty and the nice. The 2016 Holiday Season continues in the tradition of past seasons featuring performances of A Christmas Carol, The Santaland Diaries, and The Twelve Dates of Christmas.
A Christmas Carol celebrates its fifteenth year of performances at the Blackfriars Playhouse with ASC on Tour’s Andrew Goldwasser donning the top hat this year as Ebenezer Scrooge. The classic tale by Charles Dickens is re-imagined for the Blackfriars Playhouse with new twists, surprises, and a production filled with music and cheer for the whole family. Goldwasser is joined by the troupe of the 2016/17 Hungry Hearts Tour, which returns to Staunton for the Holiday Season after visiting 21 locations on the fall leg of this year’s tour.
The Santaland Diaries has been a staple of the ASC Holiday Season for the past twelve years and will take its final bow (for a while) this year. It is an outrageously funny one-man play from David Sedaris about his experience as an unemployed soap-opera-writer-wanna-be taking a job as an elf at Macy’s department store in New York City. ASC veteran Chris Johnston slips into the candy-cane tights for the first time in this modern holiday classic.
The Twelve Dates of Christmas is also slated to rotate off the Holiday Season line-up after this year’s production. What happens when Mary sees her fiancée making out with his co-worker on national TV? She dumps him and drop sher engagement ring into a Salvation Army kettle. What follows is a riotous adventure through a year in Mary’s life, offering a hilarious and modern alternative to the old standards of the holiday season. Miriam Donald Burrows returns to the Blackfriars stage for this perfect date- or girls-night ASC classic.
Performances begin in rotation on November 29 and continue through December 31. Premium level tickets start at $42 and can be purchased online at www.AmericanShakespeareCenter.
About the American Shakespeare Center
The American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Va., recovers the joys and accessibility of Shakespeare’s theatre, language, and humanity by exploring the English Renaissance stage and its practices through performance and education. The ASC Blackfriars Playhouse, the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre, is open year-round for productions of classic plays, which have been hailed by The Washington Post as “shamelessly entertaining” and by The Boston Globe as “phenomenal…bursting with energy.” Founded in 1988 as Shenandoah Shakespeare Express, the organization became the American Shakespeare Center in 2005 and can be found online at www.americanshakespearecenter.
New Market Museum to host Civil War Christmas program
The Virginia Museum of the Civil War will present a Civil War Christmas program at the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This event, which is free with paid park admission, will allow visitors to explore what Christmas in the Shenandoah Valley was like in 1859 as a slave insurrection at Harper’s Ferry was suppressed and young men were called to active duty at Charlestown.
Likewise, visitors will have a chance to experience the camp of the 51st Virginia Infantry outside New Market in December 1864, with low rations and even lower morale.
Inside the museum, visitors can create ornaments for the museum’s tree or their own tree. A special showing of Old Time Christmas from the Shenandoah Valley will begin in the museum theater at 2 p.m., and the museum gift shop, the General’s Store, will be open for Christmas shopping.
Admission is $10 for adults age 13-64, $9 for adults age 65 and older, and $6 for children age 6 to 12. Children 5 and under are admitted free of charge, as are VMI cadets, parents, and VMI alumni.
Jackson House plans Christmas event
The Stonewall Jackson House will present Christmas at the Jacksons’ on Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m.
At this holiday event, visitors will be invited to step back in time to a candlelit Christmas and experience the excitement of preparing for guests by helping with the final details. Visitors will have a chance to choose the perfect handmade gifts for family and friends, prepare ingredients and churn butter in the kitchen, and pick the proper outfit for dinner. There will also be seasonal music and complimentary refreshments.
Admission will be non-perishable food for humans or pets to benefit the Rockbridge Area Relief Association food pantry. The museum shop will be open during the event.
For more information, call 540-464-7704 or visit www.stonewalljackson.org.
VDOT announces lane closures lifted over Thanksgiving weekend
If you plan to travel over Thanksgiving, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) travel-trends map can help you determine the best times to drive during the holiday period.
To make travel easier, VDOT will be lifting lane closures where possible during the holiday period. If you’re looking for real-time traffic information, 511virginia.org can help through the long Thanksgiving weekend, and every day.
MOST MAJOR WORK ZONES SUSPENDED DURING THANKSGIVING TRAVEL
VDOT will suspend most highway work zones and lift lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia from noon Wednesday, Nov. 23, until noon Monday, Nov. 28.
TRAVEL-TRENDS MAP HELPS PREDICT PEAK CONGESTION
VDOT’s online, interactive travel-trends map shows peak congestion periods on Virginia interstates during the three previous Thanksgiving holidays (2013-2015). For the first time, this year’s map shows expected congestion in northern Virginia on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving as well.
The map shows varying amounts of interstate traffic by time of day, using red for heavy congestion, yellow for moderate congestion and green for little or no congestion.
To use the map, slide the button along the date bar at the top of the map to update predicted traffic information at half-hour intervals between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. for each day. You also can zoom and pan to specific areas of the state.
- Based on the traffic data, periods of heavy congestion was most likely to occur from mid-morning to evening on Wednesday and Sunday. In addition, routes to to/from NOVA are likely to be congested mid-morning to evening on Tuesday.
- US-1 and other popular arterials with access to shopping are likely to be congested throughout the weekend.
REAL-TIME TRAFFIC INFORMATION ON 511
Real-time information about traffic, incidents and congestion on Virginia roads is available at 511Virginia.org.Download the free mobile VDOT 511 app, or call 511 from any phone. To report a road problem or get answers to your transportation questions, call VDOT’s Customer Service Center at 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) around the clock.
NORTHERN VIRGINIA HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (HOV) SCHEDULE AND OTHER INFORMATION:
- I-66 and I-395 – HOV restrictions will be lifted on Thursday, Nov. 24. . Normal HOV restrictions remain on Friday, Nov. 25. Monument Drive and Stringfellow Road HOV ramps are open westbound to all traffic. For more information on northern Virginia HOV schedules, visit www.virginiadot.org/travel/
- Direction schedule for the Interstate 95 Express Lanes/I-395 reversible lanes:
o Wednesday, Nov. 23 – Lanes close northbound at 10 a.m., open to southbound traffic at 1 p.m.
o Thursday, Nov. 24 − Lanes close southbound at midnight, open to northbound traffic at 2 a.m. and remain northbound throughout the Thanksgiving Day.
o Friday, Nov. 25 – Lanes resume normal schedule of northbound closure at 11 a.m., open to southbound traffic at 2 p.m.
For information on the 95 and 495 Express Lanes schedules and rules visit www.expresslanes.com.
HAMPTON ROADS HOV SCHEDULE, TUNNELS AND OTHER INFORMATION:
- I-64/I-264/I-564 HOV diamond lanes – HOV restrictions will be lifted on all HOV diamond lanes on Thursday, Nov. 24.
- I-64 reversible lanes – Schedule remains the same. HOV restrictions will be lifted on Thursday, Nov. 24.
- I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) – Local traffic to Virginia Beach is encouraged to use the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) as an alternative to the HRBT. To Virginia Beach, take I-664 south to the MMMBT. Then take the Portsmouth/Norfolk exit (exit 15A) to I-264 east to Virginia Beach.
- Travel to Outer Banks – Local traffic to the North Carolina Outer Banks should use I-664 and the MMMBT to save time. From I-664 south, take I-64 west to exit 292, Chesapeake Expressway/I-464/Route 17. Keep left to continue to the Chesapeake Expressway (Route 168), and take Nags Head/Great Bridge (exit 291B) to the Outer Banks.
- Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) – Tune to 1680 AM to stay informed on Hampton Roads traffic, travel conditions and construction information.
THREE I-95 REST AREAS AT LADYSMITH, SKIPPERS OPEN WITH TEMPORARY FACILITIES
Three rest areas, two in Caroline County on northbound and southbound I-95 at Ladysmith and another on northbound I-95 in Greensville County at Skippers, were demolished in April and are being reconstructed. While new rest areas are being built, temporary restroom facilities will be available at these sites.
WORK ZONES AND OTHER TRAFFIC ALERTS
While VDOT will lift most lane closures for holiday travel, motorists may encounter permanent work zones or travel delays in the following locations:
Accomack County
Route 609 – Road closed for widening project in the Town of Onley. Follow detour.
Route 709 – Road closed for widening project. Follow detour.
U.S. 13 – Improving drainage in the Town of Onley. Traffic reduced to single lane in both directions.
Albemarle County
Route 29
- Narrowed lanes and shoulder closures between Route 643 (Polo Grounds Road) and Route 1719 (Towncenter Drive). Speed limit in work zone reduced to 40 mph.
- New traffic pattern on Route 29 at Route 631 (Rio Road). Motorists should follow directional signs. Speed limit in work zone reduced to 35 mph. More information: www.
Amherst County
U.S. 501 – Replacing bridge at Route 130 intersection over James River. Two-way traffic on new bridge. Temporary signal in use.
Brunswick County
I-85 – Repairing bridge over railroad at mile marker 28. Traffic limited to one lane both directions. Ramp from I-85 north to Route 1 closed. Ramp from Route 1 south to I-85 south closed. Follow posted detours.
Botetourt County
I-81 – Reconstructing the eastern section of the exit 150 interchange at the intersections of Route 11 and Route 220 Alternate. Exit 150B off-ramp from I-81 northbound onto Route 11 is narrowed and reduced to one lane. Width restriction in place. The right turn lane on the off-ramp will be closed from the deceleration lane off of I-81 to the merge of the ramp onto Route 11 toward Route 220.
Buckingham County
Route 20 – Replacing bridge over Slate River. Speed limit in work zone reduced to 45 mph.
Campbell County
Route 29 – Repairing bridge over Otter River. Traffic restricted to one lane.
U.S. 460 – Constructing turn lane eastbound at Route 656. Lane closures in place.
Chesterfield County
Route 288 – Paving roadway. Single alternating lane closures both directions between Courthouse Rd. and I-95 on Monday, Nov. 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Culpeper County
Route 29 – Constructing restricted crossing U-turn intersection at Route 718 (Mountain Run Lake Road). Median crossover closed at intersection. Follow detour.
Fauquier County
Route 245 – Replacing bridge over Broad Run. Traffic restricted to one lane controlled by temporary signals.
Frederick County
I-81 – Reconstructing interchange at exit 310. Shoulders closed. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.
Greensville County
U.S. 301 – Replacing southbound bridge over rail tracks north of Emporia. Traffic detoured to I-95.
Halifax County
U.S. 501 – Constructing right turn lanes at U.S. Route 40 and Route 632. Lane closures possible.
Isle of Wight County
U.S. 58 – Replacing bridge over rail tracks and Route 632. Follow detour.
Route 621 – Replacing bridge over Passenger Swamp. Road closed. Follow detour.
Route 680 – Replacing bridge of Stallings Creek. Road closed. Follow detour.
Lynchburg
Route 29/460 – Constructing safety improvements from Concord Turnpike to Candlers Mountain Road in both directions. Speed limit in work zone reduced to 45 mph.
Madison County
Route 230 – Replacing bridge over Conway River. Traffic restricted to one lane controlled by temporary signals.
Newport News
I-64 – Widening interstate. Trucks traveling westbound restricted to right lane between Jefferson Avenue (exit 255) and Yorktown Road (exit 247).
Pittsylvania County
Route 29 – Replacing bridge over railroad tracks. Route 29/803 connection temporarily relocated. Southbound detour in place.
Portsmouth
I-264 – Constructing Martin Luther King (MLK) Extension. Right lane closed on I-264 westbound between Effingham Street and Frederick Boulevard. Two lanes will remain open to traffic.
Rockbridge County
I-64 – Rehabilitating Maury River bridges. Westbound traffic will detour across median to eastbound lanes between mile markers 53.3 and 55.3. Traffic both directions restricted to single lane and will use eastbound bridge during work on westbound bridge. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 55 mph.
Southampton County
Route 35 – Replacing bridge in Boykins. Traffic reduced to single lane in both directions. Temporary signal in place.
U.S. 58 Business – Reconstructing roadway in Courtland. Single lane closures in both directions.
Stafford County
I-95 – Extending the 95 Express Lanes south of exit 143 (Route 610/Garrisonville). All travel lanes open; concrete barriers in place along the shoulder northbound and southbound in work zone.
Sussex County
Route 301 – Replacing bridge over Nottoway River. Detour in place.
Washington County
I-81 – Reconstructing interchange at exit 14. Lanes shifted due to bridge reconstruction at exit. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.
I-81 – Reconstructing two interstate bridges over Halls Bottom Road near exit 10. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.
Waynesboro
Route 340 – Replacing bridge over South River. Road closed between Constitution Park and East Avenue. Through traffic will use Broad Street (Route 250) as detour.
Wythe County
I-77/I-81 overlap – High traffic volumes could slow or stop vehicles through this eight-mile stretch. Be alert for delays on northbound I-77 at the I-81 merge.
Shenandoah National Park announces second phase of entrance fee increase
On January 1, 2017, Shenandoah National Park will implement the second phase of its plan to raise the entrance fees to the park. In 2014, the National Park Service conducted a study of the entrance fees charged throughout the National Park System, to bring consistency to fees being charged at parks of similar size and complexity. To solicit public input, Shenandoah National Park launched a civic engagement campaign which included a series of public meetings aimed at discussing the increase needed to bring the park’s fees into compliance with other similar parks in the nation.
During the public comment period, the park received over 240 formal comments through e-mails, letters and on-line comments, as well as, over 100 comments on the park’s Facebook page. While the majority of comments supported an increase, many people felt that the original proposal was too much of an increase to make all at once. To respond to public comments, the park modified the proposal to phase implementation of entrance fee increases beginning in 2015, and followed by a second and final increase on January 1, 2017.
The new entrance fees and schedule are as follows:
Pass Type
Effective January 1, 2017
Per Vehicle (1-7 days)
$25
Per Person (1-7 days)
$10
Motorcycle (1-7 days)
$20
Shenandoah National Park Annual Pass
$50
“The fee program is critical to the park,” stated Jim Northup, Shenandoah National Park Superintendent. “Eighty percent of fees collected stay right here in the park and are put to work improving facilities and services important to visitors. Without this funding, park staff would have to forego these projects. The additional revenue from this increase will allow us to sustain this world-class park.”
Entrance fees have supported a wide range of projects that improve park conditions and visitor experience including, rehabilitating trails and trailhead signs, developing and installing exhibits in visitor centers, improving park water systems, rehabilitating wastewater treatment plants, providing ranger programs, improving ADA accessibility at Rapidan Camp and park comfort stations, and maintaining open vistas at park overlooks. Additional revenue raised by a fee increase may be used to rehabilitate/rebuild Front Royal Entrance Station for increased staff safety and improved access, restore wetlands in Big Meadows campground by removing a loop in and establishing replacement sites in a less sensitive area, as well as, restore backcountry stone structures, retaining walls, bridge structures, and huts.
Shenandoah National Park to begin night closures of Skyline Drive during hunting season
Park Superintendent Jim Northup announced that portions of the Skyline Drive, the famed mountain road through Shenandoah National Park, will be closed at night during hunting season. He noted that this is the thirty-sixth year that this closure has been undertaken and stressed its importance in reducing illegal hunting activity within the Park during the Commonwealth of Virginia’s hunting season outside the park.
Beginning Monday, November 14, 2016, and ending Sunday, January 8, 2016, the Skyline Drive between Front Royal (Mile 0 at U.S. Highway 340) and Thornton Gap (Mile 31 at U.S. Highway 211) and between Swift Run Gap (Mile 65 at U.S. Highway 33) and Rockfish Gap (Mile 105 at U.S. Highway 250) will be closed daily between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. The central portion of the Drive, between Thornton Gap and Swift Run Gap, will remain open for overnight access to the Skyland Resort until that facility closes on November 27. Beginning Monday, November 28, 2015 and ending Sunday, January 8, 2016, the entire length of the Skyline Drive will be closed daily from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m.
Superintendent Northup said, “Closing portions of the Skyline Drive enables rangers to concentrate patrols on problem areas and to increase contacts along the park boundary.”
Superintendent Northup also reminded the public that the park has a reward program to assist in combating illegal hunting in the park. “A reward will be paid to anyone who furnishes information which leads to the conviction of any person who hunts, transports, or attempts to transport illegally taken wildlife within the park,” said Northup. Anyone with information about such activities should call the park (toll free 1-800-732-0911; or 540-999-2227). The identity of persons furnishing information will be kept strictly confidential, and a person does not have to reveal his or her name.
Harrisonburg High cellist featured at fall youth symphony, children’s choir concert
The Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir and Shenandoah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra will perform a fall concert on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 4 p.m. in Lehman Auditorium.
The SVCC’s treble and concert choirs will sing a sample from their Christmas concert, including a 15th century German hymn, a traditional Jewish folk song and a festive spiritual. The treble choir members (29 total) and concert choristers (60) range in age from 9 to 18.
“A variety of styles and traditions was sought to provide a well-balanced music education for SVCC choristers and greater connection points within a diverse community,” says SVCC Executive Director Janet Hostetter. “These two quality music organizations are impacting the musical excellence in our community and well beyond.”
The orchestra has 42 members, ages ten to 17, who all join through audition. Each musician plays a different part of every piece, “so these students need to be very strong players,” says Program Director Sharon Miller.The orchestra will play a set including Vivaldi’s Cello Concerto in E Minor, featuring solo cellist Cecily Lawton. Lawton, a Harrisonburg High school senior, has been studying the cello for seven years, including instruction from EMU music faculty member Lisa Wright. Lawton has been an orchestra member for over four years, and was chosen as this season’s soloist by audition last May. She has been involved in a number of extra-curricular musical organizations, which include playing in the Harrisonburg High School Symphonic Band, volunteering for the Harrisonburg City School Strings program, and forming a string quartet with fellow orchestra players.
Maria Lorcas conducts the group, and will lead one of the two collaborative pieces between the orchestra and SVCC – Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and “God Bless Us Everyone” from Disney’s A Christmas Carol.
The concert is free, but a $7 donation is suggested “to benefit scholarship students of both organizations,” says Miller. “We are committed to having all qualified students able to participate, regardless of financial circumstances.”
Does the Blue Ridge Parkway close for the winter?
Visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway often ask when the Parkway closes for the winter. Even as many park facilities close seasonally, the Parkway motor road remains open. Temporary weather or maintenance related closures, though, often impact Parkway travel during the winter months.
In response to ever changing road conditions, National Park Service staff developed an online tool that allows visitors to monitor openings and closings along the historic, 469-mile route using an interactive, real time road map. The map allows visitor to zoom in on specific sections of the Parkway, provides up to the minute road closure information, and becomes an essential Parkway planning tool for park visitors, especially in the winter.
Winter weather can impact the Parkway for extended periods given a number of variables including the route’s north facing slopes, tunnels, high elevations, and limited sight distances. Limited snow and ice removal may take place, however the Parkway’s natural resource protection priorities limit the use of ice melting chemicals. Park rangers monitor conditions in affected areas and open the road as soon as safe travel can resume.
In the coming weeks and months, visitors may also experience closures in certain areas for annual maintenance involving boom axe operations. Both lanes of the Parkway will be closed to all activity (cars, bicycles, and hikers) during these closures to ensure the safety of the staff and visitors. This work requires using a large tractor with a cutting head on a long arm, or boom. Precise locations and dates for these closures are available on the Parkway’s website. In addition, affected sections will be noted on the real time map and regular updates related to this work will also be available on the Parkway’s social media sites.
Additional facility and winter activity information is available on the Parkway’s website at www.nps.gov/blri.
Thanksgiving pet travel tips
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the busy holiday travel season. Time to start planning your holiday getaway – whether it be to the in-laws, Grandma’s, or somewhere in between!
Before you hit the road, it’s important to plan ahead for pet travel and always keep the best interests of your furry sidekick in mind. Traveling with your pet can be a wonderful and bonding experience or a not so pleasant one. It’s all a matter of proper planning and preparation.
Top tips to ensure your Thanksgiving getaway with your pet is a safe one:
1. No Heads Out the Window
Although many pets find that sticking their head out the window is the best part of the road trip, it’s not safe. Your pet can easily be injured by flying debris. This should go without saying, but NEVER travel with a pet in the back of a pickup truck. Some states have laws restricting such transport and it is always dangerous.
2. Frequent Pit Stops
Always provide frequent bathroom and exercise breaks. Most travel service areas have designated areas for walking your pet. Be sure to stay in this area particularly when your pet needs a potty break, and of course, bring along a bag to pick up after your pet. When outside your vehicle, make sure that your pet is always on a leash and wearing a collar with a permanent and temporary travel identification tag.
3. Proper Hydration
During your pit stops be sure to provide your pet with some fresh water to wet their whistle. Occasionally traveling can upset your pet’s stomach. Take along ice cubes, which are easier on your pet than large amounts of water.
4. Watch the Food Intake
It is recommended that you keep feeding to a minimum during travel. Be sure to feed them their regular pet food and resist the temptation to give them some of your fast food burger or fries (that never has a good ending!).
5. Don’t Leave Them Alone
Never leave your pet unattended in a parked vehicle. On warm days, the temperature in your vehicle can rise to 120 degrees in minutes, even with the windows slightly open. In addition, an animal left alone in a vehicle is an open invitation to pet thieves.
6. Practice Restraint
Be sure that your pet is safely secured in your vehicle. Utilizing a pet safety harness, travel kennel, vehicle pet barrier, or pet car seat are the best ways to keep your pet safe. They not only protect your pet from injury, but they help by keeping them from distracting you as you drive.
A safety harness functions like a seatbelt. While most pets will not have a problem adjusting to it, you may want to let them wear the harness by itself a few times before using it in the vehicle.
If your pet prefers a travel kennel, be sure it is well ventilated and stabilized. Many pet parents prefer vehicle barriers, particularly for larger pets. Vehicle pet barriers are best suited for SUVs.
Smaller pets are best suited for pet car seats. The car seat is secured in the back seat using a seat belt and your pet is secured in the car seat with a safety harness. In addition to its safety features, a pet car seat will prop up your smaller pet, allowing them to better look out the window.
No matter what method you choose, back seat travel is always safer for your pet.
7. Safe and Comfortable
Whatever method you choose to properly restrain your pet in your vehicle, be sure to make their comfort a priority. Just as it’s important for your “seat” to be comfortable for your long road trip, your pet’s seat should be comfortable too. Typically their favorite blanket or travel bed will do the trick. There are also some safe and very cozy pet car seats available that your pet may find quite comfy.
Careful preparation is the key to ensuring that you and your pet have a happy and safe Thanksgiving getaway!
About TripsWithPets.com
TripsWithPets.com is the premier online pet friendly travel guide — providing online reservations at over 30,000 pet friendly hotels & accommodations across the U.S. and Canada. When planning a trip, pet parents go to TripsWithPets.com for detailed, up-to-date information on hotel pet policies and pet amenities. TripsWithPets.com also features airline & car rental pet policies, pet friendly activities, a user-friendly search-by-route option, as well as pet travel gear. For more information, please visit http://www.tripswithpets.com.
Beverley Street Studio School Gallery opens new exhibit
Servant of the Map by Elizabeth Schoyer will open Friday, December 2, in the Beverley Street Studio School Gallery at 22 West Beverley Street Staunton.
The opening is from 5:30 – 7:30pm with an artist’s talk at 6:00pm. The event is free and open to the public. The exhibit runs through Sunday, January 22, 2017.
Elizabeth Schoyer holds a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Philadelphia College of Art. She shows her work at Les Yeux du Monde in Charlottesville, VA and most recently there was an exhibit of her work at Indiana University, Indianapolis. She is a drawing professor at the University of Virginia.
Elizabeth’s paintings and gouaches are guided by Maria Sibylla Merian, Napoleon Bonaparte, Henry Bates, and Ernest Shackleton as they travel across Suriname, Egypt, Amazonia, and Antarctica. These explorers’ and naturalists’ resolve to continue to questioning the mysteries of the world in spite of the perils and comedy of errors that characterize their journeys, greatly influence Elizabeth’s work.
Like them, she is drawn to the wonder and beauty of discovery regardless of the apparent futility of the expeditions and great challenges that they presented. United in their common curiosity about the natural world, Elizabeth considers them to be her “collaborators”.
American Shakespeare Center gears up for the holidays
The American Shakespeare Center is gearing up for its annual Holiday Season with festive, funny, and heartwarming performances that will please both the naughty and the nice. The 2016 Holiday Season continues in the tradition of past seasons featuring performances of A Christmas Carol, The Santaland Diaries, and The Twelve Dates of Christmas.
A Christmas Carol celebrates its fifteenth year of performances at the Blackfriars Playhouse with ASC on Tour’s Andrew Goldwasser donning the top hat this year as Ebenezer Scrooge. The classic tale by Charles Dickens is re-imagined for the Blackfriars Playhouse with new twists, surprises, and a production filled with music and cheer for the whole family. Goldwasser is joined by the troupe of the 2016/17 Hungry Hearts Tour, which returns to Staunton for the Holiday Season after visiting 21 locations on the fall leg of this year’s tour.
The Santaland Diaries has been a staple of the ASC Holiday Season for the past twelve years and will take its final bow (for a while) this year. It is an outrageously funny one-man play from David Sedaris about his experience as an unemployed soap-opera-writer-wanna-be taking a job as an elf at Macy’s department store in New York City. ASC veteran Chris Johnston slips into the candy-cane tights for the first time in this modern holiday classic.
The Twelve Dates of Christmas is also slated to rotate off the Holiday Season line-up after this year’s production. What happens when Mary sees her fiancée making out with his co-worker on national TV? She dumps him and drop sher engagement ring into a Salvation Army kettle. What follows is a riotous adventure through a year in Mary’s life, offering a hilarious and modern alternative to the old standards of the holiday season. Miriam Donald Burrows returns to the Blackfriars stage for this perfect date- or girls-night ASC classic.
Performances begin in rotation on November 29 and continue through December 31. Premium level tickets start at $42 and can be purchased online at www.AmericanShakespeareCenter.
About the American Shakespeare Center
The American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Va., recovers the joys and accessibility of Shakespeare’s theatre, language, and humanity by exploring the English Renaissance stage and its practices through performance and education. The ASC Blackfriars Playhouse, the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre, is open year-round for productions of classic plays, which have been hailed by The Washington Post as “shamelessly entertaining” and by The Boston Globe as “phenomenal…bursting with energy.” Founded in 1988 as Shenandoah Shakespeare Express, the organization became the American Shakespeare Center in 2005 and can be found online at www.americanshakespearecenter.
New Market Museum to host Civil War Christmas program
The Virginia Museum of the Civil War will present a Civil War Christmas program at the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This event, which is free with paid park admission, will allow visitors to explore what Christmas in the Shenandoah Valley was like in 1859 as a slave insurrection at Harper’s Ferry was suppressed and young men were called to active duty at Charlestown.
Likewise, visitors will have a chance to experience the camp of the 51st Virginia Infantry outside New Market in December 1864, with low rations and even lower morale.
Inside the museum, visitors can create ornaments for the museum’s tree or their own tree. A special showing of Old Time Christmas from the Shenandoah Valley will begin in the museum theater at 2 p.m., and the museum gift shop, the General’s Store, will be open for Christmas shopping.
Admission is $10 for adults age 13-64, $9 for adults age 65 and older, and $6 for children age 6 to 12. Children 5 and under are admitted free of charge, as are VMI cadets, parents, and VMI alumni.
Jackson House plans Christmas event
The Stonewall Jackson House will present Christmas at the Jacksons’ on Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m.
At this holiday event, visitors will be invited to step back in time to a candlelit Christmas and experience the excitement of preparing for guests by helping with the final details. Visitors will have a chance to choose the perfect handmade gifts for family and friends, prepare ingredients and churn butter in the kitchen, and pick the proper outfit for dinner. There will also be seasonal music and complimentary refreshments.
Admission will be non-perishable food for humans or pets to benefit the Rockbridge Area Relief Association food pantry. The museum shop will be open during the event.
For more information, call 540-464-7704 or visit www.stonewalljackson.org.
VDOT announces lane closures lifted over Thanksgiving weekend
If you plan to travel over Thanksgiving, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) travel-trends map can help you determine the best times to drive during the holiday period.
To make travel easier, VDOT will be lifting lane closures where possible during the holiday period. If you’re looking for real-time traffic information, 511virginia.org can help through the long Thanksgiving weekend, and every day.
MOST MAJOR WORK ZONES SUSPENDED DURING THANKSGIVING TRAVEL
VDOT will suspend most highway work zones and lift lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia from noon Wednesday, Nov. 23, until noon Monday, Nov. 28.
TRAVEL-TRENDS MAP HELPS PREDICT PEAK CONGESTION
VDOT’s online, interactive travel-trends map shows peak congestion periods on Virginia interstates during the three previous Thanksgiving holidays (2013-2015). For the first time, this year’s map shows expected congestion in northern Virginia on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving as well.
The map shows varying amounts of interstate traffic by time of day, using red for heavy congestion, yellow for moderate congestion and green for little or no congestion.
To use the map, slide the button along the date bar at the top of the map to update predicted traffic information at half-hour intervals between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. for each day. You also can zoom and pan to specific areas of the state.
- Based on the traffic data, periods of heavy congestion was most likely to occur from mid-morning to evening on Wednesday and Sunday. In addition, routes to to/from NOVA are likely to be congested mid-morning to evening on Tuesday.
- US-1 and other popular arterials with access to shopping are likely to be congested throughout the weekend.
REAL-TIME TRAFFIC INFORMATION ON 511
Real-time information about traffic, incidents and congestion on Virginia roads is available at 511Virginia.org.Download the free mobile VDOT 511 app, or call 511 from any phone. To report a road problem or get answers to your transportation questions, call VDOT’s Customer Service Center at 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) around the clock.
NORTHERN VIRGINIA HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (HOV) SCHEDULE AND OTHER INFORMATION:
- I-66 and I-395 – HOV restrictions will be lifted on Thursday, Nov. 24. . Normal HOV restrictions remain on Friday, Nov. 25. Monument Drive and Stringfellow Road HOV ramps are open westbound to all traffic. For more information on northern Virginia HOV schedules, visit www.virginiadot.org/travel/
hov-novasched.asp. - Direction schedule for the Interstate 95 Express Lanes/I-395 reversible lanes:
o Wednesday, Nov. 23 – Lanes close northbound at 10 a.m., open to southbound traffic at 1 p.m.
o Thursday, Nov. 24 − Lanes close southbound at midnight, open to northbound traffic at 2 a.m. and remain northbound throughout the Thanksgiving Day.
o Friday, Nov. 25 – Lanes resume normal schedule of northbound closure at 11 a.m., open to southbound traffic at 2 p.m.
For information on the 95 and 495 Express Lanes schedules and rules visit www.expresslanes.com.
HAMPTON ROADS HOV SCHEDULE, TUNNELS AND OTHER INFORMATION:
- I-64/I-264/I-564 HOV diamond lanes – HOV restrictions will be lifted on all HOV diamond lanes on Thursday, Nov. 24.
- I-64 reversible lanes – Schedule remains the same. HOV restrictions will be lifted on Thursday, Nov. 24.
- I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) – Local traffic to Virginia Beach is encouraged to use the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) as an alternative to the HRBT. To Virginia Beach, take I-664 south to the MMMBT. Then take the Portsmouth/Norfolk exit (exit 15A) to I-264 east to Virginia Beach.
- Travel to Outer Banks – Local traffic to the North Carolina Outer Banks should use I-664 and the MMMBT to save time. From I-664 south, take I-64 west to exit 292, Chesapeake Expressway/I-464/Route 17. Keep left to continue to the Chesapeake Expressway (Route 168), and take Nags Head/Great Bridge (exit 291B) to the Outer Banks.
- Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) – Tune to 1680 AM to stay informed on Hampton Roads traffic, travel conditions and construction information.
THREE I-95 REST AREAS AT LADYSMITH, SKIPPERS OPEN WITH TEMPORARY FACILITIES
Three rest areas, two in Caroline County on northbound and southbound I-95 at Ladysmith and another on northbound I-95 in Greensville County at Skippers, were demolished in April and are being reconstructed. While new rest areas are being built, temporary restroom facilities will be available at these sites.
WORK ZONES AND OTHER TRAFFIC ALERTS
While VDOT will lift most lane closures for holiday travel, motorists may encounter permanent work zones or travel delays in the following locations:
Accomack County
Route 609 – Road closed for widening project in the Town of Onley. Follow detour.
Route 709 – Road closed for widening project. Follow detour.
U.S. 13 – Improving drainage in the Town of Onley. Traffic reduced to single lane in both directions.
Albemarle County
Route 29
- Narrowed lanes and shoulder closures between Route 643 (Polo Grounds Road) and Route 1719 (Towncenter Drive). Speed limit in work zone reduced to 40 mph.
- New traffic pattern on Route 29 at Route 631 (Rio Road). Motorists should follow directional signs. Speed limit in work zone reduced to 35 mph. More information: www.
Route29Solutions.org.
Amherst County
U.S. 501 – Replacing bridge at Route 130 intersection over James River. Two-way traffic on new bridge. Temporary signal in use.
Brunswick County
I-85 – Repairing bridge over railroad at mile marker 28. Traffic limited to one lane both directions. Ramp from I-85 north to Route 1 closed. Ramp from Route 1 south to I-85 south closed. Follow posted detours.
Botetourt County
I-81 – Reconstructing the eastern section of the exit 150 interchange at the intersections of Route 11 and Route 220 Alternate. Exit 150B off-ramp from I-81 northbound onto Route 11 is narrowed and reduced to one lane. Width restriction in place. The right turn lane on the off-ramp will be closed from the deceleration lane off of I-81 to the merge of the ramp onto Route 11 toward Route 220.
Buckingham County
Route 20 – Replacing bridge over Slate River. Speed limit in work zone reduced to 45 mph.
Campbell County
Route 29 – Repairing bridge over Otter River. Traffic restricted to one lane.
U.S. 460 – Constructing turn lane eastbound at Route 656. Lane closures in place.
Chesterfield County
Route 288 – Paving roadway. Single alternating lane closures both directions between Courthouse Rd. and I-95 on Monday, Nov. 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Culpeper County
Route 29 – Constructing restricted crossing U-turn intersection at Route 718 (Mountain Run Lake Road). Median crossover closed at intersection. Follow detour.
Fauquier County
Route 245 – Replacing bridge over Broad Run. Traffic restricted to one lane controlled by temporary signals.
Frederick County
I-81 – Reconstructing interchange at exit 310. Shoulders closed. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.
Greensville County
U.S. 301 – Replacing southbound bridge over rail tracks north of Emporia. Traffic detoured to I-95.
Halifax County
U.S. 501 – Constructing right turn lanes at U.S. Route 40 and Route 632. Lane closures possible.
Isle of Wight County
U.S. 58 – Replacing bridge over rail tracks and Route 632. Follow detour.
Route 621 – Replacing bridge over Passenger Swamp. Road closed. Follow detour.
Route 680 – Replacing bridge of Stallings Creek. Road closed. Follow detour.
Lynchburg
Route 29/460 – Constructing safety improvements from Concord Turnpike to Candlers Mountain Road in both directions. Speed limit in work zone reduced to 45 mph.
Madison County
Route 230 – Replacing bridge over Conway River. Traffic restricted to one lane controlled by temporary signals.
Newport News
I-64 – Widening interstate. Trucks traveling westbound restricted to right lane between Jefferson Avenue (exit 255) and Yorktown Road (exit 247).
Pittsylvania County
Route 29 – Replacing bridge over railroad tracks. Route 29/803 connection temporarily relocated. Southbound detour in place.
Portsmouth
I-264 – Constructing Martin Luther King (MLK) Extension. Right lane closed on I-264 westbound between Effingham Street and Frederick Boulevard. Two lanes will remain open to traffic.
Rockbridge County
I-64 – Rehabilitating Maury River bridges. Westbound traffic will detour across median to eastbound lanes between mile markers 53.3 and 55.3. Traffic both directions restricted to single lane and will use eastbound bridge during work on westbound bridge. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 55 mph.
Southampton County
Route 35 – Replacing bridge in Boykins. Traffic reduced to single lane in both directions. Temporary signal in place.
U.S. 58 Business – Reconstructing roadway in Courtland. Single lane closures in both directions.
Stafford County
I-95 – Extending the 95 Express Lanes south of exit 143 (Route 610/Garrisonville). All travel lanes open; concrete barriers in place along the shoulder northbound and southbound in work zone.
Sussex County
Route 301 – Replacing bridge over Nottoway River. Detour in place.
Washington County
I-81 – Reconstructing interchange at exit 14. Lanes shifted due to bridge reconstruction at exit. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.
I-81 – Reconstructing two interstate bridges over Halls Bottom Road near exit 10. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.
Waynesboro
Route 340 – Replacing bridge over South River. Road closed between Constitution Park and East Avenue. Through traffic will use Broad Street (Route 250) as detour.
Wythe County
I-77/I-81 overlap – High traffic volumes could slow or stop vehicles through this eight-mile stretch. Be alert for delays on northbound I-77 at the I-81 merge.
Shenandoah National Park announces second phase of entrance fee increase
On January 1, 2017, Shenandoah National Park will implement the second phase of its plan to raise the entrance fees to the park. In 2014, the National Park Service conducted a study of the entrance fees charged throughout the National Park System, to bring consistency to fees being charged at parks of similar size and complexity. To solicit public input, Shenandoah National Park launched a civic engagement campaign which included a series of public meetings aimed at discussing the increase needed to bring the park’s fees into compliance with other similar parks in the nation.
During the public comment period, the park received over 240 formal comments through e-mails, letters and on-line comments, as well as, over 100 comments on the park’s Facebook page. While the majority of comments supported an increase, many people felt that the original proposal was too much of an increase to make all at once. To respond to public comments, the park modified the proposal to phase implementation of entrance fee increases beginning in 2015, and followed by a second and final increase on January 1, 2017.
The new entrance fees and schedule are as follows:
| Pass Type | Effective January 1, 2017 |
| Per Vehicle (1-7 days) | $25 |
| Per Person (1-7 days) | $10 |
| Motorcycle (1-7 days) | $20 |
| Shenandoah National Park Annual Pass | $50 |
“The fee program is critical to the park,” stated Jim Northup, Shenandoah National Park Superintendent. “Eighty percent of fees collected stay right here in the park and are put to work improving facilities and services important to visitors. Without this funding, park staff would have to forego these projects. The additional revenue from this increase will allow us to sustain this world-class park.”
Entrance fees have supported a wide range of projects that improve park conditions and visitor experience including, rehabilitating trails and trailhead signs, developing and installing exhibits in visitor centers, improving park water systems, rehabilitating wastewater treatment plants, providing ranger programs, improving ADA accessibility at Rapidan Camp and park comfort stations, and maintaining open vistas at park overlooks. Additional revenue raised by a fee increase may be used to rehabilitate/rebuild Front Royal Entrance Station for increased staff safety and improved access, restore wetlands in Big Meadows campground by removing a loop in and establishing replacement sites in a less sensitive area, as well as, restore backcountry stone structures, retaining walls, bridge structures, and huts.
Shenandoah National Park to begin night closures of Skyline Drive during hunting season
Park Superintendent Jim Northup announced that portions of the Skyline Drive, the famed mountain road through Shenandoah National Park, will be closed at night during hunting season. He noted that this is the thirty-sixth year that this closure has been undertaken and stressed its importance in reducing illegal hunting activity within the Park during the Commonwealth of Virginia’s hunting season outside the park.
Beginning Monday, November 14, 2016, and ending Sunday, January 8, 2016, the Skyline Drive between Front Royal (Mile 0 at U.S. Highway 340) and Thornton Gap (Mile 31 at U.S. Highway 211) and between Swift Run Gap (Mile 65 at U.S. Highway 33) and Rockfish Gap (Mile 105 at U.S. Highway 250) will be closed daily between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. The central portion of the Drive, between Thornton Gap and Swift Run Gap, will remain open for overnight access to the Skyland Resort until that facility closes on November 27. Beginning Monday, November 28, 2015 and ending Sunday, January 8, 2016, the entire length of the Skyline Drive will be closed daily from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m.
Superintendent Northup said, “Closing portions of the Skyline Drive enables rangers to concentrate patrols on problem areas and to increase contacts along the park boundary.”
Superintendent Northup also reminded the public that the park has a reward program to assist in combating illegal hunting in the park. “A reward will be paid to anyone who furnishes information which leads to the conviction of any person who hunts, transports, or attempts to transport illegally taken wildlife within the park,” said Northup. Anyone with information about such activities should call the park (toll free 1-800-732-0911; or 540-999-2227). The identity of persons furnishing information will be kept strictly confidential, and a person does not have to reveal his or her name.
Harrisonburg High cellist featured at fall youth symphony, children’s choir concert
The Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir and Shenandoah Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra will perform a fall concert on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 4 p.m. in Lehman Auditorium.
The SVCC’s treble and concert choirs will sing a sample from their Christmas concert, including a 15th century German hymn, a traditional Jewish folk song and a festive spiritual. The treble choir members (29 total) and concert choristers (60) range in age from 9 to 18.
“A variety of styles and traditions was sought to provide a well-balanced music education for SVCC choristers and greater connection points within a diverse community,” says SVCC Executive Director Janet Hostetter. “These two quality music organizations are impacting the musical excellence in our community and well beyond.”
The orchestra has 42 members, ages ten to 17, who all join through audition. Each musician plays a different part of every piece, “so these students need to be very strong players,” says Program Director Sharon Miller.The orchestra will play a set including Vivaldi’s Cello Concerto in E Minor, featuring solo cellist Cecily Lawton. Lawton, a Harrisonburg High school senior, has been studying the cello for seven years, including instruction from EMU music faculty member Lisa Wright. Lawton has been an orchestra member for over four years, and was chosen as this season’s soloist by audition last May. She has been involved in a number of extra-curricular musical organizations, which include playing in the Harrisonburg High School Symphonic Band, volunteering for the Harrisonburg City School Strings program, and forming a string quartet with fellow orchestra players.
Maria Lorcas conducts the group, and will lead one of the two collaborative pieces between the orchestra and SVCC – Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and “God Bless Us Everyone” from Disney’s A Christmas Carol.
The concert is free, but a $7 donation is suggested “to benefit scholarship students of both organizations,” says Miller. “We are committed to having all qualified students able to participate, regardless of financial circumstances.”
Does the Blue Ridge Parkway close for the winter?
Visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway often ask when the Parkway closes for the winter. Even as many park facilities close seasonally, the Parkway motor road remains open. Temporary weather or maintenance related closures, though, often impact Parkway travel during the winter months.
In response to ever changing road conditions, National Park Service staff developed an online tool that allows visitors to monitor openings and closings along the historic, 469-mile route using an interactive, real time road map. The map allows visitor to zoom in on specific sections of the Parkway, provides up to the minute road closure information, and becomes an essential Parkway planning tool for park visitors, especially in the winter.
Winter weather can impact the Parkway for extended periods given a number of variables including the route’s north facing slopes, tunnels, high elevations, and limited sight distances. Limited snow and ice removal may take place, however the Parkway’s natural resource protection priorities limit the use of ice melting chemicals. Park rangers monitor conditions in affected areas and open the road as soon as safe travel can resume.
In the coming weeks and months, visitors may also experience closures in certain areas for annual maintenance involving boom axe operations. Both lanes of the Parkway will be closed to all activity (cars, bicycles, and hikers) during these closures to ensure the safety of the staff and visitors. This work requires using a large tractor with a cutting head on a long arm, or boom. Precise locations and dates for these closures are available on the Parkway’s website. In addition, affected sections will be noted on the real time map and regular updates related to this work will also be available on the Parkway’s social media sites.
Additional facility and winter activity information is available on the Parkway’s website at www.nps.gov/blri.
Thanksgiving pet travel tips
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the busy holiday travel season. Time to start planning your holiday getaway – whether it be to the in-laws, Grandma’s, or somewhere in between!
Before you hit the road, it’s important to plan ahead for pet travel and always keep the best interests of your furry sidekick in mind. Traveling with your pet can be a wonderful and bonding experience or a not so pleasant one. It’s all a matter of proper planning and preparation.
Top tips to ensure your Thanksgiving getaway with your pet is a safe one:
1. No Heads Out the Window
Although many pets find that sticking their head out the window is the best part of the road trip, it’s not safe. Your pet can easily be injured by flying debris. This should go without saying, but NEVER travel with a pet in the back of a pickup truck. Some states have laws restricting such transport and it is always dangerous.
2. Frequent Pit Stops
Always provide frequent bathroom and exercise breaks. Most travel service areas have designated areas for walking your pet. Be sure to stay in this area particularly when your pet needs a potty break, and of course, bring along a bag to pick up after your pet. When outside your vehicle, make sure that your pet is always on a leash and wearing a collar with a permanent and temporary travel identification tag.
3. Proper Hydration
During your pit stops be sure to provide your pet with some fresh water to wet their whistle. Occasionally traveling can upset your pet’s stomach. Take along ice cubes, which are easier on your pet than large amounts of water.
4. Watch the Food Intake
It is recommended that you keep feeding to a minimum during travel. Be sure to feed them their regular pet food and resist the temptation to give them some of your fast food burger or fries (that never has a good ending!).
5. Don’t Leave Them Alone
Never leave your pet unattended in a parked vehicle. On warm days, the temperature in your vehicle can rise to 120 degrees in minutes, even with the windows slightly open. In addition, an animal left alone in a vehicle is an open invitation to pet thieves.
6. Practice Restraint
Be sure that your pet is safely secured in your vehicle. Utilizing a pet safety harness, travel kennel, vehicle pet barrier, or pet car seat are the best ways to keep your pet safe. They not only protect your pet from injury, but they help by keeping them from distracting you as you drive.
A safety harness functions like a seatbelt. While most pets will not have a problem adjusting to it, you may want to let them wear the harness by itself a few times before using it in the vehicle.
If your pet prefers a travel kennel, be sure it is well ventilated and stabilized. Many pet parents prefer vehicle barriers, particularly for larger pets. Vehicle pet barriers are best suited for SUVs.
Smaller pets are best suited for pet car seats. The car seat is secured in the back seat using a seat belt and your pet is secured in the car seat with a safety harness. In addition to its safety features, a pet car seat will prop up your smaller pet, allowing them to better look out the window.
No matter what method you choose, back seat travel is always safer for your pet.
7. Safe and Comfortable
Whatever method you choose to properly restrain your pet in your vehicle, be sure to make their comfort a priority. Just as it’s important for your “seat” to be comfortable for your long road trip, your pet’s seat should be comfortable too. Typically their favorite blanket or travel bed will do the trick. There are also some safe and very cozy pet car seats available that your pet may find quite comfy.
Careful preparation is the key to ensuring that you and your pet have a happy and safe Thanksgiving getaway!
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