Oak Grove Plantation Bed & Breakfast

Just an hour from Oak Grove, old men and young boys from this region successfully defended a railroad bridge against a raid by federal troops 149 years ago. Though Confederates lost the Civil War only a short time later, the Battle of Staunton River is looked upon with pride by descendants of the local combatants. To mark the anniversary, two days of festivities will be held at Staunton River Battlefield State Park on Friday, June 21, and Saturday, June 22.

On Friday at 8 p.m., visitors can tour the battleground by wagon. On Saturday, a guided tour will begin at 10:30 at the famous bridge. Members of the Sappony Indian Nation will serve lunch afterward. Then, at 12:30, visitors can see Gen. Robert E. Lee himself (well, really a reenactor) describe the battle and the final months of the Confederacy. Throughout the day, a Living History Encampment will include prisoner demonstrations, camp life, weapon demonstration and Confederate cooking.

My Dear Miss Bonnie,

Bonnie misses Jefferson. She wants to play with your dog.

What a pleasant and cheerful time my people and I had at Oak Grove Plantation in May. Your warm hospitality made our stay a memorable treat. You are a charming and lovely hostess.

And speaking of treats, Miss Pickett’s treats were just scrumptious.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that rascal Niko, who certainly gave me a run for my money. What an exuberant and endearing lad! Give him my best and tell him I will catch him yet!

I do hope you will both visit me and bring Miss Pickett in

the fall in Arlington.

Until then, I remain your faithful

Jefferson P. Casey

Come and stay at Oak Grove Plantation Bed & Breakfast in June and see the fun musical Oliver!, which starts the summer stock musical season at the Prizery in South Boston. You can even see Mike in the chorus of this tuneful take on the story of Oliver Twist in 19th Century England. Bring the kids, who will love the show. If you can’t make it for Oliver!, come to see two other musicals in July. The schedule:

“Oliver” – June 20, 21,22,23,26,27,28,29,30
“Red, White and Broadway” – July 4,5,6,7
“Legally Blonde” – July 11,12,13,14,17,18,19,20,21

Click here for tickets.

Warmer weather is a reminder that a new season for Oak Grove Plantation Bed & Breakfast is about to begin. Already, we are seeing japonica (pictured), tulips, forsythia, daffodils, grape hyacinths and vinca in full bloom. Come May 1, you can stay at our South Boston, Va., bed & breakfast and see more of the beauty that the region offers in spring.

One big addition you’ll enjoy this year are our solar panels behind the 200-year-old house, contrasting the 19th and 21st centuries. They’re being used to help power our new central air conditioning and heating system that were installed over the winter.

Waiting for you, besides Pickett and Mike, are our two standard poodles, Bonnie and Niko. Feel free to bring your dog to play with them.

www.oakgroveplantation.com

One of the highlights of the year in South Boston is the Harvest Festival, in which hundreds of people celebrate the end of the farming year on Saturday, Sept. 29, with a daylong party in the historic downtown. Oak Grove Plantation Bed & Breakfast will be open that weekend, and we hope you will stay with us.

Crafters line the streets with handmade items from wreaths, to wooden chairs and toys. Music fills the air from the two stages of live entertainment, and food is available for every taste.  The kids will enjoy the pony rides, face painting, pumpkin painting, scarecrow making, balloon sculpting clowns, magicians and the bounce houses. The street festival runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m

Cool off this summer in the water at Kerr Lake, just a 30-minute drive east of Oak Grove Plantation Bed & Breakfast. Our guests enjoy the swimming, hiking, biking at the largest man-made lake in Virginia. The closest beaches, at Buffalo Park and Longwood Park, have play equipment for children and bathrooms. Fishing is quite popular at the lake. In fact the largest blue catfish in the world (134 pounds) was caught there last year.

The lake, with several small islands, covers more than 50,000 acres straddling the Virginia and North Carolina borders. Fresh water flows into the lake from the Roanoke (Staunton) River and Dan River, which flows through South Boston.

Some other close options for swimming and boating in North Carolina are Hyco Lake and Mayo Lake, about 25-35 minutes south of our B&B. There is a pool at Staunton River State Park. And even closer, kids love to wade in the two small creeks running through our 400-acre property.

Daughter Sara preparing for a trail ride.

You can really get the feel of country living by riding horseback on the extensive trails of Shangrila Guest Ranch, just two miles from our bed & breakfast. Pickett rides the wooded paths regularly, enjoying the scenic outdoors the way people used to before motor vehicles were invented. For $40 an hour, visitors can be led by experienced guides who know the horses and scenic routes that go past ponds, forests, wildlife and open fields. They can sign up for one-hour, partial-day or all-day excursions. Children will like the farm animals and a group hayride that is available.

You can also get horseback riding at Shangrila as part of an outdoors package at Oak Grove Plantation Bed & Breakfast. For $308, a couple can get two nights at Oak Grove, a one-hour trail ride or hayride, a 15-minute reiki treatment and a 2-5 mile hike along out shaded, wooded trails.

So gallop on down here and be a cowboy or cowgirl for an hour or more, then enjoy the relaxed atmosphere at Oak Grove.

Hunting Creek Vineyards near Clover

Believe it or not, Southside is home to 12 wineries, which are great tourist attractions and produce good wine, as well. We’ve visited a number of them and have taken some fine bottles home with us. The wineries can be found along the SoVA Wine Trail, a collection of grape growing and wine-producing farms only a short distance from Oak Grove Plantation Bed & Breakfast.

Some of our favorites are in Halifax County: Molliver Vineyards and Winery, on a 134-acre vineyard and winery in Nathalie.; Bright Meadows Farm, on a restored tobacco plantation with a 117-year-old barn in Nathalie; Greenwood Vineyards, housed in a  90-year-old former tobacco-packing barn in Vernon Hill, and Hunting Creek Vineyards in Clover, featuring a tasting room with art works and a pretty patio outside.

Each winery has from 9 to 15 wines so there is a taste for everyone and there are some award winning vintages among those!

If you don’t want to drive to these scenic locations, you can get a lift from SoBo Wino, which picks people up at their location or downtown and takes them up to four wineries and brings them home in time for dinner at the Bistro 1888 or other restaurant and occasionally a show at the Prizery. Cost of the tour, including a box lunch (but not the restaurants) is $58 per person. There is a minimum of eight people needed, and they can take up to 14. So you may want to check to see if others are riding on that date at 434-251-1540.

From the May 21 Gazette Virginian:

Oak Grove Plantation is one of the rare bed & breakfasts with an innkeeper whose family has owned the house for generations. Pickett Craddock, who started the Cluster Springs B&B 26 years ago, enjoys telling guests about the home’s history, which dates back nearly 200 years.

The two-story classical revival house house was built from home-grown timber in about 1820 by Thomas Easley, a member of the Virginia legislature. In the parlor is a portrait of Lt. Thomas Easley Jr., a West Point graduate who was killed in the Mexican-American War at age 25. His brother, Capt. William Easley, died in the Civil War.

Succeeding generations farmed tobacco and later other crops on the 400 acres along what is now Cluster Springs Rd. (Route 658), a mile southwest of Route 501. In 1986, Craddock decided to open her home as Halifax County’s first bed & breakfast. A preschool teacher in Washington, D.C., she made the house available to tourists in the summers only, promoting the home as a refuge for people to get away from the city.

“It is a place for people to cure what is now being called ‘nature deficit,’ the need to get closer to nature and to enjoy its plants and animals to reduce the stress of urban living,” she said. “Science has shown nature can improve our health, enhance our creativity and make us feel fully alive. It can promote a sense of awe and wonder that we haven’t felt since we were children.”

Craddock encourages guests to walk or bike on the miles of groomed paths through pine forests on the grounds. They are great for bird watching and spotting turtles, squirrels and even foxes.  She particularly encourages families with children to come and climb trees, play on the tire swing, in the sandbox and inside with board games. Dogs are also welcomed to come and play with 7-year-old Bonnie, and new 8-month-old Niko, both standard poodles. Ms. Craddock’s 22-year-old daughter, Sara Doan, is training to become a veterinary technician.

Craddock and her husband, Mike Doan, enjoy promoting area attractions for visitors from as far away as Europe or as close as Halifax County. One guest saw Doan’s mention of “The Sound of Music” at the Prizery in his blog and came just to see the show with her daughter. Several others have had families racing at Virginia International Raceway. One group came from Ohio to visit their former classmate, who runs Gatrell’s Cowboy Up Café in Virgilina. Some have come for the Scottsburg Fourth of July celebration and other special events.

Weddings and reunions are popular among Oak Grove’s visitors. The Virgilina Women’s Club and the Halifax County Women’s Club have met there, and she had a reunion once of classmates from Cluster Springs Elementary School. Craddock had her own book group from Washington stay at the plantation house to discuss a popular novel. “People like to get away into a quiet, peaceful and contemplative environment,” she says.

One of the inn’s chief attractions is its gourmet breakfasts served around the oval dining room table. Many guests prefer the long, leisurely breakfasts to a quick roll and coffee at a fast-food restaurant. Craddock often serves Cluster Springs egg puff, her own dish with eggs and cheese or whole wheat and lemon soufflé pancakes and fresh locally grown fruit. “It’s important to me to get produce and eggs from Halifax County,” she said. “The food is better and it’s better for the environment.”

Oak Grove has three guests rooms, including a ground-floor, handicapped accessible room called the Library and a two-room family suite on the second floor. The inn is open from May 15 to the end of September. Details at www.oakgroveplantation.com. Email: oakgrove1@juno.com.