The Historic Wayside Inn 1797

07/15/2026

You’re going to want to stop scrolling, hit play, and immediately send this to your favorite car enthusiast... because Monday, July 27th is about to get a whole lot better than the typical Monday!

We are incredibly excited to announce that the legendary Rochester Corvette Club (classic car royalty, established all the way back in 1959!) is taking over the parking lot here at Wayside Inn! They’ll be rolling in with hoods up, ready to talk shop, swap stories, and let everyone get an up-close look at some truly stunning American muscle.

It is the absolute perfect excuse for a summer road trip, a family outing, or just an awesome Monday escape. Plus, while you're here marveling at the horsepower, you can stretch your legs and make a whole day of it:

Grab a Cold One: Swing by Clem’s Kitchen right inside the Inn to grab a bite to eat or a refreshing beer to sip on while you look around.

Make it a Getaway: Want to skip the drive home? We actually have just a few open guest rooms left for that night. They definitely won't last long once the club rolls into town, so give us a call or book your stay before they're gone!

Help us spread the word! Drop a comment with your favorite Corvette generation, share this video with your crew, and we will see you all in the parking lot on July 27th!

07/09/2026

You asked, we listened, and Katryn Broadoak is coming back to Wayside Inn July 10th at 7pm.

Katryns poetry has been called a lantern to those searching for hope, trust, gratitude, and joy. Like many, when surviving, she put pen to paper and what resulted will leave you reflecting on how you got here, through, and what's next.

The bar at Clem's Kitchen will be open, so grab a Silver Breeze (so Summer!) and get a signed copy of Ports and Portals.

07/05/2026

Thank you Town of Middletown VA and the 4th of July planning committee for bringing a fantastic 250th celebration to all the patrons and staff of The Historic Wayside Inn 1797 and to our great community! Happy 250th Independence Day to our Nation! We were here for the birth, and we hope to be here for the 500th anniversary as well!

06/25/2026

We LOVE our community! We had way too much fun!

06/20/2026

06/20/2026

Revolutionary War Reenactors to Lead Middletown's America 250 Independence Day Celebration Parade! Sponsored by First Bank. 🇺🇸

Step back in time this Independence Day as Revolutionary War reenactors lead the area’s ONLY July 4th parade, stepping off at 5 PM on Saturday, July 4th right here in historic Middletown.

Join us as we honor America’s earliest patriots and celebrate our nation’s birthday with tradition, pride, and community spirit. Bring the family, grab a good spot along Main Street, and enjoy one of the most unique and memorable parades in the Shenandoah Valley.

Interested in being part of the parade lineup? We’d love to have you! 👇https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfSJZ3Iaff8N8IreQKgg6EcXhrV6GII-LpflbzhPEQhi4-Faw/viewform?pli=1

Let’s make this July 4th unforgettable in Middletown! 🎆🇺🇸 🤝Virginia is for Lovers

06/12/2026

Locals, or guests who'd like to get a hands on experience, these are some amazing opportunities!

06/12/2026

History + Rocks! How awesome!

Volcanic rock? In Virginia?

Although Virginia no longer has volcanoes, hundreds of millions of years ago this place experienced intense volcanic activity. More than 500 million years ago, as the supercontinent Rodinia broke apart, lava spilled out between the tectonic plates and helped form the rock that composes the Blue Ridge Mountains today. This lava solidified into an igneous rock called basalt. Basalt crystalizes, forming hexagonal columns. Devil's Tower National Monument consists of the same material. You can see this crystal formation, known as columnar jointing, on the Compton Peak Trail (mile 10.4 on Skyline Drive) and a smaller example appears on the Limberlost Trail (mile 43). Deep burial underground once covered this rock, but tectonic plate collisions during the formation of Pangea pushed it up and shaped it into mountains.

You can still see the columns, but this rock no longer consists of basalt. Millions of years of heat and pressure buried the rock underground and transformed it into metabasalt, a type of metamorphic rock. Specifically, geologists call this metabasalt Catoctin Greenstone, which stretches as far north as Pennsylvania. Although basalt doesn't really exist here anymore, the columnar jointing reveals much about the geologic history of Shenandoah National Park.

Image: The underside of a large rock formation made of hexagonal green columns.

06/12/2026

Whispers of wonder await inside our ancient cupboard 🗝✨️

Wayside Inn is officially launching a trinket trade here at the inn. The rules of the sacred exchange are simple: take a treasure, leave a treasure to keep the balance of magic alive.

We are feeling grateful and inspired by our incredible local community, so big love to the mystical souls at Moon Phased and our giant hearted neighbors at Hideaway Cafe!

Next time you pass through Middletown, bring a pocket-sized oddity along and come trade with us!