Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Ham played at Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Virginia.
Today turned-out to be the longest drive of the Sea to Shining Sea Trip…and beyond. We drove 577 miles from Woodstock, Virginia to Atlanta. To be specific, we’re in Kennesaw, Georgia. Today’s drive put Trisha Hoffman and I over 5,000 total miles driven on this trip.
I began the day by snapping photographs at the two schools in Woodstock – Central High School and Massanutten Military Academy. Woodstock, founded in 1761, is a quaint town of just over 5,000 people and serves as the county seat of Shenandoah County.
Massanutten is a prep school from for grades 7-12 with one postgraduate year. The school’s most famous football alum is Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Ham, who prepped at the school before moving on to a great career at Penn St. Massanutten is a member of the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association. The Colonels finished 2014 with a 2-8 record.
Central High School, home of the Falcons in Woodstock, Virginia
The Central Falcons are a 3A school that finished 4-6 this past season. The Falcons football field is located in the outfield of the school’s baseball field.
Before heading to Interstate 81 for our trip south to Atlanta, I snapped a few photos of Woodstock’s most famous landmark – the 1795 courthouse designed by Thomas Jefferson out of native limestone. It’s the oldest courthouse, still in use, west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Shenandoah County Courthouse was designed by Thomas Jefferson in 1795.
High School Football America Road Warrior Nuggets
– Hampton Inn in Woodstock is a very nice hotel with friendly employees.
– Trisha heard a funny line from one of the front desk workers – “Yes, we accept pets. Yes, we’ve had two or three squirrels.”
– On January 21, 1776, Pastor John Muhlenberg is said to have given a sermon at his Lutheran church in Woodstock at which time he supposedly said “there is a time to pray and a time to fight”. After those words he is said to have thrown off his clergy robe to reveal an officer’s uniform that he would wear as he would fight for America’s freedom from England.
– Get the ribs and tavern chips at the Spring House Tavern. Great four chair bar
– Truck drivers on Interstate 81 through Virginia are dangerous.
