Mount Jackson

A Virginia Road Trip in Late May (2025) /  by Todd Henson

Today I don’t have any standout artistic photographs to share, but instead wanted to take you along for a Virginia road trip my father and I made in late May of 2025. I tried to capture moments on the road that appealed to me, perhaps because of a curve in the road, hills or mountains in the background, or just about anything else of interest. The photos begin on Sperryville Pike (522) after leaving Culpepper heading west and end on John Marshall Highway (55) east on the way towards Haymarket. I hope you enjoy this little excursion

Click on any of the photos for a larger view.

West Towards the Blue Ridge Mountains

We began the day by taking a left at an intersection where we’d only ever taken a right, with no idea what to expect. After passing through some rolling hills with plenty of farm land and taking a few more turns we found ourselves in Culpepper. Instead of hanging out in town we ended up on Sperryville Pike heading west towards Sperryville, and from there heading west on Lee Highway (211) over the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Heading west on Sperryville Pike after leaving Culpepper

The closer we got to Sperryville the more hilly it became

Between Blue Ridge and Massanutten Mountains

After we passed over the Blue Ridge Mountains and through part of Shenandoah National Park we continued west on 211 through Luray (known for their caverns), past Cooter’s Place (for any Dukes of Hazzard fans out there), and then over Massanutten Mountain which bisects part of Shenandoah Valley.

Driving 211 west past Luray and towards the mountains

Continuing west on 211

West on 211 approaching the mountains

Taking 211 over Massanutten Mountain

North Through Shenandoah Valley

Once we hit New Market we headed north on Route 11, taking a brief detour onto Caverns Road to stop by the Route 11 Potato Chip factory. From there we returned to Route 11 by way of Wissler Road which took us through the historic Meem’s Bottom Covered Bridge. Once back on Route 11 we headed north through Mount Jackson and eventually got on 55 heading east through Front Royal.

Passing the 54th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment Monument on Route 11 north

Driving on Cavern Road over 81 and looking south

Approaching Meem's Bottom Covered Bridge from the west

Main Street (Route 11) heading into Mount Jackson from the south

We saw this old Texaco pump in Mount Jackson

East on John Marshall Highway

After leaving Front Royal, instead of taking 66 back east, which would have been faster, we opted for the smaller John Marshall Highway, 55. There’s generally a lot less traffic and just as much if not more scenery. It also passes through several towns, such as Marshall (originally Salem) and The Plains, though I didn’t capture any decent photos of these towns on this trip. But I did slow down the shutter speed for a little fun with the final photo.

Heading east out of Front Royal on Route 55

The Barn off Grove Lane (55), approaching Marshall

Driving on 55 somewhere between The Plains and Haymarket, with a slower shutter speed to show some motion

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Route 11 Potato Chip Factory /  by Todd Henson

Route 11 Chips factory in Mount Jackson, Virginia

Every so often my father and I stop by the Route 11 Potato Chip Factory to pick up some chips. The factory used to be located, of all places, along Route 11 through the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, but they eventually outgrew the location and moved their factory to 11 Edwards Way in Mount Jackson, Virginia.

You can stop by to purchase chips and other related products, and you can also see the chips being made when the production line is active. It’s an interesting process to watch. And note, I’m not in any way affiliated with or sponsored by them. We’re just another customer.

It’s not a building I’d normally spend a lot of time photographing, but on this day I really liked the clouds and how the sun lit up the building, so I decided to create a photo.

Living in Virginia I’m used to seeing these chips all around. But I’m curious how widespread or local they are. Have you ever found them in your area? And have you tried them?

A sampling of Route 11 Potato Chips

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Farm From the Road: The Story Behind the Image /  by Todd Henson

Farm From the Road (Mount Jackson, Virginia)

My brother and I were on a trip to see the Fourth of July fireworks from Skyline Drive, in Shenandoah National Park. We were curious what the valley would look like from the mountains. On our way there we passed through Mount Jackson, Virginia. We knew of a covered bridge in the area and wanted to see it. But the bridge didn’t end up the highlight of that drive, at least not for me.

We passed by the farm in the photo above, with the green fields in the foreground. Something about it caught my eye. As a kid I’d always been fascinated by the foreground blur seen from the passenger seat of a car. Something about the farm brought back that memory. So I asked my brother to turn around and drive down the road again. This time I had my camera ready, set with a slow enough shutter speed to allow the foreground green crops to blur while we drove by.

To capture a sharp view of the farm I panned the camera from the car, keeping the lens pointed at the farm while we moved by in the car. This takes practice. You need the right shutter speed to give the effect you want, and you need to keep your camera steady as you pan. My brother kept the car as steady as he could and I kept the camera as steady as I could. I used a shutter speed of 1/20 of a second, which in this light required an aperture of f/18 at ISO 200.

We probably drove over the stretch of road 3 or 4 times before deciding to move on. I’ve no clue what we might have looked like to someone at the farm. But I’m pleased with the results. It was a fun day, and we still had the fireworks to look forward to the following evening.

For this image we were moving slowly, maybe 35 miles per hour, and the subject was at a distance, so I was panning very slowly. But you can also try photographing subjects much closer to the car, or from a faster moving car, requiring you to pan much faster and creating much more motion blur in the foreground or background.

Have you ever photographed from a moving car? Give it a try sometime (just be sure you’re a passenger). It can be a lot of fun, and you never know what you might create.

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