Should you ever decide to visit Washington DC, it would certainly be worth your while to venture west a couple of hours to a lovely resort in the Shenandoah Valley known as Massanutten. The resort gets its name from Massanutten Mountain, which is an Indian word meaning “basket.” (Apparently someone thought the mountain was shaped like a basket.) Not only can you view beautiful countryside and rolling hills as you drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but it is a nice change of pace from all the hustle and bustle of the Capital city.
On our recent trip to Washington DC, that is exactly what we did, ending up at the newest Massanutten Resort in Virginia known as Regal Vistas. There are actually 7 resorts situated on several acres of land, about 15 minutes down the road from Harrisonburg. This was our 3rd visit to the property, having previously traded into Woodstone and The Summit. Those accommodations were very good, but the condo at Regal Vistas was exceptional!
The gated community is home to spacious duplexes, all with cathedral ceilings, 2 fireplaces, private garage, deck and gas grill. Everything is clean and new, with attractive furnishings, stainless steel appliances, whirlpool tub, and large, flat-screen TV’s. Look below to take a video tour of our unit:
Massanutten bills itself as a Four Season Resort, which includes skiing in the winter, snowboarding and ski tubing. They recently added an indoor waterpark, available to guests and visitors, for a price. Diamond Jim’s Arcade is located in the waterpark, which appeals more to the kids, and there is a separate spa building to keep the adults happy. There is a nice indoor pool, and 2 outdoor pools, basketball and tennis courts, mini-golf, ziplining, and tubing. You can ride horses, play disc golf, or have some river adventures with kayaking and canoeing. There are 2 regular golf courses.
This resort probably offers more activities than any resort that we have ever been to—and they charge for almost all of them. They offer an adult pass for $99 and children’s pass for $69, which is good for a week. These passes allow you to participate in some of the activities for “free,” but most are only discounted.
For example, on one evening they host a Wine-lover’s Dinner for $65 a person. If you have the activity pass, it is only $55. (Wow, big savings!—yes, I’m being sarcastic!) They also offer comedy/magic shows on 2 different nights, which cost $10 each. You can attend for free, if you have the activity pass. (Actually, this is a better deal, as the shows were excellent, and it includes h’ors d’oeuvres.)
All of their craft classes are also set up this way, and there are tons of them! You can make a glass etching for $20, but if you have the pass, it’s only $10, and so on and so on. . . . Golf and other sports were the same kind of deal. By the way, the waterpark is not free to guests, but you do get a $10 discount with the activity pass.
The first time we visited here, we decided that this system would not be to our benefit, and we haven’t changed our minds about that—it seems like they are nickeling and diming you to death, here. Yes, most resorts do charge for some activities, but it also stands to reason that by using the term “resort,” it implies that much of this should be included in the price or ownership. It would be interesting to know some statistics regarding how much of a person’s $99 actually gets used. We have never spent even close to that at this resort, and we have participated in several of the activities that appealed to us. On the other hand, if this is your one vacation a year, and you really want to do a lot of this stuff, then maybe the pass is a good idea.
It is nice that there are many activities offered at Massanutten, because there really isn’t much to do in the area unless you have a car. In fact, you need a car just to navigate around the resort, because it is so large. There are a few restaurants on site, as well as 2 very pricey stores that sell food and other supplies. The resort sends a letter out before you come telling you what they will and will not supply, so be prepared to possibly shop for extra toilet paper, Kleenex, etc., as you will only be given a starter supply.
The biggest draw in this area is Shenandoah National Park. The closest entrance is about 10 miles from the resort It is a great park to drive through, although it was quite hazy the 2 days that we went there. Supposedly, summer is actually the worst season for the haziness, mainly caused by pollution. We did take one hike to Black Rock Summit, which offered amazing views of fallen rocks, unlike any we’d ever seen. We were disappointed that the Visitors’ Centers were still closed, scheduled to open in another week or so.
Nearby Harrisonburg is a medium-sized historical town complete with mall and many chain stores and restaurants. They also offer the Shenandoah Flea Market, open daily. There are some other flea markets in neighboring towns that are open on weekends. Luray Caverns is about 30 miles away for those who enjoy caves. They also have a nice visitor center, gift shop and maze.
About 60-90 minutes away are Monticello, Michie Tavern (wonderful barbecue—and I don’t even like it!) and the James Madison house, known as Montpelier. The resort also offers several bus tours to these and other places, including Washington DC.
We would not hesitate to recommend Massanutten as a beautiful, peaceful resort that has much to offer—just think twice about purchasing that activity pass!
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Thank you for this video! We own at Woodstone but needed to trade into another week so we traded into Regal Vistas. Since they are newer I haven’t been able to find to much out about them. Your video was great. I also agree about the activity card we went over it several times and we don’t see how it could save much money.
Even though we own there this will be our first full week stay. We have 3 kids who are 5, 2, and 1 and I’m just looking forward to relaxing with them on the playgrounds and in the pools.
We’re glad you liked the video. You and your family will love the accommodations! Have a great time! Barb & John
We own at Mountainside Villas and to get the full benefit of the Activity Card one must do almost everything listed. We have tested this and the year we did not have the card we had more fun and more time to do things. The year we used the card we were so busy that we did not have as much fun. Yes I will spend the extra to go to the dinners and other items. I think that the card should be something owners get and can use when they are there. But they are really working to keep their assessments lower.
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