Girlfriend's Getaway in the Virginia Mountains - Sallie's Crying Tree

Day 1

• Wake up from a pampered sleep at The Lincoln House Bed & Breakfast or General Francis Marion Hotel and Start the day with a scrumptious breakfast.
• Indulge in a few spa treatments and a sassy new hair cut at Headliners on Broad or A Cut Above.
• Stroll historic downtown Marion, visiting the unique shops for items you can't live without and just for the ambience.
• Don't miss Handsome Molly's, Plum Creek Gifts, Black Rooster Gallery, Appalachian Spirit Gallery, antique shops, Main Street Gifts, and more.
• Recoup from your shopping workout with a stop for lunch at one of the causal downtown cafes.
• Take a drive up to Davis Valley Winery where you'll taste, and feel the Virginia Breeze while taking in the vineyard's amazing panoramic mountain vista.
• Absorb the aesthetics, at once intricate yet expansive, inside the renovated 1929 Lincoln Theatre whose 500 seat intimacy lets you capture acoustic perfection from every performance.
• Let the day linger with a late dinner at Macado's or One-Twenty, Inc. or The Restaurant at Hungry Mother State Park.

Day 2

• Wake up from a pampered sleep at Windswept Bed & Breakfast or the Teapot Lodge to a delectable breakfast to start the day.
• Take in a refreshing swim or soothing massage at the Lifetime Wellness Center.
• Head out for a mid-morning nature hike to clear the mind and center the soul.
• Picnic with a view: Enjoy a catered picnic lunch from The Garden Party for mountaintop dining.
• Pick up a couple of gifts for folks back home at Inntowner or The Art Place in Chilhowie.
• Visit the legendary oak, Sallie's Crying Tree, in the Town of Marion, and immerse yourself in the story of a woman who came before you.
• Mosey back to the room to freshen up for the eagerly anticipated and unmatchable culinary experience of the renowned Town House Grill.

Sallie's Crying Tree, 1840s

A little slave girl named Sarah Elizabeth was born on February 28, 1841, in the Virginia Mountains. When she was around 12 years old. "Sallie", as she was known was sold on the slave block in the old courthouse yard of present day Smyth County. The rest of her family was sold off into a distant town.

Devastated and all alone, Sallie soon found herself nurse maid to a needy mistress twenty-four hours a day. Sallie quickly learned she was to show no emotion. Having no one to whom she could confide her pain, she befriended a nearby mighty oak tree. In stolen moments, Sallie cried at the base of that great tree. She wrapped her arms around it, turning over to it her misery and grief from the loss of her family. Bearing her tears like a steadfast, comforting friend, the tree gave Sallie strength to survive the long, hard days and nights on her own.

A marker reminds us today of the magnitude of Sallie's Crying Tree, which stands just off historic Main Street in the Town of Marion, the county seat. Long-admired, it has recently been named in the top five of the 100 Most Interesting Trees in Virginia and will be featured in an illustrative book on the subject in 2008.

Sallie's granddaughter, a local African American historian, retired educator and beloved community member, made the nomination for the tree to be included in the pictorial. Although they never met, Mrs. Lawrence credits her grandmother, who died on June 19, 1913, for having great influence on her life and on her community. Sallie's motto, "Always be your best, always do your best, and always give your best," lives on through her descendents today.