As I travel to my next LOVE sign, I fall into a sense of calm as I’m reminded of the quiet country roads of my youth. Where a Sunday drive could happen any day of the week, and no one would seem to mind. When entering the small-downtown, I realize that no amount of research could provide me with a complete list of places that catch my attention. A town that once you visit it, will have you wondering why you haven’t explored it before, because there is so much goodness to experience.
Bowling Green is a town located about an hour north of Richmond, and they have an official LOVE sign on the front lawn of their Town Hall building. While Bowling Green is not that far from where I live, I had never ventured through the town. So I was excited about what I would learn and see while visiting this historically rich area.
Did you know that Salvador Dali lived near Bowling Green for a period of time? I learned this while touring the Sidney E. King Arts Center in the heart of downtown. While the center doesn’t have any of Dali’s artwork on display, it was cool to discover he frequently visited the town and completed several works while in Virginia. Who knew?!
Sidney E. King was also an artist and a gallery was opened in his honor in in the town of Bowling Green. Much of his work was focused on historical events in Virginia and he is also known for being the “first artist to introduce oil paintings in an outdoor environment”. In addition to King’s works, there is a small section dedicated to preserving the history of Bowling Green. It was a wonderful quick stop to learn more about the town and all of the history surrounding it (to include John Wilkes Booth being captured in the town of Bowling Green!)
Speaking of Bowling Green history, in the 1960’s a local couple a few miles from this town, Richard Loving (a white man), and Mildred Jeter, (a woman of color) fell in love. Because interracial marriages were illegal in Virginia at the time, they married in Washington DC. Not long after returning to Virginia, they were arrested and sentenced to either 1-year in jail or they had to leave the state for 25 years. This ultimately led to Loving v. Virginia a significant U.S. Supreme Court decision which ruled that laws banning interracial marriages were unconstitutional. While in town I made sure to visit the historical marker that pays homage to this couple who changed how we think about love forever.
By now my stomach is grumbling and when the locals make a recommendation on where to eat, you take it. I grabbed lunch at the Corner Store located on Main St. which is known for offering their customers fresh and homemade items. There was a nice selection of sandwiches and baked goods that looked delicious. If you’ve been traveling the LOVE signs with me, you know I can’t turn down a BLT which I ordered and thoroughly enjoyed. The staff was friendly and the seating area was lovely. It was definitely a great recommendation for a bite to eat.
After lunch, I got to experience multiple wonderful places in Bowling Green’s downtown (all within walking distance of each other):
Susie Bella’s Antiques and More, a cute place that offers old and new items that many would enjoy. Think vintage, meets farmhouse, meets shabby chic. I met Susan (the owner) who helped me tremendously on other places that I should visit while in town (she was so easy to talk to). While there, I purchased an antique fireplace broom that I had been looking for for some time. It is a store I will visit again the next time I’m in the area.
ARTism by Joey, a gallery with a goal to – “Provide happiness in the form of artwork, created especially for you and the awesome people you love.” While here I also got to meet Joey the artist and see his wonderful artwork on display (which are available for purchase). Joey was featured in the Free Lance-Star newspaper in 2017 where it tells his story of being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and how his art business came to be. I bought a hand painted bookmark of a river that Joey said was close to Front Royal – it is beautiful.
Jb Apothecary, is a place where you’ll find all natural and organic hand-poured products such as candles, soaps, oils and more. The quaint store smelled amazing yet not overpowering. I have sensitive skin so the owner, Jean, provided some great recommendations – an organic salve and Argon oil & Egyptian Amber soap, which I’m looking forward to trying. Another side-business she owns is Main St. Historic Tours, where you can enjoy a ride on a pedicab (tricycle-style vehicle) and learn all about Bowling Green and its history. I can’t wait to go back and schedule a tour!
And my final stop before dinner was Sundry, a marketplace that provides the town a place to be creative through their workshops and classes. I could feel the creative passions from co-owners, Louisa and Kasey as they talked about the importance of offering Bowling Green a “third space”. Customers can sign-up for an array of creative classes, some of which include DIY mosaic planters, jewelry, candles, blankets, clothing and more. They also offer private parties where you can work with them on a specific item you and your group want to make. In addition to the awesome energy from the two owners, I also learned through them that well over 50% of Bowling Green small-businesses are owned by women – how cool is that?!
Before leaving town, my family met me for dinner at The Heist, a small music venue that provides a great selection of dinner items and cocktails. While music wasn’t scheduled the night we were there, they provided a great selection of board games and more for anyone to enjoy (we got into an intense game of Taboo :). Our boys enjoyed the BBQ Chicken Sandwich, and my husband and I shared the Balance Charcuterie Box (which went well with their spicy margarita and glass of their Pinot Noir).
The atmosphere is cool and unique, with it being housed in a 100-year old bank. The staff was friendly and always ready to serve you. Given our love of music, I’m looking forward to coming back to catch a show in this intimate place.
Bowling Green is a place to love…
Bowling Green is a town that will continue to remind you that Virginia is full of hidden treasures and rich history. There is so much positive energy from the locals on creating a welcoming and ‘fun things to do’ town that you will quickly fall in love with it. And the amount of history that is connected to the surrounding area is both interesting and impressive – it would make any novice feel like a Virginia pro. If you are ever north of Richmond and see signs for Bowling Green, make sure you stop by for a visit, you will be happy you did.
| VA ♥️ Signs Now Visited | Official VA ♥️ Signs |
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Other points of interest in Bowling Green:
- Gibson’s Soft Serve
- The Mix House Coffee Co.
- Classic Cottage Art & Antiques
- Los Dos Amigos Restaurant
- Homegrown Bowling Green (Nursery & Garden store)
- The Plug Vintage Store
Is this your first Leah LOVES Virginia blog post read? Thank you for taking the time to visit. If you’re wondering how this adventure got started, check-out my first blog post and my about page. Want to stay connected? It’s super easy and you’ll only hear from me when a new blog gets posted. You can also follow along by friending me on my Leah LOVES Virginia Facebook page.
Important note: I always do my best to ensure anything I include in my blogs is factual and that I also give credit and use quotations when pulling information from sources. If you believe there is something included here that needs to be addressed, please email me directly as I want to be sure it is fixed. Thank you and happy LOVE sign hunting.
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