The Roanoke Times

File February There's plenty to do at Winterplace Ski Resort.

There are many reasons to get out of town during this crazy holiday season.

Whether you want to avoid the mall traffic, avoid the leftovers or avoid the chores, we've prepared some quick trips that will help you clear your head for the day -- or the weekend, if you have vacation days remaining.

Within a couple hours' drive in any direction, there are neat things to see and experience this holiday season, either again or for the first time.

Plenty of New River Valley residents haven't spent much time in Staunton; Beckley, W.Va., Bristol, Tenn., or Winston-Salem, N.C.

But here's your chance.

We've picked destinations that we thought you would enjoy and told you all you need to know -- and how to find out more information, just in case we didn't.

EAST: STAUNTON

Staunton Visitors Center

Address: 35 S. New St., Staunton

Distance: 111 miles

Directions: Take Interstate 81 to Exit 262 for Staunton. Turn right on U.S. 11 and follow for two miles. Follow U.S. 11 with a left turn. Follow 0.2 miles until a right onto South New Street. The visitors center is on the right.

The highlight: The American Shakespeare Center's Blackfriars Playhouse (www.american shakespearecenter.com) is the world's only re-creation of the Bard's famous indoor theater. Tickets are generally affordable, but daily tours allow you to see the highlights even without a show. Showing this holiday season are "A Christmas Carol" and the "Santaland Diaries."

Don't forget: The R.R. Center for History and Art showcases much of the area's rich history and art heritage. Or you can head to Gypsy Hill Park for a game of tag, the Blue Ridge Parkway for a beautiful drive or Betsy Bell Wilderness Park for a picnic. If you're looking for a history lesson, check out the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia or the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum. If you want less structure, check out one of the area's numerous wineries and farms.

Make it a weekend (but probably not this weekend -- thousands will be in town for the Virginia Tech-Virginia football game): Take the short drive over on U.S. 29 to Charlottesville, especially if you want to experience U.S. history at its epicenter. Visit Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland and Michie Tavern for a total history immersion. If you're looking for something less serious, just head downtown to the mall for a bite to eat or something refreshing to drink or over to the University of Virginia campus for a nice stroll.

For more information: www.visitstaunton.com

NORTH: BECKLEY, W.VA.

Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia

Address: 513 Ewart Ave., Beckley, W.Va.

Distance: 88.3 miles

Directions: The Youth Museum's main gallery is made up of four railroad boxcars. The central exhibit area features an average of three exhibits yearly. Group tours include a visit to the Museum's Planetarium. Seasonal programs highlight constellations, visible planets and special celestial events. Behind the museum's main building stands the Mountain Homestead. Developed to enrich history studies, the Museum has re-created a typical settlement on the Appalachian frontier. Trained interpreters explain the importance of each reconstructed historical building. Visit the weaver's shed -- complete with loom and spinning wheels. In the two-story log house, groups listen as the guide explains the artifacts and antiques made and used by the rugged individuals that settled this region.

Don't forget: No visit to southern West Virginia is complete without a trip to Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia, which is the nation's first showcase of handcrafts, fine art and regional cuisine. It combines a retail store, working store for artisans, a fine arts gallery, a theater and a food court that has brought more than 5 million visitors off the interstate and through its doors.

Make it a weekend: The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine is closed after Nov. 1, but you can still take advantage of the area's rich coal history by traveling on the Coal Heritage Trail, which winds through more than 187 miles of scenic land in 13 West Virginia counties. You can also check out the Winterplace Ski Resort, which added 34 snowmaking guns over the summer for tubing and skiing fun.

For more information: www.beckley.org

WEST: BRISTOL, TENN.

Bristol Motor Speedway

Address: 151 Speedway Blvd., Bristol, Tenn.

Distance: 127 miles

Directions: U.S. 460 South to Interstate 81. I-81 South for 113 miles. Take Exit 3 at I-381 S toward Bristol. Follow I-381, Virginia 381 and U.S. 11 for 10 miles. Turn left onto Speedway Boulevard.

The highlight: Yes, Jimmie Johnson's historic fourth straight title has wrapped up the racing season, but that's not why we're heading to Bristol Motor Speedway. The Autotrader.com Speedway In Lights Powered by TVA is once again brightening holidays during its 12th season, with more than 1.5 million lights comprising the displays along the 4-mile drive-through route. The route includes a chance to drive through legendary Thunder Valley before driving on "The World's Fastest Half-Mile" itself. It's from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly through Jan. 3.

Don't forget: Deemed by Congress as the "birthplace of country music," you'll find a variety of venues, museums, shops and tours dedicated to the area's rich musical history.

Make it a weekend: Stop by Abingdon along I-81 (or better yet, follow the Crooked Road) to take in a show at the historic Barter Theatre or the hip downtown Arts Depot. Travel south to Damascus to spend some time on the Virginia Creeper or the Appalachian trails. Stay in the historic Martha Washington Inn or one of the many area bed-and-breakfasts.

For more information: www.bristolmotorspeedway.com

SOUTH: WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.

Old Salem Visitors Center

Address: 900 Old Salem Road, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Distance: 122 miles

Directions: U.S. 460 to Interstate 81 South. Take Exit 81 at Interstate 77 south toward Charlotte. Merge onto Interstate 74, which becomes U.S. 52 S. Take Exit 108C toward Winston-Salem University. Turn right onto Stadium Drive. In 0.4 miles, turn left onto East Salem Avenue. In 0.6 miles, turn right onto Old Salem Road.

The highlight: Salem was founded in 1766 by the Moravians -- a Protestant faith that began in what is now known as the Czech Republic. The Moravians were missionaries who established an earlier settlement in Bethlehem, Pa., before beginning "Wachovia" in the North Carolina backcountry in 1753. Old Salem Museums & Gardens has three museums -- the Historic Town of Salem, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts and the Old Salem Toy Museum -- that engage visitors in an educational and memorable historical experience about those who lived and worked in the early South.

Don't forget: Winston-Salem is home to many shops and stores that you can't find in Southwest Virginia -- including Kohls. There are plenty of unique shops and restaurants downtown. Check out the Hanes Mall for a who's-who of national retailers.

Make it a weekend: If you want more shopping, head about 20 minutes east on Interstate 40 and visit Greensboro, N.C. If you want to get away, head an hour west on U.S. 421 and wind up in Boone and its surrounding North Carolina mountain towns and the Appalachian State University campus.

For more information: www.oldsalem.org, www.visitnc.com