What’s the attraction?

The Charlotte Observer -- February 15, 1998 -- Page 6G

What’s the attraction?
Within a very short drive from Charlotte you can find and enjoy an exceptionally good museum, a trail of faith dotted with symbols of Waldensian tradition and heritage, a wonderful winery, a park complete with a working grist mill and superb waterfall, and a quiet downtown featuring one of the most beautiful churches in the state.

Driving Distance
From Charlotte, the drive is 68 miles (one way). Driving time, also one way, is 1 1/2 hours at a relaxed pace.

Getting there
You have two basic routes from Charlotte, both good. The easiest (albeit slightly longer) is to take Interstate 77 North to Statesville, then take Interstate 40 West to Hickory. Leave I-40 at Exit 112 and follow signs into Valdese. The other route: Take Interstate 85 South through Kings Mountain; exit the interstate at the U.S. 74 turnoff. Drive into Shelby and head north on N.C. 18. A short drive past the South Mountains turnoff, you will see a Waldensian Bread sign and a road leading to the right. This is Mineral Springs Mountain Road – State Road 1001 – and it leads into Valdese. Turn left at the traffic light and drive a half-mile into downtown Valdese.

To see and do
If you want to see and enjoy Valdese to the fullest, plan to spend the entire day. Despite its small size (2,500 to 3,000 residents) the town has an amazing number of interesting attractions. The first stop should be at the Waldensian Museum, 101 Rodoret St. S.E. As you enter the downtown area, you will see on the left (as you head west) the huge and incredibly beautiful Waldensian Presbyterian Church. The Waldensian Museum is across the street from the church. In the museum, you will get a brief history of the Waldensian faith, which endured religious persecution as long ago as A.D. 400. The Waldensian Church of Italy is the oldest evangelical church in existence: It dates to 1183. In 1555, the first Waldensian church was built; previously, construction of their churches was prohibited. On Feb. 17, 1848, Charles Albert of Sardinia granted basic civil and religious liberty to Waldensians in his Italian kingdom.

On May 29, 1893, Waldensian settlers arrived in the Burke County area that was to become Valdese. By 1896, construction was begun on the Romanesque church. On Feb. 16, 1974 – the day before the anniversary of liberty in Sardinia – the Valdese museum was opened to the public. The museum features photos, furniture, authentic Waldensian clothing, tools, an incredible quilt depicting the history of the Waldensians, and hundreds of other items that offer a glimpse of the Waldensian heritage. After you tour both floors of the museum, allow time to enjoy the exterior beauty and workmanship of the building. Notice how it complements the architecture of the church across the street. Leaving the museum, return to Main Street and drive west to Church Street; turn right. This road will take you, in a five-minute drive, to the Old Colony Amphitheatre, where you will see the outdoor Trail of Faith. There you will see structures symbolic of the Waldensian heritage and faith. They include a sawmill (the Waldensians were known as superb carpenters) and a stone oven (they were also known as exceptional stonemasons and bakers). A cave symbolizes the fact that Waldensians had to meet and worship in secret (and, because Bibles were prohibited to them, they had to memorize Scripture). There is also a church (now under construction), a one-room school and other reminders of the strong faith and determination of the Waldensians. The amphitheater – where the Old Colony Players perform the Waldensian outdoor pageant "From This Day Forward" each summer – is at the end of the trail.
Leaving the Trail of Faith, you can continue north on Church Street to the sign directing you to McGaillard Falls Park. There are shelters, and an overlook that affords a superb view of the 45-foot waterfall and the grist mill on the far side of McGaillard Creek. If you prefer, you can return to Church Street and start back toward town; as you cross the bridge, turn left and drive to Roy Fletcher Memorial Ball Park. You can park here and walk down a trail to the grist mill. You can also walk down to the base of the falls. As you leave the park, for a special treat turn right on Laurel Street and then right again on Villar Lane. Follow the signs to VVV Tours – the Villar Vintners of Valdese. Here you can enjoy a tour of the small winery and a wine- tasting. The winery is housed in what was once a barn where hand-milked cows produced milk for family needs. If you are really fortunate, you’ll receive a tour by Joel (pronounced "Joe-ELL") Dalmas, a descendant of Waldensians. Dalmas wine nearly all his life. He conducts hour long tours and explains every detail necessary to the making of wines, explains that he did not speak English until he enrolled in public school. He adds that he could not remember meals in his home when there was not a bottle of good red wine on the table. "Good wine and good fellowship" are the ingredients of a happy social life, Dalmas says. "When we work at the winery, we have lots of help because we rest but never take coffee breaks."

Dalmas’ wines range in taste, appearance, and bouquet from sweet to very dry and from great to stupendous. His extra-dry wines are likely to be the best you will ever taste in this area.

A final stop in Valdese is the local soda shop, Myra’s, where the taste and cost are the way they were years ago. This is one of the few hometown eating establishments in the area, and the ice cream, the sandwiches, and the decor are calculated to cheer up anyone who somehow left Villar Vintners in less than a joyous mood.

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