In Cambria, southwest Virginia, it's books and antiques, oh my!

The old general store outside of the Cambria train depot in southwest Virginia used to bring in loads of hay bales, animal feed and other products. Now, it welcomes used books and antiques of all kinds.

In other words, this three-story circa-1900 building of bricks and massive wooden beams welcomed me with open arms. Talk about a thrill for this reader and antique lover!

Cambria Station Antiques and Old New River Books fill up three stories of the old Cambria general store.

Cambria Station Antiques and Old New River Books is just that — vintage treasures, new and old books, custom handmade furniture, primitive art and so much more. The book section run by Ken Vaughan includes rows and rows of books surrounding pieces of art, those incredibly comfy chairs you find in bookstores, children’s books we grew up (a giant Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys collection!) and a section of VHS and DVDs which, according to Ken, is popular with students at nearby Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. For history buffs, there’s a lovely selection of Virginia history titles. At the entrance into the main building that houses antiques and collectibles is an arch of books that stretches over your head.

I’m a huge fan of old photos and I found a nice (and inexpensive) selection of those inside an old bureau situated inside the book section, all photos neatly classified by subject matter in separate drawers. Throughout the building there were more photos scattered among the vendors’ inventory of vinyl, linens, Americana nicknacks, jewelry and band T-shirts, among all kinds of vintage items. Of course I took home a few! See a couple below.

If you want to know the history of the building and town, a wall on the first floor details the town created by coal mining and the arrival of the train. A beam by the front desk is marked with streaks of cuts created by axes. In the old days, workers would bring in pallets of product bound by twine, then cut the rope with axes and rest their axes inside the beams.

Good news for Cambria! Amtrak is working a rail line that will come into town in the near future, then carry travelers toward Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh. The old depot is being renovated for the arrival of the new train service. Immediately across the street, a building that resembles a depot is also being renovated and will house a restaurant and other retail.

But don't wait until then. Visit now and enjoy this gem of a bookstore-antique store, then return when Cambria evolves.

Weird, Wacky & Wild South is written by travel writer Cheré Dastugue Coen who also writes novels under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Naturally, she adores a bookstore (see how happy she is surrounded by books!), but also antique shops selling old photos. She's amassed quite a collection. If you have an idea of what she should do with all her antique photos, drop her a line.