Category: Road Trip
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Mountain Lake Lodge
When I moved to Virginia, I was determined to see the famous landmarks near me by searching for local events and holiday traditions in the region. When I ran across an ad for Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia, I could not believe what I found! This rustic lodge and resort are nestled in the Read more
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Hello Fall!
Red, orange, and gold leaves are beginning to appear with the cool autumn days in the Roanoke Valley of Virginia—a welcome relief from the summer heat. I know there is plenty of yard work to do this time of year, but all I want to do is take a drive to the country and bask Read more
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Philpott Lake
This gorgeous 2,880-acre lake is one hour south of Roanoke by way of US-220 S and VA-116 S near Martinsville, Virginia—the perfect day trip any time of year. It’s nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with no residential development along its 100-mile shoreline, creating scenic views for its visitors and adventures for Read more
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Draper’s Valley
Walter and I were traveling south on U.S. Highway 11 one summer afternoon on our way to Wytheville, Virginia, to attend to some business. About sixty miles south of Roanoke, we drove through the town of Pulaski, where the highway merges with I-81. But right before it does, it winds up Draper Mountain, and suddenly Read more
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Falling Spring Falls
Before I moved to Virginia from Oklahoma, I spent hours searching online for awesome sights to see once I settled into my new home. Moving to southwest Virginia meant exhilarating adventures on winding roads through forest-covered mountains leading to rivers, valley streams, and waterfalls. I showed photos to my best friend, Sarah, and told her, Read more
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The Salem Fair
The Salem Fair comes to Roanoke County in southwest Virginia every year to celebrate the Fourth of July with funnel cakes and fireworks. This year, the fair is here from July 2nd to July 13th. There is no entry fee at the gate, and parking is free for the largest fair in Virginia, recognized as Read more
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Bobletts Gap
The greatest joy of living in the Roanoke Valley of Virginia is the Blue Ridge Parkway. One entrance to the scenic parkway is less than a mile from our house, and Walter and I can take a slow-paced, relaxing ride in the mountains any time we feel like it. Sometimes we will start the day Read more
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Signs of Spring
This year, March 20th marked the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the fall equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. The word equinox comes from the Latin words for “equal night.” On the equinox, the lengths of day and night are nearly equal in all parts of the world. In our Northern Hemisphere, we consider Read more
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Maple Festival
We know the Highland County Maple Festival is just around the corner when we see the yellow-bellied sapsucker drilling sapwells in the maple trees in our backyard. These woodpeckers spend hours making holes in a horizontal pattern to find sap and insects. They migrate south during the coldest months of winter, but they come back Read more
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Autumn
I marvel at the forest-covered Blue Ridge Mountains when the leaves turn red, orange, and gold. The mountain range reminds me of mounds of sugar-coated gumdrops, an array of colors shimmering in the autumn sunshine. Every year, I look forward to the season’s cool temperatures and blazing colors. I grab my camera, and Walter takes Read more