The Best Things to Do at Carvins Cove Natural Reserve in Roanoke VA

Carvins Cove Mountain Lake Roanoke VA

Carvins Cove Natural Reserve is the fifth largest city park in the entire United States, and the second-largest run by a municipality. It encompasses more than 12,000 acres, and the 630-acre reservoir within it supplies the city of Roanoke and most of the Roanoke Valley with drinking water. In addition, Carvins Cove Natural Reserve is Virginia’s … Read more

Things to Do at Center In The Square in Downtown Roanoke VA

Center in the Square in Roanoke VA

Encompassing 43 square miles, with a population right around 100,000, Roanoke is the largest city on the Blue Ridge Parkway, with loads of great shopping, museums, and other attractions. In our eyes, Roanoke is one of the must-see mountain towns for anyone taking a Blue Ridge Parkway road trip. Downtown Roanoke is home to Virginia’s … Read more

Exploring the Blue Ridge Music Center Near Galax VA (Blue Ridge Parkway MP 213)

Blue Ridge Music Center Sign on Blue Ridge Parkway, VA

The Blue Ridge Music Center was established by an act of Congress in 1985 to celebrate the rich cultural history and ongoing musical traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The 17,000-square-foot facility is particularly immersed in the Round Peak style of the North Carolina mountains and the Galax and Grayson County style of Virginia.  But the museum … Read more

The Appalachian Culture & History of the Blue Ridge Mountains

Appalachian Culture at the Foxfire Museum in Clayton GA

If you’ve lived in the Southeast for a good portion of your life (as our team has), chances are you’ve been exploring Appalachia and the Blue Ridge range for years. Maybe you’ve visited state parks in North Georgia and North Carolina, hiked to various waterfalls, soaked in the scenery atop majestic mountains, or taken a road … Read more

The 20 Best Blue Ridge Parkway Overlooks in NC & VA

Linn-Cove-Viaduct-Blue-Ridge-Parkway-

[Updated September 14, 2021] In our opinion, taking a Blue Ridge Parkway road trip is one of the finest romantic getaways or family vacations the United States has to offer. The parkway stretches, winds, climbs, and descends some 469 miles through the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. It creates a marvelous conduit between two of the … Read more