
If there is one thing I love, it is finding fun ways to enjoy everything Smith Mountain Lake has to offer and the Virginia Dare is truly one of those special lake experiences!

There is just something magical about seeing SML from the water. The mountain views feel bigger, life slows down a little and even those of us who spend plenty of time around the lake can discover something new. Add in good food, cold drinks and a beautiful sunset, and honestly…what more could you ask for?
For more than three decades, the Virginia Dare has been a familiar and beloved sight on Smith Mountain Lake. This charming replica side-wheeler gives visitors and locals an easy, laid-back way to explore the lake. No boat ownersh...

When friends come to visit the Roanoke Valley, you don't just "show them around." You give them a day they won't stop talking about on the drive home. The secret? Start early, support local, and let the mountains do what they do best.
Begin the day before the rest of the world wakes up with a sunrise hike to McAfee Knob—one of our families most favorite and also the most photographed spot on the entire Appalachian Trail.

The early morning climb is peaceful, the air is crisp, and when you reach the overlook the view stretches across the Blue Ridge Mountains like a real life painting! If you're lucky (or brave), yo...
There are places that are more than buildings.

Places that hold memories, spark connection, and quietly shape the soul of a neighborhood.
The Grandin Theatre is one of those places.

For nearly a century, this historic theatre has stood as a landmark in Roanoke not just as a movie house, but as a gathering place for the community. It has weathered change, growth, and generations of stories, remaining a constant where people come together to laugh, reflect, celebrate, and connect.
Walking into the Grandin feels different. You sense its age in the best possible way with the original details, the patina, the echoes of decades of shared experience...