Fun things to do in Roanoke (Salem, Franklin: rental, wedding, movie theater)

[pbehson]

Hi. I am visiting Roanoke area again with the intention of moving there in some capacity at some time in my life (real specific, huh?) and am looking for recommendations regarding places to visit and/or fun things to do. I am definately going to the farmers market and Grandin Villiage (spelling) has been mentioned.

Could y'all throw out a few cool things to do in Roanoke? Thanks a lot!

[j1n]

Any kids? If so, hit the Mill Mountain Zoo and the Star overlook. (Check out the Star overlook even if it's just you.) Stroll around downtown.
Depending what you like...take a hike on the AT for for a little bit...or a drive out the Blue Ridge Pkwy and check out Floyd.

[pbehson]

Originally Posted by j1n

Any kids? If so, hit the Mill Mountain Zoo and the Star overlook. (Check out the Star overlook even if it's just you.) Stroll around downtown.
Depending what you like...take a hike on the AT for for a little bit...or a drive out the Blue Ridge Pkwy and check out Floyd.

I'm just going there myself to further scope out the place, so no kids. Is Floyd a town? We used to live in Asheville and are very familiar with the Parkway (ie. love it!).

I thought that the star was something that was simply viewed from a distance. It's an overlook (of the city, I guess) too?

[j1n]

Originally Posted by pbehson

I'm just going there myself to further scope out the place, so no kids. Is Floyd a town? We used to live in Asheville and are very familiar with the Parkway (ie. love it!).

I thought that the star was something that was simply viewed from a distance. It's an overlook (of the city, I guess) too?

Yes, Floyd is a town you can check out...about a half hour or 40 mins southwest(?) of Roanoke. BRP goes nearby. There's a way to shoot over there on "regular" roads out of town too. I forget the name of the road? Someone will chime in, hopefully. Floyd is a funky little farmer-meets-hippy town with lots of art stuff going on, original restaurants, cafes, etc.
And yes, if you get down on Electric/Franklin Rd heading towards the star, ou'll start seeing signs for it. Drive up there and park and there's an overlook right in front of the star...really nice panorama of the city and valley with mountains all around. Sweet view!

[PaperTrail]

I agree about the Star. Heading up to the Star to look down on the valley is simply amazing.....either during the day or at night. It's easy to get to (even from downtown, I think you hop on the BRP for a bit).

Regarding the Floyd suggestion: *If* you decide to go, I'd suggest doing your research beforehand. My wife and I did our honeymoon there last year, and while it was a perfect place to relax after a hectic wedding, there wasn't a lot "to do." And, depending on the time of the week and time of year you go, you might find that many of the shops/restaurants are closed. That was something we didn't bank on when we went, and we missed out on most of the live music that comes through there. Floyd is absolutely worth visiting at some point, but I'm not sure I would suggest it if you're just popping into the Roanoke Valley for a visit.

The Roanoke market area has much of the same thing, including live music and outdoor seating at the bars to people-watch and just enjoy things.

If you like hiking, two primo options are McAfee Knob near the town of Catawba and Sharp Top at the Peaks of Otter. McAfee is arguably the most iconic point in an AT hike. And Sharp Top is 40 minutes up the Blue Ridge Parkway and offers some great views if you're willing to climb for them (well, there is a shuttle to the top, too).

Once it warms up, Roanoke and nearby Salem and Vinton start to have lots of good festivals (the area chili festivals are possibly my favorites!). Also, if you come here when it's warmer, you might be interested in the 45-minute drive to Smith Mountain Lake. Jet ski rental (though expensive) and other boating there is fun -- though be careful of some of the crazies who like to drive their boats fast on the water. There's a death (or two or three) every year from that kind of thing. But overall, the lake is a fun place to hang out even if it is getting too touristy.

[roanoker 4]

Get on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Roanoke and drive toward Floyd. While you're on that road go down to the Chateau Morissette Vineyard/Winery. If you have time visit Mabry Mill(an original grist mill). If you have a strong stomach and don't mind a very curvy mountainous highway use US 221 from Roanoke to Floyd. Its almost like going back in time. I don't see what people actually do in Floyd. I have dined at the tavern in town and liked the rustic atmosphere. In the summer the local hippies enjoy folk music. Its a very isolated place and I think thats why its so different. It attracts a lot of interesting people, for sure.

[bobbyandamanda03]

How is shopping in Roanoke County (not only Roanoke City)?
These are the stores I'm used to being within a 15 minute drive of:

Wal Mart
Target
Corner Pharmacy (Walgreens/Rite Aid/CVS?)
Best Buy
Babies R US/Toys R Us
AC Moore/Michaels

Do they have these stores in Roanoke/Bedford/Franklin Counties??

how about a mall??? is it a nice place to go shopping in a few stores and have lunch...

Is there more to do than hiking/camping/etc?
(not putting down those recreations, but I already know theres plenty of that kind of thing to do in Roanoke!)

[j1n]

Originally Posted by bobbyandamanda03

How is shopping in Roanoke County (not only Roanoke City)?

...not a whole lot of shopping out in Roanoke County, but some stuff (like Walmart) are on the outskirts of Roanoke City.

These are the stores I'm used to being within a 15 minute drive of:

Wal Mart
Target
Corner Pharmacy (Walgreens/Rite Aid/CVS?)
Best Buy
Babies R US/Toys R Us
AC Moore/Michaels

Do they have these stores in Roanoke/Bedford/Franklin Counties??

Walmart is in Roanoke and Franklin for sure. Kmart is around too. Roanoke has a Target. CVS in Franklin...pretty sure Roanoke too. Roanoke has a Toys R Us. Tanglewood Mall has an AC Moore. And there's a Michaels somewhere. You could google them and see. But the Roanoke Valley has a lot of the basics (as you listed above) and a whole lot more. I don't know a lot about Bedford.

how about a mall??? is it a nice place to go shopping in a few stores and have lunch...

I'm not a big mall person, but we walked around Tanglewood Mall today while waiting for Firestone to do some tire work. It's pretty small, but a decent little mall with a decent food court too. Next door is Barnes & Noble, a movie theater, and some other stores. And FYE, down the street, is a great cd/dvd/etc store...huge selection, new and used, etc. There's also Valley View Mall, but I haven't been there.

Is there more to do than hiking/camping/etc?
(not putting down those recreations, but I already know theres plenty of that kind of thing to do in Roanoke!)

Sure. What kinds of things do you like?

[PaperTrail]

First off, regarding the mention of Valley View Mall in the previous post: That's the mall that I usually go, and it is definitely the thriving mall in the region. It has two stories and has most any store you'd probably hope to find. Plus, Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, PetSmart and a zillion other stories have built up right around the mall to make that area the major retail hub in Roanoke -- and for all of the neighboring counties. It's just off the interstate, so it's easy to get to from many directions.

Depending on where you would live, Tanglewood could be probably closer, but it's (supposedly) in the process of revitalization efforts, and it might be two or three years before that mall can start to match some of the perks of Valley View.

Originally Posted by bobbyandamanda03

Do they have these stores in Roanoke/Bedford/Franklin Counties??

I live in Bedford County, and if you're looking to be close to most of these kinds of places, Bedford Co. isn't for you. There is a Wal-Mart and Lowe's about 20 minutes from me, but you're not going to find much of anything else in the big-box vein that would be nearby. Bedford is very much a rural, mom-and-pop sort of county.