Appalachians or Blue Ridge Mountains (Williamsburg, Franklin: property tax, live in, plantation)

[Rhett_Butler]

Originally Posted by silverwing

We did a ride thru there several years ago. While we were admiring the town and some spiffy old buildings, we did notice a powerful stench hovering over the area. Your post just reminded me of that trip, so I checked the town's website. A paper mill is located there. You might want to keep that in mind.

Must have been upwind.... Oops...

[jmelts]

Floyd countyva, or giles county might fit your specifics....

[silverwing]

Originally Posted by VAFury

Must have been upwind.... Oops...

The town probably has its days when the smell isn't so bad. We took a trip to the NC coast one year .. I can't remember the name of the town, it was chosen because of its reputed historic and bucolic nature, yet was close enough to Myrtle Beach for day trips. Anyway, a paper mill was located there. The first day, we noticed the plumes of vapor but didn't smell anything. That night, however, I woke up to the most gawdawful stench I couldn't get back to sleep because of it. We asked at the hotel desk about it and was told "oh yeah, the smell sometimes blows this way *shrug* People get used to it." I wasn't going to stick around to try. We packed up and relocated.

Amjb said:

Thanks, everyone, for more information, links, and photographs to add to my "list" that is becoming a mile long. I really appreciate it very much.

You might find it a hard choice; I hope you'll have time to see everything or the opportunity to come back more than once; but be assured that anywhere you might settle on the western side of the state, you'd still be able to hop on I-81 and visit the other areas.

[silverwing]

Originally Posted by jmelts

Floyd countyva, or giles county might fit your specifics....

Floyd does get bandied about. It's a nice area; we've been through there a half dozen times; but, in regards to amjb, it sounds like she is looking for a more dramatic area to live.

Floyd is one of those areas; seen quite a bit as you get into the central part of the state; that is in a "pocket" of mountains. You don't have to go far to reach more level, or rolling, areas.

Giles county is an area I've put on *my* list to check out. I looked at their website and some of the real estate listings. With the New River flowing thru there as an incentive, it looks like a very attractive place.

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by silverwing

You might find it a hard choice; I hope you'll have time to see everything or the opportunity to come back more than once; but be assured that anywhere you might settle on the western side of the state, you'd still be able to hop on I-81 and visit the other areas.

jmelts said: Floyd countyva, or giles county might fit your specifics....(QUOTE)

I definitely will return more than once to see the area before I make any major decisions and moving is a major decision for me. I may even decide to spend a month or so up there during some summer. I am already anticipating this will be a hard choice but because I have so much criteria involved with a potential move, the process of elimination will be used. Even if I fall in love with a place, it just has to meet my list of criteria.

Giles is one county at the top of my list that would possibly meet my dream of a home in the mountains. What I"ve read about Craig County appeals to me as well, mainly the fact that it's very rural, but my concern is I believe there's an airport or air strip there for very small planes. I don't know that I'd be too fond of that, planes whizzing above me, no thank you.

I know this will sound crazy, but as far away from I-81 will be fine for me although it will be great to have to jump on one the need arises. I just don't want it too close to me and would rather drive to get to it then have it a "skip and a jump" from where I am (hopefully) living.

And yes, you're so right about living in a more dramatic area that what I hear Floyd appears to be.

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by quinnellabella

blue ridge summit pa awesome hidden area

That's a little too far north for me and I'm assuming too much snow as well. Awesome and hidden sounds great though, two perfect adjectives; I just want to stay a bit more south.

Thanks!!

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by silverwing

The town probably has its days when the smell isn't so bad. We took a trip to the NC coast one year .. I can't remember the name of the town, it was chosen because of its reputed historic and bucolic nature, yet was close enough to Myrtle Beach for day trips. Anyway, a paper mill was located there. The first day, we noticed the plumes of vapor but didn't smell anything. That night, however, I woke up to the most gawdawful stench I couldn't get back to sleep because of it. We asked at the hotel desk about it and was told "oh yeah, the smell sometimes blows this way *shrug* People get used to it." I wasn't going to stick around to try. We packed up and relocated.

Amjb said:


You might find it a hard choice; I hope you'll have time to see everything or the opportunity to come back more than once; but be assured that anywhere you might settle on the western side of the state, you'd still be able to hop on I-81 and visit the other areas.

Silverwing, sounds like you and I sure like the same kinds of places

IMO, southwestern Virginia is the best part of the whole state!

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by amjb

That's a little too far north for me and I'm assuming too much snow as well. Awesome and hidden sounds great though, two perfect adjectives; I just want to stay a bit more south.

Thanks!!

AMJB, did you see this post by Darlenedee on the topic of southwestern virginia?? Made me think of you

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have a beautiful old home in Chilhowie VA for sale. It has over 3400 sq ft and was built in 1920. It is located on a tree lined street, that many residents walk on. Chilhowie is a beautiful small town with such lovely people. The kind who are truly your friend. The beauty of this house begins on the front porch. It looks like a magazine. We have a lovely curved stairway. The ceilings are 101/2 ft tall and the rooms are so large. We even have an old sleeping porch. The house has been completely remodeled and beautifully decorated. We are selling it either with or without furniture. If you are in the area we would love to show you. Truly and old mansion at a very reasonable price.

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by lovesMountains

AMJB, did you see this post by Darlenedee on the topic of southwestern virginia?? Made me think of you

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have a beautiful old home in Chilhowie VA for sale. It has over 3400 sq ft and was built in 1920. It is located on a tree lined street, that many residents walk on. Chilhowie is a beautiful small town with such lovely people. The kind who are truly your friend. The beauty of this house begins on the front porch. It looks like a magazine. We have a lovely curved stairway. The ceilings are 101/2 ft tall and the rooms are so large. We even have an old sleeping porch. The house has been completely remodeled and beautifully decorated. We are selling it either with or without furniture. If you are in the area we would love to show you. Truly and old mansion at a very reasonable price.

Yes, I did see the post and it sounds like a truly wonderful place. I have actually looked at the demographics of Chilhowie but believe I took that area off my list because of the fact they receive about 36 inches of snow (average). I'd like to keep the snowfall in the low to mid 20-inches and from what I can see by the data, the counties in sw VA vary.

The house would be way too large for me, and I don't want to live in a town but way out in the country on a few acres where peace, quiet, and serenity abound. The closest neighbors I want are the birds, deer, and other wildlife, friendly wildlife, of course!!

Thanks, though, for thinking of me.

[silverwing]

Originally Posted by lovesMountains

AMJB, did you see this post by Darlenedee on the topic of southwestern virginia?? Made me think of you

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have a beautiful old home in Chilhowie VA for sale.

Chilhowie is a neat little town, we were just through there this past fall and I insisted on checking out the historic district. It's one of those communities that grew up along Highway 11 - sort of the Mother Road for western VA and the Shenandoah Valley - before the interstate was put in. We've an ambition to ride the length of it on one of our vacations; maybe after we're retired. There are some of the neatest historic towns along that road, though it gets nasty around Abingdon. You might as well be over on I-81, the way the traffic is and people drive on 11. Anyway, unfortunately, Chilhowie is right off I-81, which Amjb seems to be kind of vociferous about avoiding

There is a really neat road that goes from Chilhowie up into the Jefferson Nat'l Forest: SR600. As you are going up in elevation from Chilhowie, you drive through rolling farmland and a couple of large plots that look like they are being divided for development. Then it starts looking like this


We were really surprised about the state of that road. It looked like it had been reworked recently and is a nice road to drive on, for all that it is one of those little gray roads that doesn't lead to anything significant. I did an internet search after we got home and found that some local congressman had pushed through a measure to get the road straightened a bit. I don't know if it was boodle: a road project to add to the local politician's esteem, or what. It leads to Konnarock and little route 58 communities like Green Cove and Whitetop(the latter two being communities I'd consider for settlement, especially since they both have access to the Virginia Creeper Trail). I did read that redoing the road had almost cut in half the drive for people in those communities down to the interstate.