Yippee!! I'll be in Virginia next week! (Norfolk, Richmond: buy, living)

[KewGee]

I'm flying to Atlanta next week and then a friend and I are driving to VA. I can't wait to finally see the beautiful mountainous areas of your state, TN, and NC.

I don't have as much time to spend as I would like, but I will at least be there three or four days. Maybe I can increase that length of stay on my next trip.

I'm definitely considering moving there if it's as great as everyone says and as the photos I've been viewing on the web. I know it will take more than one short trip to decide, but I have a few years to do that.

To live some place where the summers are not unbearable will be Heaven to me, and I think I could get used to the relatively mild winters you have.

Are you guys bombarded with mosquitoes? We are, and they love me to death. I'm afraid to go outside as they are just rampant. I have about 30 bites on me and some are bigger than a quarter.

Thanks to everyone on this forum who supplied much information to consider while there. You're the best!!

[seanpecor]

Mosquitos are almost a non-issue for me in Boones Mill. No ponds or lakes within 2 miles of us and I'm pretty anal about seeking out and destroying stagnant water sources. I suspect we're just lucky though. When we lived in Blacksburg there were plenty of skeeters; we were in the 'burbs storm drains all around us were skeeter breeding grounds.

I hope you enjoy your trip! I'm taking a 13 hour drive to Vermont on June 14th to help me 74 year old mum make the move down to Roanoke. I set her up in an upscale independent living community in Roanoke called Elm Park Estates. Hopefully by the 18th I'll be back in Virginia. I love road trips!

Now, if you want to experience being carried away by skeeters then you should spend a summer weekend in Vermont

Sean

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by seanpecor

Mosquitos are almost a non-issue for me in Boones Mill. No ponds or lakes within 2 miles of us and I'm pretty anal about seeking out and destroying stagnant water sources. I suspect we're just lucky though. When we lived in Blacksburg there were plenty of skeeters; we were in the 'burbs storm drains all around us were skeeter breeding grounds.

I hope you enjoy your trip! I'm taking a 13 hour drive to Vermont on June 14th to help me 74 year old mum make the move down to Roanoke. I set her up in an upscale independent living community in Roanoke called Elm Park Estates. Hopefully by the 18th I'll be back in Virginia. I love road trips!

Now, if you want to experience being carried away by skeeters then you should spend a summer weekend in Vermont

Sean

Thanks Sean for the mosquito information.

I'll be arriving in VA on June 14 and leaving the 18th. That's great that your mom is coming to Roanoke.

I can't wait to visit Montgomery, Floyd, Giles, Craig, Roanoke, and some of the other counties. I hope I can squeeze in all I want to see in such a short time.

All the best...........

[SmerkyGrl]

You're so giddy reading your post just makes me smile. We have *some* mosquitoes where I live in Blacksburg but that is only because we live waaaay up in the mountains. However, these mosquitoes rarely ever come in the home. They only prey on you if you lay out in the sun, with bare skin. Hope you enjoy your stay here, its really beautiful right now around here.

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by SmerkyGrl

You're so giddy reading your post just makes me smile. We have *some* mosquitoes where I live in Blacksburg but that is only because we live waaaay up in the mountains. However, these mosquitoes rarely ever come in the home. They only prey on you if you lay out in the sun, with bare skin. Hope you enjoy your stay here, its really beautiful right now around here.

Thank you so much!

The mosquitoes here only prey on me in the morning and evening. They're so big, they sting through clothing. They stay away during the heat of the day, but I'm not out in the heat of the day much either. It's just too hot and really, summer hasn't even begun here yet.

Blacksburg is another place to see on my list. I have heard it is quite lovely. I would love to live way up in the mountains, mosquitoes or not.

I really am giddy, like a kid, and I'm approaching my sunset years!!

[vasinger]

Originally Posted by KewGee

I'm flying to Atlanta next week and then a friend and I are driving to VA. I can't wait to finally see the beautiful mountainous areas of your state, TN, and NC.

I don't have as much time to spend as I would like, but I will at least be there three or four days. Maybe I can increase that length of stay on my next trip.

I'm definitely considering moving there if it's as great as everyone says and as the photos I've been viewing on the web. I know it will take more than one short trip to decide, but I have a few years to do that.

To live some place where the summers are not unbearable will be Heaven to me, and I think I could get used to the relatively mild winters you have.

Are you guys bombarded with mosquitoes? We are, and they love me to death. I'm afraid to go outside as they are just rampant. I have about 30 bites on me and some are bigger than a quarter.

Thanks to everyone on this forum who supplied much information to consider while there. You're the best!!

I wouldn't say the summers are all that unbearable. I've lived here all my life and I can testify that our summers are long, hot, and just plain sticky!

Especially in Richmond and southeast Virginia. It is cooler in the moutains though.

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by vasinger

I wouldn't say the summers are all that unbearable. I've lived here all my life and I can testify that our summers are long, hot, and just plain sticky!

Especially in Richmond and southeast Virginia. It is cooler in the moutains though.

I'm going to the southwest area of VA in the hopes that maybe one day I can move there. Besides my love for mountains, I know it will be cooler. These Texas summers are killing me.

[roanoker 4]

Blacksburg is a lovely town, higher up in the mountains than neighboring Roanoke. In the summer, even the daily high temps tend to be 5-10 degrees cooler than Roanoke. In the winter, Blacksburg tends to get more snow than Roanoke. I also have noticed the humidity is not really a big issue like it is in eastern Virginia, especially Richmond, Norfolk and Washington DC.

[Panks]

Just reading about your bites made me itchy

This is a great site about natural bug repellants. Great info on bees and wasps too!
Natural Insect Pest Control

This is what it says about mosquitos.

Thai lemon grass
(Cymbopogon citratus) is a natural and effective mosquito repellent. It contains the natural oil, citronella, which is safe and effective; in fact, lemon grass citronella is considered more effective than true citronella as an insect repellent.

You can buy Thai lemon grass at garden centers and supermarkets, and it grows readily into a clump about 15" across and about 2ft tall. To use as a mosquito repellent, break a stalk off from the clump, peel off the outer leaves, until you find the scallion-like stem at the base. Bend the stem between your fingers, loosening it, then rub it vigorously between your palms - it will soon become a pulpy, juicy mass. Rub this over all exposed skin, covering thoroughly at least once. You can also make a tincture using alcohol, for spray applications. Plantings around the patio will also help repel mosquitoes.

If you can't find any at the supermarket, you can always pull a piece out of your Thai food

[Rhett_Butler]

Hmmm, wonder if she got lost???

What happened??

How'd you like it??