What to Do

Obviously, the main thing you’re going to want to do while in Blacksburg is go to our wedding. But let’s say that you have a little bit of time to kill and don’t fancy sitting around in the Holiday Inn all day watching college football. You certainly have options.

Huckleberry Trail

The Huckleberry Trail is about five miles long and stretches from the New River Valley Mall (directly across the street from the Holiday Inn) all the way to the Main Library in downtown Blacksburg. All in all, it’s about five miles long and mostly devoid of steep hills. And while parts of it aren’t necessarily the most scenic – it runs right next to the highway for a bit – the autumn trees should make it a great option to take a walk or go for a run.

As much as we hate to admit it, the campus of Virginia Tech is quite beautiful, especially in the fall. We’d suggest taking a walk through the main part, especially near the drill field, and have a quiet moment by the memorial created in memory of those whose live were taken in the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007.

If you’re not feeling quite that active, the Lyric Theater is an old, restored, classic theater that hosts both live events and movies. Their schedules doesn’t quite extend into November at this point, but keep an eye on the  calendar if you’re interested. It’s pretty neat.

Downtown Blacksburg has several shops and stores, though most of them are out of the range of our own wallets. But the best part is you can visit every single one by walking along the entirety of downtown and still have plenty of time for other activities.

McAfee’s Knob (not me)

If you’re an early bird and feel like you have the time and energy, there are some magnificent hikes in the area that really give you a sense of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

• 

  The Cascades

  The Cascades is an easy 4-mile roundtrip to a decent waterfall and watering hole about 30 minutes west of downtown Blacksburg.

• Dragons Tooth is a more challenging hike with a bit of rock scrambling toward the end coming in around 5 miles roundtrip. It is roughly 40 minutes east of downtown Blacksburg.
• McAfee’s Knob is an easy hike in that it is not steep and the ascent is quite gradual. However, at 8 miles roundtrip, it does take a while, and it is at least a 45-minute drive from downtown Blacksburg. The payoff is the most photographed point along the Appalachian Trail.
  

  View from Dragon’s Tooth

To get a sense of the grandeur of the mountains without having to huff it, try taking a drive to the Blue Ridge Parkway – a 469-mile road along the ridge of the mountains stretching roughly from Charlottesville, Virginia to Asheville, North Carolina. The closest spot to hop on is in Floyd, the resident hippy town with a culture and establishments worth its own entire post. A short drive should give you the gist of the area. It will also provide several scenic overlooks and access to the impressive-looking (if not always impressive-tasting) Chateau Morrisette Winery.