Natalie & Isaac
Adventures in the New River Valley
McAfee Knob Hike
Definitely our favorite hike! Round trip is 8 miles. Get to the outlook at the top and take the iconic picture out on the ledge overlooking the Roanoke Valley! This is part of the Appalachian Trail's Triple Crown. There is limited parking up the mountain and a shuttle bus from a commuter lot in Salem on the weekends. Many people get up before dark and time their ascent to reach the top right before sunrise.
Roanoke Pinball Museum
One of Natalie's favorite things to do in downtown Roanoke. She has a particular affection/obsession with the Indiana Jones pinball machine. $13.50 for unlimited play on the 70+ pinball machines from all eras of Pinball. There is also an arcade in the same building that has a similar fee/freeplay with a variety of old and new arcade games. We never get Natalie past the pinball museum to check out the arcade version but we've heard its a lot of fun!
Mill Mountain Star
The Roanoke Star can be seen from nearly 60 miles away is why Roanoke is called the Star City. If you drive up Mill Mountain to the base of the star, you'll get a scenic outlook of the Roanoke Valley and see the mountain line that the Appalachian Trail follows along. The Roanoke Star is lit every night and is the largest free-standing, man-made, illuminated star in the world! Those that are invited to our reception will see the Star from the train station we're partying in!
Black Dog Salvage
This is a fun "antique store" that salvages fun finds from old homes. Fireball appears at their weekend Dog Bowl events a few times a year to say high to public and wander through their weekend vendors. Natalie could spend an hour just looking at all the cool salvaged doors and windows. You may have seen their show Salvage Dawgs on HGTV (11 season from 2012 - 2021). Fun way to spend an hour or two!
Virginia Museum of Transportation
Our reception (invitation only) will be held at the historic Virginian Roanoke Train Station which is now a rental venue. The trains still pull up to the station and park at night with a gorgeous view of the Roanoke Star up above on Mill Mountain. Roanoke used to be a hub for trains on the east coast and most of the city was built around the boom of the railroad industry from the last 1800s up until Norfolk Southern left in 2015. Our home was built in 1880 as a part of the community that developed in Roanoke around the steam engine building industry. The Virginia Transportation Museum has an epic collection of trains and vintage cars!