Roanoke sits in a large valley cradled by the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia. The Appalachian Trail passes close by to the north, the Blue Ridge Parkway to the south. The long, wide valley made a perfect spot for a rail line in the 19th century, and Roanoke grew as the railroad industry did. The city embraces its railroad heritage with many rail-themed attractions, but Roanoke also has a new sheen to it with a vibrant downtown filled with cultural and culinary treasures. The area has plenty to offer sightseers, outdoor enthusiasts and wine lovers who don’t mind the extra drive time through North Carolina, or maybe a bunny-hop flight over it.
Downtown walking tour
Begin at the Roanoke Visitor Information Center — housed in the old passenger rail station — to pick up a map of the downtown area, then take the pedestrian bridge over the tracks to the Historic Roanoke City Market. This open-air farmers’ market has been in operation since 1882. It occurs daily underneath the blue- and white-striped awnings covering the sidewalks of Market Street and Market Square. The anchor of downtown is the circa-1922 red brick City Market Building, an iconic structure in the city currently undergoing a major renovation and slated to reopen in July with a variety of local food options.
Center in the Square across the street contains a history and science museum with an IMAX theater, a popular stop for families with young children. Kids may also want to visit the nearby Taubman Museum of Art once they see the museum’s dramatically shaped modernist exterior, a Frank O. Gehry-inspired building of bent steel edifices and soaring glass walls. The collection inside ranges from classic early American to post-modern and visionary folk art.
After leaving the Taubman head straight to the Virginia Museum of Transportation via the Roanoke Rail Walk with its interactive displays that let you sound a train horn and control signal lights and a rail-crossing arm. At the transportation museum, spend time underneath the rail shed outside gazing at the old steam engines. These behemoths were the titans of the rails before diesel and an up-close experience with them will certainly enhance a visit to the O. Winston Link Museum, located in the same building where you started the walking tour.
O. Winston Link was a photographer obsessed with steam-engine locomotives and well-known for his elaborately lit night shots of trains in the mid-20th century. The museum showcases his work and offers fascinating insight into the planning behind the photos. Before touring the galleries, watch the short film in the theater downstairs to get the full appreciation of Link’s accomplishments and legacy.
Mill Mountain
One of the first things you’ll notice on your way into Roanoke is the giant star atop Mill Mountain near downtown, especially at night when it’s lit up by blue neon lights. Erected in 1949, the 100-foot-high star has become the symbol of the city — you’ll see references to it all over town. The observation platform beneath the star is the best place to get a view of the city from on high. A short walk away from the star is Mill Mountain Zoo. Saddling the ridge of the mountain, the zoo also has great views of the surrounding area to accentuate its collection of animals, which includes a number of endangered species, such as the red panda and the snow leopard.
Botetourt Wine Trail
Plan a day to explore Botetourt County (www.visitbotetourt.com), a bucolic area of the Blue Ridge northeast of Roanoke at the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley. There are three family-owned wineries in the county — Virginia Mountain Vineyards, Blue Ridge Vineyard and Fincastle Vineyard & Winery — each different from the other in style and character and all offering wines of surprising variety, from sweet to dry, deep red to crisp white. The wine trail winds through mountainous back roads, small towns and along the James River. Stop for lunch at the Buchanan Grill on Main Street in Buchanan, an old-school drugstore diner with a friendly staff, loyal longtime customers and a jukebox that still plays old 45s.
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