Last night marked the end of a fierce competition; no, I’m not talking about any adrenaline soaked athletic event or epic clash of the titans, but for a change, thousands of Americans tuned in to watch the National Spelling Bee, a rare triumph of brain over brawn.

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This coming Saturday, May 23rd from 9am-3pm, Abingdon’s little Plumb Alley will be once again transformed into the Portobello Road of Southwest Virginia for their 26th Annual Plumb Alley Day.  The festival, hosted by the Abingdon Kiwanis is rated one of the largest one-day events in the Southeast and is expecting roughly 10,000 visitors.

Not familiar with Abingdon? Don’t know where Plumb Alley is?  No problem.  Plumb Alley is located directly between what is known as the second longestMain Street in the world and Valley Street.  Plumb Alley, just big enough for a car to fit on, is a wonderfully shaded alley running behind the World Famous Barter Theatre.  All day, you will be able to visit yard sales (including one massive Kiwani’s sponsored yard sale), have great festival food, listen to music and see dance performances. 

Just like a regular yard sale, you never know what you’re going to find, but you are guaranteed to come home with some sort of treasure.  On my first trip down Plumb Alley as a child, I walked away with the first Beatles LP for $1.00.  See what I mean? Treasures and great deals abound!  (more…)

Let me tell you, I hardly ever miss a Trail Days, and this year was no exception.   This year was the 23^rd Annual Trail Days in Damascus, Virginia.  If you’ve never been to Damascus, you need to go!   

Trail Days is a wonderful mixture of an outdoor festival and a community yard sale, mixed into a wonderful weekend extravaganza.  There are outdoor stores like Adventure Damascus and Sun Dog Outfitters represented there, jewelry makers, potters and a number of other traditional crafters and other vendors.  There was a lady who painted T-Shirts with drumsticks and a lady who did hair wraps.  There was truly something for everyone at Trail Days.

 Damascus, a town of about 900 had what the Bristol Herald Courier said was “tens of thousands” at this past weekend’s celebration.  The celebration itself celebrates the Appalachian Trail and its hikers.  Damascus is largely considered the “Capital of the Appalachian Trail,” because of its friendly attitude toward the hikers.  It has long been known as the friendliest spot on the trail; there is a lot to be said for this title.  Many hikers experience the cold shoulder and discrimination while on the trail, so to be able to go to a place like Damascus and feel welcome is a great thing.   Many of these hikers make a special trip back to Damascus especially for the Trail Days celebration.  Churches have proudly posted on their message boards “Our Church Loves Hikers” and “Hikers Welcome Here.”  (more…)

All that you love about Blue Ridge America will be incarnated in the form of a park coming to Southwest Virginia sometime this October. The park will include everything from luxury hotels, live theater and restaurants, to tree-house cabins, Smith Mountain Lake excursions, and the most exciting feature – the world’s longest zipline!

Although not located directly in Southwest Virginia, “Blue Ridge America” will be developed at the site of Explore Park in neighboring Roanoke County. Similar to an amusement park but without the rides, the park is intended to offer families a 2-3 day getaway in the heart of nature. According to The Roanoke Times, the park is planned to be approximately 1,100 acres, and to begin construction no later than June 13, 2010.   (more…)