on location: south ❖
randy mink
ROAMING
Roanoke ★
The Historic Market District in downtown Roanoke is a shopper’s paradise, offering outdoor stalls, specialty shops and inviting restaurants.
Tour groups enjoy Southern hospitality and big-city amenities in the mountains of Virginia
T
hinking about the pleasures of
Roanoke Valley and other communities
as the world’s largest manmade star,
Roanoke, I don’t know if I’m more
in western Virginia. Just the mention of
the 100-foot-high landmark symbolizes
intrigued by its railroad heritage or its
the gently rolling Blue Ridge Mountains
Roanoke’s progressive spirit. From the
setting in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
has always cast a magic spell on me,
wooden platform you have panoramic
Shop-hopping in the historic downtown
and waking up to see them outside the
views of the city spread out 1,700 feet
is another big lure. And, as one who “col-
hotel window jump-starts my day.
below and crests of mountains on
lects” vintage hotels, the lore of one of
To start a sightseeing tour of
the Appalachian Trail. Turn around and
the South’s grande dames captivates
Roanoke, the logical place is the sce-
wave at the webcam mounted on
me as well.
nic overlook at the foot of the Roanoke
Roanoke’s
At any rate, this city of 100,000 is an
Star on Mill Mountain. The illuminated
you’ve notified friends with access to
enchanting place that makes for a fun
steel-and-concrete structure, sort of
a computer.
stopover on the Blue Ridge Parkway or
like the star atop a Christmas tree, has
Sharing the Star City’s skyline are
a hub-and-spoke base for exploring the
served as a beacon since 1949. Billed
two other monumental beacons that
36 February 2012
shining
star—provided
LeisureGroupTravel.com
light up the night. A circular Dr Pepper
Center in the Square, the largest
factured locomotives and freight cars in
sign and an H&C Coffee sign—neon
building on Market Square, is undergo-
its Roanoke shops. Push-button dis-
nostalgia-invokers from the 1940s—
ing a $28-million renovation and will
plays let visitors ring a bell, sound a
crown downtown buildings a block
open in spring 2013 as a cultural center.
whistle and activate a crossing signal.
apart. The red-and-white Dr Pepper
Moving back into the space will be Mill
The Virginia Museum of Trans-
logo resembles a bottle cap, while the
Mountain Theatre, the History Museum
portation, anchoring the western end of
H&C sign features a stream of coffee
of Western Virginia and Science Mu-
the Railwalk, boasts an impressive col-
flowing from pot to cup.
seum of Western Virginia. The complex
lection of steam and diesel locomotives.
More visions of yesteryear await
also will be home to aquariums, a but-
groups in the Historic Market District,
terfly habitat and the Harrison Museum
the tourist hub of downtown. It’s domi-
of African American Culture.
ket
building
and
Virginia’s
The nearby Taubman Museum of
oldest
Art has mixed things up, architecturally
continuous farmers’ market (dating to
speaking, since opening in 2008 in a
1882). Under the blue-and-white striped
stunningly contemporary building ac-
awnings on block-long Market Street and
cented by soaring walls of glass and
in Market Square, you’ll find vendors 363
stainless steel roof forms that pay
days a year. They sell everything from ar-
homage to the surrounding mountains.
tisan soaps to homemade walnut cake.
Its collection of American art includes
My favorite Market Street store was
works by Norman Rockwell, Thomas
indoor-outdoor Sumdat Farm Market.
Hart Benton and John Singer Sargent.
With a focus on Virginia-made products,
Temporary exhibitions draw from around
it offers wines, maple syrup and apple
the globe.
butter, plus tins of salted peanuts and
For tour groups passing through
bags of snack foods like fried okra. I
Roanoke, the compact district is a
couldn’t resist the jars of banana pud-
perfect lunch or shopping stop. The
ding butter (great on banana bread or as
Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors
a cheesecake ingredient) and lemon
Bureau makes it easy for groups short
meringue butter. Also tempting was the
on time by providing a free orientation
cinnamon roll walnut jam. Other Market
and discount shopping card. Catherine
District magnets include the kitchen
Fox, the CVB’s tourism and communi-
store Ladles & Linens and Orvis, the
cations director, said it can arrange for
fly-fishing emporium.
each tour member to receive a free
Photos Courtesy of Roanoke Valley CVB
nated by the recently renovated City Mar-
The Roanoke Star, a mighty beacon since 1949, stands above an overlook on Mill Mountain.
The recently renovated City Market,
truffle at chocolatepaper, a shop with
I was fascinated by the oral history
a red-brick structure built in 1922 as a
gourmet chocolates from around the
videos of African-American men who
meat market, is a bright, airy food court
world and an eclectic mix of greeting
worked on the N&W during segregation.
with a variety of eateries. The 96-year-
cards. (For a fee, the CVB can provide
Housed in N&W’s former freight station,
old Roanoke Weiner Stand, across the
a step-on guide for an area tour that
the museum also has a model train lay-
street, serves up outstanding chili dogs.
includes a stretch of the Blue Ridge Park-
out, antique cars and a Greyhound/Trail-
For Southern comfort food, try Thelma’s
way. Roanoke has four entrances/exits
ways bus exhibit. Tour groups can have
Chicken and Waffles, a Market Street
on the fabled road.)
a fried chicken/ham biscuit lunch catered
favorite. Many downtown restaurants
Steps away from the City Market is
and shops occupy old storefronts with
the Railwalk, a trackside interpretive
exposed brick walls and pressed-tin
trail that celebrates Roanoke’s ties to
The romance of railroading really
ceilings.
the railroad industry. Signs and artifacts
comes alive in the O. Winston Link
showcase the city’s heyday as a
Museum, perhaps my favorite downtown
company town, recalling the days when
attraction. Link was a New York photo-
the Norfolk & Western Railway manu-
grapher who captured the end of the
Obtain Virginia visitor guides and itineraries and contact group-friendly suppliers directly at leisuregrouptravel.com/instant-info
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by the Roanoker restaurant and eat on picnic tables in the railyard.
February 2012 37
on location: south ❖
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: For a sampling of good places to eat in Roanoke, see Randy Mink’s online article. Log on to http://leisuregrouptravel.com/?p=26159.
The scenic overlook at the foot of the Roanoke Star on Mill Mountain affords panoramic views of the city and crests of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
steam locomotive era in the 1950s with
cated in the Roanoke Valley Visitor Infor-
after a major makeover. Groups can
poignant photos of life along the tracks in
mation Center, which occupies the for-
combine a hotel tour with a buffet lunch
western Virginia and North Carolina. After
mer N&W passenger station.
in the elegant Regency Room, where
a 30-minute film on his five-year project
Across the street looms the hilltop
and how he was recognized by the art
Hotel Roanoke, a rambling Tudor-style
world decades later, you can tour several
landmark built as a railroad hotel in
During my stay at the hotel, I
galleries of his work. Most of his photos
1882. It closed in 1989 after a change
enjoyed soaking in the atmosphere.
were taken at night. The museum is lo-
in ownership and reopened in 1995
The elegant, black walnut-paneled
peanut soup and spoonbread are signature items.
lobby has murals depicting Virginia historical events and full-length portraits of Virginia heroes George Washington and Robert E. Lee. My visit to the Roanoke Valley was confined to the city, so next time I’d like to get out into the mountains. My wish list includes Natural Bridge, Smith Mountain Lake, the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford and Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest retreat. The Blue Ridge are calling me, just as they beckon groups seeking heady doses of history and nature. For
information,
contact
the
Roanoke Valley CVB, 800-635-5535; Exhibits along the Railwalk in downtown Roanoke chronicle the city’s colorful railroad history.
40 February 2012
visitroanokeva.com. LGT LeisureGroupTravel.com