Virginia Mountains Region
Where Ordinary Ends…
Bedford Begins! From the magnificent Peaks of Otter along the Blue Ridge Parkway, to the quaint streets of historic downtown, to the shores of Smith Mountain Lake - Bedford offers outdoor adventure and historical treasures, making it the perfect destination for a weekend getaway or your next vacation destination! Readers of Blue Ridge Outdoors named Bedford the Top Small Adventure Town for 2020! Bedford County has more mileage along the Blue Ridge Parkway than any county in Virginia. With multiple exits from the Parkway into Bedford, it is easy to explore local wineries, apple and peach orchards, local artisan studios, as well as 25+ trails for hiking, biking, wildlife, and horseback riding. In 2021, the area’s fifth disc golf course will open, bringing the total to 90+ holes of disc golf, in addition to the more than 30 miles of mountain bike trails.
Memorial overlooks the community that suffered the greatest loss per capita of any in the United States. It was dedicated on June 6, 2001 by President George W. Bush, and will commemorate its 20th anniversary this year. The Memorial is an outdoor facility and open daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.dday.org. After your tour, be sure to drive the short distance to historic downtown Bedford and visit the Bedford Boys Tribute Center. This museum opened in 2019 and features items from the personal collections of the Bedford Boys, who went in on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Historic downtown Bedford also offers a variety of art galleries, shops, antiques, and restaurants that are within easy walking distance from each other in a charming atmosphere of 19th Century buildings. The Bedford Museum, located beside the County Courthouse, showcases Bedford’s rich history. Beale’s, a craft brewery and full-service restaurant, is also located downtown and features indoor/outdoor seating, and special limited beer releases throughout the year.
Bedford is home to the National D-Day Memorial, a deeply moving tribute to the Two hundred years ago, Thomas Jefferson American and Allied forces that fought in the retired from public life and began to spend largest amphibious invasion of all time. The time at his private retreat, Poplar Forest, “Sharp Top” at the Peaks of Otter in Bedford
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