Roanoke, VA Bed and Breakfast Inns Nestled between the Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains in the stunning Shenandoah Valley, Roanoke is the perfect resting point for the thousands who make their annual pilgrimage to view the beauty of the fall colors. The mountains appear to be on fire with their showy display of red, orange, burgundy, maroon and gold foliage. In nearby Blacksburg, Virginia Tech dons its own maroon and gold as fans flock in from near and far to cheer their Hokies on to gridiron victory. Because it is so centrally located in the state, Roanoke is often a stopover point for those who are traveling through. It offers the usual assortment of hotels and motels, but a wide variety of Bed and Breakfasts are available in the surrounding areas and two within minutes of downtown. These one-night guests often become destination visitors as they realize that Roanoke has more to offer than simply a soft pillow for the night. If you fancy architecture, the Old Southwest Historic District is a must. This neighborhood of turn-of-the-century Colonial Revival, Victorian painted ladies and Early American farmhouse styles began its re-gentrification project 12 years ago and shows what a lot of love and hard labor can do to restore our heritage homes. The center in the square in downtown Roanoke houses science, cultural, and art museums and can be reached after you mosey through the daily farmers market, displaying local arts and crafts, produce, antiques, flowers and plants. Antiques abound at Black Dog Salvage, New To Me, the Antique Mall, Goodwill Industries, Habitat for Humanity and a variety of boutique shops in the surrounding area. So prepare to back up your truck or bring along an extra suitcase to fill with the treasures of yesteryear. Into natural foods and green living? Roanoke boasts the State’s largest natural foods co-op, just minutes from downtown, where vacation doesn’t mean you have to change your healthy lifestyle. The Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op offers many local organic foods and the Happy Belly Deli invites you to sample their variety of organic, vegan, or just plain delicious foods. They will be happy to prepare a picnic for those who prefer al fresco dining in one of the many local parks or along the Roanoke River. Roanoke is the local cultural arts center, with ballet, the opera and symphony seasons. The Mill Mountain theatre produces live, professional theatre year-round on two stages. Underground Roanoke will delight you with the Big Lick Conspiracy Improv troupe or an opportunity to strut your own stuff at No Shame Theatre. Broadway road shows and concerts are available year round at the Roanoke Civic Center. For a slightly more intimate musical experience, the Jefferson Center offers a variety of musical presentations during the year. With Roanoke as your base camp, you can spend the day in the artsy community of Floyd and join the locals at for Friday night Bluegrass, wander further a field and visit area wineries, or historic homes, battlefields, monuments and museums, explore caverns or old mills and covered bridges. Forty minutes away is a water lover’s paradise at Smith Mountain Lake. Boating, water sports, waterfront dining, fishing and rentals are available if you can take your eyes off the fabulous architecture of the waterfront homes and scenic beauty of this man-made lake and the adjacent state park. For those with disabilities, the great outdoors is yours to conquer at the Roanoke Mountain Campground, located on the Blue Ridge Parkway (milepost 120 W.) The campground has wheelchair accessible sites and several paved pathways. So if you are the discerning traveler or a die-hard camper, nature lover or in need of a cultural fix, merely traveling from home to somewhere or plan to make Roanoke your vacation or business destination, the city and surrounding countryside have much to offer.