Lifestyle
The Roanoke Valley and Greater Lynchburg are surrounded by breathtaking scenery and some of Virginia’s most visited recreational areas, from the Natural Bridge and the historic James River to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Smith Mountain Lake community in Franklin County frames the spectacular Smith Mountain Lake and its 500 miles of pristine shoreline. Considered to be the jewel of the misty Blue Ridge Mountains, the lake forms the centerpiece for handsome residential communities and a recreational retreat for visitors from Virginia and across the nation. Every corner of the Roanoke Valley and Greater Lynchburg delivers an unexpected delight, friendly people, gracious Southern hospitality, celebrated historic sites, unique shopping, and breathtaking scenery.

Downtown Roanoke hums with famous attractions like the art hub at the Center in the Square and the Historic City Market. The Art Museum of Western Virginia focuses on the visual arts while the Jefferson Center in Roanoke hosts a full calendar of audience-pleasing performances and events that include Opera Roanoke, Roanoke Ballet Theatre, and the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra. Salem draws crowds to a medley of performances and programs at the Salem Civic Center and James E. Taliaferro Sports & Entertainment complex. The Arts Council of the Blue Ridge unifies more than 80 cultural groups and hundred of artists who take advantage of galleries, theatres, and civic centers.

Families will appreciate the long list of natural and crafted attractions with the younger set in mind, from the Dixie Caverns and the Salem Fair to the Mill Mountain Zoo and its special mountaintop command of Roanoke Valley vistas. Greater Lynchburg adds Amazement Square, Central Virginia’s first multi-disciplinary interactive children’s museum, and developed amenities like The Nature Zone that invites hands-on exploration of the natural world. Museums and historic sites preserve the region’s proud and colorful legacy, including the Salem Museum and Historical Society, the History Museum of Western Virginia, the Harrison Museum of African-American Culture, the O. Winston Link Museum, the Science Museum of Western Virginia, the National D-Day Monument, and the site of the Battle of Appomattox Court House.

Premier recreational sites like the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Natural Bridge, George Washington & Jefferson National Forest, and Peaks of Otter are available for four-season outdoor enjoyment. Hiking, mountain biking, bicycle touring, camping, backpacking, cavern exploration, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, boating, swimming, water sports, and nature study are some of the favored leisure activities. Scores of parks add beauty and recreational space to the region’s communities, filled with sports equipment and complemented by well-attended supervised programs.

Shopping is available in modern malls with scores of specialty shops and boutiques as well as major national anchors or in charming historic districts lined with quaint antique shops and hand-crafted gift items. Home choices are diverse and cater to every imaginable lifestyle, ranging from the prestigious historic manors to suburban developments and exclusive residential communities in the scenic countryside or surrounding Smith Mountain Lake. Many neighborhoods within the area’s cities, town, and counties are known for their distinctive character and architectural diversity. Contrasting a remarkably low cost of living with an even more remarkable quality of life, few areas in the nation can rival the Roanoke Valley and Greater Lynchburg.