This italian restaurant is an old family favorite. Almost everything is made in house, from the pasta and bread to the italian sausage.

The weird decor and extensive sandwich and dessert menu make this place a favorite for kids and adults alike.

This french bakery is awesome for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or just a sweet treat. We highly recommend the almond croissants and chocolate almond danishes. It can get really busy weekend mornings so consider going early and reservations are recommended for dinner as seating is limited.

This upscale restaurant is located in an old farmhouse on the top of a hill in Christiansburg. Everything is fantastic, but the apple rutabaga soup is exceptional. For anyone looking for a nice night out, we suggest giving the Summit a try.

This downtown eatery focuses on vegetarian and vegan options. Their breakfasts are especially delicious, but they do get crowded later in the morning.

Excellent coffee and baked goods in downtown Blacksburg. The daily selection often offers some gluten free options.

Located right in downtown with nice outdoor seating, this place has delicious mediterranean food and sushi.

This restaurant and bar features Greek food and pizza along with an extensive beer list. The upstairs serves the full food menu whereas the downstairs has more limited food option.

This gallery features work from local artists along with African and Asian art, rugs, antique tools, yard ornaments, furniture, and various other visually appealing objects. They also provide exceptional framing services.

This small town has become an enclave of artists, musicians, galleries, and antique stores. Family favorites include the Bell Gallery and Garden, Phoenix Hardwoods, and the Bread Basket. School House Fabrics offers three floors full of fabric and crafting supplies. The Floyd Country Store is a community institution that offers a jam session on Friday nights. Buffalo Mountain Brewery offers some excellent beers in a nice location. There are a couple of public parking lots for visitors to the downtown area, one at either end of the town, the address below will take you to one of these.

This is a lovely short hike (1.7 miles) with a nice vista and old growth hemlock trees. The last 3 miles of the road to reach it is unpaved and can be in very rough condition, so it may be difficult to get to in a sedan. There is no address for this trail, but searching for "War Spur" in Google Maps will get you to the correct location (reach out to Maya if you need directions). This trail pairs well with Bald Knob, which is located on the same road a few miles closer to the highway (before it becomes unpaved).

This short but intense hike (0.5 miles straight up) gives stunning views of the surrounding area. The parking lot is across the road and about 50 meters up from the trailhead. It is shared with Moutain Lake Outfitters, but is open to Day Hikers. This trail pairs well with War Spur Loop.

This is an excellent place for trail running and mountain biking, as well as hiking. Poverty Creek is the main trail and is reasonably well marked. We recommend familiarizing yourself with the trail system if you choose to leave Poverty Creek, as the other trails are not as well marked and there are unofficial trails that can create confusion. Poverty Creek trail goes for 17 miles, many of the side trails are several miles long. The recreation area is right off of Route 460.

This Raptor Observatory is located in an old fire tower on a ridge line between two valleys. There is a large amount of activity during the fall migratory season and many different types of raptors and eagles can often be seen. It's a pretty steep mile hike up to the observatory, and the trail is located about an hour from Blacksburg.

This paved biking and walking path can be accessed at several points around the town. It starts at the public library in down town and goes to the mall in neighboring Christiansburg and Brown Farm (Heritage Community Park) out on Glade Road. The address below is for the Blacksburg Library.

This park is located on an old farm. There are some lovely views and short paved and unpaved trails down to the stream and along the fields and hillside. Rising Silo Brewery and farm market is right across the street if you want to make an afternoon of it.

This approximately 3 mile long round trip hike ends at a 40 foot waterfall. The trail is moderately challenging with some elevation gain, a few creek crossings, and a bit of a rock scramble at the end. It's a quieter option for people who don't want to hike the Cascades for the upteenth time or are looking for hike with fewer people. The trail is located in a Methodist youth camp but is open to the public when summer camp is not in session.

This 66 foot waterfall is on the Virginia Tech bucket list for a reason. The hike to the falls is about 4 miles long round trip, with the possibility to do an out and back or to make it a loop. The upper trail mostly runs along a gravel forest service road whereas the lower trail runs along the stream and is a bit more rugged. Maya's favorite route is to take the lower trail up and the upper trail back. The trail does continue beyond the falls for those interested in hiking further. There is a fee to park in the loot at the trailhead.

This small museum in Derring Hall Room 2062 has some interesting fossils and rocks on display, but is only open Wednesday through Friday.