Photo by Ali Zaman
Roanoke is enjoying a moment in the sun — far beyond the brightly lit, 88.5-foot star that has overlooked the city from atop Mill Mountain since 1949.
Today’s Roanoke is a long way from the city I visited as a 4-H’er in 1960, when steam trains were in their last days. An extraordinary gift of art — worth millions in the 1990s — by Roanoke native Peggy MacDowell Thomas, grand-niece of American painter Thomas Eakins, stimulated the development and 2008 opening of the Taubman Museum of Art. It’s worth the drive from Richmond to gaze upon the museum’s sky-lit atrium, where artist E.V. Day has transformed New York City Opera costumes into suspended soft sculptures for the exhibit “Divas Ascending,” on view through June 1, 2023.
Roaring Run Trail (Photo by Sarah Hauser)
Hit the Trail
On your way, take time to explore some of the charms to be found outside the city.
For a bit of scenic hiking, the Roaring Run Day Use Area in the Jefferson National Forest near Eagle Rock presents a good short walk — or a 3-mile hike. If downed trees across the trail cut your hike short, enjoy the preserved iron furnace that’s near the trailhead, and the well-signed explanation of its operations during its heyday.
The River and Rail (Photo courtesy The River and Rail)
Pamper Yourself
Good wine is a treat; another is The Liberty Trust, a unique luxury hotel in a renovated 1909 bank building. This boutique hotel is within walking distance of everything downtown. Rarely have I chosen a morning lobby coffee over sipping in the privacy of my room, but enjoying any beverage in a vault is a unique experience.
Good restaurants abound in Roanoke, but two grand ones are Rockfish Food and Wine, and The River and Rail. River and Rail stands out for house-made condiments and cured meats (a delectable starter of fried oysters with a touch of kimchi was also a hit with me).
On the Move
After a morning’s smoked salmon wrap at Bread Craft on Church Avenue, I was off to Mill Mountain Park, where the Discovery Center provides “edutainment” for all ages: An excellent new exhibit explaining what a watershed is provides conversation among visitors whose home waters might empty diversely into the Chesapeake Bay, the Mississippi River or Albemarle Sound.
Mill Mountain Zoo ($5-$7) is ideal for ages 3-13. Participating in the Species Survival Plan, it’s presently home to eight red wolves; to minimize human impact, visitors can’t see them at the zoo but can visit up-close and personal on Facebook and Instagram via @roanokeredwolves.
When it comes to vintage, I couldn’t leave Roanoke without visiting Norfolk & Western’s 1950 J-Class 611 steam locomotive on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Don’t miss the O. Winston Link Museum, providing what the Roanoke Times called a “still-image-docudrama” of the last days of steam railroads through the eyes of photographer O.W. Link. Operated by the Historical Society of Western Virginia, it shares space in the old N&W Railway passenger station building, along with the Roanoke History Museum.
A Taste of Roanoke
Through December, you can take a Downtown Roanoke Food and Cultural Tour, a guided walking tour that features six food tasting locations. The three-hour tours start at 11 a.m. Saturdays at Hotel Roanoke. $58 adults, $42 for 17 and younger (but no charge for children who are not eating).
