A Wedding at Nesselrod on the New: A Beautiful Day Marred by Broken Promises…read moreWeddings are meant to be magical and stress-free. When we began planning ours, we envisioned an intimate micro-wedding with about 50 guests on a crisp November day. We chose Nesselrod on the New, under new ownership, for its rustic charm. Unfortunately, what should have been a beautiful experience was marred by disorganization, broken promises, and unprofessional behavior. When we first toured the venue in July, Brittany, the new owner, promised the barn would be fully enclosed with permanent walls and heated floors by our wedding date. She also offered to decorate based on a Pinterest board I sent. However, early signs of disorganization appeared: Brittany gave different price quotes, delayed the contract (which still had the previous owner's information), and needed multiple reminders on details we had already discussed. The major issue arose two weeks before the wedding when Brittany casually texted us that the barn walls would not be built; instead, she would hang cream-colored tarps. A week before the wedding, she added that the heated floors might not work either. At that point, with guests' travel already arranged, it was too late to cancel. The night before our wedding, while we were in the middle of a special family dinner, Brittany sent a picture of the barn with clear plastic stapled up around it. Her accompanying message was, "I like it better without the tarps, brings in more natural light." I responded, "The main thing is to make sure it is warm. It's going to be dark. We want the tarps." Her response? "I'm not going to use them, they cost a lot for one-time use." This was the moment everything came to a head. She had promised tarps. She had promised walls. And now she was choosing, unilaterally, to back out of those commitments the night before the biggest day of our lives. Her tone grew increasingly defensive and dismissive. She claimed she'd gone "above and beyond" for what we had paid, even though she hadn't delivered what was contractually promised. She even said she had sold a car to afford the plastic sheets, which she insisted were superior to the tarps anyway. Her texts continued to get more hostile. When I began crying, my family insisted I cease communication. On the wedding day, Brittany and her husband were still stapling plastic up hours before the ceremony. Our florist arrived to install floral arrangements on the arbor, and Brittany's husband--Joe--helped her while muttering curse words and angrily saying, "Who the f** holds a wedding in November?"*. That is not something a vendor should ever say, let alone at the actual event. Guests had to wear coats indoors because the heated floors were non-functional. Brittany and Joe spent the reception sitting at the edge of the dance floor in casual clothing, scrolling on their phones. They looked completely disinterested and detached--like they were bored employees at a DMV, not hosts of a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Two teenage girls--wearing jeans and sweatshirts--wandered through the barn mid-reception holding a small dog. They helped themselves to food, stood around the drink table, and chatted with Brittany like it was a casual get-together. They even let the dog run around the dance floor, posing a tripping hazard while people were dancing. These girls made it into our wedding photos. Let that sink in. After the event, our family stayed behind to help clean up. We had been told that we only needed to remove the trash and that the venue staff would take care of the rest. However, someone had apparently gotten sick in the bathroom--and rather than quietly taking care of it as a venue host should, Brittany confronted my family and asked indignantly, "Who is going to clean the bathroom?!" My father and daughter-in-law ended up cleaning the mess in their wedding clothes. As our family packed up the decorations, Brittany casually suggested they leave them for her to use. She also wanted to keep the extra plates, cups, silverware, and food. It felt exploitative and incredibly presumptuous. At this point, our family was so done with the situation that they only left behind a box of crackers--which Brittany said she could use to feed her chickens. Brittany may be new to owning a venue, but there's no excuse for this level of disorganization, broken promises, and rudeness. What was most disappointing wasn't just that things didn't go as promised--it was the lack of professionalism, the gaslighting, and the hostile tone she took when we asked her to follow through on basic commitments. Our wedding ended up beautiful because of our loved ones and in spite of Nesselrod. Brittany's behavior added unnecessary stress to what should have been a joyful occasion. If you're considering Nesselrod on the New for your event, I strongly urge you to reconsider. A pretty venue is meaningless without professionalism and trustworthiness behind it.

Great service, incredible property, and wonderful rooms!…read more My partner and I loved staying at this charming cozy inn. Our room, the Lily of the Valley, was clean, spacious, adorably decorated and exceedingly comfortable to stay in. We loved the wallpaper, elaborate seating, and wooden furniture accents. Most of all we loved the huge bathtub surrounded by gorgeous green tile. The inn keeper, Jeff, offered a delicious home-made breakfast in the morning and was a joy to talk with! Are you tired of staying at hotels that nickel-and-dime you and don't care about your comfort? Ditch the hotels and stay at Nesselrod of the New, you won't regret it!

My husband and I were passing through during the holidays going from Tennessee to New Jersey and…read morefound place only 15 minutes off the highway. There was live music which was great. The beer was solid and we drink a lot of beer. We didn't want to get too full so we ordered 3 appetizers and all of them were AWESOME. Not kidding. My husband was very satisfied. We got the Tenderloin Crostinis, Spinach and artichoke dip with chips, and peel and eat shrimp that was cook in their own beer. So. Freaking. Good. As for beer, I got the No. 4 Porter (loved it) and my husband got the 1/2 Shot IPA (loved it). Service was great. Our waitress was very sweet. As it's winter, we didn't get a chance to enjoy the back patio but the inside was very cozy. We sat in a booth and it was nice and secluded. You can even see into the room where the magic happens! If you're in the area, I definitely recommend. My husband already wants to come back on our way back down to Tennessee.

We came in at 6:55 on a Saturday night when they are advertised to stay open until 8:30. We only…read morehad 4 adults and did not have a strict timeline on things being quick. They turned us away and told us they just had no help and were too backed up to accept any more customers. Meanwhile, the parking lot was more than half empty. No one waiting. No lines. Horrible impression. Horrible customer service. Won't be back.

Dreams do come true The Pavilion at Blackwater Junction made…read moremy daughter's dream come true. The venue is just perfect for a partially outdoor wedding. The ceremony view of the amazing Virginia countryside with pond, hills and the changing fall trees was an amazing backdrop. With two sides enclosed, a fireplace and heaters the late night venue was cozy but yet open air (which can be important when pandemics threaten events). Melba made the event so easy for planning. Erica, the bartender, kept all our guests happy. The site has plenty of ice for all bartending needs, a kitchen for food setup and three eclectic bathrooms. We would highly recommend The Pavilion at Blackwater Junction for any event needs!!

From the owner: Our wedding venue is built on the family farm at the end of a road in the country. It has complete…read moreprivacy, beautiful mountain background views, surrounded by woods and horse pastures. The building itself has modern features such as a big screen TV with wifi for your slideshows or videos, yet it is built with old doors, wood and antiques. If you want an amazing wedding, our venue is the place for you!

Our son started at Radford University this weekend and we were looking for a place to stay. All…read morelocal hotels were price gouging with rates triple the norm. I looked into a Bed and Breakfast and found the Rockwood Manor. The price was what you would expect with no price gouging whatsoever. It turned out to be a very happy turn of events. Rockwood Manor is about a 15 minute drive from Radford university and was perfect for our needs. The Manor is on the historic register. A bit rustic on in places, it was last renovated in 2005. It is a beautiful place and our Hosts Frank and Rochelle were warm, friendly and very welcoming. We stayed in the Blakemore room. It had lots of windows which provided a nice view of the property. Our room also had a jacuzzi which we used and it was amazing after a long day on the road. The bed was a bit more firm than what we are used to at home and we recommended a mattress topper but by no means is this a negative as it is a personal preference. The linens were nice and clean and smelled fresh. We walked around the property and they looked to be all set up for wedding events. Lots of space, lots of areas for photo ops. It would be an ideal place for a wedding with room for a reception. The inside while at one point was the family home was like walking through history. We loved it. My favorite thing about the place was that I felt at home. Frank and and Rochelle are wonderful hosts. The breakfast the next morning was great with options for everyone. They also set the food up buffet style which made me feel like I was at a big family breakfast :) The only suggestion I would have is for our hosts to look into some professional rug cleaning. There were a couple of stains in the rug under the table in our room would need professional stain removal to get out. This place is one of the best B&Bs my wife and I have ever visited. We loved it!!!

A good friend of mine, David Hill recommended Rockwood Manor when I asked him where I should stay…read morewhen my son graduated from Virginia Tech on December 15, 2023. The grounds and the home are wonderful. The house is full of the history of the home, American values and beautifully addressed for the Christmas season. The services, food and amenities cannot be beat in a surreal time setting in America's past. Christy was wonderful; she reached out to ensure we could gain access, answers questions and prepared our breakfast the next morning. She is the best and should be acknowledged for her spirit of excellent service. Rockwood Manor also has a Hokie room in the basement, I am sure it was in tribute to my son's graduation. Rockwood Manor is the best of the best!

Seriously an outstanding experience…read more Our food, both appetizers and entrees, were absolutely excellent. This spot has some of the best food I've ever had. Genuinely we had such a fantastic meal. The ranch and pimento cheese were outstanding. Our waitress, Brittany (sp?), was seriously the greatest waitress we have ever had! The marketplace had such great gifts and goodies. We had a great time shopping here. The cutest farmhouse ambience. We also got a few little chocolates from the case, which were fantastic. Next time we look forward to trying the coffees, which looked and smelled amazing.

Ok! Lunch on a busy Friday. I had the chicken salad croissant and my wife had the turkey Gilmore…read more WITH sweet potato fries. We were very happy with the meal. The fries had a cinnamon sugar spice to them and were flavorful. We would recommend the Draper easily!

My son and I moved here a little over a year ago and we stopped in for coffee. Coffee was…read moreexcellent. Customer service was great and it's such a cool spot. It's also super close by! The cranberry orange scone was also delicious. We will definitely be back!

When I visited, it was the end of the school year, so there were lots of photo shoots happening in…read morethe Hahn Horticulture Garden. Of course there were: This is one of the most beautiful spots on the Virginia Tech campus. The garden is six acres of beauty, and it's a wonderful place to wander around and look at all of the plants and flowers and trees. Perhaps you can also relax at one of the benches that are placed hither and thither. The garden serves as a resource for the students to learn about horticulture, landscaping concepts and environmental stewardship. But it's also just a nice place to sit and relax. I like a good bridge over a pond, and they have that here. The pond has lots of koi fish in it, which I was told an egret will sometimes make a nice meal out of. (Poor koi!) Such is life, though, I guess, right? There are also trellises to walk under, brick paths to walk down, statues to gaze upon, and Adirondack seats to sit in. I saw a couple of students working on their laptops in the garden, which you can do because the campus wifi is also accessible in the garden.

The university has a constructed garden kind of on the edge near where the academic buildings end…read moreand the sports start. It has a variety of interesting plant life and the pond was filled with some lively fish. It's not a major destination like the botanical gardens and arboretums I've seen at some other universities, which was a bit of a surprise, but it's a nice place to stop through.

Bluefield's most precious gem! Full of well made eccentric art with plenty of interactive…read moreexperiences for all ages. The people that run this are the kindest you will ever meet.

A Very eclectic museum called the Thin Dime Museum or The Ramsey school has been started in an old…read moreschool in Bluefield, WV. Fortunately I called ahead to set up a tour (205-5404754) because they are only open Saturday 11-4. What a gem in local history and artists. They had just opened a section on "Wheels" by George T Anderson, Jr on the history of wheels brought to life with hand carved and handmade examples throughout time. There was a native American section with more arrowheads than I have ever seen collected. A 2 seater outhouse and an African-American musician section. Loads of local history and so many other sections to see. We were there almost 2 hours and you could easily spend more time if you wanted. If you are looking for a unique experience this is the place to go!

First off, the Farmhouse has my favorite outdoor seating ambience in the NRV. The outdoor bar just…read moreadds to the atmosphere! The food is excellent when compared to other local restaurants, and the menu offers a reasonable American fare variety without an overabundance of selections. I did get a very much overcooked medium rare prime rib on my last visit, but the waitress took care of that right away. (Still, someone should have caught that before it got to the table.) Word of warning: the Sunday Brunch menu is actually a breakfast menu with limited choices. Last time I checked, lunch items were not available on Sundays. TIP: on sunny days you may prefer to wait for a table that is shaded by an umbrella or part of the building, it can get pretty hot out there.

Absolutely delicious. I ordered the grilled chicken with mash potatoes and asparagus. My friend…read moreordered the chicken fried chicken with cheesy grits and succotash. The flavors were blended perfectly. Chicken was not overcooked. Our waitress, was very sweet and made great recommendations. Sorry, can't remember her name. Lighting was just right, not too hot/cold. Highly recommend eating here. Make reservations. We were lucky to stop at a non busy time and they sat us down promptly.

I would give this place 0 stars at possible. I have always been a huge fan of jimmy johns. It's one…read moreof my favorite places but this place was so rude. I order what I always do, a hunters club on French Bread. But they put iit on wheat then refused to see their mistake! It was my fault as the customer that I didn't order it (but I did and had the receipt to prove it) They reused to make me another sub or refund my money. Customer will be notified. Unless this is resolved I will never order from them again. Update: The owner of this jimmy johns has called me and apolgized. I was also given my money back in the form of a gift card. I am still very disappointed with this but will give them a second chance.

FAST! FREAKY FAST! They truly are incredibly fast. They always get my order right, the price is…read morevery fair, and their bread alone is 55 cents. The only thing is I never get a straw when it's delivery but I can live with it!