This is a GREAT park. Was in town over the holiday break, and had kiddos who needed to run out some…read moreserious energy. Luckily the weather was nice, so I found this place online and took them over. There are some serious climbing apparatuses here -- perfect for active kiddos. They also apparently have a pool (obviously closed right now for the winter, but it still looked amazing), basketball courts, a disc golf course, and several covered patio areas with grills. I could see this being a great spot to chill in the summer, or even a place to host a kid's birthday party on the cheap.

This small park on a triangle of green space where two roads intersect is in the middle of a…read moreresidential neighborhood. The park features playground equipment, a swing set, picnic tables under shade trees, a small basketball court The park is in very good condition with no litter. There is ample street parking. [Review 13827 overall, 1148 of 2020, number 1260 in Virginia.]

This small and shaded park has as its centerpiece, the two playground areas. With benches nearby…read morefor the adults to sit and watch, there are climbing frames, slides and swings. It is well-manicured and while there is no trash on the ground, the bins could use some attenton. There is also a full basketball court, horseshoe pits and a pavilion shelter with picnic area and charcoal grills. There is some street parking nearby. [Review 13818 overall, 1139 of 2020, number 1252 in Virginia.]

On my way to breakfast, I stopped by this park and took a look around…read more Located in a residential neighborhood, there is a big open field (soccer?) and a playground area with climbing frames, slides and a swing set. A nearby bench gives the adults a spot to sit while the kids are playing. The park is in very good condition and there is street parking nearby. [Review 13810 overall, 1131 of 2020, number 1244 in Virginia.]

This park is extensive and free, comprising a couple of miles of paved riverside walking trails and…read morenumerous athletic facilities. The New River is quite lovely in this area and the tree cover makes it a comfortable walk. There was also a boat launch and some students doing some kind of research on the water, so you can get down to the river if needed.

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.

I found my stop with a picnic shelter to eat my dinner! Motor Mile Park was constructed on the site…read moreof the old Bethel Elementary School and built with donations from the Shelor Motor Group. The park has a tournament-style facility with dugouts and a multi-purpose practice field. As I ate my dinner, there was the ping of a baseball being hit off an aluminum bat as a little league team was doing some training and practice. The park also has a large picnic shelter with grill that is next to a very nice playground that has a mulch base. Not much shade there but there are a couple of benches for the adults. [Review 15540 overall, 1044 of 2021, number 1349 in Virginia.]