What is big old bikes were just chilling on top of a hill while we were hiking and looking around…read moreexplore the area. There's two bikes sitting right next to each other and they're pretty cool and easy to fine. Don't try to ride him though it won't feel good on you.

I came across the greetings from Roanoke mural as we were exploring downtown Roanoke. It was an…read moreexperience that we enjoyed seeing different welcome to insert city names every time we go to places like this.

The Tour of Naples is a full immersion experience!…read more It starts off with a toast and the restaurant folks are excellent hosts. We learned how to make the Negroni cocktail and they took time to teach the flaming orange. Including a lot of interesting history and information about the spirits. The instruction on making the pizza and cocktail was so thorough that we felt like we really did something, while we learned in action. Worth the time and money. *they did ask if anyone is dry, but not sure what they offer in lieu of the cocktails or wine.

We went on a food tour of downtown Roanoke. Our guide was Ned. I thought the whole tour was run…read morevery well (I've been on about 5 other food tours) and saw that Ned was in contact with the next restaurant each time so that they were ready for us. Ned provided us with great information about the history of the town, the railroad (although some of that was incorrect as he kept saying Raleigh instead of Norfolk as it pertained to the railroad and it kept saying that one of the railway companies "left" when in fact, they were merged. Maybe this wouldn't have mattered so much except someone in our group was very familiar with the railroad) But Ned was very personable and you could tell he loved history and as we do too we really enjoyed his tour. The food on the tour was fairly varied and unique to the town (a must!) and it was great to hear the back story of the ownership of the restaurants. (I was a little worried when at the first two restaurants we were served seafood dishes, a seafood bisque and shrimp and grits as one person in our group doesn't really like seafood and I think this is a risky choice for a tour. Also at Chocolate Paper we were given two mediocre Asher chocolates to try instead of some of their more expensive and more delicious Debrands chocolates.) One person in our group thought there wasn't enough food and thought another restaurant or two should be added. I tend to agree when compared to the cost of this tour against other tours I've taken. Had the cost been a little lower I think the amount of food would've been fine. All in all, a great tour though. Ned really was a great guide, I hope he leads more tours, I really learned a lot!

I lived about 40 miles outside Roanoke in Christiansburg, Virginia and really enjoyed the times we…read morewould go to Roanoke! Usually, I drove to Roanoke to play tennis. I was USTA rated 4.5 and 4.5 rated female tennis players were hard to find in both Christiansburg Virginia, where I lived, and Radford, Virginia where I went to college at Radford University. There was at least one female 4.5 rated player in Roanoke and we would play tennis in Roanoke. On special occasions we would have dinner in Roanoke which was always a nice treat! Compared in population and size to Christiansburg, Roanoke felt gigantic and was always a great change of pace from the small town feel of Christiansburg and the college town feel of Radford!

Roanoke has some amazing and sad parts. The Roanoke Star is worth seeing. You can see it from far…read moreaway or hike to it. We enjoy having picnics there in the summer. The Hotel Roanoke is a fun venue location. It is beautiful all year, but even more so during the holidays. If you need physical therapy or a doctor, there are lots of options. The police were extra kind when a family member with dementia was missing. They posted a silver alert and located her in 24 hours. There are lots of restaurants. Shopping isn't as exciting as it used to be but there are strip malls and shopping centers. There are areas that are run down and a bit scary. We try to avoid that part of town. There are lots of activities, including an escape room. There is something for everyone.

Located in downtown Roanoke opposite the courthouse and near some municipal offices, this monument…read morecommemorates local residents who gave their lives in conflicts from World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and though to the Iraq Conflict. Three large tablets are engraved with names and quotes. There are 755 names listed. The tablets were erected in 1982 updated and cleaned recently to remove staining and corrosion. There has been some controversy and in July 2020, the marker to General Robert E. Lee is in the process of being removed. I would imagine that "Lee Plaza" will be officially renamed as well. Stop by and pay tribute to those who made it possible for us to have our freedoms. There are metered street parking and parking decks nearby. [Review 13793 overall, 1114 of 2020, number 1227 in Virginia.]

I was walking around explore and I came across this Terrapin Station of a turtle, swimming and…read moredoing what they do best. It's a nice little piece public art go find when you're in the area.

We were walking around and we came across the golden angle statue. We really enjoyed all the public…read moreart and statues. We saw them in the city.

This is a cool looking statue that we found while we were down exploring in the city. My buddy and…read moreI love adding public are in finding statues and things so this was one of many that we found that it was pretty cool.

This bronze sculpture is located across from The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, a hotel…read moreproperty that is now under the Hilton Curio umbrella. The artwork is located in a semi-circular plaza that has several panels mounted that tell the story of the Gainsboro neighborhood and the freed blacks who lived here seeking work with the railroad. The statue is an abstract of a woman in a yoga pose. It's quite striking. There is some limited street parking nearby and a paid lot operated by the hotel. [Review 13777 overall, 1098 of 2020, number 1212 in Virginia.]