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 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.]

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.]

Tony Vanoy and I went hiking today at Cascade Falls in Pembroke, VA. Started out really great, we…read morethought it was 1.5 or 2 mile loop hike but OMG it turned out to be 5.57 miles roundtrip!! It cost a $3 per car to park and if you have America the Beautiful Card its free!! It was a beautiful day, but it was so long and so many stairs!! Over 1,000 stairs!!

The provenance of this site is somewhat unclear, but I think it falls under the federal government…read moreand putting up my national parks pass was successful in getting me through a visit without paying any additional parking fee. The main falls are two miles uphill from the parking lot, but the entire journey is a series of eminently worthwhile sights and sounds. Signs warned of challenging currents for anyone taking a dip in the water, which some people did. I would note that when I arrived a rescue operation was underway and emergency services did drive someone by me with what thankfully appeared okay. There are trails on one elevated bank and one closer to the water, as well as some offshoots and extensions. It's a great stretch of forest where you could easily spend more time than the couple of hours I did.

Depot Park includes a great set of playground equipment, basketball court, soccer field and my…read morefavorite, a 1/5 mile loop walking path. The playground has a couple of benches and picnic tables for the adults to sit. It also has a soft mulch base. I would imagine the parking lot is usually big enough for most days but there was some sort of event going on today that caused it to be overfull with cars flowing onto the street. The park is clean and completely free of litter though the trash bit was definitely in need of attention. [Review 13824 overall, 1145 of 2020, number 1258 in Virginia.]

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.]

I just love Blacksburg, and the dog park is one of the reasons. It is large, beautiful, and easy to…read moreget to. The Town maintains the park with the help of local citizens and donations from local pet service companies. The people who take their pets are always respectful. There are two areas of the dog park, one for large dogs and one for small dogs. People regularly donate bags to clean up after your pet, as well as tennis balls, frisbees, and more. There are multiple sitting areas and trees that provide ample shade on hot days. There is also a small pool and running water so the dogs never over heat. I am very thankful that the town of Blacksburg provides this park!

I don't think this dog park is maintained anymore. The grass is taller than my dog. I had not been…read morethere for a few years and recently got a new dog. I could hardly get in as so much dirt had drained from the dog area. There was a couple from out of town for graduation and it was embarrassing.

An absolutely 1st class aquatic center that was a partnership with Virginia Tech and the city of…read moreChristiansburg, so it serves for the Virginia Tech swim team as their training and competition facility. The competitive pool includes a dive well with platforms and springboards which as a diver I was elated to see. There is also a recreational pool and water play area for kids. The whole facility is clean and well-maintained and the staff exceedingly helpful and nice. The local region is fortunate to have a swim and dive facility of this caliber.

I have attended more championship level swim meets at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center aka CAC…read morethan probably any other. So why such a tardy review? It's just been overlooked for seven years. Sometimes it seems like I live at a pool since I'm on the road around the country conducting swim meets as an official. Often my son competes at the same meets. The center is funded by the city of Christiansburg and Virginia Tech as the team trains and competes at CAC. The pool is roughly eight years old. The location is in town. Parking is limited which always creates issues with large meets. Off street parking is free and legal if no signs. There is an athlete drop off in front. It's not covered. Parking in the rear near the pool is for hospitality, coaches and officials. My most recent visit was my son attending a Breaststroke clinic with VT head coach Sergio Lopez last December. The deep end diving area was utilized for the small two day camp with 22 participants. The centers competition pool is a 50 meter Olympic size with platform diving. Pool temps have always been correct. Air temps are comfortable. Deck space is limited and is an issue with large meets. Air quality is fair. The spectator area is large and good from most seats. CAC has a nice digital scoreboard. However the location at the very end is not optimal. The facility is immaculately kept. The venue also has an Adventure pool with slide. This pool is used for warm up/cool down during competitions. Swim lessons are also conducted here. It's a nice bright area with windows top to bottom. I'm sure I will be back at some point. But CAC is not currently on my 2020 schedule.