Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 9, 1993 TAG: 9305100347
SECTION: DISCOVER PAGE: 39 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BECKY HEPLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Summer brings a host of opportunities and planned activities that can fill your entire social calendar. It's just a matter of deciding which direction you wish to pursue.
The NRV is a virtual playground for outdoor enthusiasts. If it's a muscle-powered sport, you can do it here (well, at least most of them).
The Jefferson National Forest is pocketed with recreational areas, picnic spots and campgrounds and is laced with hiking trails, including the Grand Prix for hikers, the Appalachian Trail.
Check with the folks at the Blacksburg Ranger District for maps and pamphlets for the area. Most of the areas are no-fee. Some campgrounds, like Caldwell Fields, can be reserved for large parties.
If you are a shooting enthusiast, you'll need a little patience. The Forest Service is working on a shooting range that will be open to the public this fall. The range, located in Montgomery County on Virginia 621 north of Blacksburg, will accommodate rifle and pistol target shooting and shotgun trap shooting. Both areas are accessible to persons with disabilities.
Water sports are another attraction. The New River and Claytor Lake offer boating and fishing opportunities. If you are staying at Mountain Lake Hotel and Resort, you can play with the canoes and paddle boats there.
Tubing the New River is practically a rite of spring on the campuses here. Both Tech and Radford University have outdoor recreation offices that rent equipment to students. Also, there are several private outfitters that rent boats and tubes and arrange shuttle service.
Adrenaline junkies will find this area canoeable only in the spring, and even that's limited. But you can practice your whitewater techniques at McCoy Falls.
A better use of your canoe on a hot summer day is a float-fishing trip on the New River. The river has produced some record breakers, but even if you don't snag a fish, it's still a great day as you soak up the sun and beautiful scenery.
Fat-tire biking has become well-established in this area because it's a great place to practice the sport. Some places are off-limits (such as hiking trails in the National Forest) but there are enough back roads to make up that loss. East Coasters Bike Shop is a good place to get information on rides and riding partners.
Maybe that's too much work for you, but watching hordes of bicyclers can be colorful and festive. So get to Floyd County to see Bike Virginia wend its way through the pastoral scenes.
Fourteen hundred cyclists are taking part in the five-day vacation that goes from Abingdon to Floyd in late June to benefit Special Olympics. The Floyd County Chamber of Commerce is planning a big celebration on June 23 when the tour finishes there.
If you want to be even closer to the road, try Rollerblading. Both Blacksburg sports shops, Back Country and Blue Ridge Outdoors sell in-line skates and have tips on the best place to "shred" - a slang expression for skating, but a very apt description for what can happen to beginners."
Because of its acres of asphalt and concrete, steps for tricks and slower traffic, the Virginia Tech campus gets very high marks as a blading site. The Huckleberry Trail also is fun, and bladers are fairly high on the food chain, compared to being on the highway. Watch for demos and the chance to try blading for free during the summer.
Maybe you just want to watch fast wheels. The New River Valley Speedway will be open every Saturday through Sept. 12 for stock-car racing. The gates open at 2 p.m., practice begins at 4 p.m., qualifiers run at 6 p.m. and the first race starts at 8 p.m.
Special events this year include the NASCAR Goody Baby Grand National race on Aug. 21. There also are four 200-lap late model stock car races, on May 15, June 26, July 17 and Aug. 7 this year. All tickets are $8 for adults, $1 for children under 12.
One summertime pleasure New River Valley citizens will not be able to experience in the area this year is professional baseball. The minor league team, the Pulaski Braves, has left the area.
Open-air music, on the other hand, is doing well. Blacksburg, Pulaski, Radford and Narrows all will offer free concerts this summer.
Blacksburg will be offering Friday night concerts on Henderson Lawn, starting May 28 and going through July, while Pulaski will have concerts every other Friday night, starting in June. Radford's concerts will be held every Tuesday night at Bisset Park, starting in June and going through July. Narrows is sponsoring a concert series as part of its "Kaleidoscope."
Bluegrass lovers will find the Friday Night Jamboree at Cockram's General Store in Floyd County gets people dancing and tapping their toes. There also is a Saturday night "do" at the Floyd County Volunteer Fire Department building called Bluegrass Frolic, in case you didn't get enough the night before.
Blues aficionados can travel to Pulaski to Ellery's Blues and More, while jazz buffs can combine wine tasting and music at Chateau Morrisette, with its jazz festivals throughout the summer.
This year's musical production being staged by the New River Arts Council is "Oklahoma." While tryouts already have taken place, there still is a need for volunteers. This can be your chance to enjoy the smell of the crowd and the roar of the greasepaint. Call the council at 381-1430 and leave a message.
With school out, you're probably concerned about your children's schedule as well as your own.
The Pulaski County Recreation Department, in conjunction with the Department of Youth and NRV Community Action, will sponsor its Summer Playground program this year at several park sites (Sixth Street Park, Magill Park and T.G. Howard Recreation Center).
Children 6 to 13 meet Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for supervised games, arts, crafts and occasional field trips. Lunch is included and most activities are free (there is a small charge for swimming.)
The Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library will have its summer reading program again this year for preschoolers to teenagers. The theme is "Peer-amid Books," focusing on ancient Egyptian and Central/South American Indian pyramid builders.
There will be a schedule of activities, including storytelling, magic shows, arts and crafts, movies and guest speakers. Even the bookmobiles will have a schedule of events for children. The final week, the library will put on "Pharoah's Phair," and the tokens given for reading can be spent on games and activities.
Have a great summer and don't forget your sunscreen.
by CNB