Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 31, 1993 TAG: 9307310135
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Elizabeth Obenshain
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
For a week, the New River Valley will lead the world in concentration per square inch of motor coaches.
Since Blacksburg's successful wooing of the national convention was announced last year, friends in neighboring communities haven't known whether to be envious or sympathetic when we talk about the impending event.
It's a real compliment that these folks, who had their choice of locations all over the country, decided they liked the looks of Blacksburg. They sound like the sort of guests you'd want - just like visiting with a couple thousand of your grandparents, according to Assistant Town Manager Bonnie Sverchek.
For locals, the anticipation has been somewhat like awaiting a blizzard.
You're not sure how much it's going to complicate your life. You can't figure out before it hits whether it's going to be a heck of a lot of fun or a pain in the neck.
In fact, I'd bet that lots of locals will be secretly disappointed if the months of planning by the town and state highway officials works as expected and traffic flows smoothly and life remains calm on the streets of Blacksburg.
What? Will there be no stories to tell to our grandchildren about the great motor coach influx of '93?
When we talk to our relatives in Iowa, will we not have a yarn that rivals their accounts of the great flood?
Actually, couldn't we all use a week of irrefutable excuses for being late to this or that meeting?
"Why, I was trying my best to get here, but I got behind 953 motor coaches coming up Christiansburg Mountain. . . . it took me 23 hours to get to the exit and, hey, sorry, I just couldn't make your meeting on enhancing bureaucratic long-range planning. . . ."
As for me, I'm not sure if I'm being brave or stupid, but I have a job candidate coming to town Thursday - the last day of the motor coach convention and the first day of Stepping Out, Blacksburg's annual street festival.
Instead of trying to shelter her from the confusion, I'm going to take her downtown amid any and all crowds, bands, locals, tourists and aging hippies who drift in annually from Floyd County for the festival and let her experience the full impact of both events.
I think she'll love it.
We'll stop at the fresh lemonade stand in front of Books Strings & Things for a pre-dinner drink, move on to the Chinese food booth or Souvlaki for our entree, stroll down to hear the bands in front of Henderson Lawn for a little relaxation and then wind up with homemade cookies and Haagen-Daas at Gillies for dessert?
If she's really sophisticated and likes to stay up late, we might even wander on down to Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea about 8 p.m. for some decaf cafe mocha.
What more could life offer?
So what if there are a few extra thousand folks there?
Actually, I hope those 10,000 extra visitors will be a boon to the restaurants and shops in downtown Blacksburg.
I love living in a town that still has a vibrant and attractive town center. It's great on a warm summer evening to be able to walk out your front door and stroll downtown for dinner at one of the numerous eateries, pause to browse in the bookstore or the card shop, and then wind your way back home by way of a stop at Mill Mountain Coffee.
The hours, sweat and financial worries of running a small business make me admire the grit of those folks who tough it out downtown. If there is any inconvenience in the next week, it will be worth it if it helps keep these businesses healthy that add a lot to the quality of life in this college town.
Heck, maybe everybody will have such fun, we'll have 10,000 motor coaches next year!
Elizabeth Obenshain is editor of the New River Valley bureau.
by CNB