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Rich Creek Day Trip

Rich Creek Town Co Branded Logo 2018Suggested Itinerary | Rich Creek Day Trip

 

Rich Creek is a small town in Giles County with a population of 760 people. Accessing Rich Creek is very easy by car as it sits on Route 460 almost to the West Virginia state line, as well as Route 219 from Peterstown, WV. The charming main street welcomes visitors and is a relaxing home to residents.

 

To start your day in Rich Creek consider The Corner Market or Burger Boy. The town is situated in such a way that much of the activity is walkable. Enjoy a stroll through the heart of town to enjoy old homes and churches that make up Rich Creek. Daniel Shumate and Milly Callison with their three sons settled Rich Creek and built their first log home in 1780. Later in 1787 Daniel received a land grant for 387 acres and built his second log home near a large spring knoll overlooking the river. The people of Rich Creek came to know this home as “Riverside, home of the Hardin Shumates” until 1981 when it was sold to Emory and Louise Eaton. However, white settlers came across Rich Creek back in 1671 when the Batt and Fallam Expedition came to a halt when Indian guides refused to go any further. They burned their initials in a tree and claimed the territory for King Charles II of England. The early settlers in Rich Creek were Scotch, Irish, Germans, and Englishmen.

storefront of the Corner Market in Rich Creek
The Corner Market in Rich Creek. Photo from their Facebook page. Be sure to visit!

Shopping in Rich Creek could include consignment and flea markets as well as a stop in to Allen’s Furniture and Gateway Gifts, part of Smith’s Pharmacy.

 

Lunch- Enjoy lunch at regional favorites Pizza Plus or Queen’s Pizza. The Corner Market also has fresh produce to make a picnic lunch. The public boat landing along the New River Water Trail is just east of Rich Creek and would be a nice place for an outdoors lunch, overlooking the New River.

 

Enjoy lunch and a walk or take the children to play at Woodland Park located above the downtown area. This park features a walking trail, picnic pavilion, and playground equipment. After an afternoon recess you should visit the Rich Creek Public Library, also home to the Town Hall and Community Center. They have Visitor Guides and other information to help plan your time in Giles.

town park

 

End your day with a nostalgic meal of good proportions at Central Restaurant. Located on the banks of Rich Creek (the creek by which the town gets its name) this family friendly establishment is a must for visitors or travelers. To stay in Rich Creek, one would enjoy Gentry’s Landing RV Park and campground. There is also a Budget Inn Motel near the Town Hall. Other nearby lodging properties could be found at gilescounty.org/lodging.

 

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Giles County, Virginia is located in Southwest Virginia approximately 40 minutes south of Roanoke and just west of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. With easy access to the New River, world class dining and lodging properties, and historical attractions for the entire family, Giles offers adventure in Virginia’s Mountain Playground™. Come find your playground at our Visitors Center located at 203 N Main Street, Pearisburg, VA 24134 or find us online at gilescounty.org or by calling 540-921-2079. For interviews or onsite visits, please contact Cora Gnegy, Tourism Marketing Director. We can arrange and assist with any media needs. For more information about planning your visit to Giles County or about activities and events, please visit www.gilescounty.org or contact us at tourism@gilescounty.org.

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Pembroke Day Trip

SUGGESTED ITINERARY | PEMBROKE DAY TRIP

Pembroke cobrandd logo Giles

Morning- Begin your day stocking up on supplies and breakfast at Tangent Outfitters and Cascade Café. Enjoy your morning of shopping at Amish Heirlooms, Pearl’s Petals and Gifts, flea market-esqu shops including Yesteryear, Big Dawg’s Bargains, and Cascade Café. All within walking distance for a nice stroll through this quaint small town that’s a hub of outdoor adventure in Giles. While walking through town stop and visit the Littlest Library in Virginia- the Pembroke Public Library.

 

 

Your lunch options are plentiful in Pembroke. Enjoy family favorites at Roma’s Italian Restaurant or Riviera Mexican Grill. Want something quicker? Enjoy Subway or Cascade Café, they also have hand-dipped ice cream!

 

Your activity options are extensive in Pembroke. You can rent tubes and enjoy the New River Water Trail from New River’s Edge. Paddle boards, canoes, kayaks, or bikes can be rented from Tangent Outfitters. Both New River Outdoor Company and Tangent Outfitters offer guided fishing trips and shuttle service to enjoy the entire 37 miles of the New River. With a public boat landing in Pembroke, you can start or finish your river adventure right in town!

 

Photo by Sam Dean, courtesy of Virginia Tourism Corporation

 

Looking for something off-water? Enjoy a round or two of golf at Castle Rock Golf and Recreation. One can’t think about visiting Pembroke without a hike to the Cascades waterfall. A 69 foot waterfall that is accessed by a 4 mile round trip hike. The hike, on average, takes about 3 hours. Above the falls you could also venture to the Upper Falls or Barney’s Wall! The Cascades Recreation Area is managed by the US Forest Service and there is a $3 parking fee. If a public space and nature walk is more your thing, or if you have little ones in tow, enjoy Treasure Island, Pembroke’s Town Park.

 

cascades waterfall spring
Photo by Alisa Moody

 

End your very full day in Pembroke with dinner at Kal-Bee’s. An award winning Korean restaurant. You can also enjoy lodging close to downtown at New River’s Edge a-frame log cabin, or camp along the banks of the New River at R&R Campground. Other nearby lodging along the river can be found at gilescounty.org/lodging.

 

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Giles County, Virginia is located in Southwest Virginia approximately 40 minutes south of Roanoke and just west of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. With easy access to the New River, world class dining and lodging properties, and historical attractions for the entire family, Giles offers adventure in Virginia’s Mountain Playground™. Come find your playground at our Visitors Center located at 203 N Main Street, Pearisburg, VA 24134 or find us online at gilescounty.org or by calling 540-921-2079. For interviews or onsite visits, please contact Cora Gnegy, Tourism Marketing Director. We can arrange and assist with any media needs. For more information about planning your visit to Giles County or about activities and events, please visit www.gilescounty.org or contact us at tourism@gilescounty.org.

glen lyn new river
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Glen Lyn Day Trip

SUGGESTED ITINERARY | GLEN LYN DAY TRIP

Morning- A visit to Glen Lyn can begin at the Glen Lyn Town Office, located at 205 Houston Lane.

 

A beautiful long walking and biking trail system starts at the Town Hall and follows Hwy. 460 going under the bridge and then through the Glen Lyn Park and along the New River. The trail is 1.73 miles long and has a mixed surface of asphalt and gravel and very minor grade changes. Restroom facilities are available along the trail.

Enjoy lunch in Glen Lyn by picking up needed items from the Valero Convenience Center or Neighbors Exxon. The Glen Lyn Town Park offers a great location along the New River Water Trail to partake your meal. Neighbors also has light shopping to enjoy!

 

After lunch consider hiking a portion of the Mary Ingles Trail (MIT). The trail traverses seven miles one way on river right along the New River. This trail has no improved surface, no restrooms, and has moderate grade changes throughout. To return to Glen Lyn you must walk back along the same trail. There are great views of Shumate Falls and many wildlife viewing opportunities, including osprey and eagles, which are common in this area.

 

The trail approximates the route taken by a pioneer woman, Mary Draper Ingles, and her companion, an elderly Dutch woman, following their escape in 1755 from Shawnee captors at what is now Big Bone Lick, Kentucky.  With no maps and only her memory to guide her, Mary reasoned the only way to return home was to follow the rivers. After an incredible 40-day journey over an estimated 450+ miles of rough terrain the two nearly starved women found their way to her home near present day Eggleston, Virginia. In memory of their courageous journey, a group of Kanawha Valley hikers organized the Mary Ingles Trail Blazers in 1989.

 

You may also choose to spend the day with a trail pass from Kairos Resort located on Shumate Falls Road. Trail passes and UTV rentals are available. One could spend the afternoon birding or riding the trails.

Motorcross man at Kairos Wilderness Resort
Photo by: Sam Dean

Lodging is available at the RV and tent campground at Kairos. They also have luxury yurts and primitive wilderness campsites. You may also enjoy camping along the New River at the Glen Lyn Campground. Registration can be obtained at the Town Office. During the summer months on Saturday mornings you may also find flea market vendors set up near the bath house.

You can also view this itinerary on Virginia.org.

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Giles County, Virginia is located in Southwest Virginia approximately 40 minutes south of Roanoke and just west of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. With easy access to the New River, world class dining and lodging properties, and historical attractions for the entire family, Giles offers adventure in Virginia’s Mountain Playground™. Come find your playground at our Visitors Center located at 203 N Main Street, Pearisburg, VA 24134 or find us online at gilescounty.org or by calling 540-921-2079. For interviews or onsite visits, please contact Cora Gnegy, Tourism Marketing Director. We can arrange and assist with any media needs. For more information about planning your visit to Giles County or about activities and events, please visit www.gilescounty.org or contact us at tourism@gilescounty.org.

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Narrows Day Trip

Suggested Itinerary | Narrows Day Trip

Find this & and other day trip ideas to CRUSH FRIDAY here!

logo branding for Narrows

Morning- A visit to Narrows can begin at the Narrows Town Office and Visitors Center, located at 210 Main Street.

Just around the corner on Monroe Street are Centennial Park and The Mural of Narrows.  Next door to The Mural is the Narrows Farmer’s Market (open Friday 8am-5pm and Saturday 8am-noon; April thru October) where visitors can shop for local produce and handmade items. The Veterans Memorial Park is just a few steps away. This is the end of the Veterans Mile, which begins with the Route 61 bridge over New River. Across the street, enjoy the scenery at the duck pond and Mill Dam on Wolf Creek. Don’t forget to snap a picture with the LOVEWorks at the pond.

 

Creekside Classics (on Monroe Street across from the Farmer’s Market) offers primitive décor and some antiques. You may also enjoy Ms. Audre’s Fabrics & Fellowship on Main Street, just down from the Town Hall. If you’re looking for more riverside fun, enjoy the Camp Success Disc Golf for free!

 

disc golf

Lunch-Anna’s Restaurant on Monroe Street (open Tuesday-Sunday 11am-8pm and Sunday 12-4pm) has been an historic staple in downtown Narrows for many years. If alfresco dining suits better, make up a picnic lunch from Grant’s Supermarket and head to Centennial Park or the Narrows Town Park (follow Route 61W for about a quarter mile, sidewalks the entire way) and enjoy dining alfresco on the banks of Wolf Creek. The park also offers swimming in the creek, playground equipment and basketball courts.

 

Afternoon-Walk off that lunch with a hike at Mill Creek Nature Park. This park is located on the edge of town at the end of Northview Street and offers over 40 acres of natural beauty along Mill Creek. There are about miles of trails that are available for hiking or mountain biking. There are four waterfalls of varying sizes scattered along the trail that provide perfect settings for photographs. Fishing for native trout in the stream that runs through the park is also permitted (with appropriate licenses).

 

 

Evening-Return to Anna’s for your evening meal. Overnight accommodations are available at The Historic MacArthur Inn located downtown. If it’s a Thursday evening you can enjoy the Old Time Jam and dinner beginning at 5pm. This beautiful structure was built as a hotel in the 1940s.

 

For the more adventurous, Camp Success is located on Lurich Road at the confluence of Wolf Creek and the New River.  The campground offers primitive campsites along the river.  Registration can be made at the town office.

 

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Giles County, Virginia is located in Southwest Virginia approximately 40 minutes south of Roanoke and just west of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. With easy access to the New River, world class dining and lodging properties, and historical attractions for the entire family, Giles offers adventure in Virginia’s Mountain Playground™. Come find your playground at our Visitors Center located at 203 N Main Street, Pearisburg, VA 24134 or find us online at gilescounty.org or by calling 540-921-2079. For interviews or onsite visits, please contact Cora Gnegy, Tourism Marketing Director. We can arrange and assist with any media needs. For more information about planning your visit to Giles County or about activities and events, please visit www.gilescounty.org or contact us at tourism@gilescounty.org.