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Photo by Chris Militzer
All aboard! Amtrak service connects Alexandria to Roanoke
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In October of 2017, Amtrak service returned to Roanoke after a $100 million-plus project including a new downtown platform. Ridership is expected to reach 38,000 trips this first year, connecting the city with Washington, D.C., New York and Boston.
Conveniently, I hopped aboard at Alexandria’s Union Station and settled in with a bite to eat and drinks from the cafe car for the five-hour ride. The trip takes about the same time as driving, but watching a movie on the laptop and seeing the world zip by outside while reclining in a comfy chair is light years ahead of sitting on I-81. The car wasn’t crowded at all, offering plenty of room to move around whenever needed. There was no shortage of mountain and vineyard views along the way, again beating out I-81’s tractor trailers and traffic jams.
Pro tip: If you're heading to a Virginia Tech football game, The Smart Way bus offers service from the Roanoke train station to Squires Student Center multiple times a day for $4.
Lodging
I stayed at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, with a unique ownership between Hilton, Virginia Tech and the City of Roanoke. Built in 1882 and on the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel has been beautifully restored with state-of-the-art technology, while maintaining the charm of the past from the antique-filled lobby to the AAA 4 Diamond rated Regency Room and their French-inspired Southern cuisine.
The hotel has a glass and steel enclosed walkway conveniently connecting it to downtown, and a complimentary shuttle within a five-mile radius, making it easy for families to get to restaurants and the train station. The pub downstairs and it's live music offered a fun spot to wrap up my evenings. In the mornings, the sunrise show coming up behind the mountains was a welcome surprise.
Craft beer scene
Now the fun part. Roanoke has definitely embraced the growing craft beer market, with many local breweries popping up as well as some major West Coast operations setting up shop around town. Here's a look:
- Ballast Point - www.ballastpoint.com This San Diego-based brewer opened a new 128-tap tasting room and restaurant in 2017 with a massive and well-run brewery and distribution center. Just outside of Roanoke, this place is all about the brews and views, and their delicious IPAs and incredible Blue Ridge Mountain views are a must see.
- Deschutes - www.deschutesbrewery.com With plans for the Bend, Oregon brewer to open an East Coast location in 2019, they have started a Downtown Roanoke Tasting Room with 15 taps of their tasty beverages available as well as growlers, crowlers and beer to go! Always a good crowd on hand, and located right in the middle of downtown, making it a good resting spot.
- Starr Hill - www.starrhill.com Twenty-three rotating taps are available at the Starr Hill Pilot Brewery & Side Stage. Starr Hill has a great spot showcasing live music performances as well as rotating local food trucks on their patio. It's a fun spot to try the one-off trial brews before they hit the big time and go into full production.
- Big Lick - www.biglickbrewingco.com Fresh off the Forbes magazine Top-50 list for craft beer growth, this downtown brewer has the largest beer garden in the area with weekly rotating taps and growler fills to go. Food is available for delivery on site from a few local restaurants so you don't have to stop the fun! (Watch out for the ghost!)
Dining
- Fortunato - www.fortunatoroanoke.com Locals rave about the pizzas, but don't miss the Short Ribs and Gorgonzola Polenta. Located in downtown Roanoke.
- Blue Apron Restaurant & Red Rooster Bar - www.blueapronredrooster.com Fantastic service and tasty food and drinks, located on Main Street in Salem. Loved The Rye Stand cocktail!
- Blue 5 - www.blue5restaurant.com Casual yet upscale Southern menu, a wide selection of beers and live music three nights a week. Located in downtown Roanoke.
Five things to do
I think everyone expects there to to be amazing hiking, rafting and mountain biking in an area like this, and you wouldn’t be disappointed. When you’re done with that, here are a few things you might not expect.
- Virginia Museum of Transportation - Planes, trains and automobiles...literally. See a great collection here of locomotives, celebrating the rail history of Roanoke. Great for kids!
- Black Dog Salvage - As seen on HGTV, DIY and GAC, these guys repurpose salvage items into usable and beautiful pieces of art and furniture. Visit one of their two enormous warehouses to meet the crew and pick up some of their handiwork (also available online https://shop.blackdogsalvage.com/ ).
- Taubman Museum of Art - Designed by Randall Stout to reflect the natural elements of the Roanoke area, with 15-20 exhibitions per year, and great kids programs.
- Salem Red Sox - Minor league farm team of the Boston Red Sox, showcasing future stars, with a stadium view that could put a lot of pro parks to shame!
- The Roanoke Star - Perched upon Mill Mountain, the star can be seen from miles around Roanoke, hence the Star City nickname. The view from the star itself offers a wide panorama of Virginia’s Blue Ridge below.
