Get Outside newsletter header
In this issue
Weekend Update
Pete's Picks
Run a 5K with Furry Friends in Mind
Blue Ridge Marathon is for Kids, Too
Roanoke Dentist Office Goes Passivhaus
Check Out a Wilderness Beer Tasting
Upcoming Events To Keep Your Eye On
Line Divider 2
WEEKEND UPDATE         
Line Divider 2
PETE'S PICKS         
I didn't want any of you crashing my mini-vacation so I waited until this weekend to tell you what I did last weekend.

Last weekend my wife made a commitment to reconnect ... to our family and nature. So we turned off the phones, put away the iPad, and booked a cabin at Fairy Stone State Park. We've found that one of the best times to visit a State Park is during the off season. We shared the entire 4,639 acre park with one other couple - seriously.

Friday after work we loaded up the car with two dogs, two kids, two coolers and headed just one hour south of Roanoke where we checked into our little lake-side cabin. One of the coolest things about Virginia State Parks is the fact that the first six were built by the Civilian Conservation Corp during the Great Depression; and when you walk into one of these cabins you can feel this rich history. The cabins have been modernized and have full kitchens, heat, and a fireplace.

We spent the next two days hiking, building forts, exploring, hunting for fairy stones, hunting for frogs, playing board games by the fire, paddling, biking, hunting for pennies, and sitting by the lake.

So my recommendation is to reconnect:
  • Reserve a Fairy Stone State Park cabin online or by calling (800) 933-PARK. Fairy Stone State Park has two types of cabins (log cabins and cinderblock style). I recommend the log cabins.  Of the six original Virginia State Parks, three are very close to the Roanoke area - Fairy Stone, Douthat, and Hungry Mother - so pick another one if you can't find any availability at Fairy Stone.
Get outside!

 Pete Eshelman signature

Pete Eshelman 
Director of Outdoor Branding 

Roanoke Regional Partnership 
Find us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter  View our profile on LinkedIn  

Line Divider 2
RUN A 5K WITH FURRY FRIENDS IN MIND     

There is a new opportunity to run a spring 5K this year and it benefits the animals at the Roanoke Valley SPCA.

 

The Tail Chaser 5K and 1 Mile Walk is scheduled for March 30 on the Roanoke River Greenway. Registration is open. 

 

There are two race options and you can take part in either the 5K or the 1 Mile walk with your leashed dog. The 5K course is relatively flat and paved, beginning at Wasena Park through Smith Park to River's Edge and back. The 1 Mile Black Dog Salvage Dog Walk route is from Wasena Park to Vic Thomas Park and back. The 5K starts at 9 a.m. and the walk an hour later.

 

Registration is required for either event and you can save $10 by registering online in advance. T-shirts are available for participants who register early and prizes will be awarded to the top finishers and fundraisers.

 

Help the Roanoke Valley SPCA meet its $50,000 fundraising goal while getting active. Register for the event online and RSVP (and share) on Facebook. 
Line Divider 2
BLUE RIDGE MARATHON IS FOR KIDS, TOO     

Now is the time to start tracking miles for the YMCA Kids Marathon, part of the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon.

 

Kids of any age are invited to run, walk, hop, skip, roller blade, or swim their way to a cumulative distance of 26.2 miles. They really only need to tally 25.2 miles now through April 19 and on April 20 we will all run the final mile together in downtown Roanoke. Young marathoners will cross the same finish line as the elite athletes participating in the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon later that morning.

 

And this year's final mile will be even more fun -- kids get to run through clouds of color at the finish.

 

Find out more about the Kids Marathon and how to register >>> 
Line Divider 2
ROANOKE DENTIST OFFICE GOES PASSIVHAUS         
Drs. Randolph Dickey, John Singleton, and Sean Lynch recently opened the first dental office built with Passivhaus technology on Franklin Road in Roanoke.

This new, green dental office was designed by another Roanoke company, Structures Design/Build, and includes a variety of high-tech features that can reduce energy use by 70 percent.

Some of the features include triple pane windows, heating and cooling systems that work at 90 percent efficiency, a building with thermal bridges, and a fresh air ventilation system.

And while you may not build from scratch, living a greener lifestyle might be easier than you think.

Read on for easy ways you can go green at home >>> 
Line Divider 2
CHECK OUT A WILDERNESS BEER TASTING       
There is a reason Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing makes Outside Magazine's "Best Places to Work" list ... it's events like the upcoming International Beer Tasting and Dinner.

The Feb. 23 event features an international beer flights with 10 craft brews from pale lagers to stouts, selected by a few in-house connoisseurs and pub food served buffet-style. (Picking out a few great ales and dinner pairings is not a bad way to earn a living.) The tasting and dinner is $75 or $125 a couple and includes an overnight stay and breakfast. (And if you can't make it this month, there is an encore event March 9.)

Make the most of the trip and plan a hike to work off the calories from your beer tasting and dinner. The 4.5 mile Dragon's Tooth Hike would be a great moderate to difficult hike to try on the way home. Or if you are feeling a little more adventurous, hang around at Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing for a while and convince the staff to take you for a ride down their 900-foot zip line.

Get more information and find out how to register >>> 
Line Divider 2



Line Divider 2
UPCOMING EVENTS TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON       

Visit The RoanokeOutside.com Calendar of Events for details on these upcoming events!       

  • International Beer Tasting and Dinner - 2/23 
  • Explore Your Limits 5 & 10K - 3/2
  • Double Dawg Dare Mountain Bike Race - 3/2 
  • Instant Classic Trail Marathon & Half - 3/16
  • Montvale 5 and 10 Mile Trail Runs - 3/23   
  • Tail-Chaser 5K Run/Walk - 3/30 
  • Mill Mountain Mayhem 10K - 4/13  
  • Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon - 4/20   
Line Divider 2
Roanoke Regional Partnership

Roanoke Regional Partnership · 111 Franklin Plaza, Suite 333 · Roanoke, VA 24011
540.343.1550 X 104 · www.roanoke.org