We still got moonshiners and banjos...

YA'LL JUST GOTTA GET OUT HERE AND GO TO THE FLOYD COUNTRY STORE FRIDAY NIGHT JAMBOREE!

It's famous, that's right it is! 

It has been featured in WA Post, USA TODAY, Roanoke Times, The Smithsonian Magazine and tons of others, see full list here.

A guest asked me if this is right in town here, heck no! It is not in our town, it's in another town, but it is all part of our area, what we call the Blue Ridge.  Let me explain it this way:

1. Rocky Mount is the first stop on The Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail.  
2. Stop #2 is at our Blue Ridge Institute just 8 miles from here out Route 40 West where they currently have the The Virginia Dulcimer: 200 Years of Bowing, Strumming, & Picking exhibit.  
3. Then head on up over Shooting Creek Road (ask your innkeeper to tell you where it got its name) and onto the Blue Ridge Parkway (wish her a happy birthday, she turned 75 this year) and on toward Floyd Virginia.  It is a gorgeous 50 minute country drive through some of Franklin County's best dairy land, the scenery is breathtaking!

There are some quirky restaurants in Floyd as well, most of them also feature live music.  Top of my head I can recommend to you:

The Historic Pine Tavern (especially if there are more than one of you!) The Pine Tavern serves country cookin' family style.  "What does this mean?" you city slickers had to ask.  Country style means they bring out the food to your table and you help y'self, then they bring out more food and more food.  Kinda like a boo-fay at Granny's house. "More homemade fresh peach cobbler sir?"  Why don't mind if I do!  As they say, "The food's so good you'll slap yer mama!"

DogTown RoadHouse authentic wood fired pizza in The Sun Music Hall. Live bands every Friday night.  I don't need to defend wood fired pizza in any form or fashion, my mouth waters just saying those three words together!

Oddfellas Cantina - fresh, local and live music to boot!  If you like organic and food prepared simply and artfully you will love Oddfellas. 

Floyd Country Store Fall Music Schedule 2010

Schedule

Friday, October 1

6:30 Janet Turner & Friends

7:30 The Mountain Music String Band

9:00 The Buck Mountain Band

Saturday, October 2

12:00 Americana Afternoon with Master Grass

1:30 Americana Open Mic

Sunday, October 3

2:00 – 5:00 Traditional Mountain Music Jam

7:00 Special Evening Concert Featuring April Verch Band

Tickets $12, on-sale now!

Friday, October 8

6:30 Charles McGuire & Friends

7:30 The Rigney Family Bluegrass

9:00 The Virginia Mule Jumpers

Saturday, October 9

12:00 Americana Afternoon with Kat Mills

1:30 Americana Open Mic

8:00 Special Evening Concert Featuring Friends of Bernie

Tickets $10, on-sale now!

Sunday, October 10

2:00 – 5:00 Traditional Mountain Music Jam

Friday, October 15

6:30 Heavens Mountain Band

7:30 Katie & The Bubbatones

9:00 Lightning Jack & The Woodchucks

Saturday, October 16

12:00 Americana Afternoon

1:30 Americana Open Mic

7:30 Old Time Country Dance featuring the Slate Mountain Ramblers

Tickets $8.00 at the door!

Sunday, October 17

2:00 – 5:00 Traditional Mountain Music Jam

Friday, October 22

6:30 Frozen Fingers

7:30 The Sigmon Stringers

9:00 The Clyde Williams Band

Saturday, October 23

12:00 Americana Afternoon with Dave Fason

1:30 Americana Open Mic

8:00 Special Evening Concert Featuring Amber Collins & No Speed Limit

Tickets $12, on-sale now!

Sunday, October 24

2:00 – 5:00 Traditional Mountain Music Jam

Friday, October 29

6:30 Bill & Maggie

7:30 The Black Twig Pickers

9:00 The Snow Creek Old Time Band

Saturday, October 30

12:00 Americana Afternoon

1:30 Americana Open Mic

7:30 Special Halloween Costume Dance with the White Top Mountain Band

Sunday, October 31

2:00 – 5:00 Traditional Mountain Music Jam

Remember y'all, bluegrass came from these mountains.  Don't expect to go and sit in a theater and be entertained, go and tap yer toes, kick up yer heels, you won't be able to sit still once the strummin' and the pickin' starts!  Oh and Welcome to Blue Ridge Country!

VIRGINIA IS FOR BLUEGRASS LOVERS

Shellie your innkeeper @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount, VA - Blue Ridge Country! You can book your room online at any time right here, and save $10 per night. Stay three nights midweek and save $75!

The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is 15 miles to three exits off The Blue Ridge Parkway. Did you know The Blue Ridge Parkway has more variety of leafy trees than anywhere else? 

Now I did all this work to put ALL OF THIS together for you, so get on out here and visit this part of the country!  Make some notes, get out your map - that thing you use as a coaster on your desk, no, your GPS is not a map - see this article to remind you of this fact.   This is the country, not the city!  This might not be the outback, but we still got moonshiners and banjos...

Welcome to Blue Ridge Virginia!

MEET VIRGINIA - SHE'S BREATHTAKING!

Meet our Cahas Mountain here in Franklin County Virginia

This mountain is a few miles from The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast here in Franklin County Virginia.  Peak Leaf season here in the shadow of the Blue Ridge is END OF OCTOBER and EARLY NOVEMBER.  Click here for a Virginia Leaf Gauge.  More on adventure tourism in the Blue Ridge Highlands here.

(The Claiborne House B&B last year end of October)

VIRGINIA IS FOR LEAF LOVERS

Shellie your innkeeper @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount, VA - Blue Ridge Country! You can book your room online at any time right here, and save $10 per night.  Better yet stay with us three nights midweek and save $75! Book online right here.

The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is 15 miles to three exits off The Blue Ridge Parkway. Did you know The Blue Ridge Parkway has more variety of leafy trees than anywhere else? 

Celebrate 10/10/10 at The Claiborne House with a free gift!

In honor of this once in a lifetime special day, we are offering guests who stay with us on 10/10/10 a complimentary bouquet of fresh flowers!  Valued at $33.

Book your room online for October 10, 2010 and we will have a lovely fresh bouquet waiting for you to surprise your sweetie at check-in here at The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast.

VIRGINIA IS FOR ROMANCE LOVERS

Shellie your innkeeper @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount, VA - Blue Ridge Country! You can book your room online at any time right here, and save $10 per night.  Better yet stay with us three nights midweek and save $75! Book online right here.

The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is 15 miles to three exits off The Blue Ridge Parkway. Did you know The Blue Ridge Parkway has more variety of leafy trees than anywhere else? 

Two Great Fall Rail Excursions and See the Leaves in Their Peak!

Roanoke Chapter National Railway Historical Society are pleased to announce that again this year, we will be offering two fine rail excursion trips.  (Note to visitors, we do not have rail service in Roanoke, this is an extraordinary experience, get your tickets asap as space is limited!)

On Saturday, November 6, our Amtrak excursion train will operate from Roanoke east, crossing over to the former Virginian mainline to near Altravista, Virginia, where we proceed south on the former Souther mainline to the historic city of Danville, Virginia. Returning to Roanoke, we will take a slightly different route. We'll proceed north to Lynchburg, where we will turn west. We will then pass through Forest, Bedford and Blue Ridge enroute to Roanoke over the original N&W Railway.  See detailed description of this trip on their PDF flyer here.

On Sunday, November 7, we again offer one of our most popular trips. This day offers mountain railroading at its finest traveling to Bluefield, West Virginia. Featuring the climb up Christiansburg Mountain, the beautiful New River Valley, bridges, tunnels and a final climb to Bluefield. We have arranged for a variety of eating places and other nearby activities at Bluefield and Danville.  See detailed description of this trip on their PDF flyer here.

Amtrak Excursion On Line Tickets

November 6-7, 2010

These excursions are primarily an operation of the Roanoke Chapter NRHS, but in the spirit of local rail group cooperation, we are partnering with the other organizations to make tickets available.

Dome Class, Lounge Car Class are ONLY sold

via the Roanoke Chapter NRHS 540-774-0611

Website here

Coach tickets are also sold by:

• O. Winston Link Museum – 540-982-5465 and
• Va. Museum of Transportation – 540-342-5670
• Danville Welcome Center (434) 793-4636
• Bluefield CVB (304) 325-8438
• or from the N&W Historical Society via internet.
• ORDER TICKETS ONLINE HERE

Ticket prices here.

FAQS about this Fall Excursion - click here.

The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is 25 minutes to Downtown Roanoke.  You can book your room online from our website here. 

PS your innkeeper has a birthday that week if anyone wants to shout us a couple tickets for the Sunday Bluefield Excursion.

VIRGINIA IS FOR CHOO CHOO TWAIN LOVERS

Shellie your innkeeper @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount, VA - Blue Ridge Country! You can book your room online at any time right here, and save $10 per night.  

The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is 15 miles to three exits off The Blue Ridge Parkway. Did you know The Blue Ridge Parkway has more variety of leafy trees than anywhere else? 

Would you really like to know why they are here?

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF THIS INNKEEPERS LIFE
This is a true statement.  All those years ago dreaming of owning an inn never prepared me for this...the guests. With my rose-colored glasses securely affixed over my eyes, I felt I would enjoy our guests no matter what locale we chose for our B&B.  WRONG!  Variety of guests is what makes this business fun! What makes the difference in our day to day here.

(Photo of inn-room flowers from today at The Claiborne House B&B)

Any guest sitting around the breakfast table at The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast can attest to the fact that we have great guests.   We say it and people think we make this stuff up, but it is true!   Let me give you a run down from this week of the guests who sleep gently in our beds and relax on our porch here at The Claiborne House.

• Strummin’ and Pickin’ visiting the Dulcimer Exhibit at Blue Ridge Institute from NY.  
• Young and in Love Honeymooners from Alabama
• Schmoozin’ and Cruisin’ from Northern Virginia – Enjoying the Murder Mystery Dinner Cruise at our Smith Mountain Lake (A Romantic package we offer at The Claiborne House with flowers and sparkling cider at check in) 
• Parents from P-A - Parents weekend at Ferrum College
• History Buffs - Visiting "Bad Boy of the Confederacy" Jubal Early’s Homestead two rooms from Tennessee
• Draft Horse Expo - He likes Drafts horses she has riding horses and fox hunts VA
• Blue Ridge Getaway – week long stay from Jersey, two couples
• Real Estate Research from North Carolina – Franklin County has one of the lowest tax rates in the state and some of the best schools, we also have mild climate, two large lakes, mountains, a wonderful southern culture.  
• Anniversary Getaway from Georgia
• Visit to Mayberry - it's the 50^th Anniversary of the Andy Griffith Show in Mt Airy NC – From PA
• Girlfriend Getaway – we are centrally located on the MidAtlantic – these ladies are meeting up from the north and the south.

That is just a sampling, of course we have so much more here - the music, the mountains, the lakes, recreation, history, country roads, NASCAR, antiques, romance...we have just about everything except A THEME PARK and OUTLET STORES.  Hallelujah pass the butter!

VIRGINIA IS FOR WHATEVER YOU FANCY LOVERS

Shellie your innkeeper @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount, VA - Blue Ridge Country! You can book your room online at any time right here, and save $10 per night.  

The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is 15 miles to three exits off The Blue Ridge Parkway. Did you know The Blue Ridge Parkway has more variety of leafy trees than anywhere else? 

Moonlight Trail Rides

ROMANCE UNDER THE MOON with a 1000 POUND ANIMAL BETWEEN YOUR LEGS
Located in enchanting Bedford County, VA a stone's throw from the Blue Ridge Parkway and Peaks of Otter; a short drive to D-Day Memorial, Smith Mtn Lake, Lynchburg and Roanoke. Horseback trail riding., a visit here will relax and yet exhilarate you. 

Upcoming Special Events:

MOONLIGHT TRAIL RIDES @ $40.00 per person (Complimentary refreshments following the ride) 8:00 PM Fri, Oct 22nd; Sat, Nov 20th

COWBOY CHRISTMAS TRAIL RIDE - December
$75.00 per person plus tax. Includes trail ride, decorating XMas tree with edible ornaments for wildlife while out on the trail ride, cowboy-style lunch and campfire following the ride.


REBA FARM INN and SADDLE SOAR
1099 Reba Farm Lane
Bedford, VA 24523Driving Directions 
Phone: (540) 586-1906
Toll Free: (888) 235-3574
Email:  rebafarminn@rebafarminn.com   Website:  www.rebafarminn.com

Your innkeepers at The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast highly recommend a visit To Reba Farm Inn for a trail ride!  Tell Kathleen and Ron we sent ya!

Reba Farm and Saddle Soar is an hour drive from The Claiborne House B&B.

VIRGINIA IS FOR HORSE LOVERS

Shellie your innkeeper @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount, VA - Blue Ridge Country! You can book your room online at any time right here, and save $10 per night.  Better yet stay with us three nights midweek and save $75! Book online right here.

The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is 15 miles to three exits off The Blue Ridge Parkway. Did you know The Blue Ridge Parkway has more variety of leafy trees than anywhere else? 

Day Tripping Paradise in Virginia Blue Ridge

Shenandoah Valley - Southern Driving Tour of History and Culture

Drive the southern portion of the Shenandoah Valley with these sites along the way.

Staunton

The German Farm is one of four farms at
the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton.

Begin in Staunton and enjoy five National Historic Districts, where many artist studios and galleries also are located.

At the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace, your group will learn about Wilson's first wife who was a talented artist.

Tour the Frontier Culture Museum where they will learn about the various European cultures that influenced the lifestyles of the settlers that settled in the Valley, and to see the blending of these cultures in the New World.

Afterwards, enjoy a performance at Shenandoah Shakespeare's The Blackfriars Playhouse, the only re-creation in the world of William Shakespeare's legendary indoor theatre.

Waynesboro

Travel to nearby Waynesboro to visit the Artisans Center of Virginia and P. Buckley Moss Museum featuring works by one of America's most popular artists.

Lexington

Virginia Military Institute

See the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery. Walk across the beautiful front campus and colonnade at Washington & Lee University to the Lee Chapel and Museum.

Tour the post and parade ground at Virginia Military Institute, the nation's oldest state supported military college. Include a visit to the VMI Cadet Museum and the George C. Marshall Museum at VMI.

Take a guided tour of the Stonewall Jackson House, the only home the Confederate General ever owned.

In the evening, you might enjoy a performance at the beautiful outdoor Theater at Lime Kiln.

Natural

Travel to Natural Bridge of Virginia for a breathtaking and memorable experience of one of Virginia's most cherished natural wonders. Adventure past the Natural Bridge to the Monacan Indian Living History Village.

In the evening, enjoy the Natural Bridge Drama of Creation, an entertaining sound and light show.

Roanoke

See the Historic Farmers' Market and all the the cultural attractions at Center in the Square in downtown Roanoke, which is home to the Art Museum, History Museum and Science Museum of Western Virginia.

Then, travel up to see the Valley's most spectacular overlook. From here you'll see the city's most famous landmark -The Roanoke Star. This 100-foot star, constructed in 1949, is illuminated

Top off your tour at the Virginia Museum of Transportation exhibiting nearly 60 pieces of rolling stock including the Class J-611 and 1218 steam engines!

Virginia's Explore Park depicts a historical view of this region with interpreters to relay everyday experiences and to answer questions.

Following dinner, you can enjoy a live theatrical performance at Mill Mountain Theater.

Bedford

The Monument of the Dead
at the National D-Day Monument in Bedford

Next, travel 40 minutes east to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, a tribute to the Allied Forces on D-Day.

Hardy

Visit the Booker T. Washington National Monument to see plantation life of a well known black educator. This is 8 miles from The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Franklin County.

Blog article info from Shenandoah Valley South Driving Tour - Virginia Is For Lovers

VIRGINIA IS FOR HISTORY AND CULTURE LOVERS

Shellie your innkeeper @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount, VA - Blue Ridge Country! You can book your room online at any time right here, and save $10 per night.  Better yet stay with us three nights midweek and save $75! Book online right here.

The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is 15 miles to three exits off The Blue Ridge Parkway. Did you know The Blue Ridge Parkway has more variety of leafy trees than anywhere else?