Make Musical Memories Traveling West on The Crooked Road
The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, winding through the ruggedly beautiful Appalachian Mountains, leads you to the major hotspots of bluegrass, old time, and traditional American mountain music. This amazing fall getaway will create memories you'll treasure for a lifetime, beginning in Ferrum and ending in Damascus.
Day 1:
Begin your getaway touring the
Blue Ridge Institute and Museum at Ferrum College. They promote a special understanding of regional folklife through the music and arts of the Blue Ridge - it's a great start to gear you up for the rest of the getaway.
Floyd is 45 minutes west of Ferrum. It's the home of traditional bluegrass, old time music and dancing. One of the "must-see's" along The Crooked Road is the famed
Floyd Country Store, home of the Friday Night Jamboree.
Enjoy the hour drive to
Galax, where a downtown visit showcases the many famous musicians of the region at the
Rex Theater every Friday night. Visit the
Blue Ridge Music Center where the National Park Service has created a facility to preserve the traditional music of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There's a tasty pulled pork barbeque sandwich waiting for you at
The Galax Smokehouse! Whatever you do, DO dessert. The Smokehouse banana pudding was rated "Best Dessert in the South" by
Virginia Living Magazine. Rest up for tomorrow at A Place By The Parkway - your cabin with a view! They're hoping you'll stretch your stay by a couple of days by giving you a fourth night free! It might be a great place to explore from.
Day 2:
Enjoy a good breakfast at
Cones n Coffee before heading west to
Independence, a quick 20 minutes away. There are a couple of fun
fall festivals there. Will today be the day you race a privy or will you sit back and enjoy native music? If you desire a little outdoor adventure instead of a festival, continue on to
Damascus. It's about an hour west and is home to the
Virginia Creeper Trail, 34.3 miles of rails-to-trails beauty. This is one of Virginia's best fall hike/bike destinations. It's not bad for photographers or birders either! The trail to the west goes to
Abingdon and back to the east is
Whitetop Mountain. Choose your adventure! The
Creeper Trail Cafe will be awaiting your arrival back in Damascus.
Day 3:
If you're not having an extended stay, then this is the day to back-track from Galax. Before heading out, stop by
Barr's Fiddle Shop where you can find handmade, authentic, straight-from-The Crooked Road instruments. If you're not a musician, you can at least take home a souvenir t-shirt. And who knows, an impromptu jam session might just break out while someone's on the pick'n bench.
Meadows of Dan is about 45 minutes east and home to
Mabry Mill. This is one of the most photographed places in America and you won't want to miss it in the fall! Continuing back from whence you came is Floyd. Stop at Chateau Morrisette to sample their award-winning vintages. Their
restaurant is open for lunch every day during the month of October, so plan to sip
and dine.
VIRGINIA IS FOR CROOKED ROAD LOVERS
The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is just one block from the FIRST STOP (Roadside Kiosk) on The Crooked Road. We are just 8 miles to The Blue Ridge Institute in Ferrum, VA. Our Franklin County VA has more weekly wng dings and jams than any other on this music trail! Biscuits and bluegrass? We got that! We are also a certified Green Lodging!
The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is 15 miles to three exits off The Blue Ridge Parkway. We are located at the half-way point of this beloved road in Virginia, exit at MP 121. We were awarded a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor - click here to see our certificate.
Contact Information:
Fresh
mountain air, endless views and blazing colors of autumn are what you'll find
around every glorious curve on the famous Blue Ridge Parkway. Consistently
named one of America's favorite drives, the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most
visited unit of the National Park Service. There are numerous access points
throughout the region, so make the Roanoke Valley your hub as you explore the
one-and-only Blue Ridge Parkway.
The
Roanoke Valley in the fall is a perennial favorite for motorcyclists.
The winding country roads with spectacular views draw bikers from all across
the United States. But wait until you hear the rest of the story. From the
quiet towns to the bustling cities of Salem and Roanoke, the communities of the
Roanoke Valley welcome motorcycle riders with open arms and genuine southern
hospitality. (Claiborne House B&B has off street paved parking and innvites all riders to come on over and stay with us in Rocky Mount VA!)
A Dozen Authors will share their passion, their books, and themselves with you and your friends, old and new. So show up, and share your passion for books with a few of your favorite writers!
