- [Narrator] Support comes from Blue Heron Realty company, specializing in waterfront and water access properties, and the coastal communities on Virginia's Eastern Shore since 1993.

Learn more at Blueheronva.com.

Support comes from Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.

Kids need special care, and grown-ups need to know that care is nearby.

We know how to treat kids.

CHKD.

Kids are more than patients, and we're more than a hospital.

Support comes from Capitol Records Nashville, part of the Universal Music Group Nashville, bringing you new music from Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood, and Eric Church.

Capitol Records Nashville, available anywhere music is sold.

Sponsored in part by the Roc Solid Foundation.

Roc Solid believes that play defeats cancer, because when kids are playing, cancer is the last thing on their minds.

Roc Solid Foundation, building hope for kids fighting cancer through the power of play.

(upbeat country music) - [Dave] That is quite the view, isn't it?

This is the Great Valley Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway outside of Roanoke.

Hi everybody, I'm Dave Parker, It is great to be with ya.

We are going to be spending some time together in Roanoke.

There is so much to like about this area.

The outdoor scene here is just incredible.

Not only is there the Blue Ridge Parkway, but there's also world-class hiking on the Appalachian Trail, there's all kinds of water sports.

There is some of, if not the best, mountain biking on the entire East Coast, and the downtown area continues to expand with activities, and also the arts.

And yes, there is some really good eating and drinking to be had.

"Virginia Found" is in Roanoke.

Let's start in downtown.

I've always said that Roanoke offers that great balance of a vibrant city in a mountain setting.

Downtown is the key to that.

For being relatively small, there's a lot to do.

This is where you'll find many of the restaurants, an eclectic blend of them, by the way, and where you can walk and shop.

The city does a great job of drawing people in with entertainment, (upbeat jazz music) and events like their annual Sidewalk Art Show.

With close to 150 artist, it is Virginia's oldest outdoor art show, now over 60 years in the making.

Those 60 plus years are less than half of the other long running event in Downtown.

[Dave] Well, good morning.

For our first full day in Roanoke, we are at one of the longest running farmers market in the state of Virginia, which is 139 years.

They're only closed two days out of the year, and that would be Christmas and New Year's.

This is the Downtown Historic Farmer's Market.

To be one of the vendors here, you have to be within 50 miles, which means plenty of fresh meats, produce, and crafts.

(upbeat harmonica music) (transition whooshing) (transition whooshing) (transition whooshing) This is not the only fresh produce game in town.

About 10 to 15 minutes away, in the Grandin section, you'll find another market, also on Saturdays.

It's smaller, but filled with goods that are all locally made and harvested.

From cheeses to herbs, breads to local poultry and pork, there's some really good stuff here.

The Grandin Village Farmer's Market is a great find for you when you're in town.

Of course, all of this fresh produce isn't only found on tables and parking lots.

(pan sizzling) (soft music) The River and Rail Restaurant makes full use of what this beautiful part of the state offers.

It's where you'll find Executive Chef, (Executive Chef chatting) Tyler Thomas.

(pan sizzling) - [Tyler] Very pleasant.

(pan clanging) - [Dave] You and I were talking earlier about the beginnings of a dish, what you put into something, whether it's food or anything in life, what you put in is a big part of what comes out, so when you start with ingredients in this part of Virginia, that means everything, doesn't it?

- [Tyler] Absolutely.

We are in a wonderful area with a lot of wonderful producers, farmers, and they make my job really easy this time of year.

It's kind of peak season.

All the vegetables are here.

Not only is it delicious, it's visually stunning, and with a little bit of technique, we take these awesome vegetables, get 'em to the plate, and wow the customers.

- [Dave] So speaking of cooking, what are we making today?

- [Tyler] We're going to do a simple dish.

Like I said, this time of year, all the ingredients are great, so with a little heat and seasoning, and a bit of technique, we're going to take an Autumn Olive Farms pork chop, beautiful Berkshire Cross with Ossabaw, grill that up, and then do almost a succotash.

We're just going to highlight- - [Dave] Nice.

- The beautiful local produce, and then put it over some grits from a man named Tom Maxi, that mills 'em just for us.

- [Dave] And who doesn't like a good succotash over grits?

All right, (Dave clapping hands) let's go.

It all begins with this: locally harvested pork you're unlikely to find in a grocery store.

- [Tyler] So what we're going to do is sear it hard on both sides, (pork sizzling) and we're going to take it like right medium rare, medium.

- [Dave] Okay.

For somebody trying that at home, key temperature for them that they're shooting for?

- [Tyler] Let's shoot for 130, make it a nice round number.

- [Dave] Oh, okay.

(pork sizzling) - That's a little bit lower than a lot of people expect, (pork sizzling) and that's another conversation as well, why some people blow pork away, and want to cook it well done, but this pork doesn't have any of those contributing factors, so we're going to take it to medium rare, medium, and then enjoy it the way it's intended to be.

- [Dave] Okay.

(Chef Tyler chatting) To make his version of a succotash, Chef Tyler starts with the juice of the cooked pork, (pan sizzling) sautees the veggies in that with a little butter.

(pan sizzling) He then ties it together with a juiced sweet corn.

I mean, wow.

(Chef Tyler chatting) The plating starts with the locally ground grits, some of the veggies that have a slight char, the juiced corn, this magnificent thing on top, and a few more bright veggies, then finished with his favorite seasonal herb, fresh basil.

[Dave] This is 100% my favorite part of doing this show.

This looks fantastic, and I've cooked a lot of pork chops.

It's never looked like that.

The marbling and the color, and it's just, it really is a beautiful, not just cut of meat, but a beautiful cook job on this.

- [Tyler] Oh, thank you.

Yeah, it's truly something to appreciate.

The genetics that go into this pork create different colors and different muscles, and you'll find that the fat that you're about to eat's not chewy at all, melts in your mouth, really (cutlery clanging) incredible pork.

- [Dave] And I've never had (cutlery clanging) pork with grits, and the... you said juiced corn?

I keep so wanting to say puree.

- No.

Well, so corn puree's an easy way to say it, but we actually do juice- - [Dave] Mm.

- [Tyler] The corn itself, strain it, and then thicken it.

- [Dave] Mm.

And for people who might not like okra, you need to try this at the River and Rail.

- Yeah.

- [Dave] Chef Tyler, this is fantastic.

- [Tyler] Yeah, thank you so much.

- [Dave] Thank you so much for your time.

Thanks for this awesome plate of food.

- [Tyler] Yeah.

Pleasure to cook for you.

- [Dave] Thank you.

(upbeat jazz music) After good food, good drink, right?

Virginia's Blue Ridge Cheers Trail can help with that.

One of the stops on the trail is this place, Big Lick Brewing in Downtown.

There's cornhole out front, just in case you didn't know it was a brewery.

Inside, great space, great beer.

(people chatting) The place was hopping as the evening wore on, but it was an early night for me, which can be a good thing when you're staying here.

This is The Hotel Roanoke.

[Dave] The signature lodging venue in Roanoke is The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center.

Dates back to the 1880s, has 330 rooms.

Because it has a conference center, it spans 65,000 square feet.

It is just a beautiful property to walk through.

Because part of the building dates back to its over century old history, but with millions of dollars in renovations, it is very much in the present.

(upbeat piano and violin music) (boat engine revving) If you're going to talk about Roanoke, you need to talk about Smith Mountain Lake.

Less than an hour to the Southwest, it is not just one of the big recreation spots near Roanoke, but one of the biggest in the state.

What began as a hydroelectric project in the 1960s is now a vacation destination for (people chatting) thousands each year.

(upbeat guitar music) It's huge, by the way, with over 500 miles of shoreline.

The deepest point is about 250 feet, but the average depth (machine beeping) is 55.

(jet ski engine revving) (water splashing) Boating and fishing are the things that make lake life float here.

That means the marinas are the hubs that bring people together for food, supplies, and above all else, gas.

While maybe far from a night at the Hotel Roanoke, families will spend days on rented houseboats.

If you'd like to have solid ground under your feet at night, there are also condos, hotels close by, and a long, long list of houses you can rent, but despite all the houses, (wind gust blowing) watercraft, and all the other stuff here, Smith Mountain Lake really gives you that feeling of getting away.

(boat engine revving) That's part of what brought Keith Wren here, first as an annual vacationer, and now, a permanent resident.

- [Keith] I think living here on the water, and in the woods, and in the nature has changed us quite a bit.

It gives you a lot more time to realize what life is really about.

Back home, with the hustle and bustle of the city, you work, sleep, eat, and you kind of forget what life is about, but up here, there are long periods of time during the day or during the evening to just sit outside, look at the water, listen to the birds, watch the deer, and really decide what's important in life.

I wouldn't change a thing about it right now.

(upbeat music) - [Dave] Smith Mountain Lake exists, because the Roanoke River was one of the rivers that was dammed.

But the free flowing part cuts right through downtown Roanoke.

Just 20 minutes from the center of downtown is Explore Park, 1,100 acres of family fun.

There's Treetop Quest, which features zip lines, plus obstacles to climb over and through.

There's mountain biking, which we'll get into a lot more later, and of course, there's plenty to do along the river.

Blue Mountain Adventures is your hookup for being on the water.

(water running) [Dave] Hm.

How pretty is this?

You know, what's amazing is you can be in this tube, floating down the Roanoke River, just 20 minutes from downtown Roanoke.

This float, it's about a mile.

It takes about an hour and a half, depending on the water level.

There are four class 1 and class 2 rapids, so it's nothing too gnarly.

It is great (soft guitar music) for family fun and adventure.

You can make a day of Explore Park, or turn it into several.

There are primitive camp sites, or you can rent a site that already has a tent set up for you.

Oh, and I thought this was cool: there are treetop platforms for camping that look out over the river.

If glamping is more your style, here you go.

These are like the honeymoon suites of camping.

First class all the way.

Even better, they have a brew pub at Explore Park, with beer that flows out of a building from the late 1790s.

It's a great way to wrap up a day outside.

This is where I met (Dave chatting) Stan Miskovsky and Genya Kalinina, who run the Best of Roanoke account on Instagram.

How do you like Roanoke?

What's your favorite part of living here?

- [Genya] We love Roanoke.

When we... in fact we love it so much, we started an Instagram page talking about how much we love it, so (Genya laughing) yeah, we love the outdoors here, by far our favorite thing, there's just so much to do, and everything is so close that, I mean, we can go do a hike after work, because there is a trailhead 10 minutes from our house, so you don't find that just anywhere.

- [Dave] That's right.

Many of those trailheads are used for what is now one of the biggest draws to Virginia's Blue Ridge, mountain biking.

Billed as America's East Coast Mountain Biking Capital, this part of Virginia is a designated Silver Level Ride Center, which is a really big deal in the mountain biking community, and for the area as a whole.

You can see that influence of outdoor activity just about everywhere around Roanoke.

It's a big part of the feel of the area.

Less than 30 minutes north Northwest of Roanoke is Carvins Cove, a huge draw for mountain bikers, so much so that within just 30 minutes of being in the parking lot, I found enthusiasts from DC to Michigan.

So we've got DC.

- Yep.

- [Dave] Michigan.

- Yep.

- [Dave] And you're also from Michigan?

- Yep.

- [Dave] All right, so why are you here?

- [Bicyclist] We heard about the mountain biking.

I did a lot of research, planning a trip, and this was one of the best options, it looked like.

- [Dave] Pretty exciting day for you out on the trail, huh?

- [Bicyclist] Yeah, yeah.

Super exciting, so it's my last day here on Roanoke here, came down the trail on Songbird here, went around the trail, bear within 15, 20 feet of me- - [Dave] Wow.

- [Bicyclist] Just kind of looked right at it, (man laughing) looked at me, slowly just kind of went past it, didn't want to scare it.

Like I said, it's my last day here, so it was a very welcoming... (man and Dave laughing) I'm ready to move on to my next location after that, so- (upbeat accordion music) - [Dave] If sightseeing on four wheels, or two feet, is more your style, no visit to Roanoke is complete without going to see the Star.

Paris has the Eiffel Tower, San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge.

Roanoke has the Star on Mill Mountain, which is just five minutes from downtown.

Originally installed in 1949 as a Christmas decoration, it's how Roanoke came to be known as the Star City of the South.

Fun fact: it's the world's largest freestanding, illuminated man-made star.

Also on the mountain, you'll find a zoo and some beautiful areas in which to relax, and simply enjoy the scenery.

- [John] So this drink right here is one of the most popular drinks that they have, and is not on the menu.

- [Dave] It's always nice to go out to dinner with someone who knows which drinks aren't even on the menu.

(man chatting) This is John Park, a food evangelist for the area.

We met at one of John's recommended restaurants Downtown, Lucky.

- [John] I feel like Roanoke has an eclectic mix of cuisines, and a lot of that, I think, tends to come from our population.

(customers chatting) We do have a pretty diverse population here.

I actually celebrate the fact that we have more than just one type of cuisine, or one style of cuisine in the city.

- [Dave] As proof of that, John kicked off our meal with this.

- [John] This is the roasted bone marrow, and it has a English pea puree on the side.

- [Dave] If roasted bone marrow sounds a little off-putting, John has some perspective for you.

- [John] But you start thinking about the whole bone broth movement we had the past couple of years, you're essentially boiling out all of the bone marrow in the bone broth to get what is bone broth, so all the goodness of bone broth just condensed into the marrow.

- [Dave] This was much more satisfying (customers chatting) than bone broth, but one thing we're not going to show you.

- [John] And then if you finished with the bone marrow, then you gotta do a bone marrow luge: a shot of bourbon down the bone marrow.

- [Dave] We're 100% going to do that.

(John laughing) (upbeat music) - Wow.

[Dave] There are certain culinary itches that need to be scratched, and in Roanoke, that is the Texas Tavern.

If the restaurant, Lucky, is reaching for the future of Roanoke.

- [Server] Here you go, here's your change.

- [Customer] Thank you.

- The historic Texas Tavern in downtown is happily stuck in the past.

Built in 1930 and still family-owned, the Tavern serves comfort food.

(paper crinkling) - [Man] You do a carpooling concert?

- [Dave] Especially the kind that people find comforting after a late night of well, entertainment.

It's open 24/7 and only closed on Christmas day.

Part of the fun of eating here is just being here.

(customers chatting) It can be quite entertaining.

- [Server] Look, you're going to do what I tell you do, man.

- [Server] Here's just three large cheeseburgers.

Everything else is already- - [Dave] And when's the last time you saw cold buttermilk on the menu?

Ah, the menu.

It hasn't changed much.

90 plus years later, hamburgers and hot dogs are still just $1.75.

The most expensive thing is about $3.

[Dave] What do you like about the Texas Tavern?

- [Guest] I like that it's a no-frills meal that you can get late night It's good and it's cheap.

You can also get it all day- - Yup.

- And then get it to go and take it home, and everybody at home loves it.

- [Woman] Yeah.

- [Dave] All right, so here's a chance for you to win a trivia question at the Texas Tavern, and that is what is the most popular item at the Texas Tavern, and that would be a Cheesy Western, which is a cheeseburger with an egg on it.

You got pickles, onions, mustard, relish, forget anything?

Is that it?

(customers chatting) All right, that's all the ingredients.

Mm.

Man.

And that's why this is a culinary itch that needs to be scratched from time to time.

Delicious.

(coffee machine grinding) Guess what I needed the next morning?

It was recommended that I head to RND Coffee in the Wasena section of town.

- [Barista] We have some really great espresso.

I can make you a latte, cappuccino.

- [Dave] Let's do the latte.

- [Barista] Latte sounds good?

Alrighty.

(coffee machine clanging) - [Dave] No matter how many times you may have watched this process, (coffee machine clicking) it never seems to get old, (coffee machine whirling) (soft jazz music) (jug clanging) (coffee machine whirling) (jug clanging) (door squeaking) (jug clanging) (jug clanging) (customers chatting) (jug clanging) especially when it comes out like this.

Nice.

[Dave] You gotta love a locally owned coffee shop that is playing Gary Burton, 'cause you don't hear a lot of American jazz vibraphonists while you're having your first cup of coffee.

(upbeat music) In case you'd like something in your coffee other than steamed milk, I have something for you.

About 30 minutes south of Roanoke is where you'll find the self-proclaimed moonshine capital of the world: Franklin County.

The history of that moniker goes back to Prohibition, and the importance that moonshine played in the financial survival of those in the county.

That history is alive and distilling in Franklin Cunty's town of Rocky Mount.

At Twin Creeks Distillery, there is no longer a need to outrun the law.

[Dave] Every job has its perks, and today, that perk is tasting moonshine, and plus, it's afternoon, so it's okay.

- [Tanner]] That's right.

- I'm here with Tanner Talley of Twin Creeks Distillery in Rocky Mount, Virginia in Franklin county.

Hey Tanner, how are you?

- [Tanner] Good, how are you?

- [Dave] I'm doing all right.

Thanks for having us.

You had mentioned before, when I said is Franklin county still the Moonshine capital of the world, and you said.

- [Tanner] We like to think so.

(Tanner laughing) - [Dave] Why do you like to think so?

- [Tanner] Everybody's gotta be known for something- - [Dave] Yeah.

(Dave laughing) - [Tanner] That's about all we're known for, so gotta go with it.

- [Dave] And there's certainly a lot of history to that here, when you think of economically, politically, legally, but it's something that really goes back, and I think for a lot of people with pride- - [Tyler] Yeah.

- [Dave] Decades and decades, right?

- [Tanner] Mm hmm.

It's just kind of a way of life.

I mean, most families around here, back in the day, it really wasn't a big industrious area.

- [Dave] Yeah.

- Obviously.

Not a lot of jobs to offer, so making liquor was kind of a way of putting food on the table.

- [Dave] Sure.

- [Tanner] For almost everybody around here.

- [Dave] Well, since it is afternoon now, after lunchtime, we're going to do a little tasting, right?

- [Tanner] Let's do it.

- [Dave] All right.

(Dave clapping hands) Let's go.

- [Tanner] This one's my favorite, to be honest.

- [Dave] Well, let's go ahead.

- [Tanner] My great-great-grandfather I was telling you about- - [Dave] Ah ha.

- Tanner] This is actually named after him.

- [Dave] Okay.

- [Tanner] So Peg Hatcher was his name and- - [Dave] Well, let's pet's pay homage to Peg.

- [Tanner] Let's do it, yeah.

(customers chatting) - [Dave] Man, that is smooth.

(Tanner laughing) - [Tanner] It's not bad.

- [Dave] It's good.

Man, I mean there's no...

Some stuff, it's got that huge bite at the end- - [Tanner] Yeah.

- [Dave] That makes you look like you just tasted a lemon, (Tanner laughing) and that is not the case at all.

That is just delicious.

- [Tanner] Good, yeah.

We're pretty proud of this one.

- [Dave] From straight corn liquor to fruit brandy, Twin Creeks Distillery is honoring the past, and ensuring the future of Moonshine in Southwest Virginia.

(upbeat guitar music) Most of what we've looked at so far has focused on the somewhat slower, and more rural way of life around Roanoke, which is why you might find it surprising that one of the area's highlights (upbeat music) (liquid splashing) is a music festival.

- [Attendee] Who's ready for the music?

(upbeat harmonica music) - [Dave] Welcome to FloydFest.

Billed as five days of magic in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, it takes place every July, (people chatting) just outside the town of Floyd, which is about one hour to the Southwest of Roanoke.

Being at FloydFest is hard to describe.

It is one of the most unique things I've ever experienced.

It's a hippie trippy gathering of people of all ages, who just want to feel the love of the music, and the experience as a whole.

(upbeat folk music) - [Man Attendee] My favorite part of FloydFest is one, being with this woman.

- [Woman Attendee] And the family feel, we- - [Man Attendee] And the love.

- [Man Attendee] You've got your old hippies, you've got your young hippies, you've got your families.

You got...

It's just a very diverse crowd.

- [Man Attendee] I'd have to say the atmosphere.

I've been here eight years now.

(birds chirping) It really doesn't matter the lineup.

It's always a good time every year.

- [Dave] If you're staying at the festival, as most people do, there are multiple camping options, including RV sites.

Pro tip: do a little research, find out what option best suits the experience you're looking for, and get your passes as soon as they go on sale.

They go quickly.

[Dave] I just don't think I could ever get tired of looking at that.

It is so pretty, isn't it?

It's one of the reasons that people enjoy living in Roanoke, and also why people enjoy spending part of their vacation time here, and hopefully, after our time together, you feel the same way.

I'm Dave Parker with "Virginia Found".

- [Narrator] Support comes from Blue Heron Realty company, specializing in waterfront and water access properties, and the coastal communities on Virginia's Eastern Shore since 1993.

Learn more at Blueheronva.com.

Support comes from Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.

Kids need special care, and grown-ups need to know that care is nearby.

We know how to treat kids.

CHKD, kids are more than patients, and we're more than a hospital.

Support comes from Capitol Records Nashville, part of the Universal Music Group Nashville, bringing you new music from Jon Pardi, Carrie Underwood, and Eric Church.

Capitol Records Nashville, available anywhere music is sold.

Sponsored in part by the Roc Solid Foundation.

Roc Solid believes that play defeats cancer, because when kids are playing, cancer is the last thing on their minds.

Roc Solid Foundation, building hope for kids fighting cancer through the power of play.