What Do Baby Boomer Women Want? Travel

Baby Boomer women want to travel. They book far ahead and make their own decisions. 

Boomer Women’s Travel

Almost all women love to travel and almost all Baby Boomer women can afford to travel. A new survey by VibrantNation.com has released info on women’s travel trends. Here are some of the most relevant statistics about Boomer Chicks:

• 79% have already booked their vacation(s) for the year by mid-January.
• 42% spend over $2,500 per person on every vacation.
• Almost 80% of these women made their own travel decisions, including the 63% who are married.
• 40% will travel outside of the US for their vacations.
• Over the next 10 years, Boomer women will be the fastest growing travel demographic.

Marketing Baby Boomers

Marketers and travel writers can really take advantage of this. Boomer women use the internet for online research, because they had to spend long hours researching things in libraries, back when they were in college. They are used to doing research. The travel industry and writers can hook these Boomer Chicks with easy-to-read, interesting, online information.  (Note - Your Innkeeper at The Claiborne House also loves research and  information - therefore our content laden website in the hands of this "chick" www.ClaiborneHouse.net with itineraries and sites of interest pages, and this blog Coffee Talk which highlights things to see and do near or a short distance from The Claiborne House B&B). 

Travel Costs

Baby Boomer women care about costs, but not as much as older Senior travelers. (Baby Boomers are not Seniors and should never be called Seniors.) Boomers want value, and value means:

As for tours, most Boomers shy away from long “luxury coach” (bus) tours, unless there is a darn good reason. Unlike Seniors, Boomers are usually happy to drive their own, or rented, cars (in the US); and Boomers are happy to take trains (in Europe) once they have learned how easy this is.  Upscale adventurous Boomers may be forced into bus tours if their plummeting discretionary-spending pushes them, kicking and screaming, into buses. 

Bus – Confining, boring, like being back in high school where the driver will yell if anyone breaks the rules.  Calling a bus something else does not change the fact that it’s still a bus.

Marketing to Boomer Women

Boomer women are recession-proof travelers. The Vibrant Nation study showed that:

Boomer Chicks like to experience different cultures. (Note from your innkeeper - don't forget - The Crooked Road named one of the Top Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2010! Click here for our blog article)

• 58% like “moderate” or “extensive” physical activity.
• Boomer women travel to learn (31% have taken vacations with an educational component and 57% would pay more for this.)

Individualistic and Defiant

Why do Boomer Chicks love to learn? Well, these are women who had to break the mold. They had to change the rules as they went through life. Boomer women were told they were not allowed to wear jeans (or pants) to high school. Boomer chicks were not allowed to take woodworking classes. Boomer women were passed over for promotions because they were women.

• Smart Boomer Women have always valued education and learning, because that’s how they outsmarted the system.
• Education is a way of life for trend-setting Boomer Chicks.
• Give Boomer women what they want, at a good value, they are a wealthy, well-educated group.

Information courtesy of VibrantNation.com's Survey - Women's Travel Decisions Made Online.  Feb 6, 2010 Christina Gregoire

VIRGINIA IS FOR BOOMER CHICKS LOVERS  Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net

Mothers or Fathers Day Trail Ride with Campfire Lunch or a Romantic Moonlight Trail Ride

I highly recommend Reba Farm Inn - Saddle Soar Equitainment in nearby Bedford - near Peaks of Otter.  It is about a 50 minute drive from The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount VA.  Your innkeepers as a family have enjoyed their hospitality and scenery on a trail ride on their 65 acre farm.

Peaks Of Otter At Milepost 86 along the Blue Ridge Parkway, twin mountain peaks rise to an elevation of 4200 feet. Since the days of Thomas Jefferson, the Peaks of Otter has been a popular location to enjoy magnificent scenery and beautiful sunrises. Overlooks along the parkway provide ample opportunities for leisurly viewing.

The scenery will take your breath away - Reba Farm Inn shares the road with Peaks of Otter Winery at Johnson's Orchard.   See their website for upcoming festivals and events. 1218 Elmos Road Bedford, VA 24523   (540) 586-3707

• MOONLIT TRAIL RIDES @ $40.00 pp.  Complimentary refreshments and bonfire following the ride. 8:00 PM on Sun, Mar 14th; Fri, Apr 16th; Fri, May 14th; Sat, Jun 12th 8:30 PM on Sun, Jul 11th; Sun, Aug 8th; Fri, Sep 10th 8:00 PM on Fri, Oct 8th; and Sat, Nov 6th.  
• 
  
  MOTHERS DAY TRAIL RIDE AND LUNCH -- May 9th @ 11:00 AM @ $65.00 per person Horseback ride to the Inn, enjoy a gormet lunch with your Mom, then saddle up for a return ride to the barn.
• FATHERS DAY TRAIL RIDE AND CAMPFIRE LUNCH -- June 20th @ 11:00 AM @ $60.00 per person.  Celebrate Fathers Day with a trail ride followede with a campfire lunch at the barn.

Regular trail rides throughout the year:

a.  Family Ride (1.5 hrs) @ $40.00 per person

b.  Adult 2.5 hrs Trail Ride @ $50.00 per person

Reba Farm Inn - Saddle Soar Equitainment

540-586-1906 - 888-235-3574

www.rebafarminn.com  In Bedford VA

Located near Roanoke and Lynchburg with convenient access to I-81 and historic Blue Ridge Parkway. Here are Driving Directions

VIRGINIA IS FOR HORSE LOVERS  Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net

National Trust names Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2010

The Crooked Road named one of the Top Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2010!

Travelers in search of umbrella drinks on warm beaches have plenty of appealing options across the USA. For those looking for a different type of trip, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has just released its 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destinations list, highlighting "cultural and recreational experiences different from those found at the typical vacation destination."

David Brown, executive vice president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, says the list is targeted to travelers seeking an authentic American experience: "Instead of traveling to Disneyland to see Main Street, USA, they can travel to Ft. Collins, Colorado, to see the real thing that was the model for Disneyland."

The Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail, Va. Part of the hot travel trend of linking thematically related historic sites, "The Crooked Road celebrates the region's rich Appalachian heritage, weaving together quaint historic districts that share a past steeped in a uniquely American music culture."

READ MORE: Straight up pickin' on the Crooked Road

Full article here from USA TODAY see what the other eleven destinations are other than The Crooked Road: VIrginia's Heritage Music Trail.

Here is your innkeepers comment on the USA article:

How to help our U.S. sagging dollar and stretch yours this summer?  Travel closer to home – there is so much to see and do in these United States.  Do you love cultural heritage music?  Y’all git on out here…

We are the start of The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail right here in Rocky Mount Virginia.  If you have never had biscuits and gravy at Dairy Queen while listening to toe tappin bluegrass - you better get out here to these Blue Ridge Mountains!  

Around here you can toss a rock in any direction and hit a musician!

Stay with us at The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast.  www.ClaiborneHouse.net   See our website and blog for local jams and events.  Franklin County has more local weekly jams than any place else on this music trail. http://claibornehouse.blogspot.com/

Where the violin sings...but the fiddle dances

Photo of Johnathon Dillon with banjo - local musician: 14-year old Johnathan Dillon lives in Wirtz, VA and started learning to play musical instruments at the age of the age of 7. He plays mandolin, fiddle, guitar, bass, and banjo. Visit his website here.

VIRGINIA IS FOR DISTINCTIVE DESTINATION LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net

Most romantic husband? Valentine's Weekend Ideas

After this we played scrabble

Britain's most romantic husband?

An 87-year-old North Wales man has put a fresh rose at his wife's bedside every single day of the 60 years they have been married.    Tom Shovelton also kisses his 83-year-old wife Joan and first thing every morning and before they go to sleep each night, reports the Daily Mail.

The couple, from Pentre Halkyn in Flintshire, North Wales, have just celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary.

Mrs Shovelton said: "I still get a rose by my bedside every day and I always get a kiss in the morning and before I go to bed at night.

"We have lived and worked together all our lives, so we know how important give and take is. We've had a happy 60 years together. I wouldn't have changed a thing."

And Mr Shovelton believes that if more couples made a selfless gesture to their spouse or loved one, there would be fewer broken relationships.  "Everyone should do it," he said. "I love her to bits - I have done since the day we met."

They met by chance in a pub on New Year's Eve of 1946, discovered they shared a love of horticulture and went on to work together as market gardeners.  The couple, who have children, Susan, Tony, Mark and twins Jayne and Paul, also have ten grandchildren and one great grandchild.    Story taken from here.

Find Romance at The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast. Pictured below is The Rocky Room - Victorian Eastlake Furniture, overlooks the gardens and ponds below.

See our special packages and add ons if you too would like to leave a rose on her pillow.


How about a romantic serenade from a barbershop quartet?   This singing quartet offers a gift package that your Valentine won’t soon forget. The Smith Mountain Lake Harmeneers will serenade your loved one by delivering not one, but two love songs on February 12 – 14. Even better still your sweetheart will also receive a silk rose and a picture as part of the gift package. Honestly it would be hard to beat this combination for effect and making memories. The best part is that you get the whole deal for only $50.00!! Call 540-297-9231 for a reservation!

MORE VALENTINE'S WEEKEND IDEAS - Kirk Avenue Music Hall has two fantastic shows that weekend and is about 30 minutes from The Claiborne House:  


Fri., Feb. 12 Blueground Undergrass With: Blue Mule,  Sun Feb 14  Frank Vignola click here for reservations and more info at Kirk Avenue Music Hall  (This is the romantic jazz guitarist extraordinaire tickets just $15 per person) The Frank Vignola Trio with monster bassist, Gary Mazzaroppi and young guitarist extraordinaire, Vinny Raniolo travel the globe making stops in Canada, Singapore, Italy, England with Tommy Emmanuel, USA and more.

Roanoke Symphony Orchestra - Romance her socks off! Click here


VIRGINIA IS FOR ROMANCE LOVERS

We recommend RED CLAY Restaurant on our corner for a lovely V-Day meal.  Very reasonable and an intimate setting.   Red Clay (540) 482 - 0020

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net

(Top photo courtesy of White Cedar Inn, Freeport Maine by dkouznet. We highly recommend The White Cedar Inn while visiting Casco Bay area of Maine. Be sure to ask for Monica)

Equestrian, Pedestrian & Cyclestrians share the new trail at Fairystone State Park

Horse Camp Trail at Fairy Stone State Park

Fairy Stone State Park recently finished construction of a new trail.  The Horse Camp Trail extends from the Mountain View Trail to a newly purchased piece of property near the intersection of Highway 57 and Fairystone Lake Drive.  Named for a yet to be built equestrian camping facility, the Horse Camp Trail is slightly less than one and three quarters of a mile long and is blazed red.  The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast is about 40 minutes from Fairy Stone State Park (fyi)

While unsigned at this time, it only intersects the trail system in one location, slightly past the wildlife plot on the Mountain View Trail.  The trail is considered moderate difficulty and has several hundred feet of elevation change.  It follows along a ridge, then drops down into a valley and crosses Hale Creek, passing through several fields before it reaches Highway 57.  It is a multi-use trail open to hikers, bikers and equestrian trail users.

Courtesy of the Virginia State Park Blog Website here

Virginia State Parks Website here

VIRGINIA STATE PARKS. You’ll find plenty of programs, events and activities at Virginia State Parks. Our 35 parks have thousands of campsites, hundreds of cabins, more than 500 miles of trails and convenient access to Virginia’s major waterways. Beaches, picnic shelters, family lodges, meeting facilities, festivals, concerts, nature programs, cultural happenings… the list goes on and on. From Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, there’s something for everyone at Virginia State Parks. Whether you’re after a relaxing picnic or a two-week vacation, leave life’s daily pressures behind and reconnect with nature and your family at a nearby state park.

Geocaching and GPS activities in a Virginia State Park Click here

Womens Wellness Weekends Click here

Virginia State Parks Facts and Trivia Click here

Numbers, numbers, numbers!

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation manages a diversity of lands:

• 35 state parks
• 4 undeveloped parks
• 54 natural areas
• More than 112,300 total acres (66,788 acres in state parks)
• 500 miles of trails
• 241 cabins (located at Bear Creek Lake, Belle Isle, Chippokes Plantation, Claytor Lake, Douthat, Fairy Stone, First Landing, Hungry Mother, James River, Lake Anna, Occoneechee, Smith Mountain Lake, Southwest Virginia Museum, Staunton River, Twin Lakes, Westmoreland)
• 19 lodges (Bear Creek, Belle Isle, Claytor Lake, Douthat, Fairy Stone, Hungry Mother, James River, Kiptopeke, Occoneechee, Westmoreland)
• 1,834 campsites in 25 different parks
• 87 picnic shelters
• 23 visitor centers
• 11 swimming beaches
• 5 swimming pools
• 2 restaurants; 19 snack bars

Click here to watch a short video about Virginia State Parks. (This is a great video - Shellie)

VIRGINIA IS FOR STATE PARK LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net  

(PS Yes I made up the word Cyclestrians, but it did go well with Equestrians and Pedestrians)

Trace Your Roots

Virginia Genealogy Information

Do you suspect that your family roots extend into Virginia? If so, you'll be amazed that two of the nation's foremost genealogical resource centers are in Richmond — the Library of Virginiaand the Virginia Historical Society.You will probably find what you need at these two treasure troves of information.

Then, when you find out more specific information about your ancestors, you can visit theregional and county resources listed below and read about specific ethnic groups that settled in in Virginia.

The Library of Virginia

Visit the Library of Virginia online at http://www.lva.lib.va.us and click on What We Have, for a listing of collections, including: publications; various government records; architectural drawings and plans; Bible records; business and organization records. A few records are available online, but you will probably have to visit the Library at some point in your research.

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The Virginia Historical Society

Visit the Virginia Historical Society online at http://www.vahistorical.org and click on Research, then click on Search the Collections. Of particular interest for genealogical research can be found at http://www.vahistorical.org/research/genealogy.htm

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Other Genealogy Resources in Virginia

Article information courtesy of Virginia.org

Scots-Irish in Virginia

Farmers from Ulster Become Frontiersmen

The Scots-Irish who immigrated to Virginia came

from the northern region (teal blue area) of Ireland.

The Scots-Irish were Scots who had settled in Northern Ireland — Ulster — after 1600. Most of them were Presbyterian farmers who had lived under oppressive English rule. They started migrating to Virginia in 1715.
During the 1740 famine in Ulster, many of them sailed to the port of Philadelphia, traveled down theGreat Wagon Road and settled in the mid-to-southern counties of the Shenandoah Valley —basically leap-frogging established German settlers in the northern counties.
The Scots-Irish soon became the dominant culture of the Appalachians from Pennsylvania to Georgia, not only because of their numbers, but because of their independent spirits, adventurous personalities and restless natures. They became the frontiersmen and cowboys of the Big Valley and the Wild West! And later, many Scots-Irish worked in the coal mines and on the railroads, producing the energy and mode of transportation that made this nation great.

Years of settlement: Big Valley 1715-1740 | Westward Ho! 1745-1770

Frontier Culture in the Shenandoah Valley
In the 1730s, Virginia's Governor William Gooch granted William Beverly more than 118,000 acres in Augusta and Rockingham Counties known as the Beverley Manor or Irish Track. Beverly sold this land to Scots-Irish immigrating from Pennsylvania for half a shilling per acre, primarily because the land would have reverted back to the English Crown if not cultivated within a certain period of time.
Also, Gooch needed the Scots-Irish as a "valuable buffer between the Native American tribes and the English planters."
This open range land was home to large herds of bison as well as deer, elk, bear and wild turkeys, making it advantageous for many settlers to earn their living as pack men — hunting and then selling animal pelts to settlers — and becoming ranchers as well as farmers.
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Westward Migration to Blue Ridge Highlands
and the Heart of Appalachia Regions

CREDIT: Kentucky Historical Society.

Daniel Boone was the epitome of the pioneer trailblazer.

He blazed the "Wilderness Road" through the Appalachians into Kentucky.

In 1745, Colonel James Patten from Donegal, Ireland, obtained 100,000 acres on the New, Holston and Clinch Rivers, further southwest into today's Blue Ridge Highlands and Heart of Appalachiaregions. He sold parcels of land to other Scots-Irish settlers.
In 1769, Daniel Boone, a woodsman from Pennsylvania whose parents were actually English Quakers, traveled along wilderness trails and through the Cumberland Gap in the Appalachian Mountains into Kentucky with five other explorers.
Boone's explorations drew even more Scots-Irish to settle in the southern Appalachian valleys.

See Scots-Irish Sites!

Scots-Irish Sites in Virginia

Enjoy visiting many Scots-Irish sites in the mountainous regions of Virginia:

Shenandoah Valley | Heart of Appalachia | Blue Ridge Highlands

Shenandoah Valley Sites

Staunton - The Frontier Culture Museumfeatures Scotch-Irish (Ulster) farm buildings such as those once in the townland of Claraghmore in County Tyrone in the early 19th century.

These buildings show a traditional architectural form, the thatched one-story stone farmhouse. See an 18th-century blacksmith's forge and rare and minor breed animals who lived on the Ulster farms, too!

Ferrum - The Blue Ridge Folklife Festival takes place every October on the campus of Ferrum College. Celebrate like your Scots-Irish ancestors did, with plenty of Appalachian music, crafts and foods.

Fincastle - The Town of Fincastle is home to about 200 people. The County Courthouse and Museum are filled with records of the families who migrated through the Shenandoah Valley as early as the 1770s. William Clark, of Lewis & Clark, and who was born in Northern Virginia, married a resident of Fincastle, Judith Hancock.

Raphine - Wade's Mill is a working water-powered grist mill built in 1750 by a Scots-Irish family. Open April-mid-December.

Lexington -Visit the Birthplace of Sam Houston, a son of Scots-Irish settlers, who served as commander of the Texas army and won the battle of San Jacinto, which secured Texan independence. He later became a U.S. Senator and Governor of Texas.

Lexington - The Campbell House is home of the Rockbridge Historical Society, where you can research the history of the Scots-Irish in Rockbridge County.

Staunton - Take a self-guided walking tour of Staunton's Historic Districts, such as the Beverley History District, named after William Beverley who sold land to Scots-Irish settlers in the early 1700s. The Gospel Hill area is where their camp meetings or field services took place. These meetings combined preaching with fighting and drinking!

Steeles Tavern - Visit Cyrus McCormick's Farm & Workshop. McCormick, of Scots-Irish ancestry, invited the first reaper that revolutionized the world of agriculture.

Strasburg - The Strasburg Museum features artifacts from Scots-Irish farms, homes and businesses during the Civil War and Railroad eras.

Winchester - The new Museum of the Shenandoah Valley tells the story of the art, history and culture of the Great Valley, which spotlights the Scots-Irish settlers.

Heart of Appalachia Sites

Appalachia - The Appalachia Cultural Arts Center in the Appalachia Town Hall on Main Street reflects the booming coal mining culture of the late 1800s. The town was the hub of eight coal camps, where many Scots-Irish settlers lived.

Big Stone Gap - The Harry W. Meador Coal Museumonce was a community center where the locals danced. Exhibits include photographs, mining equipment and tools used by the Scots-Irish miners.

Big Stone Gap - Visit the John Fox Jr. Museum, which was the home of the famous author known for his novels about the mountain people — Trail of the Lonesome Pine and The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come, which became the nation's first million-copy seller! John Fox's Scots-Irish ancestors traveled down the Great Wagon Road in 1790.

Pocahontas - Step into the historic Pocahontas Exhibition Mine & Museum and learn the story of mining the famous Pocahontas Number Three coal and the miners who worked there.

Tazewell - Historic Crab Orchard Museum & Pioneer Park focuses on the history of Southwest Virginia with exhibits on Revolutionary and Civil Wars, agricultural and mining as well as homelife of the Scots-Irish settlers. See authentic log homes and barns on the property.

Tazewell - Thistle Cove Farm is an Appalachian homestead featuring rare breed horses and sheep. It is open for tours by appointment and during special events.

Blue Ridge Highlands Sites

Atkins - The Settler's Museum of Southwest Virginia tells the story of the people. See a 19th-century living history farm and one-room schoolhouse.

Blacksburg - Revolutionary War patriot William Preston was born in Ireland and came to Virginia as a young boy. He and his wife, Susanna Smith, lived at Smithfield Plantation, built in 1773.

Critz - Visit Reynolds Homestead, the restored 19th-century birthplace of R.J. Reynolds, founder of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

Galax - See two restored Appalachian log cabins furnished with period items and mounted North American game animals, both reflecting the Scots-Irish settlers' way of life, at the Jeff Matthews Memorial Museum.

Marion - Smyth County Historical & Museum Society features a Tour Through Time, which reflects the economic and social development of the county.

Meadows of Dan - See Mabry Mill, a community gathering place for the settlers in the early 1900s. Watch traditional rural skills being demonstrated, such as basket weaving, chair caning, spinning and weaving. See the restored gristmill, sawmill, wood working shop and blacksmith shop, too.

Meadows of Dan - Mayberry Presbyterian Church is one of five historic rock churches founded by Rev. Robert W. Childress in the early 1920s who was immortalized in The Man Who Moved a Mountain.

Newbern - The Newbern Historic District was founded in 1810 and features 26 of the original log or wooden buildings, including a jail, hanging house, store, churches, private residences and an inn!

Newbern - The Wilderness Road Regional Museum complex is a large home and several restored outbuildings, including three log buildings. See furniture, paintings and photographs of the era 1810-1865. This is a wonderful resource for your own family research.

Saltville - The Museum of the Middle Appalachians showcases the 70-year history of Saltville as a "company town" where the coal miners and their families lived.

VIRGINIA IS FOR HERITAGE LOVERS

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net

We have a very helpful Franklin County Historical Society here in town. Website Here.  They can research and find anyone and anything!  You can walk to their library and museum from The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast.  Interesting fact from your innkeeper - there are more Scots-Irish in Franklin County than African Americans.  My sister and family live in Ireland...so no moonshine (we've got that here) they have music (also here).  

A Romantic Look Back at Some of our Special Guests

Your innkeeper at The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast was thinking back over some of the fantastic guests we have had these the past 6 years.  With Valentine's day approaching I could not help but remember a few of the more romantic ones.  I hope you will enjoy seeing who these guests are...

First I shall mention amazing Greek Tenor Mario Frangoulis - who has an incredible bio - see his website for more info on this incredible artist.  He is award winning and platinum in Greece. Here is a video of one of his performances in Thessaloniki.  He sings is 5 different languages and the ladies swoon over him.  He stayed with us briefly for some relaxation and rest while on tour.  Your innkeeper put a note in his shower "No singing in the shower unless you are trained tenor."   (I can tell you the rest of the story when you visit us. -Shellie)

We have also enjoyed having the gold and platinum Grammy award romantic piano sensation Jim Brickman.  Jim's songs are always top pick for weddings across the USA and world, 28 of them on the charts.  He is that romantic!  Visit his website to learn more about the Brickhouse. Don't miss Jim Brickman if he is ever on tour near you - usually Christmas and Valentine's tours that will really move you.   We got to meet his Dad too who is a really neat man!

Never Alone - Music Video

fresh film+design | MySpace Video 

The gorgeous and talented singer Anne Cochran was here as well.  The Claiborne girls were overwhelmed by her barbie-like beauty and stage presence. See the video below of Anne performing with lifelong friend Jim Brickman and renowned violinist Tracey Silverman.

VIRGINIA IS FOR ROMANTIC MUSIC LOVERS  

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net

Here is Mario singing Music of the Night at Herod Atticus Theatre in Greece.  

Fish Virginia - Virginia Your Premiere Fishing Destination

Why Fish Virginia?

Each year more than 800,000 anglers visit Virginia to experience many of the state’s renowned fishing sites.   Virginia truly is an ideal destination for both seasoned and novice fishermen alike; the allure of the Chesapeake Bay, the famed coastal waters and the abundant streams of the Blue Ridge Mountains promises a unique experience for all types of anglers!

The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Franklin County is called the "Land Between The Lakes."  We have Smith Mountain Lake and Philpott Lake nearby, plus dozens of streams and rivers with some citation fish!

There are more than 176,000 acres of public lakes statewide and an estimated 27,300 miles of streams available to all types of anglers.  The state’s diverse fishing locales offers something for everyone:

• Coastal and mountain rivers for bass, blue catfish and shad lovers
• An unmatched wild trout fishing experience in the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains
• Impressive reservoirs famous for their population of largemouth bass, striped bass, and crappie
• Smaller quaint family-owned lakes and ponds teeming with all varieties of fish

Fishing supports local communities.

The Trail

The Southern and Southwest Virginia Fishing Trail winds through some of Virginia’s fishing hotspots.  Among the highlights of the trail are The James River, Smith Mountain Lake, Bugg’s Island Lake, Lake Moomaw, the Staunton River and the Roanoke River (just to name a few!).

The locations along the trail offer something for anglers of all backgrounds—from the beginner to the seasoned veteran, the Southern and Southwest Virginia Fishing Trail promises something for everyone!

Reservoirs (Greater than 500 acres in size)

Briery Creek Lake, Prince Edward

Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir), Halifax/Charlotte/Mecklenburg

Carvins Cove,  Botetourt

Chesdin Reservoir, Dinwiddie

Claytor Lake, Pulaski

Flannagan Reservoir, Dickenson

Gaston Reservoir, Brunswick/Mecklenburg

Leesville Lake, Pittsylvania/Campbell

Lake Moomaw, Alleghany/Bath

Philpott Reservoir, Franklin/Henry/Patrick

Sandy River Reservoir, Prince Edward

Smith Mountain Lake, Bedford/Franklin/Pittsylvania

South Holston Reservoir, Washington

Lakes (Less than 500 acres in size)

Abbott Lake, Bedford

Amelia Lake (VDGIF), Amelia

Back Creek Reservoir, Bath

Bannister Lake, Halifax

Brunswick Lake (VDGIF),   Brunswick

Burton Lake (VDGIF), Pittsylvania

Conner Lake (VDGIF), Halifax

Cumberland State Forest Lakes, Cumberland

Dan River Reservoir, Danville

Fairystone Lake (State Park), Patrick

Ft. Pickett Lakes, Nottoway/Dinwiddie

Gordon Lake (VDGIF), Mecklenburg

Goodwin Lake (State Park), Prince Edward

Great Creek Lake, Brunswick

Hales Lake, Grayson County

Hidden Valley Lake  (VDGIF), Washington

Holliday Lake (State Park), Appomattox/Buckingham

Horsepen Lake (VDGIF), Buckingham

Hungry Mother Lake (State Park), Smyth

Keokee Lake (VDGIF), Lee

Laurel Bed Lake (VDGIF), Russell

Lincolnshire Lake, Tazewell

Lovill’s Creek Lake, Carroll

Nottoway Lake (VDGIF), Nottoway

Martinsville Reservoir, Henry

Mill Creek Lake, Amherst

Modest Creek Lake, Lunenburg

Moores Creek Dam, Rockbridge (Lexington)

Nelson Lake (VDGIF), Nelson

Nottoway Falls Lake, Lunenburg

Pound Reservoir (North Fork), Wise

Prince Edward Lake (State Park), Prince Edward

Lake Robertson (VDGIF)    Rockbridge

Rural Retreat Lake (VDGIF), Wythe

Stonehouse Lake, Amherst

Thrashers  Lake, Amherst

Victoria Reservoir, Lunenburg

Wilck’s Lake, Prince Edward

Lake Witten, Tazewell

Major Rivers

Clinch River

Dan River

Holston River

James River (upper - above Richmond)

Maury River

New River

North Fork Holston River

Staunton River (Roanoke below Leesville Dam)

Roanoke River Upper (above Niagara Dam)

Coldwater Streams/Lakes (Special Regulation Wild or Stocked)

Buffalo Creek. Rockbridge

Buffalo River, Amherst

Cabin Creek,  Grayson

Dan River, Patrick

East Fork Chestnut Creek, Grayson/Carroll

Elk Creek, Grayson

Holston River (South Fork),  Smyth

Irish Creek, Rockbridge

Jackson River, Bath

Jackson River Tailwater, Alleghany

Lexington City Reservoir, Rockbridge

Little Stony Creek, Giles

Maury River, Rockbridge

Mill Creek, Rockbridge

North Creek, Botetourt

Piney River, Nelson

Pound River, Dickenson

Roaring Fork, Tazewell

Roaring Run, Botetourt

Rockfish River, Nelson

Smith Creek, Alleghany

Smith River Tailwater, Henry

South River, Rockbridge

Stewart’s Creek, Carroll

Tye River, Nelson

Whitetop Laurel/Green Cove Creeks, Washington

Big and Little Wilson Creeks, Grayson

Trout Fee Fishing Areas

Clinch Mountain Fee Fishing Area, Smyth/Washington/Russell

Crooked Creek, Carroll

Douthat Lake and Wilson Creek, Bath

Trout Delayed Harvest Streams

Back Creek, Bath

Chestnut Creek, Carroll

Holliday Creek, Appomattox/Buckingham

North Fork Pound River and Pound River, Wise

Peak Creek, Pulaski

Pedlar River, Amherst

Roanoke River, Roanoke County and City of Salem

Stocked Trout Waters

There are 122 streams (or sections) and lakes stocked with catchable size trout from October 1 through May 31 in Southwest and Southside Virginia.

VIRGINIA IS FOR FISH LOVERS  

Life is too short for bad coffee... Shellie @ The Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast in Rocky Mount Virginia http://www.claibornehouse.net

Information from http://www.fishvirginiafirst.com/

Test your knowledge of the FISH OF VIRGINIA here

Visit Smith Mountain Lake here

Visit Philpott Lake here
Find local fishing trails, reviews and more info here