We’ve been taking a bit of a break here while we totally reevaluate our lives. From weird, dead-end relationships to how we’re running our household, there’s been a lot going on this summer. Screen-free summer has been a hit, and our family has opted to move forward with much more intentional screen use. That makes planning adventures and blogging a bit trickier, but I’m happy that my kids are reveling in the beauty of life.

Around this time of year, I get a bit more nostalgic about the place where I grew up. Maybe it’s the fact that I was raised by a teacher, and so my life has always been lived according to the school calendar. Now that I’m homeschooling, I don’t get the same back-to-school vibes where I live. At any rate, we’ve been considering a late-summer trip back to my hometown, and that got me thinking…. I should write a post about that!

The New River Gorge National Park has gotten a lot of hype lately. I see it come through my feeds often. What people might not realize is that the New River is relatively long, and you don’t have to go all the way to backwoods West Virginia to experience it. Enter the New River Valley in Virginia. Filled with adorable towns, lots of community spirit, beautiful college campuses and some stunning scenery. If you’re headed to the area with kids, read on!

1. Randolph Park

Randolph Park was built the summer before my freshman year of high school. Hello, memories! Here you’ll find a lovely playground (with a view!), gentle walking trails through the woods, basketball courts, baseball fields, holiday light shows, and plenty of community events – like baseball games and trick-or-treat trails complete with food trucks.

A devastating fire left the pool unusable for 2023 and 2024. The most recent skuttle-butt is that it will be rebuilt and ready for use in 2025! The pool at Randolph Park is open to all for a nominal fee, and I will certainly be visiting once it reopens. Before the fire, it featured a zero-entry area, multiple climbing/sliding structures for toddlers, a proper slide for older humans, and a large 4-foot depth swimming area. I’m excited to see what the rebuild has in store.

Regardless of the swimming situation, Randolph Park is an all-season park. I’d even argue it’s better in the fall with the sweeping views of the mountains and general ambiance. Just put it on your list. You won’t be sorry.

2. Visit the Cascades

I try to squeeze this one in every time I visit, but I haven’t gone in the last few years due to time and having more children than people to carry them. This year, it’s finally back on our itinerary, as my 7-year-old can handle it if we go slowly on the uphill stretch and take lots of snack breaks. Her hiking skills (and complaining) are improving every day.

The Cascade hike is located in the Jefferson National Forest. It’s 4 miles round trip, with the first stretch being predominantly uphill. That said, it’s entirely doable if you’re in okay shape. There are plenty of benches along the trail to stop and take a breather, and the trails are well-maintained. There is no bushwacking here, but there are some slippery stones toward the top of the hike. I wouldn’t recommend this for kids who fall in the 5-7 range if they weren’t solid hikers, very active, or light enough to carry. Additionally, my parents have always had a hard time with this one, but I’m not sure if that had to do with their physical ability so much as their distaste for the wildness of nature. Hiking the Cascades is beautiful in all seasons (even winter), but summer is especially fun because there is a swimming hole at the bottom of the falls!

3. Macado’s!

Macado’s is a Southwest Virginia classic. It never fails that we get takeout from Macado’s every single time we visit. Sometimes we order a few times. I even once hosted a surprise birthday party for my mom at the Roanoke location. That said, I do recommend going in and having the full experience at least once, opposed to grabbing takeout. A visit to any of their locations is an experience in and of itself. Family favorites include the Annie Oakley, Julius Caesar, Big City Jazz, Brooklyn Bridge, Custer’s Last Stand, Stogie, Macado Club, and the Potato Skins. Their macaroni and cheese is surprisingly good, as well.

If you’re headed to Macado’s, beware that Thursdays-Saturdays are typically when all the college students descend upon the restaurants, and it can get extremely crowded. Even for a sandwich joint, wait times will be impressive. The Radford location has a deck, so if the weather is cooperating, you can opt to sit outside.

4. Visit Bisset Park

Bisset Park is a beautiful park located on the banks of the New River in Radford, Virginia. And it’s always on my list of places to visit when I return. Do I always get there? No. But it makes the list! My mom has been taking me there since I was a child. I even remember my dad driving me over the massive bridge between Pulaski County and Radford to show me the flood that swept cars into the river. This place was a cornerstone of my childhood. You know you’ve been a hippie forever when rebelling against your family was wading out into the New River in your bare feet during your teens. Not only will you find supreme ambiance at Bisset Park, but you’ll also find a playground, picnic shelters, pickleball courts, a skate park and athletic fields. If you’re looking for a place to eat your Macado’s in peace, or let your kiddos burn off some energy (or both), this is a perfect location.

5. Christiansburg Aquatic Center

I’d be lying if I said this was something I always do. This is a somewhat new find for me, but it has made its way onto our “must-visit” list each time we return. The Christiansburg Aquatic Center is, in a word, awesome. I spent a few days at this lovely indoor pool last summer because the weather was not conducive to outdoor swimming. Let me just say: it’s one of the cleanest indoor pools I’ve ever visited. Especially in the NRV. The Christiansburg Aquatic Center is comprised of a diving/competition pool (used by Virginia Tech), a recreation pool, and a therapy pool. On the recreation side, you’ll find a zero-entry section with climbing structures, slides, buckets and fountains. In the deeper end, there is a rather impressive (and fast) slide, as well as opportunities for deep water swimming. The locker rooms are clean, they have swimsuit spinners, and you might be lucky enough to catch an impressive diving practice while eating a packed lunch. (But the Christiansburg Macado’s is around the corner, so you could send someone out to grab lunch as an alternative.)

6. Attend a high school football game.

7. Drive the backroads

Why drive the main stretch when you could drive the backroads? You’re missing out on a plethora of beautiful sites if you stick to Google Maps. Farms, mountains, streams, rivers, lakes, and lots of cows all await you in the backwoods of Virginia. And you know what? Locals are happier than a pig in shit to talk to you about… whatever. My personal favorite stretch is driving from downtown Dublin into Hiwassee.

8. Grab a Pizza

There’s only two places I want to get pizza when I head back home – Twin’s Pizza and Sal’s. Twin’s Pizza is located in downtown Dublin. As the name implies, it’s run by two twins, and, while relatively new, they’ve made big fans out of our family. The customer service is outstanding. There is both eat-in or take-out, but I’d recommend take out and heading over to Randolph Park for a picnic.

Sal’s is a treat and a cornerstone in the New River Valley. It’s been around since I was a kid, and it was once considered one of the “fancier” places to eat in the Radford area. I haven’t been back in years, which is partially to do with the fact that Twins is more convenient to my parents’. That said, it stays on the list.

9. Try something new.