Posts with tag 'lifestyle'

Thomas enjoying dinner at Taco Riendo!

Our little valley is home to best-loved spots famous up and down the East Coast – from the iconic overlook at McAfee Knob, to our signature Mill Mountain Star. But the region is chock-full of hidden gems, too. Here are a few of my personal favorites:

A Classic Greasy Spoon (& I mean that with love!)

If you've got a soft spot for old-school diners that haven't changed in a half-century (Me! Yes...

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We've always been told 'our roots run deep', but really- how deep do they run? Ask yourself, first hand- are you able to list out suggestions on a favorite coffee shop, hair stylist, gym, etc? If so, then your roots are growing.

My experience is one of a woman who was born in a small town in South Carolina. Tina and Kevin, my lovely parents, are originally from the midwest and their parents from immigrant families. Life with an interesting twist! I have a southern accent, but my parents don't sound like me, and there is no fried chicken or sweet tea in the home. Growing up, my friends and I called dirt roads our hangout spot, drove four wheelers like bandits, and built tree houses. Things were simple. For instance, I didn't drive on anything bigger than a three lane highway/interstate until college- it was a memorable experience… To this day, I still feel the same way- less lanes are more comfortable and I. Hate. Driv...

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We've all seen the decorative signs in homes …

• Lake life is the Best Life
• The Lake is My Happy Place
• If you're lucky enough to have a house at the lake, you're lucky enough.

Sure, my husband, daughter, and I vacationed for many years at Smith Mountain Lake and we thoroughly loved the long boat rides, the glassy early morning water that reflected the sky and trees, the creaking sound of the dock slowly rising and falling as a boat went speeding by,
the sunrises over the mountain and the sunsets at the end of a fun-filled day. However, what I could not totally appreciate until we moved here full time was the sense of belonging that my husband and I would experience almo...

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