In addition to tours on the program, there are a million things to see and do in the region. And its a great time of year for tourism. But you may want to book ahead for a hotel or place to stay.
Environment and energy sites
Powell River Project -- Anyone interested in coal land reclamation should see this. It would have been on Thursday tour list but it was three hours away.
Saltville -- Once home of a great woolly mamouth herd, now a superfund site.
EcoTourism sites
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area -- wild ponies, great hikes and real solitude.
The Virginia Creeper Trail - One of the country's best rails-to-trails project, 20 miles of downhill vistas. A terrific ride.
More coming ! Also, feel free to add comments and suggestions. -- Bill Kovarik
For those of you driving in from the north, there's a fantastic hawk watch site off I-81 at Rockfish Gap.
From I-81 in Staunton, Va., take I-64 east toward Charlottesville for about 10-15 miles, to the top of Afton Mountain. Exit on U.S. 250, and follow the signs to the Inn at Afton, which is visible from the road. Look for the people with the binoculars and telescopes outside the hotel on the side that faces I-64.
Raptors are in fall migration, and there are volunteers counting them from mid-morning to late afternoon every day.
http://home.ntelos.net/~btkin/rockfish_gap_hawk_watch/
Coverage by the Waynesboro, Va., News Virginian
http://tinyurl.com/449bpw
Posted by: Cheryl Hogue | October 14, 2008 at 04:43 PM