Blacksburg Remote Work Week: Exploring Old & New – 6/14-6/16/21
The “work” part of our week in Blacksburg dictated our weekday mornings, but Jim and I took extended lunch breaks each day and/or knocked off early.
On Monday afternoon, we visited a small nature preserve in Montgomery County, VA. [Have you checked out the nature preserves in your home county? They may be a little under the radar compared to county parks. Go find those little gems!]
Falls Ridge Preserve is extraordinary. On its 655 acres, the most prominent feature is an 80-foot spring-fed travertine waterfall; the stone looks like cooled lava, melted mud. There are also large sinkholes in the preserve suggesting underground caverns. Read about the property’s history, geology and natural features. Fascinating!
NOTE: We visited the preserve on June 14, 2021. This notice now appears on the website:
As of January 27, 2022, Falls Ridge Preserve is closed until further notice.
We are repairing the trails and allowing nature to recover following an extended period of high visitation and overuse of the trails. Want to help by volunteering? Contact: vapreservestewards@tnc.org. For all other inquiries about Falls Ridge please call: 434-951-0579.
On Monday night we carried lawn chairs and adult beverages to the front yard of our home-away-from-home and waited for sunset while soaking in the pastoral scene at Walnut Spring Stables across the way. Ahhhh.
On Tuesday’s lunch break, I introduced Jim to Heritage Community Park. We walked on mowed grass trails through the meadows down to Tom’s Creek.
Tucked in a corner of the park is Nature Play Space, where several children and their adults were exploring the pollinator garden and interpretive signs.
When we were students at Virginia Tech, from time to time Jim and I would carry cheese and crackers, our backgammon board, a blanket, and a bottle of Lancer’s wine (don’t judge) to the campus Duck Pond. After dinner on Tuesday, we walked down this “memory lane,” enjoying the nostalgia of our idea of sophisticated interludes. We gave ourselves grace for our youth and gratitude for all the years between then and now. How lucky we were (are).
Wednesday was a full work day, except for Jim’s lunchtime bike ride. After the whistle blew, we strolled around another part of the VT campus (it’s a big place, y’all) including Burruss Hall and the April 16 Memorial Monument.
Remember that dinner invitation? Bountiful hospitality, delicious Greek food, good wine and wide-ranging conversation on a cool evening in the Virginia mountains, all from a chance meeting at a brewery.
These experiences are giving us a lot to think about.
“You can’t force people to care about the natural environment, but if you encourage them to connect with it, they just might.” ~Jennifer Nini
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