Things to Do In & Around Lynchburg, VA

With 500 miles of shoreline, many people spend their summer vacation at beautiful Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.

With Fall's arrival and upcoming activities- including the 20th Anniversary SML Wine Festival and SML Charity Home Tour- this is a great time to visit the lake.

A favorite destination while at the lake is Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta. One of several  communities at Smith Mountain Lake, Moneta has a population of 8600 and was the location for much of the filming of the movie What About Bob?

You can drive to Bridgwater Plaza or arrive by boat. On a summer evening, this place is hopping; live bands play at Mango's and the music can be enjoyed as you dine or shop. Pizza Pub has indoor and outdoor seating and we often take our dog with us. He's very content to people watch and the servers are glad to bring him a cup of water. There are several casual dining restaurants to choose from including:

• Moosies
• Pizza Pub
• Mango's Bar and Grill
• The Mouse Trap
  
• Chopsticks
• Ice Cream Cottage
  

Shopping:

• Bridgewater Sportswear
• Bridgewater Marina
  
• Gifts Ahoy
• Wake & Skate
• The Veranda
• The Little Gallery
• Oriental Decor

Activities:

• Fun-N-Games Arcade
• Harbortown Mini-Golf

My favorite activity at Bridgewater Plaza is feeding the fish. I freeze all my day old bread to take along when we go to the lake. These are the enormous fish you'll find at the dock. It's a feeding frenzy!

Bridgewater Plaza is open seven days a week. CLICK HERE for individual hours of operation.

The weather is still nice enough to take the boat out and enjoy the beautiful scenery and changing leaves. So come on out and visit Smith Mountain Lake this fall. For more information, contact:

Debbie Malone, Realtor (R)

RE/MAX 1st Olympic

(434) 546-0369

Are you new to Forest VA, searching for a home for sale in Greater Lynchburg  or at Smith Mountain Lake?  Give me a call for information on local events, things to do or Lynchburg MLS real estate listings.

Debbie Malone, ABR, ASP, e-PRO
RE/MAX 1st Olympic Realtors
(434) 546-0369 C
(434) 832-0941 F
(434) 832-1100 O
debbiemalone@remax.net

2008 marks the 18th year of the Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour. 

Smith Mountain Lake is especially beautiful in the fall when the leaves start to change. If you've ever wanted to peek inside some of the most beautiful properties on the lake, here is your chance. Eight homes will be open in the lake communities of Penhook, Moneta, Huddleston October 3-5. Tickets for the tour may be purchased in advance for $25 online or at many businesses throughout the lake. $30 on the days of the tour at any of the featured homes. To see which homes are open, go to: www.smlcharityhometours.com. Come out and enjoy the lake and the homes- by land or lake- and support the following charities:

• The Free Clinic of Central Virginia
• The Crisis Line of Central Virginina
• Roanoke Valley Interfaith Hospitality Network
• Bedford Hospice House
• Lynchburg Daily Bread
• Bedford Christian Ministries
• Moneta Volunteer Fire Department
• Free Clinic of Franklin County

Map Courtesy of Google Maps

Daily Hours: 10am-5pm   Rain or Shine

Sorry, no children under 12, no babies in arms or carriers

DIRECTIONS BY LAND OR WATER

Due to the current economy, sponsorship for the event is down but the need for these organizations has increased. Volunteers are still needed- I'll be a greeter and my husband will be helping at the dock- please consider coming out to help, you'll be glad you did.

Call  (540) 297-TOUR to volunteer. For more information on sponsorships call Bonita DeLooper at (540) 297-6678.

Are you new to Forest VA, searching for a home for sale in Greater Lynchburg  or at Smith Mountain Lake?  Give me a call for information on local events, things to do or Lynchburg MLS real estate listings.

Debbie Malone, ABR, ASP, e-PRO
RE/MAX 1st Olympic Realtors
(434) 546-0369 C
(434) 832-0941 F
(434) 832-1100 O
debbiemalone@remax.net

Thirty years disappeared at the lake last night- suddenly I was sixteen again! STYX performed at Mariner's Landing, the second act in their Summer Concert Series. We arrived early in the afternoon and decided to get  a bite to eat at The Pointe Restaurant. The band was just unloading the bus and we actually said hi to one of the band members on the way in. (I was still an adult at this point).

The organizers hold a Pre-Concert Party starting at 4pm. For $15, there are appetizers, cash bar, live music, free fold up chairs and a shuttle back and forth to the concert. We got our pass, listened to the music, ate a little food and watched the boats on beautiful Smith Mountain Lake. Not a bad way to spend a summer afternoon in Virginia.

At six pm, a shuttle arrived to start taking people over to the concert location. Once we got to the location (the field across from the entrance to Mariners Landing) we knew we had made a wise choice; the general admission line was long. We were taken right up to the stage and were able to get DEAD CENTER, FRONT ROW SEATS!!!!  I couldn't believe our good fortune. We were six feet from the stage. PAY THE $15.

The opening band is local TK421 out of the Roanoke, Virginia area. They had quite a following and they were excellent. They played for almost an hour and after a short break, STYX came onstage!

Oh My Gosh.... Tommy Shaw was right there! RIGHT THERE!!!!

After two hours of screaming like a teenager, I was hoarse but did manage to yell "throw me a pick!" ( I got one) "throw me a photo!" ( I got one). I was smilin' all night!

All good things must come to an end and after the performance we took the little train back up to the shuttle and back to Mariner's Landing. There's still time to take in an awesome concert under the stars:

Lonestar August 16 (okay, you missed this one)

Grand Funk Railroad August 22

Blake Shelton August 23

TobyMac August 28

Diamond Rio August 29

All concerts start at 7pm, and include special guests. Ticket prices range from $25-35 if purchased in advance. For tickets and information, go to: www.smlconcerts.com, www.tickets.com or call (888) 397-3100

Mariner's Landing Resort and Conference Center is a beautiful facility located in Huddleston, Virginia, approximately one hour from Lynchburg. If you are interested in the Smith Mountain Lake area and would like more information, feel free to email or give me a call. 

Debbie Malone, Realtor (R)

RE/MAX 1st Olympic

(434) 546-0369

malone1981@aol.com

www.debmalone.com

Are you new to Forest VA, searching for a home for sale in Greater Lynchburg  or at Smith Mountain Lake?  Give me a call for information on local events, things to do or Lynchburg MLS real estate listings.

Debbie Malone, ABR, ASP, e-PRO
RE/MAX 1st Olympic Realtors
(434) 546-0369 C
(434) 832-0941 F
(434) 832-1100 O
debbiemalone@remax.net