Archive

CURRENT Archive

High surf under the pier.

My Other Mountains

I’ve been away from this page a little while, and am returning to it with an odd image, I realize – not a picture of mountain ridges, but of other shades of blue, from across two states, at the edge of another deep and ancient landscape.
Massanutten Peak and a Shenandoah Valley farm between Harrisonburg and Weyers Cave, Va.

Moving Through Seasons

We've covered a lot of ground in the last few days, my husband and I. Three mornings ago we left Roanoke, Va., where the fall is just beginning to announce itself in spills of leaves on the roads in our neighborhood, the sharp shadows on the mountain
The stage at Hotel Floyd.

A Little Evening Music in Floyd

Floyd, Va. is a musicians' town. Not in the same way Nashville is, or New York City, or Vienna, Austria, but in a quiet, neighborly sort of way, in my experience.
A view of passing Amtrak engine, somewhere around Delaware.

Train Stories, Part I

Out the windows: trees, farmland, small-town downtowns, dirt roads, overcast sky. A hollow, long-reaching whistle signals our coming and our passing.
Two vices: cafe au lait and chocolate at Cups Coffee and Tea, in Roanoke.

The Most Wonderful Time(s) of the Year

The first of the three major chocolate seasons is over...

Departments

Knoxville Asian Festival, August 29-30,  Knoxville, Tennessee. Photo courtesy of Asian Culture Center of TN
Events

Fall 2026 Festivals & Events Guide

From the Virginias and the Carolinas to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, our annual compendium is the perfect travel companion. Inside,

4th of July Parade & Festival, July 4, Blowing Rock, North Carolina.
Events

Summer 2026 Festivals & Events Guide

From the Virginias and the Carolinas to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, our annual compendium is the perfect travel companion. Inside,

CALENDAR OF EVENTS