I took the day off on Friday so that Douglas and I could head into Roanoke, Virginia, for a long weekend to visit family and to start checking out potential wedding/reception venues. It was the first time in a long time that we could both just relax and enjoy a visit to Roanoke. In the past, we've either been stopping in while moving, squeezing in a visit between Doug's homework assignments, or making it in for a family event. Having the extra day made it even better. We were able to do exactly what we had set out to do - take our time and enjoy scouting.
Boxtree Lodge
The first place we ventured out to actually required us to drive, so it doesn't really qualify under the walk'n'gawk heading, but that's ok. We won't pick on it too much. It's a place in Vinton, Virginia, which is just outside of Roanoke, called Boxtree Lodge. It's a nice piece of secluded farmland and is right off of the Blue Ridge Parkway (side note: LOVE the Parkway).
This location has some great views of the mountains. The rustic buildings are blank slates so you can decorate them to fit whatever motif you please. There's a playground for the kids and indoor bathrooms for all.
We ended up finding this location because Larry and Janice (Doug's dad and step-mom) attended a wedding there not too long ago and had an absolute blast! Oddly enough, we ran into the bride and groom that evening when we went to dinner at Martin's. Even funnier was that Doug used to work with the groom! Small world.
Hotel Roanoke
Once back into town, we began our actual walk'n'gawk. First on our list was the Hotel Roanoke. This is a gorgeous hotel in downtown. Of course they have a ton of options for spaces - ballrooms, hallways, staircases, gardens, etc. The two locations we checked out the most were the Crystal Ballroom and the gardens.
The gardens/patio is quaint. There is a huge magnolia tree surrounded by grass and flowers. It's very pretty and would be a nice place for a light afternoon lunch or maybe even tea.
If I were to go for the princess-for-a-day feel, I would be all over that ballroom. It is gorgeous between the chandeliers and the mirrors. As most of you know me, I won't go the princess route, even if it allows me to crack Super Mario jokes all day (Thank you, Mario! But our princess is in another castle!)
Elmwood Park
This little gem is across the street from Davidson's downtown location. It's a nice green space in the middle of downtown. There is a walkway that is surrounded by blooming trees that is just beautiful. At the end of the walkway is a concrete concert stage with a wooden dance platform and a nice grassy hill, forming a very nice little concert venue. It's not coincidence that Festival in the Park is held there.
The idea we had with this place was blankets and lawn chairs. That would make for a lovely summer/fall evening.
The last stop on this version of the walk'n'gawk, is going to be what Douglas and I now refer to as
"The Black Box"
This gem we found as a back room in the Jefferson Center. It's a rehearsal room. As many of us know from our times in concert band, these rooms tend to have a lot of character. This one was no different.
With the dramatic black backdrops and concert lighting, we can set any mood easily in this space. The round tables here gave us quite a few ideas on how to set up the space. I'm going to save these details for another post, however. This entire building was very interesting to check out. Heck, the entire city was!
The best part about all of this is that at dinner on Saturday night, the family came up with a number of other great places for us to check out!
My legs and wedding notebook got quite a workout this weekend. Douglas and I are a long way off from deciding on anything - the city, the time of year, the venue. Right now, we're gathering ideas and seeing what our tastes trend towards. That's the beauty of having so much time to work with. We can take our time.
This is only the first of many posts coming out of this past weekend, so stay tuned!
Until next time, go out and enjoy some of this beautiful weather - just like Umpha and Douglas did! (Thanks to Umpha and Janice for being our tour guides!)
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