Unfortunately classes aren’t cancelled this Labor Day Monday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of the gorgeous weather predicted for this weekend.
1. If you haven’t already bought your Boise State vs. Virginia Tech football ticket, then what are you waiting for? It is the first game of the 2010 Hokie football season for goodness sake, so plop yourself down in front of your laptop and search for last-minute tickets so you can cheer on the Tech players.
2. Venture out of your dorm or apartment, and get some fresh air at Pandapas Pond along the Eastern Continental Divide. This eight-acre man-made pond, located at 110 Southpark Drive in Blacksburg, offers fishing, walking and mountain biking trails and picnic areas.
3. Pull those hiking boots on and prepare for an uphill trek along the Cascades National Recreation Trail, located on Cascades Drive in Pembroke.
You’ll not only fit in some exercise on this four-mile roundtrip journey, but you’ll also enjoy gorgeous natural scenery. The trail winds along a shaded mountain creek up to a 66-foot waterfall, which is simply breathtaking. Don’t forget to pack plenty of snacks, sandwiches and water for sustenance, because there are ample rock areas to stop and take breaks.
4. Want s’mores?
Chocolate bars, marshmallows and graham crackers are essential items for a successful camping trip at White Rocks Camping, also located at 110 Southpark Drive. Enjoy grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, or even steak if you have a more refined palette, around a campfire at one of White Rocks’ 49 sites featuring tables, flush toilets and a trout fishing creek.
5. Keep it local and fresh with a delicious Italian — and Mediterranean — inspired meal from The Bank Food and Drink. The restaurant, owned by Tech alumna and professor Nancy Jurek, and her husband Giovanni Guarini, uses only local and organic ingredients and is located at 101 North Main St. in Pearisburg.
Prepare to step into a realm of rich and mouth-watering scents. Although it is a bit pricier than a college student’s budget can typically afford, the food is well worth it.
6. For all you 21-year-olds out there, why not sip on fine wines all day? What could be more relaxing and fun than that?
Luckily, there are many wineries tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains, like AmRhein Wine Cellars located in Bent Mountain offering Virginia-style wines with a German influence, and Chateau Morrisette located in Floyd County.
Clink your glasses together and cheers to that!
7. Get rowdy on the New River’s rapids.
Rent a canoe, kayak or raft from New River Outdoor Co. located at 132 Sanders Bottom Drive in Pembroke. It also provides river and hiking shuttle services, cabin rentals and guided fishing trips.
8. If you’re not in the mood to leave our oh-so-beautiful campus, then at least make the short trip to the Duck Pond.
It’s the perfect place to bring your energetic pooches, relax and read a book or magazine. West End Market is not far, so take advantage of your meal plan and bring a sandwich to-go to enjoy by the water. If you are in a cooking mood, then be nifty and pack your own homemade picnic.