Collegiate Times

It’s summertime.  Love and romance are abundant in the muggy air.  What better time is there to show your special someone just how much you care?

Blacksburg, in all it’s splendor, offers many romantic places for you and a significant other (or friends, for singletons) to spend a nice day together.

THE DUCKPOND

Always voted Blacksburg’s most romantic, as well as cheapest, date, the duckpond makes a perfect picnic spot.  Grab a blanket, some sandwiches, and lemonade, and stake-out that perfect grassy spot.  For those of you less inclined to dine on the ground, picnic tables are placed in shady locations around the pond’s perimeter. Don’t forget extra food to feed the ducks!

A BEGINNER’S HIKE

A day trip to the Cascades, located in Pembrook, Virginia (a short 20 minute drive from campus) is the perfect hike for a novice trekker.  For only a $2 parking fee, the Cascades are almost as3 cheap as the duckpond.  The trail is two miles to the falls, and two miles back, an easy leisurely day.  The picture-esque falls make perfect summertime photos, as well as provide a refreshing dip, if you’re so inclined after the hike.  At the end of the hike, grills are available for a nice after-hike cookout. 

THE NEW RIVER

The New River, always a popular end-of-spring-semester destination, is even more desirable in the summer.  The tubing company, New River Junction, offers $7 daily tube rentals from 11 am - 6 pm.  Their website says, “The river will draw you, gently, and peacefully, as you float over small riffles in your tube. About a mile down stream the rapids are splashing. Ride the rapids a few times then visit Big Falls Park, where the park grills will be hot and ready for cooking” — how perfect does that sound?  Their complimentary shuttle bus returns you to your car, or you can tube right back down the river again.  Cooler tubes are also available for a mere $3, allowing you to float a lunch, or beverages, right beside you.

MINI-GOLF

Nothing screams summer more than a rousing and competitive game of mini-golf.  Blacksburg’s sole mini-golf course, Cox’s Golf Driving Range, charges only $7 a person — a perfect after dinner activity. 

Whether you’re in Blacksburg for the weekend or the summer, and need an activity more exciting than sneaking into the Village pool, one of these will be sure to fit your needs.  

A version of this article appeared in the Jun 9 issue of the Collegiate Times.