Collegiate Times

The Western Store, located on Route 460 across from the Corning Factory, has everything your inner cowboy could ever desire.

As the features section’s man on the ground, my chief responsibility is keeping a finger on the pulse of Blacksburg. It is with some measure of pride that I consider myself fully in tune with the local zeitgeist — well versed in the needs and desires of the community.

I’m of the belief, for instance, that college students will engage in sufficient amounts of intoxication and sexual activity without a publication screaming at them to do so.

Likewise, the next person clamoring for a guide to local hotspots like Top of the Stairs and Cabo Fish Taco will actually be the first. These establishments are here, they are the same as they’ve always been, and people will go to them regardless of what anyone writes.  

What then, readers are surely wondering, can this self-righteous wannabe Hunter S. Thompson tell me about this area? Why, only the insider know-how obtained from three years of dedicated service to the community. Or, absent of that, the results of one frantic day traversing around town in hopes of discovering something no one else has. The following travelogue is the account of this frenzied quest.  

My exploration of this homey college town began as only the most professional undertakings do — with desperate social media pleas for advice. Having exhausted the collective knowledge of my online network, I hopped in my yet-to-be-unpacked-from-summer vehicle and began a search for hidden treasures.

Alumni, the acquaintances most eager to help because of their desperate longing to relive college, suggested the first stop — The Western Store in Christiansburg. My first clue that this place would not be the average retail establishment came from the eerily lifelike Native American mannequin seated in a chair next to the front door. It is without a doubt one of the most disconcerting sights in the commonwealth. This was not the best first impression for a store, but they don’t pay me the big bucks to run away in fear from every life-size Squanto doll I
see.

Walking inside is like taking a DeLorean back to the Wild West — or at least the 1980s. Aside from some modern Virginia Tech merchandise, the entire store seems to be frozen in a charmingly anachronistic place in time. It’s a refreshing change of pace in an era of monolithic retail
chains.

Shelves are filled with Stetson hats and cowboy boots as far as the eye can see, and there appeared to be enough Wrangler jeans to outfit Bret Favre’s entire backyard football league. The elderly lady at the register was quick to make conversation about nearly any topic — the store, her life, why my thoroughly northern demeanor wasn’t prohibitive of taking part in the cowboy
lifestyle.

“Cowboy is a state of mind — it’s an attitude,” she said, and I was nearly convinced until imagining the ridiculous sight of this Yankee in cowboy boots. Still, the impressive selection of offbeat attire and accessories offer more than enough reason for anyone to make the 10-minute drive down South Main Street. 

I purchased a new belt — “Genuine leather, made right here in Giles County” — and proceeded onward, bidding a fond farewell to this uniquely satisfying store and its terrifying Native American
watchman.

The Starlite Drive-In was intended to be the next stop in Christiansburg, but as the name suggests, it is closed during the day. No matter — a visit isn’t required to know what to expect. Drive-in movies are a throwback to a bygone era that functions as an inexpensive alternative to the Multiplex experience, as well as a strategic date opportunity for amorous couples. Showtimes and directions can be found online at StarLiteDriveIn.biz for this weekend-only attraction.

A quick visit to the local Rugged Warehouse was the final item on the agenda before returning to the comfortable confines of Blacksburg. The discount clothing store put other discount clothing stores to shame. Warehouse offers name brands like Nike, Dickies and Izod for heavily marked down prices, as well as an inexplicably large amount of San Diego Chargers jerseys. It’s easy to recommend for students looking for cheap outfits and for the New River Valley’s apparently sizable contingent of Phillip Rivers devotees.

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A version of this article appeared in the Sep 1 issue of the Collegiate Times.