Jane Sullivan Horne

Virginia's Natural Bridge is a 20-story stone formation in the shape of, you guessed it, a natural bridge. The bridge itself, located at 15 Appledore Lane in Natural Bridge, Virginia, was created when a cavern collapsed many, many years ago, leaving the bridge you see today.

The Bridge alone is more than enough to make you want to spend a day in the area, walking where such men as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson walked or exploring the authentic Monacan Indian Village nearby. But in the fall of the year, other activities at the Natural Bridge are sure to attract your attention as well.

The Corn Maze, at U.S. 11 and Golf Course Road, is just one such happening. Starting on October 1st, the corn maze is open to visitors every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through November 7th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrance into the maze is just $6 for adults and $3 for kids under 12. Scarecrows abound, and if you're able to find them all, you can win a prize!

After a busy day seeing the Natural Bridge and scrambling through the Corn Maze, you may want to try the new Barbecue Buffet that has just opened on Saturday nights at the Natural Bridge. Adults can eat all the baby back ribs, corn on the cob, barbecued chicken - and more - that they want for $18.95. Kids ages 5 to 12 are $9.95. Or, if you're visiting on Friday, try the Seafood Buffet.

Once you've seen Virginia's Natural Bridge, stop and take a look at another beautiful Virginia location - Smith Mountain Lake. With so much natural beauty right on their doorsteps, residents of Smith Mountain Lake don't run out of sites to see.

Thinking of relocating to Virginia's Smith Mountain Lake so you too can enjoy the grandeur of Virginia? It's easy to learn more about some of the beautiful homes for sale in the Smith Mountain Lake area. Just contact me, Jane Sullivan Horne, or visit my website. My staff and I can also be reached at 540-493-1690 and are ready to help you find your perfect spot at Smith Mountain Lake, whether for year-round living, a seasonal vacation home, or the retirement home of your dreams.

Our Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce has put together a video on DVD for those planning to visit or relocate to Smith Mountain Lake. It's on sale for only $7, which even includes shipping charges.

While this is a rather short video, it has been divided into two parts to let you see what's going on at Smith Mountain Lake. The first part is called "Vacation" and shows places to go and things to do while visiting the beautiful Smith Mountain Lake area.

The second part of the video is called "Relocation" and highlights what makes Smith Mountain Lake such a great place for those moving to the area.

YouTube has some great little videos about Smith Mountain Lake 

 

that you may also enjoy. You can also watch these videos at the Chamber of Commerce site while you're there ordering your own Smith Mountain Lake DVD just in time to start your great adventure at Smith Mountain Lake.

To learn even more about relocating to the Smith Mountain Lake area as well as see some of the beautiful homes for sale here, please contact me, Jane Sullivan Horne, or visit my website. My staff and I can also be reached at 540-493-1690 and are ready to help you find your perfect spot at Smith Mountain Lake, whether for year-round living, a seasonal vacation home, or the retirement home of your dreams.

Virginia is known for its many wineries where you can go to purchase your favorite wines, taste a few new ones and possibly find some new favorites in the process. Wine lovers often have special wines to serve with certain foods. They love to drink the wine but may also be into collecting wines and having the wine on-hand in their homes for special occasions.

If you're a wine enthusiast who stores great wines in your home - or would like to - you may want to consider having your own wine cellar. When shopping for a beautiful Smith Mountain Lake home, be sure you tell your real estate agent you want to see houses with wine cellars.

Fine wines have special needs that a wine cellar can take care of. Optimally, wine needs to be stored in temperatures between 52 degrees and 58 degrees F. to keep it from aging prematurely or inhibiting its natural development..

Long-term exposure to light can also cause your wine to age prematurely, and the proper humidity level (above 50%) is essential to keep the corks from losing their sealing capabilities, thus causing the possibility of oxidation. Vibration can also be harmful to maturing wines by interfering with the necessary biochemical process.

A wine cellar in your home will enable you to house your fine wines at the proper temperature, light, humidity, and stability levels to let them age naturally and always keep them at their best. After finding and purchasing great wines, you don't want to run the risk of losing them due to improper storage.

To learn more about some of the beautiful homes for sale in the Smith Mountain Lake area, and especially those with wine cellars, please contact me, Jane Sullivan Horne, or visit my website. My staff and I can also be reached at 540-493-1690 and are ready to help you find your perfect spot at Smith Mountain Lake, whether for year-round living, a seasonal vacation home, or the retirement home of your dreams.

Thinking of making the move to a beautiful new home on Smith Mountain Lake? Congratulations! We know you'll be very happy here.

Maybe you've wondered what the year-round weather is like in the Smith Mountain Lake area. Well, we definitely have four seasons and almost perfect temperatures, so if you're thinking of leaving your northern home and are afraid you will miss out on the wonders of four distinct seasons, fear not! You'll get to enjoy them all at Smith Mountain Lake.

We celebrate summer, when the daytime average high temperature in July is 86.6 degrees and the average low is 62.8 degrees. The growing season is approximately 180 days long, and we're generally frost-free from April 20th through October 16th. For those planning their new landscaping and wondering which plants are best suited to life at Smith Mountain Lake, we are considered to be in Zone 7.

Yes, we also have winter. The temperatures in the winter at Smith Mountain Lake range from average highs in January of 47.9 degrees to average lows of 25.9 degrees.

We do have some snow at Smith Mountain Lake as well - an average of 14 inches. Enough so that you know it is winter, but not so much that you're housebound for what may seem like months on end or find yourself spending your days plowing your driveway and shoveling your walks.

Annual rainfall is about 44 inches. Old wives tales say that fish bite better in the rain so while you may not want to be on the golf course on a rainy day, you can always turn to fishing if you live on Smith Mountain Lake.

Now that you have the lowdown on Smith Mountain Lake weather, it's time to learn more about some of the beautiful homes for sale in the Smith Mountain Lake area. Please contact me, Jane Sullivan Horne, or visit my website to see some of the great homes available now. My staff and I can also be reached at 540-493-1690 and are ready to help you find your perfect spot at Smith Mountain Lake, whether for year-round living, a seasonal vacation home, or the retirement home of your dreams.

Whether you're shopping for a dress, a bedspread, or your new home at Smith Mountain Lake, looking within your price range is the best way to go. There are several reasons why shopping within your price range is the best plan. Here are a few for you to ponder:

1. Smith Mountain Lake has lots of beautiful homes in lots of great price ranges. So stick with what you can afford and avoid falling in love with a house that's beyond your means. Trust me, the lower-priced homes can be just as beautiful and just as perfect for your family, so avoid the potential heartache and shop within your price range.

2. Shopping for a new home on Smith Mountain Lake is a lot of fun. Selling you that new home is fun for me too. But spending a lot of time looking at homes that you won't be able to obtain a mortgage for is simply a waste of time for both of us.

3. If you're spending time looking at homes out of your price range, you may miss an affordable one that would've been the perfect fit, had you seen it in time to make an offer before it was swept up by another home buyer.

Once you determine what you can afford and the amenities you want, it's time to start shopping. Stay within your price range and before you know it, you'll be walking through the home of your dreams, which is selling at a price you can afford.

Jane isn't known as "Jane at the Lake" for no reason. She has the expertise to lead you to the homes that fit your budget and have the amenities you want. To learn more about some of the beautiful homes in your price range that are for sale in the Smith Mountain Lake area, contact Jane Sullivan Horne or visit her website. Jane and her staff can also be reached at 540-493-1690 and are ready to help you find your perfect spot at Smith Mountain Lake, whether for year-round living, a seasonal vacation home, or the retirement home of your dreams.