PJ Belle, ABR

Hot Shots ! @ Halloween

(a little while ago but catching up on photos)

Here @ Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia our little ones hungry for candy - had alot of fun trick or treating @ a fun place called Hot Shots (Golf and fun center) in Westlake. Businesses can sponsor a hole and give out candy and other goodies/marketing materials and the kids/adults don't have to walk house to house - like a trunk or treat. Anyway, below you will see some of the pics of a good time. If youare @ Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia @ Halloween next year - its a must go to event!

Christmas Time

Above are xmas lights from the Elks Lodge in Bedford, VA - sorry they are so dark but wanted to share those and information about the christmas lights! The display is absolutely gorgeous if you can come to see! Enjoy ! Merry Christmas! My family enjoys this every year ! Also, nearby are the lights @ Liberty Park!

Christmas at the Elks National Home is a very special time of the year, not only for the residents who have made this their Home, but also for the devoted and dedicated staff and the approximately 100,000 visitors who will see the splendor of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks portrayed as a beaming, spirited rebirth of Charity and Brotherly Love.

The annual Christmas Lighting Ceremony is always a very special occasion and a major highlight of the year, not only for the residents and staff of the Home, but for the local community and many officials of the Order of Elks. This year's lighting ceremony is scheduled for Friday, December 12, 2008, at 5:00 p.m.

HISTORY OF THE ELKS HOME CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

The magnificent display of lights and scenery at the Elks National Home has grown from a few lights on the porch and a huge tree in the lobby to what you see today. The first outdoor decoration to be added was a row of lights along the roof line and the sleigh and reindeer. This was in 1953. From that beginning, the displays and lighting just grew each year, attracting more and more people. Most of the original displays were made at the Home by the maintenance supervisor at that time, George Buck; a resident of the Home, Tom Sidonia, who was a retired artist for the Barnum and Bailey Circus; and a local sign painter, D. H. Pinion. By 1955, large crowds were coming from Bedford and the surrounding areas to view the displays. In 1965, there was a complete rearrangement and new concept. The religious scenes were constructed and the Christmas story placed in sequence just after the entrance. The community scenes, Santa, elves, carolers, etc. were placed near the building and on the lawn to the right after making the circle. In the following years, additional scenes were purchased from decorating companies and made by Elks Home employees. Of course, changes are made each season, adding new displays and/or changing the arrangement. Barry Schubert, one of the Home's security guards who is also a talented artist, has repainted and remade many of the older displays and created new, original ones. Erecting the lights and displays is a tremendous task, which is usually begun the first week of November. The Home's maintenance crew, with the assistance of residents, are responsible for this and do a fine job each year. Innumerable man hours are required for the erection and dismantling of this project. There are approximately 50,000 light bulbs that adorn the trees, shrubs, grounds and buildings. Well over 20,000 vehicles pass through the grounds each Christmas Season, and it is estimated over 100,000 people view the display. A new record was set in 2004 when the official count of vehicles was well over 27,000. The lights are turned on for the first time each year at an official ceremony in the main dining room, with the public invited and a prominent member of the Order of Elks to throw the master switch. This ceremony is on a Friday, one or two weeks before Christmas, and the lights burn from that time, 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. each evening, through New Year's Eve.

About Smith Mountain Lake

Why is there a gorgeous, 40-mile long, 20,600 acre lake, with 500 miles of shoreline, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of rural southwestern Virginia? Because Smith Mountain Lake was created to generate electricity, and to help manage water flows downstream and nearby. The damming of the Blackwater and Roanoke Rivers formed Smith Mountain Lake in a filling process that began on September 24, 1963 -- and ended almost 2.5 years later on March 7, 1966.

Smith Mountain Lake's surface covers 32 square miles. Its highest normal water level ("full pond") is 795 feet above sea level. There is typically very little seasonal variation in the water level. The daily variation for electricity production is 12-24 inches. During severe drought conditions, including 2007, lake levels have fallen by five feet. Under extreme flood control conditions, the water level could reach the top of the Smith Mountain Dam -- 802 feet above sea level. (The US Army Corps of Engineers publishes a daily water level report that is also available graphically over time.)

Surrounded by mountains, SML's deepest point is about 250 feet, near the dam itself. The "average" depth is 55 feet (see LakeLubbers, for Lake Lovers). Outside the lake's many coves, 80-150 feet is typical. Smith Mountain Lake water purity is excellent. Water temperatures invite swimming from May through September.

The west end of SML, including the town of Moneta, is closest to Roanoke Virginia (population 100,000). The east end, including the town of Huddleston, is closest to Lynchburg Virginia (population 70,000). Either Roanoke or Lynchburg is within 30-45 minutes drive time for most Smith Mountain Lake residents -- and both provide convenient "big-city" amenities like shopping malls and commercial airports.

Smith Mountain Lake is home to about 18,000 permanent residents. It covers parts of three Virginia counties: Franklin County, Bedford County, and Pittsylvania County. Average air temperatures are 73F in summer and 41F in winter. Annual rainfall averages 43 inches. Annual snowfall averages 10 inches, but the snow usually melts in a day or two.

Thanks for reading about Smith Mountain Lake - its a large place ! You will need someone here to help you find your dream home - I would love to help you do just that! Please do not hesitate to contact me @ anytime! PJatTheLake.com - PJatTheLake@aol.com 540-525-0134

Search all the listings 24/7 @ PJatTheLake.com

About Smith Mountain Lake

Why is there a gorgeous, 40-mile long, 20,600 acre lake, with 500 miles of shoreline, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of rural southwestern Virginia? Because Smith Mountain Lake was created to generate electricity, and to help manage water flows downstream and nearby. The damming of the Blackwater and Roanoke Rivers formed Smith Mountain Lake in a filling process that began on September 24, 1963 -- and ended almost 2.5 years later on March 7, 1966.

Smith Mountain Lake's surface covers 32 square miles. Its highest normal water level ("full pond") is 795 feet above sea level. There is typically very little seasonal variation in the water level. The daily variation for electricity production is 12-24 inches. During severe drought conditions, including 2007, lake levels have fallen by five feet. Under extreme flood control conditions, the water level could reach the top of the Smith Mountain Dam -- 802 feet above sea level. (The US Army Corps of Engineers publishes a daily water level report that is also available graphically over time.)

Surrounded by mountains, SML's deepest point is about 250 feet, near the dam itself. The "average" depth is 55 feet (see LakeLubbers, for Lake Lovers). Outside the lake's many coves, 80-150 feet is typical. Smith Mountain Lake water purity is excellent. Water temperatures invite swimming from May through September.

The west end of SML, including the town of Moneta, is closest to Roanoke Virginia (population 100,000). The east end, including the town of Huddleston, is closest to Lynchburg Virginia (population 70,000). Either Roanoke or Lynchburg is within 30-45 minutes drive time for most Smith Mountain Lake residents -- and both provide convenient "big-city" amenities like shopping malls and commercial airports.

Smith Mountain Lake is home to about 18,000 permanent residents. It covers parts of three Virginia counties: Franklin County, Bedford County, and Pittsylvania County. Average air temperatures are 73F in summer and 41F in winter. Annual rainfall averages 43 inches. Annual snowfall averages 10 inches, but the snow usually melts in a day or two.

Thanks for reading about Smith Mountain Lake - its a large place ! You will need someone here to help you find your dream home - I would love to help you do just that! Please do not hesitate to contact me @ anytime! PJatTheLake.com - PJatTheLake@aol.com 540-525-0134

Search all the listings 24/7 @ PJatTheLake.com

Smith Mountain Lake - Rental Accommodations

Smith Mountain Lake is a beautiful and friendly place to visit all-year-round. If you're visiting SML for 2 nights, a week, or longer -- check the rentals listed below. These lodging options at Smith Mountain Lake include these options, where winter rates are lowest:

• Bernard's Landing Resort, (lakeview condos, $100-$325/night) - 540-721-8870
• Inn at Sunset Cay (lakefront motel rooms, non-smoking only, $69-$99/night) - 540-297-6109
• Lake Inn Motel (off-water motel rooms, $55-$95/night) - 540-721-3383
• LoveStone Inn (lakefront Bed and Breakfast, $110-$250/night) - 540-296-0510
• Mariner's Landing (lakefront condos, $100-$368/night) - 800-851-4988
• Westlake Waterfront Inn (lakefront motel rooms with boat slips included, $85-$150/night) - 540-721-3307

Of course - we have ton's of homes that are available for rent. Just contact our property management http://sml-vacations.com or call 1-866-395-2038 ask for Debbie and tell her PJ sent you !!!

PS - we do have some special offers right now !!!