Huddleston, VA

Summer is winding down and soon we will be blessed by nature's colorful palette of fall leaves. No matter the season, there is a place where you can enjoy the beauty of Virginia with your family: Smith Mountain Lake State Park! From swimming to hayrides, there is fun for the whole family!

You can enjoy any of the 13 trails that wind through the park. Trails range from half a mile to three miles long, so there are trails for beginners and more experienced hikers! You can hike through hardwood forests, pine forests, beautiful vistas, and quiet coves of Smith Mountain Lake. You will quickly see why they call the area "Jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains"!! Trails are open during daylight hours all year round.

If you are looking for swimming, you have found the spot! The park's 500 foot beach can accommodate 1,000 people. There are some swimming fees, but in the summer, overnight guests can swim for free! Of course, there is also fishing and boating available; this is after all Smith Mountain Lake!! This weekend you can even enjoy a free Hayride by the Friends of Smith Mountain Lake Park!

At the Beach Pavilion this Saturday, August 22, you can enjoy Music in the Park! Starting at 8pm you can hear the music rendering of Linwood White and the Blue Grass Travelers. The Old Dominion Cloggers will also be there to entertain. The admission fees are $5 and kids 12 and under are free. So bring your family and your lawn chair and enjoy the music!!

This area has so much to offer! How many places can you go where you can visit a local winery one day and take the family to the Lake for Blue Grass Music the next? It is this kind of diversity that makes Smith Mountain Lake so unique! Come for a visit, if you like it, move here!! There are also diverse kinds of real estate in the area! From waterfront luxury Homes to a family winery for sale, Vicki Millehan can help you find your place in Franklin or Bedford County!

Fall is spectacular at Smith Mountain Lake! The beautiful color of the leaves, fall crush in full swing, and crisp air are all welcome signs that fall is here! As much as we love fall, there is some part of us that doesn't want to quite let go of summer. So how can we resolve this conflict of emotion? Well, an End of Summer Party should do the trick!!

The Bedford Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 2009 Beach Bash at Parkway Marina in Huddleston! On August 22 from 4 pm to 9pm, you can enjoy local wines and microbrewed beers! There will not be any shortage of summer time fun!! Tickets can be bought online or from many local businesses. Advance tickets are $15 and are $20 at the gate. Don't forget to bring your ID so you can enjoy all the local wines and beers!

Hickory Hill Vineyards and Winery, Peaks of Otter Winery, and White Rock Vineyards are just a few of the local wineries that will have tastings available, as well as wine for sale! The Chamber even has "Woozies" too, if you need one for your favorite glass of wine!! There will also be Microbrew available! Jefferson Street Brewery and Woodchuck Draft Hard Cider will both have their wares available at the party this weekend.

Only one thing is missing...music!! But have no fear, the Bedford Chamber of Commerce has it covered! Part Time Party Band will provide music for the evening. There will also be various food vendors at the Party too! Looks like everything is covered for friends, music, wine and fun!!

So don't miss the 2009 Beach Bash at Parkway Marina this weekend! Don't forget that the Savoy-Lee, another fine SML winery that happens to be for sale, is always open for tastings too. Come visit us here at Smith Mountain Lake, and if you like it then move here! If you are thinking you don't want to miss any of the spectacular seasons at Smith Mountain Lake, call Vicki Millehan, you local real estate expert! She can help you find a Lakeside Home where you can enjoy all the beauty of the area from your own back deck!!

In 1825 Silas Wade built a small 2 room, 2 story cabin on a beautiful piece of property that would one day become part of Bedford, Virginia. In the winter the beauty of the Peaks of Otter can be seen through the trees. Nearby, the creek babbles in its bed. I wonder if Silas knew his cabin would still be standing in 2009, keeping alive the tradition of American pottery. Emerson Creek Pottery and its artists have taken residence in this historic home and are creating hand painted masterpiece in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains!

From Tea pitchers to baking dishes, all the pottery at Emerson Creek Pottery is handmade and hand painted. The clay itself is made onsite. A gas kiln is used for firing. The artists use no stencils or templates. Whether it is the festive Cranberry Pattern or the popular Fields of Iris, the pattern is practiced and committed to memory. This is what makes each piece unique yet consistent! Sets of Emerson Creek Pottery have been featured from Mt Vernon to the Smithsonian Institute! You will probably find at least a few pieces in most of the fine homes in Smith Mountain Lake, Bedford, Roanoke and surrounding areas.

Just like most business owners in the area, the owners Jim and Priscilla, want to do whatever they can to preserve the natural beauty of the area. All of the pottery is lead free! They have even gone one step further to create a new line called "Go Green". They even use cornstarch packing peanuts and use Recycled-Fiber Shipping Boxes!! Everything thing they make is lead free and non toxic. Emerson Creek Pottery has been making beautiful and safe ceramic ware since 1977 and don't plan to change that tradition! They even make baby dishes!

So if you are enjoying your day at Smith Mountain Lake and realize you just must have a new Brie Baker, you are in luck because you can find one just a small drive away! From candleholders to jug lamps, you must check out Emerson Creek Pottery while you are in the area! You will yet again be amazed at what is available in the Bedford area!! So come and visit and if you like it move here! Local Real Estate Expert Vicki Millehan will be glad to help you find a home where you can embrace or create your own American traditions!!

Well, the month of August has begun and that means one thing at the Savoy-Lee winery: Harvest time!! Things are beginning to get busy at this award winning winery! The fall crush is when all the labors of spring and summer come to full fruit and marks the birth of this season's wines!! You can feel the excitement building as the fall harvest is just weeks away!! That excitement can be felt all along the Bedford Wine Trail!

The wines produced from this harvest look to be as promising as the 2005 Johnson Mountain Picnic Series that won the Bronze at the 2006 Virginia's Governors cup wine competition! It has completely SOLD OUT!! You can find other of their wines listed at the online tasting room! Just click on Start Shopping and you can see their complete wine list. Better yet, drop by for an unforgettable tasting. Our tasting room is open to the public Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Monday from 12pm - 6 pm or by appointment by calling (540) 297-9275

The 2006 wines are going to be released soon, so sign up now for the newsletter to receive pre-release dates! Before being released, our wines are available to sample in the tasting room. So far the 2006 are receiving rave reviews! The growing season in 2007 was remarkable and many cannot wait to see how those wines perform! Things just keep getting better at the Savoy-Lee!!

As hard as it may be to believe, the Savoy-Lee has become available to purchase! You can contact Vicki Millehan, a local real estate expert, if you would like a more personal look at the Savoy-Lee or view our virtual tour! The area is so beautiful it is hard to take it all in, with lake views and beautiful surroundings it can take your breath away! With harvest set to begin, you can be a part of this award winning vineyard! At the very least come visit us at Smith Mountain Lake, and if you like it, then move here!!

If you’re renting a home for a week in the Huddleston area at Smith Mountain Lake this summer, you may not be familiar with medical services available in the area.

East Lake Medical Center

(Division of Physicians Treatment Center)

(540) 296-0534

Dr. Leonard J Cohen & Associates

East Lake Medical Center offers family and immediate care and no appointment is necessary. Located at the intersection of Rte 43 & 626 (Smith Mountain Lake Parkway & Leesville Rd) in Huddleston, approximately 10-15 minutes from the east lake area.

If you would like more information on Smith Mountain Lake, Roanoke or Lynchburg, Virginia, email me or call:

Debbie Malone, RE/MAX 1st Olympic (434) 546-0369

Member:

Lynchburg Assn of Realtors

Roanoke Valley Assn of Realtors