[Charlie Stylianos]

Somebody posted that they have a daughter going to V-Tech in Blacksburg. Congratulations, great school and a beatuiful part of the state.

TIP: If you want to bypass the whole Christiansburg mess, take in some beautiful views and have some fun on very nice twisties, take Exit #128 (Ironto) off of I-81, make a right off the ramp and enjoy the 20 mile drive. This road will dump you right into the heart of Blackburg (460 Bypass) and save you about 10-15 minutes. It's a definite change of pace from the drone of I-81. Mabye we can caravan out there this spring as I still have friends I'd like to visit. See directions below.

[KeithLambert7]

[quote="Charlie Stylianos"]Somebody posted that they have a daughter going to V-Tech in Blacksburg. Congratulations, great school and a beatuiful part of the state.


Yeah, that was probably me. My daughter starts in the fall of '03. We've been looking on maps trying to figure out just such a route from Northern, VA.

A spring caravan to Blacksburg sounds good, we'd like to scope out a route in advance. I'm not thrilled with the idea of I-81 either.

Keith

[Doug E]

Ahhh Blacksburg - home of some of my best spent days. It has been a long time since but I think I remember following Charlie's route once returning to school after a Holiday and 81 was all backed up.

Kids are in bed and kick-off is in 30 minutes ... go Hokies!

[Jazzbass]

Yeah, this is an old one, but I'm new here...

Let me know if there's still interest going to Blacksburg. I'd love to go back in my Carrera, as I used to blow off steam at Tech by tearing up the backroads on Catawba Mountain in my 86 200SX. Plus, I can show you the a nice back way to get around the inevitable backup on I-81 (just wait until Thansgiving)

[KeithLambert7]

Originally Posted by jazzbass

Yeah, this is an old one, but I'm new here...

Let me know if there's still interest going to Blacksburg. I'd love to go back in my Carrera, as I used to blow off steam at Tech by tearing up the backroads on Catawba Mountain in my 86 200SX. Plus, I can show you the a nice back way to get around the inevitable backup on I-81 (just wait until Thansgiving)

Chris,

I'll be going there more and more with my daughter starting in August. We'll probably go sometime mid-summer. I'll remmber to drop a PM to you and get some I-81 alternatives - see if you want to cruise down there with us.

Also looking for alternatives to I-81 for later in September for the 356 Registry East Coast Holiday in Ashville, NC. Anyone know w good route to that area bypassing the major trucks routes?

Keith

[R. Aster]

About 1000 years ago, we used to take a cool back road from Tech to Radford that went by the munition plant. Regardless of how you felt about the war (that would be, umm, Viet Nam...), the plant was beautiful at night, as I recall, all lit up. We were always very excited going -- on our way to meet with some Radford slu ... dates ... and, returning, often tired but satisfied. We also had some great trips up into the mountains with our girlfriends. We usually went in my friend's 1964 Corvair convertible, kind of a POS, but we got there.

Fall of 1967, best days of my life...

[Jazzbass]

Originally Posted by R. Aster

About 1000 years ago, we used to take a cool back road from Tech to Radford that went by the munition plant. Regardless of how you felt about the war (that would be, umm, Viet Nam...), the plant was beautiful at night, as I recall, all lit up. We were always very excited going -- on our way to meet with some Radford slu ... dates ... and, returning, often tired but satisfied. We also had some great trips up into the mountains with our girlfriends. We usually went in my friend's 1964 Corvair convertible, kind of a POS, but we got there.

Fall of 1967, best days of my life...

That sounds like Price's Fork road, and its pretty much the same now as it was then. Same with the "dates" at Radford. Fall of 94... sigh - 10 years already.

[Jazzbass]

OK, I looked it up because it annoyed me that I couldn't remember..

A good fun road to Blacksburg and great way around the holiday traffic is to take exit 141 off of I81. This will put you on 419. Go north, and then take a right onto 311. Take this a long way through the back woods and over the mountain to Blacksburg Road (guess where this takes you). Blacksbrurg Road will turn into Catawba Rd, which will turn into harding Road when you get into Blacksburg. If you keep going straight, it will eventually turn into Roanoke Street which will take you right to Main St, Blacksburg.

If you are going this way and want to try this, I recommend (a) looking it up on a map first, and (b) Try driving the opposite way first. The way the roads are layed out, its easier to make the drive from Blacksburg -> I81 than the other way around.

As a bonus, this drive will take you by The Home Place, quite possible the best restaurant in the area.

[BlackTalon]

All right, Radford stories!

1. A couple guys on who lived on my hall freshman/ sophomore years used to hit Radford all the time. One day following one of these trips, the guy who drove back to VT said he was so drunk and tired he considered steering off the road and wrecking the car instead of sticking it out for the 20 minute or so drive. The sad thing was that he had been serious about it at the time! He said the reason he decided not to do it was beacuse he thought we would be mad at him if the passenger was killed...

2. A few of us were sitting at a stoplight when we saw two 'locals' drag a third guy out of a bar, where they proceeded to kick the living crap out of him while his girlfriend screamed hysterically. But this only lasted for about 30 seconds, when a really big local guy in the parking lot saw the mismatch, and commenced to beating the living daylights out of the two guys. The whole thing was over in less than one minute. The two guys were writhing on the ground is serious agony, and we were all cheering them on from the car...

3. My roomate and a couple of his friends shouted 'encouragement' at a couple locals while they were driving through town. They all arrived at the same parking lot a little while later, but my roomate and his friends took off quickly when one of the locals showed them the business end of his peashooter. My roomate was afraid to go back to Radford for about 6 months!

[Jazzbass]

Good stories, Dave.

Radford is definately a weird place, at least compared to Blacksburg. There's more of a local flavor in Radford, if you know what I mean. It always reminded me of being in Christiansburg.