“It usually livens up a bit on the weekends,” the man behind the counter at Texas Tavern said to us after I remarked at what a quiet town Roanoke is. Maybe it was the fact that we stayed over on a Wednesday night that we didn’t get to see Roanoke at its full potential, but I wasn’t necessarily complaining. Living in Nashville, sometimes, I do think we take for granted what a lively city it is. We lose sight of the fact that most towns just aren’t built like that. Whatever the case may be, I tend to move at a slower pace than those around me, so I wasn’t complaining about the quiet that Roanoke presented to us.
We’ve been making the drive from Nashville to New Jersey for years now. I married a Jersey girl, and that means there’s at least one week in every summer that we drive up to visit family. Roanoke is just about the midway point of the drive, and it’s one of just four “cities” that we travel through (the others being Knoxville, Washington DC, and Baltimore). We’ve stopped by a few times – for gas, to hop on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a spell, and for lunch at Macado’s. But, it’s always reminded me a bit of Chattanooga…just a small mountain town that moves a little slower and has its own pace of life. That has always made me want to stop and stay for a little bit. That, and the architectural vibes of the Hotel Roanoke looking like a trip back in time to medieval England.
So, with an evening to spare on our most recent trip, we decided this would finally be the time we stopped and stayed for a night. We booked a room at the Hotel Roanoke, and left Mount Juliet at around 7AM, making Roanoke by 3PM local time with a couple of stops for gas and food. We couldn’t check into the hotel early, so we opted to roam around the city for an hour until it was time to check in. That’s when I noticed how quiet the town was. I mean, there were hardly any cars out on the roads and it seemed like every brewery and restaurant we drove past was closed. The vibes were equal parts mysterious and concerning. Where was everyone? Had the zombie apocalypse hit Roanoke before anywhere else? I digress.
After doing our due diligence (watching a few Roanoke tourism videos on YouTube), we added Black Dog Salvage to our itinerary. Since we hadn’t found an appealing watering hole just yet, we decided to go ahead and cross it off our list while we were killing time before checkin. What an awesome spot. To call it “salvage” feels like a slight undersell. Was it cool to walk through aisles of potential reclamation projects? Absolutely. But, Black Dog really shines as a sort of flea market and craft boutique. Venturing to that side of the building really raised my eyebrows. Throw in a loft that features art from local artists, and I quickly realized it was the type of place I could spend hours in. Not only that, but if I lived nearby and didn’t have to worry about the logistics of getting big purchases home, I could spend some serious dough in there as well.
After a 45-minute stroll around Black Dog Salvage, it was just about time to check in at Hotel Roanoke. The lobby is beautiful – it really does feel like stepping back in time. It was pristine. To get to our room, we had to pass by the cocktail bar, which felt as much like an art installation as it did a cocktail bar. I knew we’d be circling back to that later. Then, we traversed a labyrinth to get to our room – it was spacious and comfortable…a king bed that was like sleeping on a cloud. I noticed that we had our own patio. Surely, that can’t be right? It was. I stepped out on it and could hear the ambience of people coming and going. The sun was shining down on it, but a table with an umbrella shielded me from the heat. What a luxurious room.
We arrived at an awkward time. We were set on watching the sunset at Mill Mountain Park, so we didn’t want to commit to anything potentially time-intensive. Instead, we decided we’d just wander around the Market Square area and grab a quick bite. We landed on The Hatch because the Google reviews were good and it was right next to our hotel. From there, we strolled over to the Roanoke Pinball Museum, but again, afraid we’d screw around and miss the sunset, we didn’t go in and play. “Next time,” I said. We rode the elevator to the top of the building, where a rooftop bar was set up and you could take in quality panoramic views of the city.
After a few peaceful moments and beautiful photos, we began the ascent up to The Roanoke Star. I was already getting the sense that we wouldn’t have enough time to do everything we really wanted to, but I conceded we’d just have to make time for another stay over in the future. Mill Mountain Park is beautiful. We went on a delightful stroll down the side of the mountain, took in a beautiful golden hour at various overlooks, and we sat in the shade listening to the sounds of nature around us and people having a good time.
Once The Roanoke Star lit up, we played good tourists and took several photos in front of it. It’s a mighty sight. We caught a beautiful sunset, so I was grateful for that – various hues of blue, pink, orange, and red cast light across the city. Even though we didn’t have time to peruse the art museums or play pinball, I caught myself feeling quite thankful that we stayed on such a beautiful evening. In fact, I didn’t want it to end. Once we got back to the hotel, we took a leisurely stroll from the parking lot up to the hotel, stopping for a good photo op or two along the way. Wanting to see more of the beautiful hotel, we wandered around the hallways for a bit before heading back to the bar for a cocktail before settling in for the night.
After approximately 12 hours of sleep on the most comfortable hotel bed I’ve ever slept in, it was up and at ’em. We had around seven hours on the road ahead of us, so there wasn’t time to do any more sightseeing. I couldn’t bear the thought of stopping in Roanoke and NOT heading to Texas Tavern. It was in every travel guide and to-do list I read while prepping for the stop. So, at 9AM, we went for burgers. Well, Aura wasn’t a wild animal like I was – she got a bacon egg and cheese sandwich. But, I got the Cheesy Western, a burger topped with an egg, onions, pickles, and sweet relish. It was phenomenal. And, while I was at it, I figured I had to try the chili. So, yes…I had a burger and chili for breakfast. But, it was worth it. The best way I can describe it is if Krystal and Waffle House had a baby. For a man of the South, I don’t think it gets any better than that. Just like that, it was time to hit the road. By the time we left town, I found myself thinking there’s a lot of potential in that stop next time.
Places mentioned in this blog:
- Hotel Roanoke
- Black Dog Salvage
- Roanoke Pinball Museum
- Mill Mountain Park
- The Roanoke Star
- Texas Tavern
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, second on Football & Other F Words, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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