Southwest Virginia … home of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a part of the larger Appalachian mountain range, and also of the New River, considered to be the oldest river on the North American continent.  My current home in the City of Radford (http://www.radford.va.us/)  is located in the New River Valley.

On any given day, I travel down roads that, especially during this time of year, are arguably some of the prettiest around.

In the summer, my friends and I kayak along this stretch of the New.  During this time of year, I scramble down the river bank to shoot the old train trestle against the backdrop of the evening light and the changing leaves.

While visiting friends to drop off fresh baked bread or cookies, I’m rewarded by the beauty that I see outside their homes.

The ride to work takes longer than it should during the fall as I stop multiple times to capture the scenery.  The first picture was taken from my office parking lot, while the next is the view over the houses near Radford University (http://www.radford.edu/).

The taste of  a microbrew at The River Company (http://www.therivercompanyrestaurant.com/) across the New River is even better when this is what I see from the deck.

This gorgeous oak stops me on my way down to Main Street …

… while this is the view that greets me as I drive home from work in the evening.

Sure, there are things that I miss by living in the rural part of Virginia (restaurant diversity for example), but views like this one taken from Attimo Winery (http://www.attimowinery.com/) sure help to make up for it!