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 beac... 08/20/2009

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 W... 08/18/2009

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 t... 08/06/2009

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... 08/05/2009

  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   02/22/2009

02/18/2009

We were shocked to see the water level at Smith Mountain Lake today. After months of little rain and drought conditions for the past two summers, Smith Mountain Lake reached full pond (795 feet) on January 10th. It's lowest level in 2008 was 789.54 feet. Appalachian Power which operates the hydroelectric project at SML and Leesville Lake, stopped following the lower output variance (400 cubic feet per second) when the lake reached full pond. Normally water is released at 650 cfs, the variance allowed water to be released at a slower 400cfs until reaching full pond. AEP had been releasing less water than its federal license required in an effort to keep the lake levels up. The Stationary Dock to the left- the water level was down four feet. Look at how low our floater is  - Oct 2008 Feb1... 02/13/2009

Are you making money on your CD's, IRA's etc?  Now truly is the time to invest in Waterfront Property at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia.  We currently have 486 Waterfront Properties for sale.  Prices start at $54,900.00 up to 8 Million dollars for 43 acres on the Lake!  Contact Edna Ledoux Jamieson Realtor/ABR at Lakeshore Rentals & Sales Inc. for more information on the lots listed in the below link or any homes or property for sale on and around beautiful Smith Mountain Lake Virginia.  http://www.flexmls.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?20080929204639548545000000&s=11&id=1 This year our lake levels have been relatively low so there are some properties that are listed as water front, however, due to drout conditions and silt build up, these properties are no longer water front.  Usually pricing wil... 09/29/2008

6 Acres in Huddleston Virginia for only $33,800 Bedrooms: Bathrooms: SqFt: Style: $33,800Lot 41 Arbor Vista DR Huddleston, VA 24104 MLS #734373Awesome Get-A-Way Spot! Wooded Lot. Road Begun to Home Site. Hunters Dream-Wildlife through Property. Marina-Restaurant/10 min Away! Smith Mtn Lake!Slip Rental Available. Double Wide, Stick or Modular Permitted. PJ BELLE, ABRLONG & FOSTER - HALES FORD BRIDGE16869 MONETA ROADMONETA, VA 24121PJatTheLake@aol.com540-525-0134http://www.PJatTheLake.com   Information is deemed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed. See copyright notice.Prepared by PJ BELLE, ABR on Sunday, September 14, 2008 10:06 AMThe information on this sheet has been made available by the MLS and may not be the listing of the provider. 09/14/2008

Thirty years disappeared at the lake last night- suddenly I was sixteen again! STYX performed at Mariner's Landing, the second act in their Summer Concert Series. We arrived early in the afternoon and decided to get  a bite to eat at The Pointe Restaurant. The band was just unloading the bus and we actually said hi to one of the band members on the way in. (I was still an adult at this point). The organizers hold a Pre-Concert Party starting at 4pm. For $15, there are appetizers, cash bar, live music, free fold up chairs and a shuttle back and forth to the concert. We got our pass, listened to the music, ate a little food and watched the boats on beautiful Smith Mountain Lake. Not a bad way to spend a summer afternoon in Virginia. At six pm, a shuttle arrived to start taking people over... 08/16/2008