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Our Hometown

Jennifer and I were both born and raised in Roanoke, Virginia. Located in Southwestern Virginia, Roanoke is surrounded by the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Full of history, Roanoke County was formed in 1838 and was named after the Roanoke River which at one time was the area’s central transportation for many merchants and Native Americans. Roanoke City was established at the heart of Roanoke County in 1884. Above is a view of the city’s downtown district from atop Mill Mountain.

Areas of Interest

• Explore Park
• Mill Mountain Zoo
• The Blue Ridge Parkway
• Center In The Square - Serving seven organizations including: The Art Museum of Western Virginia, Mill Mountain Theatre, Science Museum of Western Virginia, History Museum, The Arts Council of the Blue Ridge, Opera Roanoke, Roanoke Ballet Theatre
• Virginia Museum of Transportation

Interesting Fact

Roanoke’s central mountain, Mill Mountain, is not actually a mountain at all. Standing around 1800 feet above sea level, it is approximately 200 feet shy of a normal mountain classification. However, I assume the city thought Mill Hill sounded a little odd. And besides, you can’t have the world’s largest illuminated standing star on just a hill.

Mill Mountain Star

The star you see above is what gives the city its nickname. Roanoke became known as the “Star City of the South” after this gigantic structure was built in 1949. Originally, it was intended to be illuminated only during the Christmas season, however its glow can be seen throughout the valley each and every night. Standing over 88 feet tall and containing 2,000 feet of neon lights, Roanoke’s star is the largest illuminated, standing star in the world. Occasionally, the star has been illuminated with different colors, however it has remained red, white and blue since shortly after September 11th, 2001.