TOP 20 UNDER $20
by Melanie Fleenor
by Melanie Fleenor
It’s no secret that most Hollins students find the Roanoke Valley less than stellar in terms of entertainment. Hang around long enough, and you will hear any one of the following complaints: “Roanoke is boring.” “There’s nothing to do here.” “I don’t have enough money to do anything fun.”
Lies. All lies.
If you’ve got a twenty-dollar bill (or less!) and a few hours to kill, Roanoke is sure to have something for you. The Roanoke Valley offers several activities that are cheap, fun, and only a short drive away.
20. Have a few drinks at Hotel Roanoke. It’s a great reason to get all dolled up and go out on the town. Fifteen bucks will buy you a couple of cocktails or a few beers—save that extra five for cab fare home!
19. Hit a nightspot like the Park, the Factory, or Corned Beef & Co. “I really like to go dancing, and I always have a fun time when I go to the Park,” said senior Lindsey Bonk
18. Window shop. There are tons of places to shop in Roanoke. For mall shopping, try Valley View (Gap, Express, Limited, Victoria’s Secret, Hecht’s, American Eagle Outfitters), Tanglewood (Steinmart, TJ Maxx), or Towers (Heironimus, A Little Bit Hippy, Ram’s Head Books, Present Thyme). For cheaper wares, head to Kmart, WalMart, or Target.
17. Go see a movie. Not exciting enough for you? Grab a couple of friends and create a movie theme night. “A friend and I saw “Starsky & Hutch” while wearing t-shirts proclaiming our love for Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Everyone kind of looked at us a little weird, but it was way fun,” said senior Jenn Naimzadeh.
16. Go out for dessert. You can purchase a sweet treat for under $5 at several local restaurants, such as TGI Friday’s, Applebee’s, Ruby Tuesday’s, and El Puerto.
15. Paint your own pottery at the Glazed Bisque-It downtown. It’s cute and artsy, and you can keep your masterpiece forever! “They sometimes have deals where you can get discounted studio fees or you just have to pay for the pottery and not the art time at all. It's a good way to spend a couple of hours, especially if you like being crafty,” said senior Sarah Watkins
14. Hit Happy’s. Happy’s has excellent selections of accessories, jewelry, Jesus portraits, and “moving” pictures. Personalize the experience with an airbrushed t-shirt, or get a Western-style belt inscribed with your name.
13. Play with a puppy. Petland (located on Route 220 toward Martinsville, next to WalMart) is a particularly clean, friendly store that always has a ton of cute puppies, as well as gerbils, birds, kittens, ferrets, snakes, and fish.
12. Visit the Explore Park. Activities range from Bluegrass on the Lawn to living history exhibitions to Appalachian folk history festivals. The park also features spots to fish, mountain bike, canoe or kayak, and hike. General admission to historic areas is $8.
11. Go downtown on a Saturday. The market area is full of little craft booths with jewelry, purses, fruits and vegetables, flowers, and all kinds of fun things. Shop around in downtown stores like La De Da and Seeds of Light, then grab lunch at one of the many yummy restaurants in the Market Building. “I love going downtown and window shopping, especially at Safe as Milk. I take a lot of photographs downtown, also, especially during the Farmer's Market,” said senior Stephanie Stender.
10. Scour thrift shops such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army. They have great deals on coats, clothes, books, and knickknacks. Just be sure to wash before you wear!
9. Go to a sporting event. Roanoke has a hockey team (the Roanoke Express) and a basketball team (the Roanoke Dazzle). Tickets range from about $5 up to about $17. Salem has a baseball team, the Avalanche, and tickets are a steal at $4.
8. Try a new restaurant. Downtown, try Arzu, Macado’s, Nawab, or Corned Beef & Co. At Tanglewood, check out Carlos, Buffalo Wild Wings, Ragazzi’s, and Montano’s International Gourmet. “I have had some pretty raucous times at Macado's downtown—particularly when it's a friend's 21st birthday. We take them there and all buy a shot for the birthday girl. It usually turns into a pretty funny evening,” said senior Amanda Coody.
7. Find a trail. Roanoke offers several trails, including some at Carvin’s Cove, on Mill Mountain, and the Appalachian Trail.
6. Sit down to nice a cup of coffee. Roanoke offers several cozy coffee shops, such as Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea (downtown and in Daleville), as well as cozy coffee niches in Books A Million and Barnes & Noble.
5. Visit the Mill Mountain Zoo. The zoo is small, but worth the under-$7 admission. You’ll see Ruby, the zoo’s famous tiger, prairie dogs, snow leopards, Burmese pythons, red pandas, and more.
4. If you can’t spare the $7 admission to the zoo, check out the Mill Mountain Star, Roanoke’s prized possession. Resting atop Mill Mountain overlooking Roanoke, the Star is the world’s largest man-made star. Not only is the Star itself cool to see up close, there is also an overlook that gives a great view of the entire Roanoke Valley. “Going to the star is neat, especially at night because you can see the whole city. Being from a very small town, it’s neat to look down on all the city lights,” said senior Jill Walker.
3. Take a late-night trip to Texas Tavern. It’s one of those Roanoke traditions that seems silly, but turns out to be completely worth it. A tiny joint with just ten barstools, the Texas Tavern has been in business for 74 years and still has old-school prices. Hop on a barstool and order a bowl of chili with or without (onions, that is) and a burger (with just pickles, onions, and mustard, of course). Just a hint: the Tavern, a.k.a. Roanoke’s Millionaire’s Club, is a lot more entertaining in the middle of the night than the middle of the afternoon.
2. Grab some chips and soda, make some sandwiches, and have a picnic on the Parkway. The Blue Ridge Parkway is Roanoke’s most scenic drive, and it features several overlooks with grassy areas perfect for picnics. If you’re feeling particularly energetic, take the Parkway to the Peaks of Otter for a hike.
1. See a play. Mill Mountain Theater and Attic Productions are each Roanoke area theater groups. Mill Mountain ticket prices start at $15, and Attic tickets are $10. Current productions are “School House Rocks Live!” and “God’s Man in Texas” at Mill Mountain and “Ten Little Indians” by Attic Productions, held at Lord Botetourt High School.
Roanoke.com
Roanoke Online
Roanoke government
Hotel Roanoke
Blue Ridge Parkway
Virtual Blue Ridge
Mill Mountain Zoo
Texas Tavern
Happy's Flea Market
Explore Park