For July 4th weekend, Spencer and I went to Blacksburg, Virginia. Blacksburg is best known for being home to Virginia Tech, and while traveling during the coronavirus pandemic was definitely different, but there was still so much to see in do! Here is my Blacksburg travel guide.
Blacksburg Travel Guide
Where is Blacksburg? How Do You Get There?
Blacksburg is located in western Virginia, under three hours from Charlotte, and approximately four hours from Washington D.C. It is an easy drive from both of these areas. The closest airport is Roanoke airport, which is 45 minutes from Blacksburg. You can also reach Blacksburg by bus, or the Amtrak train goes through Roanoke. We actually drove from New York, which took around 8 hours.
Where to Stay
If you are traveling to Blacksburg you absolutely need to stay at the Inn at Virginia Tech. We stayed at the Inn, and it could not have been more perfect for our weekend away. The Inn at Virginia Tech is within walking distance of Downtown Blacksburg, and is located within the Virginia Tech campus. The Inn had large rooms, fantastic customer service, and we had breakfast included in our stay which was amazing!
There are other hotels in Blacksburg, as well as many options for Airbnbs. I would recommend staying close to Downtown, as this is where all the restaurants and bars are.
Things to Do
Explore the Virginia Tech Campus: Virginia Tech has one of the most beautiful college campuses I have ever seen, and I have seen a TON of college campuses! Don’t miss the Drillfield, the center of campus and such a beautiful area.
The Duckpond
Duckpond: The duckpond at Virginia Tech is something that cannot be missed. Take a picnic lunch, sit down and relax and watch all the ducks.
McAfee Knob: There is so much hiking that can be done close to Blacksburg! I have only hiked at McAfee Knob, and it was such a beautiful hike with incredible views (you can see the view in the photo at the top of the page). Other hikes close by include Angel’s Rest and Fall’s Ridge Preserve.
Lyric Theatre: A fun movie theatre showing old movies, new movies, and sometimes concerts.
Starlite Drive In Theatre: This technically isn’t in Blacksburg, but it just 15 minutes away in Christiansburg. I loved going to the drive-in movie theatre, it was probably one of my favorite things we did! Currently, the drive-in is showing old movies such as E.T. on Friday and Saturday evenings starting at dusk. Starlite also has AMAZING food. I love the funnel cake and barbecue sandwich!
Where to Eat
Cabo Fish Taco: This is definitely my most visited restaurant in Blacksburg! I love Mexican food, and the tacos here are so good! They also do really strong cocktails. I recommend the Banging Baja Tacos with a side of the jalapeno cheddar mashers.
Brunch at Boudreaux’s
Boudreaux’s: Boudreaux’s is great for lunch, brunch, and dinner. It serves Cajun food, and the poboys are delicious!
Ninja Cafe: Ninja cafe is not right downtown, but is only about a five minute drive away. They do such good sushi burritos. We took these on our picnic at the duckpond and they tasted delicious.
Cook Out: If you’re from the south then you probably already know about Cook Out. If you aren’t you definitely need to go! The food is okay, but the milkshakes are INCREDIBLE! Definitely try the Peach Cobbler Milkshake, it is my favorite.
Top of the Stairs: If you like tater tots then you must visit Top of the Stairs, also known as TOTS. I have only had the tots here, but the rest of the food looks really good as well!
The biggest slices of pizza I have EVER had at Benny’s
Benny’s: You cannot come to Blacksburg and not try Benny’s Pizza! The slices are huge!! I would definitely recommend starting with one and then seeing if you can manage another after (I definitely can’t)
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Where to Drink
Being a college town, Blacksburg has a lot of bars. Here are a few of my favorites that you cannot miss on your visit to Blacksburg!
Wine Lab: The Wine Lab is such a cool wine bar located within the Virginia Tech campus. It is the perfect place to go for some great wine, as well as appetizers and cheese.
El Rodeo: Two words: Jumbo Margaritas.
Sharkey’s: Really good long island ice teas and burgers as well.
Top of the Stairs is also a great photo spot!
Top of the Stairs: I’ve already mentioned TOTS for food, but it is definitely my favorite bar downtown. Make sure you try a rail drink. You really cannot visit Blacksburg and not visit TOTS.
Hokie House: Another fun Virginia Tech bar right downtown.
Champs: The downstairs of Champs has darts which is fun, and there are also a lot of pool tables.
Thanks for reading my Blacksburg Travel Guide! I hope you find it useful. If you have any more questions about things to do in Blacksburg, feel free to comment below or send me a message via Instagram or email!
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