We’ve moved!

Not sure how you found us, but we’ve moved from this blog to www.RoanokeOutside.com – come check us out!

ROANOKE, Va. (January 14, 2010) – The Roanoke Regional Partnership today launched RoanokeOutside.com – the most comprehensive and interactive resource to learn about and explore the Roanoke, Virginia region’s outdoors. As a result of this launch this blog will no longer be maintained. Please visit the new site for all your outdoor needs.

The new site (www.RoanokeOutside.com) — the first of its kind dedicated to the Roanoke, Virginia region — was developed with hundreds of suggestions from area residents who shared their favorite hiking and biking trails, fishing holes, camping spots, kid activities, gear shops, as well as features they wanted to see on the site. Others employed GPS-equipped phones to map out trails and wrote descriptions of outdoor activities.

RoanokeOutside.com covers the greater Roanoke, Virginia area that stretches from Douthat State Park to Smith Mountain Lake between the James River and New River. The site includes an event calendar, suggested itineraries, list of guides, gear rentals, maps, photos, videos, message boards, blogs, gear reviews, cabin rentals, classifieds, and other features to help make getting outside easy, educational and sustainable.

“With the help of outdoor enthusiasts from throughout our region, we have dedicated more than a year to develop the leading source of information about all things outside to properly leverage the Roanoke, Virginia region’s greatest asset – the outdoors,” said Beth Doughty, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership. “Making the outdoors an important part of our region’s narrative and economy starts with a dynamic Web site that catalogues our natural resources and makes it easier for people all over the world to learn about and enjoy what we have to offer.”

Much like RoanokeOutside.com was developed with the help of the region’s residents, the site will continue to be a conduit of connectivity using interactive blogs, discussion groups and social media outreach using Twitter and Facebook.

“The Roanoke, Virginia region is one of the best spots anywhere for outdoor recreation, and RoanokeOutside.com tells that story in a way we’ve never been able to do before,” said Pete Eshelman, director of outdoor branding for the Roanoke Regional Partnership. “It provides an interactive platform to continue to share tips and connect with people passionate about the outdoors or those simply wanting to take the first steps toward getting outside for fun and exercise.”

Businesses, colleges urged to link to RoanokeOutside.com

To help spread the word about the site and increase global exposure, the Roanoke Regional Partnership is asking businesses, colleges and other organizations in the region to add a link to www.RoanokeOutside.com from their home pages.

“Our new site is an ideal way to show young professionals that the Roanoke, Virginia region is an ideal place to start and build their careers,” Eshelman says. “Having a comprehensive site like ours makes it easy for young professionals to research the region as a place they want to live.”

RoanokeOutside.com also is a great way for employers to showcase the region’s assets to employees, potential recruits and other web visitors. “A link to RoanokeOutside.com shows that a company, college or other organization cares about the outdoors and its impact on economic development in the region,” Eshelman says.

ABOUT THE ROANOKE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP

The Roanoke Regional Partnership was founded in 1983 as a regional economic development organization for the greater Roanoke area that includes Alleghany, Botetourt, Franklin, and Roanoke counties plus the cities of Roanoke and Salem and the town of Vinton.  Its program of work includes image building, asset development, and business recruitment.  The Partnership has been involved in business locations and expansions that have created more than 13,600 jobs and $1.3 billion in investment in real estate and equipment.  To learn more, please visit www.Roanoke.org.

Busted Butt Challenge

For those of you who get our weekly newsletter – we apologize that there was a broken link to the Bust Butt Challenge. We aren’t sure what happened. Regardless…here is the information on the Busted Butt Challenge.

January 10, 2010 – A world class gravel route has been mapped out, tested and is ready for the spandex jockeys to prove who is wisest (~23 miles). This is not just a race but a classic group ride that many of us will enjoy amongst friends. No number plates, no entry fees, no waivers. Just good riding! It will be cold so please be ready.  Visit the East Coasters bike shop website for details.

McAfee Knob – Appalachian Trail – Roanoke, VA

Coolest Snowboard Ever!

As if shredding the mountain on a resin snowboard wouldn’t turn enough heads, try doing it on a clear resin board. Makboard, a new player in the snowsports market, touts this odd creation as an affordable, “high-performing” snowboard option that also helps keep waste out of landfills.

Makboard in action

The $300 snowboard — which has no metal edges, weighs 9 pounds, and comes in one size only, 157cm — is made of makrolon, a super tough polymer resin that’s reportedly used in fighter jet cockpit canopies, bulletproof windows, goggle lenses and helmets. The material happens to be 100 percent recyclable, to boot.

The back of the board has two holes that, besides throwing snow in a rooster tail, are said to reduce drag, increase speed and provide stability. With a mildly shaped tri-hull design, the Makboard is built primarily for powder and soft corduroy.

The Makboard, which is made in the USA, is currently available for $300. www.makboard.com

—Ryan Dionne

Virginias vs. Carolinas: Which offers superior outdoor adventure?

Vote Here>>> and let us know!

Check out what other people have written about the two areas. I think you will be surprised!

Go Virginia!

Here is an excerpt from what one person wrote:

Jared Surasky-

“I thought so hard about this I got a headache! I have lived in Charleston SC, Asheville NC, and Charlottesville VA and I have to say that all are uniquely amazing when it comes to the outdoors. I have seen sunsets kayaking in the Ace Basin that would make your cry, hiked all over Western NC and seen beautiful things that would inspire a simple man to think profound thoughts (not that I’m simple), and climbed all over West Virginia, which is an endless playground of challenging routes! So, which is the best? I guess I will just have to be comfortable knowing that I won’t ever be able to answer that question. I can’t wait to see the results from this poll though!”

Subscribe to PLAY Magazine for FREE

Roanoke Parks and Recreation invites you to subscribe to PLAY magazine for free! The magazine will be sent right to your door at the beginning of each season: winter, spring, summer, and fall.

Inside you will find over 200 programs to keep you entertained and active. From youth team sports, adult athletics, fitness and wellness, personal enrichment, outdoor recreation, and trips and tours, you are sure to find something fun to do. Subscribe now!

City Parks & Recreation programs are open to everyone! You do not have to be a city resident to participate.

Looking for other ways to stay connected with the city Parks & Recreation department? Join their Facebook Group and follow them on Twitter.

Aquapac Waterproof Backpack- Gear Review

What’s known as a commuter pack by some could be called a canyoneering or rafting pack by others. The Aquapac Wet and Dry Backpack is a 24-liter (1,525-cubic-inch) waterproof backpack made for a variety of uses.

With a roll-top closure and a TPU-coated nylon exterior with taped seams, it’s made to protect your stash 100 percent from all things liquid — in nature or on the way to work.

Aquapac Wet and Dry Backpack

The pack has an inner divider that helps keep your dry — or clean — gear separate from your wet — or dirty — gear. And it has a small clear pocket to stash and keep track of your phone, wallet, keys and other small items.

With a sternum and waist strap, rear light loop, reflective logo and mesh side pocket to store a water bottle, the Wet and Dry Backpack has the necessary features for a safe and comfortable commute, too.

The Aquapac Wet and Dry Backpack is currently available for $85. www.aquapac.net

—Ryan Dionne

Weekend Recommendations Nov. 6-8

Your Weekend Update of what’s going
on OUTSIDE is now posted – click here !

Check out this video, works for anything in the fridge

How to Teach Your Dog to Fetch a Beer

Ever wonder what breeds make up your mutt? Certain breeds are happier to live an outdoor lifestyle than others are. Rhodesian ridgebacks, for instance, can withstand extreme heat and cold and they love miles-long runs, so they make good companions for distance runners. Chesapeake bay retrievers, on the other hand, are some of the strongest swimmers, making them ideal for river trips.

Assistant Editor Alicia Carr tries to crack the DNA of her two shelter dogs with the Canine Heritage Test, which involves only a simple cheek swab. Head to Outside’s dog blog, Outsidek9.com, to read the first part of the story. And, to take a guess at what breeds make up Editor Carr’s dogs.

Need some firewood?

Roanoke Parks and Recreation Urban Forestry will giveaway firewood-quality wood from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 at the woodlot at Fallon Park.

The firewood has not been cut or split, and a loader will be available. Those interested should bring a pickup truck or loadable trailer and enter the park on the Wise Avenue side through the Tinker Creek Greenway parking lot. (map it)

All material is intended for end users, not for sale.

For more information, contact:

Dan Henry, Urban Forester – 853-1994