Nestled in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains just off the Parkway at milepost 120, the city of Roanoke is as rich in life and warmth as are the mountains that surround it.

There’s plenty to choose from in the area, too. The Roanoke Valley is easily accessible from four interchanges off the Blue Ridge Parkway, via US 460 West, VA 24 West, US 220 North or the Mill Mountain Spur. While traveling the Parkway, be sure to stop at Virginia’s Explore Park at milepost 115. Explore is a living history park that demonstrates what life was like for the European settlers and local Native Americans living in the area during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

If you enter Roanoke by way of the Mill Mountain Spur, stop by the Mill Mountain Zoo. The Zoo features Ruby, the Siberian tiger, and Boris the snow leopard, as well as golden lion tamarinds, prairie dogs and exhibits representing more than 40 species.

Before heading down the mountain, stop by the Roanoke Star erected in 1949 and take in the picturesque view of the Roanoke Valley from the foot of this man-made beacon, touted as one of the largest of its kind in the country.

Once you’ve wandered down off the Parkway, it’s easy to find a place to stay for the night from the area’s wide range of hotel and bed-and-breakfast accommodations. for example you might choose the deluxe Tudor-style Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center, built in 1881 to serve railroad passengers. There’s also the stately Patrick Henry Hotel in bustling downtown Roanoke, as well as more hotel chain accommodations near the airport or Valley View and Tanglewood malls.

Hungry? Savor the variety of cuisines available in the Valley. Many restaurants offer American cuisine, from the homestyle version such as the Roanoker Restaurant to more upscale eateries.

Feeling adventurous? Then visit Carlos Brazilian International, offering the best in South American, French and Spanish cooking. Or try Awful Arthur’s for an inland sampling of the fruits of the Chesapeake Bay. For a light meal or snack, try one of the several deli-style sandwich restaurants including Corned Beef & Company, 301 First Street or the ever popular Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea.

A visit to downtown Roanoke, with its historic Market Square area, will show you what makes the Roanoke Valley such a great place to visit.

The friendly folks at the Roanoke Valley Visitor Information Center, 114 Market Street, are available to answer your questions and help you find your way around town seven days a week, 9-5.

Pick up a Visitors Guide and stroll through the Historic Farmers’ Market, one of the oldest continuously operating open-air markets in the country, closed only on Sundays. The stalls will be filled with flowers ready for planting in that garden back home or fill your arms with some of the freshest produce around.

If you like fine arts, then go to Center in the Square, a former furniture warehouse converted in 1983 to an urban planner’s delight and the recipient of many national and international awards. The Art Museum of Western Virginia, on the first and second floors, showcases many fine artists.

On the third floor of Center in the Square is the History Museum of Western Virginia housing displays of the settlement and growth of the Roanoke Valley over the past 10,000 years. June 6 marks the opening of Commonwealth and Community, a show depicting the Jewish heritage in Virginia, which runs through November.

Children will enjoy the Science Museum of Western Virginia, housed on the fourth and fifth floors of Center in the Square. Kids of all ages will enjoy the new state of the art weather studio and a water cycle interactive machine.

For theater buffs, Mill Mountain Theatre has a variety of offerings with matinee as well as evening performances. The box office (phone 540/342-5740) has information about shows, times and reservations.

Baseball fans can enjoy their favorite sport at the Salem Memorial Stadium, home to the Salem Avalanche. For tickets and schedules, call 540/389-3333.

Are you a railroading enthusiast? Roanoke is the original hometown of the old Norfolk & Western Railway (now Norfolk Southern) and the Virginia Museum of Transportation is housed in the old Norfolk & Western freight station. The museum emphasizes all types of transport but its specialty is railroading, as can be seen in the magnificent outdoor exhibits of vintage engines, passenger cards, cabooses and the mighty Class J611, one of the last steam engines ever built in the Roanoke shops. This spring the Virginia Museum of Transportation will showcase photographs by O. Winston Link through June 21.

Art collectors take note: artists, art dealers and collectors will descend on Roanoke May 30-31 for the annual Sidewalk Art Show. And for festival lovers, there’s Roanoke’s Festival in the Park, held May 21-31 in various locations throughout the Valley.

No visit to the Roanoke Valley is complete without a stop in Salem. If you’re interested in sporting events or antiquing, then Salem’s the place for you. Take in the latest exhibit at the Salem Museum or head west on US 460 and visit Dixie Caverns & Pottery, with its Rock and Mineral Shop, Christmas Shop and souvenirs to please the whole family. Dixie Caverns also offers a full service campground year round.

Take the time for a short detour to Ferrum and visit the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, the State Center for Blue Ridge Folklore. Opening May 8 in the Jesse Ball duPont Gallery is Weaving with Wood: TraditionalBasketry in Western Virginia, an exhibit featuring traditional woven objects from the past two centuries including baskets, a crib, chair bottoms and fish traps.