Built in 1927, the construction of StoneHaven Bed & Breakfast features soapstone that was quarried in Floyd, as well as rich, original woodwork throughout. This Georgian style home is located at 244 Christiansburg Pike NE in Floyd; just one mile from the stoplight downtown.

This B&B offers four, handsomely decorated bedrooms; each with a unique theme and special name. In addition to the comfort of private bathrooms and central air, StoneHaven offers wi-fi, flat-screen televisions, a library, an expansive porch, and a gazebo, as well as homemade breakfasts made with organic and locally sourced ingredients. This B&B is also just minutes away from the stoplight in downtown Floyd, where visitors can enjoy local, world-class music, fine arts and crafts, shopping, dining, recreation, and adventure!
Owners Chris and Jennifer Miller feel that buying StoneHaven Bed & Breakfast was their destiny, and according to Jennifer, it was a story that was years in the making.
In the summer of 1972, Jennifer was just six years old while her sister, Amy, was five. The girls’ dad had a friend named Bobby who’d called to say that his own girls had outgrown their playhouse and he wanted to know if Jennifer and Amy might like it.
With a father working overtime to provide for his family and a mother staying at home to care for three children, fancy toys and elaborate playhouses were a reason to get excited. It wasn’t long before the small, stick-built house was unloaded and placed in the side yard.
Jennifer fondly remembers the tiny kitchen sink, the small cabinets, and the little bench table. It even came complete with checkered curtains and dishes! “Oh, the meals we made with sticks, grass, and mud!” recalls Jennifer. “My favorite task was to fill the little vase with wildflowers I would gather from the wood’s edge.”
Jennifer also tells us that it was easy to play house because she had such a good teacher. Her mother was a talented seamstress and gardener; taking pride in her cooking, as well as decorating her home with the labor of her hands. “I can remember lying flat on my back at her feet and looking up to watch her sew,” says Jennifer. “Catching stray threads between her lips and talking to me all the while.”
Jennifer also spent many hot summer afternoons watching her mother water the flower gardens. “I can still smell the lovely fragrance of the gardenias that graced the sides of our front entrance.” It was there in the family’s first brick home that Jennifer’s mother imparted to her a joy of flowers.
Years later, Jennifer’s early adult life revolved around raising her own family; a task for which she kept in constant touch with her favorite teacher. “I spent hours on the phone with Mama,” she says. “She literally taught me to cook over that old rotary telephone with its ten-foot cord.”
With her mother’s help, it would be in her first home as an adult that Jennifer finally became what she would consider “domesticated”. Her husband, as well as her church family, would often rave about the chocolate pound cakes and chicken casseroles she’d proudly make for the monthly fellowship meals.
And thanks to her mom’s help with decorating ideas, Jennifer’s husband would often return from work to find the furniture moved and the walls newly painted! Playing house had become Jennifer’s passion.
In 1995, however, she found herself single and raising two small boys. But fate was just getting started. In 2004, Jennifer met and married the love of her life, Chris Miller, and she became enchanted with Maine when they visited for their honeymoon. Incidentally, it was during this visit that the new couple had their first experience with a Bed & Breakfast, at the refurbished home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Portland. During a second B&B stay at the beautiful Spouter Inn in Lincolnville Beach, Jennifer found herself admiring the vibrant blues and whites in the dining room and thinking how much fun that type of life could be.
The defining moment of their experience in Maine, however, came when they’d stopped at a well-known restaurant in Camden; famous for their lobster rolls. Unaware of the time, Jennifer and Chris had arrived when the place was closing to prepare for the dinner crowd. As they turned to walk away, they were quickly greeted by the owner who escorted them back in and insisted on serving them personally. Afterward, he walked them back out and asked if they had any plans for their future together.
The restaurant owner complemented their Southern hospitality and quickly offered a tantalizing opportunity. The man also owned a local Bed & Breakfast and was looking for the perfect couple to run it. Chris and Jennifer humbly thanked the kind stranger, but ultimately declined the offer to move to Maine. Yet they never forgot the seed that was planted that day.
That was fifteen years ago. In May of 2018, however, the whisper of destiny that had been following Jennifer since childhood finally became a triumphant song. She and Chris purchased the old soapstone home on Christiansburg Pike and opened StoneHaven Bed & Breakfast two months later.
“It has been pure joy,” says Jennifer, “to serve ‘all who enter in’.” And that joy is reflected in the appreciation of the guests who have found their way there. As one returning guest recently emailed: “We’ll treasure the memories of gathering around your breakfast table and we feel as though we’ve made friends with you and your other guests. We respect your sacrifice and the hard work it must take in providing much more than a room in a hotel—you are touching people’s hearts and turning strangers into family.”
For more information about StoneHaven B&B, to see photos of the beautiful rooms, or to make a reservation, visit online at www.stonehavenbnbfloyd.com. You can also check them out and follow on Facebook at StoneHaven Bed and Breakfast.

StoneHaven B&B • Jennifer & Chris Miller
www.stonehavenbnbfloyd.com • (540) 745-4018
244 Christiansburg Pk. NE, Floyd, Virginia
facebook.com/stonehavenbnbfloyd/

By William Bell

I was interested in photography from an early age.  I remember buying a little Kodak camera when I was in the fourth grade.  My interest was rekindled in high school after taking a basic darkroom course and having access to a good darkroom for a couple of years.  With this new-found passion, I then began to study the inspirational work of some of the early Masters of Photography.
Twenty years or so later, while living in Floyd County with my wife, Joanne, we were making our living at Art and Craft shows.  While exhibiting at these shows, I would often see other people selling their photography.  Then one day, it occurred to me that I could do it, too!  I had loved the Ridge and Valley country of Virginia since I lived in Lexington as a boy.  And now that I was living in the Blue Ridge, surrounded by amazing natural beauty, it seemed a dream within reach that I could make and sell landscape photographs.
Having considered printing as an integral part of the photographic process, I built my darkroom in 1989 and began to print my own pictures so I could have control of my images.  I then learned how to do matting and framing, and it was time to launch my new career.
I traveled the Blue Ridge regions of Virginia and North Carolina with my large format, 4X5 camera; taking photographs of the natural beauty to be found there.  I enjoyed using this big, bulky, awkward, and slow camera because it imposed discipline on the art of seeing.  When I went out for a day of shooting, I would just take around twenty sheets of film.  This limited number of shots for a long day of picture-making required a deliberate and thoughtful approach.  Of course, I also wanted to have some film left for the often-magical evening light.
Along with my camera and three lenses, a tripod, a handheld light meter, and a dark cloth were my essential tools.  It took some time to set up and compose the image, all the while seeing the world upside down and backwards in the ground glass screen at the back of the camera!  But the image quality from a 4X5 negative is impressive.  It’s roughly the equivalent of a ninety-megapixel, digital camera; allowing me to make large prints with great resolution.
Upon returning to the darkroom, I would make prints from my negatives.  I would then mount, matt, and sometimes frame the pictures, all in my own shops!  The cameras and lenses I had were beautifully made, and the film I used was superb; the culmination of decades of refinement.  And my darkroom was state-of-the-art.  But then things changed.
The first digital camera I was aware of had a one-megapixel sensor and was made for NASA in the early 1990’s.  The pace of development for this new technology was amazing, and it caught many people by surprise, including me!  By the late 1990’s, the evolution had begun in earnest.  Hundreds of new digital cameras were on offer while film and darkroom supplies were getting harder to find.  I realized that if I wanted to continue my photography business, I would need to make the complete change to a digital workflow.
After working in my darkroom for eighteen years, I began to make the transition; first to wide format digital printing on canvas, and then to using a professional digital camera.  This was a challenge.  I was not a computer guy.  But I did learn, and I’ve become a big fan of the process, as well as the beautiful prints I can make.  The tools I use now allow even greater control and artistry than I had in the darkroom.  I still love printing, and I still get great satisfaction from producing a beautiful image, even after printing over twenty thousand photographs!
When I go out to shoot photographs, I try to attune myself to the visual world in a special way.  I see the angle and color of the light, and I imagine what the scene might be like from a different point of view or at a different time of day.  I move slowly along the trail, paying attention to small details.  I stop and observe.  I move a little to the left or right and observe some more; sometimes looking through the camera or changing the lens.  This is how I slowly work my way into a scene.  From a day of photography, I can hope to get one or two special images.  That’s always a good day!
For thirty years I have been my own boss, and I like this aspect of my work.  I built my own shops, I go to places that I love, and I take pictures that are pleasing to me.  I have been fortunate.  Because other folks have liked some of the same things that I do, I’ve had some success in selling my work.  Most days, I consider myself lucky to do what I do.
Joanne and I own the Bell Gallery and Garden in downtown Floyd, just a few steps from the light.  We always have a large collection of my photographs there, in different sizes, including paper prints, and we have the work of many other artists and craftspeople as well.  Please come see us.
For more information about William Bell, Joanne Bell, their art, and all the art to be found at the Bell Gallery & Garden, visit online at Bellgalleryandgarden.com.  You can also follow them on Facebook at Bell Gallery.

Bell Gallery & Garden • William Bell & Joanne Bell
Bellgalleryandgarden.com • 540.745.4494
For Reservations Call: 540.250.6802
info@bellgalleryandgarden.com
112 N. Locust Street, Floyd, Va

Two doors down from the iconic Floyd Country Store, in a charming, pale blue building, is another of Floyd’s timeless treasures. New Mountain Mercantile is a shop that has been in business for over three decades. On the welcoming front porch, folks can find an old-fashioned rocking chair and a comfy wooden bench for resting legs weary from exploring downtown Floyd. The inviting nature of both the store and its owners is evident in the colorful flowerpots, as well as the thoughtful bowl of water for the four-legged friends.
Four years ago, New Mountain Mercantile’s original owners wanted to retire, and so the store went up for sale. After hearing of the opportunity, Judy MacPhail and Nancy Bell decided they would join forces to keep this shop a vibrant spot on the Floyd shopping scene.
Both Nancy and Judy found the beauty and serenity of Floyd to be alluring. Neither could resist. Several years ago, each woman decided to make Floyd her home. Both have an eye for arts, crafts, and fashion; all of which fill the shelves and racks at New Mountain Mercantile.
Before coming to Floyd, Judy was Circulation Director with McClatchy Newspapers in Raleigh, North Carolina. When she arrived in Floyd ten years ago, her focus turned to spinning and dying wool for the beautiful yarns she created. Her craft took shape within the tiny house on her new property, and even though running the store and charitable endeavors often keep Judy from the spinning wheel these days, folks can still find her exquisite yarn on sale at the shop.
Before her new life in Floyd, Nancy Bell had been an accountant in Chiefland, Florida. Like Judy, Nancy also applies her skills to an old-time craft. After having learned from a local master, Nancy became a top-class basket-maker; especially renowned for the colors she weaves into her creations. Shoppers can find several on sale now at New Mountain Mercantile, and Nancy will be creating more in the weeks to come.
New Mountain Mercantile supports the work of many other local artists as well. Shoppers can find clay fairies fashioned by Mary Hadden, earthy earrings made from natural materials by Penny Lane, and stained glass by Joanna Huff.
The lace-impressed pottery of Jayn Avery is a favorite of travelers near and far. Tourists stop by year after year to add new pieces of this exquisite pottery to their collections. New Mountain Mercantile also has lots of tie-dye items; featuring the work of dye-slinger, James Herndon of Beandawg Clothing Design, as well as pieces by Kalinda Wycoff, original owner of the New Mountain Mercantile! In addition to the tie-dyed tees, there are also new shirt designs made by Heather Angel. They are simple, whimsical, and punny – like the Floydian Sip!
The Mercantile also offers a line of candles and wax-melts by Northern Lights, as well as essential oils, perfume oils, and incense. They also have wind chimes by Corinthian Bells; hand-tuned to produce a sound that is both beautiful and true.
Now let’s talk about clothing! New Mountain Mercantile is also a great stop for the fashion forward! A special highlight among the Mercantile’s apparel is the Habitat line of clothing; beautiful, timeless, and distinctive. Purchasing a few pieces of Habitat will round out the most interesting of wardrobes.
And don’t forget the feet! The “Merc” not only carries Farm-to-Feet socks made in Mount Airy, North Carolina, but they also have a sock designed and named for Floyd; featuring the strings of an instrument in keeping with Floyd’s musical heritage.
Two dimensional art also has a home at New Mountain. Local artist, Marsha Slopey Paulekas, is featured along with many others. Shoppers can purchase prints of Marsha’s rendition of the Floyd Country Store, and view her latest collection of scenes and buildings from along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Don’t miss New Mountain Mercantile on your next trip to Floyd! For more information about New Mountain Mercantile, visit them on Facebook at MercantileofFloyd, or stop by in person at 114 S Locust Street in Floyd!

New Mountain Mercantile
114 S Locust, Floyd VA
facebook.com/MercantileofFloyd/
Judy MacPhail & Nancy Bell
(540) 745-4278

by Karl H. Kazaks

Late one morning, Corinne Graefe walked through an outbuilding that is part of Phoenix Hardwoods; the fine furniture business that she and her husband, Bill, operate in Floyd. In the warm shadowy light, she examined slabs of various hardwood species, including rare specimens of walnut root and burled poplar; imagining what the rough-cut lumber would become one day – a table, a stool, or a headboard perhaps.
“This is what happens when your addiction is wood,” she explains. What happens when you possess a Phoenix Hardwoods creation is you become the caretaker for a piece of wood furniture which contains an undeniable, natural sense of grace. No matter how large or small, the Graefe’s furniture pieces all exhibit thoughtful design and craftsmanship.
Phoenix Hardwoods’ products exhibit a clear, practical utility, as well as an obvious connection to the original tree and a genuine beauty. Take, for example, a stool with a seat that shows the warm hue and chatoyant gleam of butternut. Or a table with a top and legs made from the same piece of curly maple; featuring an entrancing, rippling figuring, as well as a live edge. Or even a headboard in which the original shape and coloration of a thick walnut slab is captured in a Shaker-style frame. “It still looks like the tree,” Bill says.
Customers especially like the Graefe’s live-edge products, whether it be a table, a floating shelf, a box, or a vase. “People love it because it’s real,” Corinne exclaims.
The business began in 2002, a few years after the Graefes opened a custom lumber operation built around a sawmill and a wood-drying kiln. The couple still use the mill and kiln, largely to supply wood for their furniture business. But the kiln, it should be noted, is only the last step in their slab-drying process. The first step is to dry the hardwood outdoors, a year for each inch of thickness. That means a three-year drying period for a three-inch slab.
That level of dedication to making sure everything is just right can also be found on Phoenix Hardwoods’ shop floor, where, in addition to Bill and Corinne, four full-time employees build furniture by hand. To be sure, they use power tools, but the machines are hand-controlled, not computer-operated, and no detail is overlooked. For example, the stools use wedged mortise and tenon joints to connect each seat to its legs. This joinery technique involves hand rasping the opening of the mortise (in the seat) to create a wider opening, which allows for the insertion of a wedge into the end of the tenon (the top of the legs). The result is a much stronger joint.
Walk into the shop one day, and you may see Henry Vangunten working on his original new design; a table with a floating top. Beside him, Eric McDaniel may be gluing and clamping stool legs, then setting them aside to dry for a day. Caleb Johnson, who has been with Phoenix for over fifteen years, will be coming up with unique ways to use the unusual scraps of highly figured lumber.
“I get the greatest job satisfaction here out of any job I’ve had,” says McDaniel. “You actually get to see the end product and be proud of what you’ve done.”
Bradley Lawson agrees. “I enjoy bringing to life something that could outlive me.” Lawson crafts beds and tables and does much of the finishing work.
The Graefes mostly use a linseed oil-citrus solvent finish; applying a minimum of three coats and burnishing between coats. The tables are mostly finished with a dull, waterproof varnish. Preparing and finishing a burl live-edge piece is incredibly time-consuming, but it’s the kind of work which brings Corinne satisfaction. “I’ve always been interested in woodworking,” she relates. “I was the first girl in my shop class.”
“She’s very particular…” Bill added.
In describing how the couple partition their duties, Corinne explains, “You’ll be more likely to see Bill with a chain saw and me with a chisel.”
Phoenix Hardwoods is particularly known for its larger pieces. Bill loves working with five-foot wide logs. They are also famous for being featured in the rooms and lobby of Hotel Floyd. The company uses mainly hardwoods native to New River Valley forests, but they will also work with hardwoods recovered from planted species. “Arborists bring us all kinds of amazing logs,” they say.
In the hands of the Graefes, lumber that may have otherwise vanished in ash and smoke as firewood is harvested and given a new life; one which honors and illuminates the life that came before it in the shape and character of the original tree.
Phoenix Hardwoods is located at 2540 Floyd Hwy. N. in Floyd, Virginia. For more information, follow Phoenix Hardwoods on Facebook, visit online at www.phoenix-hardwoods.com, or call (540) 745-6403.

Phoenix Hardwoods • (540) 745-6403 • 2540 Floyd Hwy. N., Floyd, VA
www.phoenix-hardwoods.com • facebook.com/PhoenixHardwoods/

By Colleen Redman

Patrick Sisk, Kerry Underwood, Derek Wall, and Daniel Sowers have pooled their entrepreneurial spirit and skills to launch The Buffalo Hemp Company: Floyd’s first hemp farm and retail store!  They’ve spent all summer growing their first crop of premium organic hemp, and with a focus on CBD (Cannabidiol) products, have opened their storefront on Main Street in Floyd this September!
Currently, the Buffalo Hemp Company are leasing to buy a seventy-five-acre farm on Franklin Pike.  That land, along with an eight-thousand square foot building and outbuildings provide plenty of room for the business to grow. Their first field acre of hemp for CBD should be ready for harvest around October, and other plants have been grown onsite in greenhouses.  Some of the harvested plants to be used for free-roll CBD smokes are already hanging in a drying room.
CBD oil is an active ingredient in cannabis derived from the hemp plant.  Unlike marijuana, it is not psychoactive; having no – or negligible amounts – of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).  Preliminary studies have shown CBD to be helpful in the treatment of anxiety, insomnia, cognition issues, and pain.  Evidence suggests it can be helpful in curbing opiate, alcohol, and tobacco abuse, as well as in preventing or reducing the symptoms of withdrawal.  Users have described CBD as having a calming and focusing effect that is fast-acting, non-addictive, and without side-effects.
Buffalo Hemp Company partner, Patrick Sisk, tells us, “the U.S. is pushing to be the third largest hemp producer in the world, next to Canada and China.”  CBD was first legalized in Virginia in 2015 for the treatment of epileptic seizures.  Since then, laws have allowed its use and availability to be expanded.
Sisk admits, however, that the industry is still evolving and still fighting long-engrained perceptions.  Even after the agricultural production of hemp was legalized by Congress through the 2018 Farm Bill, there still remains some stigma around the cannabis plant.
Sisk, who grew up in Fauquier County, first came to Floyd County through an agricultural scholarship to Virginia Tech.  He says he’d like to see Buffalo Hemp Company become a boon to the area.  The partners hope to eventually process their crop into CBD products on site, but the changing laws may have them outsourcing that work to other states.  Though Buffalo Hemp Company paid for their grower’s certificate before breaking ground, they have found that only a handful of companies in Virginia have been granted the right to process hemp.
“The demand for this product is growing quicker than it can be grown,” says partner, Kerry Underwood. “But because of our farming heritage, we’ll be able to meet that demand.”  In the mid-nineties, Underwood owned and managed a Hemp store in Roanoke that sold mostly items made from hemp fabrics.  He also noted that hemp was grown by our founding fathers and that cannabis has been a safe part of our nature-based pharmacy for ages.
“To be able to grow this plant is an honor and privilege,” Underwood continued. “It can make a huge contribution to solving the ecological problems of the planet.   An acre of hemp will consume over one-and-a-half tons of carbon dioxide.  And it’s a soil remediator, leaving the soil better than it was found.  But,” he joked, “it’s not like growing tomatoes.  It’s a lot more complicated than that.”
Partner Derek Wall is more newly-come to the industry.  “I knew nothing about farming,” said Wall, “but I’ve learned a lot in the last five months.”  Although he and the other partners are involved in all aspects of the business, Wall said he got on board to help run the retail part of the operation.
Attracted to the challenge of creative business development in a new industry, Wall said he likes the idea of CBD products being part of the “farm-to-table” movement, as well as the local economy.  The first step toward the focus on the local economy, Wall tells us, will be to hire local employees to run the shop and harvest the crop.

Unlike Wall, farming has been in Daniel Sowers family for generations.  “I think the products will help a lot of people,” said the Floyd County native.  Sowers criticizes how pharmaceutical companies have been responsible for many people becoming addicted to pain medications.  He further points out the tendency for doctors to prescribe them like candy.  However, there are studies indicating that CBD could be a promising treatment for opioid addiction, as well as prevention.  Sowers says he likes growing plants and leading the way for something new.
Each member of the Buffalo Hemp Company partnership also maintains other successful businesses.  Sisk and Underwood are owners of 5 Mile Mountain Distillery, Floyd County’s first distillery since Prohibition. The business features micro-distilled moonshine with Appalachian roots, and houses a tasting room and gift shop.  Wall is co-owner of the Thomas and Wall Real Estate firm in downtown Floyd.  Sowers owns and operates On the Water; a Floyd kayak, canoe, and tube outfitter along the Little River. He is also a Thomas and Wall agent.
Together, the four partners manage the logistics of production, marketing and retail sales, as well as getting their hands in the dirt. “We all bring something to the table,” says Sisk.  I can’t imagine doing this without any one of us.”
For more information about the Buffalo Hemp Company, follow them on social media at thebuffalohempcompany.  To learn about or to purchase products, visit online at thebuffalohempcompany.com.

Buffalo Hemp Company • thebuffalohempcompany.com
540-745-TBHC (8242) • info@thebuffalohempcompany.com
facebook.com/thebuffalohempcompany/

When you spend time talking to the people of Floyd, you may find a common theme in many conversations.  For those who weren’t born there, the story is often the same: originally from a much larger city, visited Floyd, fell in love with it, and decided to call it home!
For Sally Truslow of Stonewall Bed & Breakfast, and her husband, Scott, that’s exactly how it happened.  In 2006, they were living and working multiple jobs each in Baltimore, Maryland.  “We were in the ‘rat-race’,” says Sally.
It was that rat race that made the couple decide to take a trip to the mountains of Floyd where they stayed at Stonewall Bed & Breakfast.  This B&B was built in 1993 by another couple escaping the rat race of New Jersey.  They named the place “Stonewall” for the many stone walls that once lined the trails and paths on the property.
Sally and Scott had been looking for a place to move permanently when they saw Stonewall B&B online.  It was for sale at the time, so the Truslows began entertaining the thought of purchase.  They, like many others, quickly fell in love with the people of Floyd, as well as the slower pace and the beautiful area.  It wasn’t long before they were seriously discussing the move.  That was thirteen years ago!
Sally loves to cook, and has been a caterer since 1982!  In fact, she just catered her 536th wedding, earlier this year.  She says her husband, Scott, is the hardest-working man she knows, and he has a personality that “could make a rock talk!”  Together, they make a perfect partnership for the hospitality business.  The folks on Trip Advisor seem to agree, with many reviews praising the Truslows’ fabulous hospitality, as well as their superb breakfast!
Sally fondly remembers the beginning.  “We moved in on a Wednesday and had our first guests on Friday,” she says.  “There were eight motorcycles that came in, with a total of sixteen guests on them. We greeted them to find the ladies were grumbly and agitated, and the men were a little snarky.  It was a cool February day.” she recalls.  “We thought we were going to die!” she jokes.
“We woke up Saturday morning and cooked a typical breakfast and watched as we had twelve of the sweetest people you would ever want to meet to come up for breakfast.”  There were only twelve because four of the ladies had not brought overnight bags with them, and so weren’t prepared for joining the breakfast table.  Sally, being a resourceful and prepared woman, was able to help those ladies feel more at home by providing a few basics, like toothbrushes, etcetera.  After two of them had left to return home, the rest settled in to relax and watched a NASCAR race.
“They invited us to watch the Bud Shootout (race) with them, and we had a wonderful time,” says Sally.  “And since then, they have come back multiple times and we’ve all become really good friends.”
Sally always finds joy in watching that kind of transformation in her guests.  She believes God has blessed her with the gifts and talents to serve others by listening and providing support.
“There have been guests that have stayed with us for prolonged periods of time to make life-changing career decisions.  Virginia Tech grad students have also stayed here so they could get away and focus.” Though Stonewall B&B does offer Wi-Fi, and though many guests do get a good mobile phone signal, some have found it convenient to turn off their devices; using the plausibility of signal-loss in the remote location to cut the strings that bind them to their own ‘rat-races’.  At least for a while.
Even though this B&B may feel quiet, peaceful, and tucked away in the mountains, the location is also convenient for the exploration of all the attractions to be found just ten minutes away in downtown Floyd.  Situated between mile markers 159 and 160, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Stonewall is the largest and closest B&B for many of the area’s activities.  For cyclists, they are even just an afternoon’s ride from the Peaks of Otter.
Scott and Sally provide their guests with information about all the local events and attractions.  They even supply maps since many GPS systems are not dependable in rural and mountainous areas.
Not only is Stonewall B&B a place to stay while you explore the area, it also has eleven acres of property that feature hiking trails, a gazebo, and a porch with rockers and swings.  In all this space, folks can find plenty of ways to relax, as well as take in all the nature and wildlife.  Guests can also visit with the B&B’s not-so-wild life, like the resident Australian Shepherd/Collie mix, and the two hospitality cats.
Sally tells us that guests really seem to enjoy the fur-residents, as many travelers often leave their own pets at home.  But missing a pet is not necessary when Stonewall B&B is the destination.  Stonewall is pet-friendly; welcoming dogs in certain rooms.  Just let them know if you are planning to bring your fur-baby with you.
The layout and facilities at Stonewall Bed & Breakfast are ideal for many types of gatherings.  They have hosted retreats, as well as weddings, rehearsal dinners, and baby showers.  One family group of seventeen men has been returning for eleven years and counting to have their Men’s Family Reunion Golfing Weekend.  Partnering with the nearby Great Oaks Country Club, these men book their tee times and spend quality time with their sons, sons-in-law, and grandsons.  Other families have taken advantage of Stonewall’s common area, living room, and kitchen to gather with their adult children and grandchildren.
Sally says she wants all her guests to feel included and welcome, and she wants everyone to think of Stonewall as “Your Home on The Blue Ridge Parkway”.  Part of making people feel at home comes with accommodating dietary needs for the “breakfast” part of B&B.  Checking for special needs is part of the booking confirmation call.  Sally takes great care when serving guests with food allergies or restricted diets due to health conditions.  She is also happy to accommodate those who have chosen to live vegan or gluten-free lifestyles.  Once any dietary restrictions are known, Sally creates a delicious buffet menu customized for each guest.  She really enjoys researching recipes and learning ways to substitute soy or tofu for her vegan guests, as well as using turkey bacon for those who don’t eat pork.  Regularly, however, the breakfast menu often includes some style of egg and breakfast meat, along with fruit and muffins.  There is also usually some sort of saucy dish such as gravy, Chicken ala King, or chipped beef.
For those who appreciate the philosophy of shopping local, Sally is happy to report that she gets most of her food from local stores like Slaughters Supermarket, Wade’s Grocery in Christiansburg, and the Floyd Farmer’s Market.  With all this great, locally sourced food, she and Scott both enjoy creating in the kitchen.  Scott’s slow cooked bacon, as well as his lo-country shrimp and grits, are guest favorites.  Folks also love Sally’s Quiche Lorraine so much that she’s had requests to ship it!  “But,” says Sally with a smile, “they’ll have to come to Stonewall to get it.”  For cyclists and other active guests looking for a light meal and energy on-the-go, Sally may prepare a simple oatmeal and send them off with a to-go bag of muffins and water for the day.
Breakfast time is special at Stonewall B&B.  It’s a time when guests gather in the kitchen and get to know each other while the food is still being prepared.  “The stories we’ve heard are amazing!” says Sally. “Guests have come for the Floyd Country Store, events at Chantilly Farm, FloydFest, Rock Castle Gorge, Mabry Mill, Peaks of Otter, Virginia Tech ball games, graduation, and more!  They come from all over the world!  We’ve had several guests from as far away as Australia and New Zealand!”
Going into their thirteenth year as the owners of Stonewall Bed & Breakfast, Sally and Scott have hosted over four hundred guests; many of whom take advantage of the discount for returning guests to visit again and again.
When asked about the future, Sally tells us that Scott is an amazingly talented man, and that they are planning to add more private bathrooms in response to feedback.  Scott likes to think of the bed and breakfast as a work-in-progress.  He and Sally both continue to find ways to add value and comfort for their guests.
Sally says she would also like to have more weddings at Stonewall.  With many people wanting smaller weddings, Stonewall would be the perfect venue.  Along with her experience catering weddings, Sally knows how to bring down costs and help make a bride’s dream wedding come true.
She is also working on plans for more retreats:  women’s retreats, wellness, vacation from caregiving, and vacation from grief.  “You can’t pour out from an empty cup,” says Sally, and she wants to help give others the chance to fill their cups.  Sometimes that means just having the opportunity to play the piano, to sew, to paint, to color, or to cook.  The possibilities are endless.
“People who stay at B&Bs are unique, amazing, loving, warm and fun,” says Sally, “and they fill us.  They rejuvenate us.  They are the best guests in the world.  The number-one comment I hear is, ‘I’ll be back’.  It gives me great joy to know that I’ve poured into them and made their life just a little bit better while they stepped into my world.”
If you’d like to make Stonewall Bed and Breakfast “Your Home on the Blue Ridge Parkway” then be sure to check out their website and availability at http://stonewallbed.com and follow them on Facebook.

Stonewall Bed and Breakfast • Sally and Scott Truslow
102 Wendi Pate Trl SE, Floyd, VA • (540) 745-2861
“Your Home on the Blue Ridge Parkway”
http://stonewallbed.com • facebook.com/stonewallbed/

Located atop the magnificent Blue Ridge Plateau in southwestern Virginia, Floyd is a haven of natural beauty where the people are renowned for their hospitality.  There, visitors can find a vibrant culture of music, arts, local foods and wines, and outdoor recreation.  Containing nearly forty miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Fall season is an incredible time to visit and view the seasonal colors.  For more information about below and other events, go to VisitFloydVA.com  or call Visitor Center at 540-745-4407

SAMPLING OF MAJOR EVENTS: 

Fri.-Sun., Sept. 20-22
Buses at Chantilly, VW Bus Campout

Sat., Sept. 21
Concert: Trial by Fire – A Tribute to Journey at Chantilly Farm

Sat., Sept. 21
Fall Field-to-Fork Dinner at Patchwork Family Farm

Fri.-Sun., Sept. 27-29
StakeOut Events Blue Ridge Bike Rally at Chantilly Farm

Sat., Oct. 5
Floyd Arch in the Park in downtown Floyd

Sat. & Sun., Oct. 5 & 6
Floyd Arts & Craft Festival at Floyd High School

Sat., Oct. 12
Oktoberfest 2019 at Chantilly Farm

Fri., Oct. 25
JPHarris at Dogtown Roadhouse

Sat., Nov. 2
Tour de Dirt, off road bicycle event at Chantilly Farm

Sat., Nov. 9
Floyd Shape Note Singers at Floyd County Historical Society

Fri.-Sun., Nov. 28-Dec. 1
16 Hands Arts Tour, Thanksgiving weekend

Sun., Dec. 1
Floyd Christmas Parade (rain/snow date Dec. 8)

Weekend of Dec. 7-8
Winterfest Craft & Holiday event at Floyd Center for the Arts

Thanksgiving weekend
Christmas tree farms open for holiday trees & wreaths through Christmas

VisitFloydVA.com for more Holiday activities!

Floyd County Historical Society, Thurs – Fri, Noon to 4:00 pm, Sat, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm with the exhibit “A Tribute to Floyd County Churches”

Floyd Radio Show – first Saturday of the month, September through May

Live from The Floyd Country Store in the heart of downtown Floyd, Virginia! The Floyd Country Store presents a new variety show every month. A series of guest hosts perform original radio plays, comedy bits, ads, jingles, music, and more. Each show features the finest old-timey musical acts; from storytelling banjo players, to flatpicking guitarists, to hard-driving string bands.

Special Concerts, dances and workshops at the Floyd Country Store – check their website at www.FloydCountrystore.com

WEEKLY

Music is happening in the town and county every Thursday through Sunday (Thursdays through October)

• Hotel Floyd Music in the Mountains series, free Thursdays 6:00-8:00pm, continues through October

• Floyd Country Store, Friday Night Jamboree, Saturday afternoon American Afternoon music 12:00-3:00pm, Sunday afternoon Music Jams including Oldtime and Bluegrass.

• Wildwood Farm General Store, an affiliate site of Crooked Road, has free Bluegrass music every Saturday night throughout the year. Sunday Music Jams every first and third Sunday afternoons.

• Dogtown Roadhouse features music Friday, Saturday & Sunday evenings, downtown Floyd.

• Sunday Sounds Chateau Morrisette Winery, Free music on Sunday afternoons in the courtyard through October.

• Floyd Farmers Market, Saturdays through November, 9:00am-1:00pm, downtown Community Market.

Cycle Floyd

Fall is a perfect time to check out Floyd’s new Floyd County Bike Guide/Map in print and on-line.  Available at the Floyd Visitor Center and on VisitFloydVA.com.

More information is available online at www.VisitFloydVA.com.  Or, you can visit or contact our Floyd Visitor Center, open and staffed seven days week by calling 540-745-4407 or emailing info@visitfloydva.com.

By Vickie Holt

About twelve years ago or so, Robert Nickell was sitting down with some time to kill.  On the coffee table next to him was a book written by Dr. Donald Perry.  Dr. Perry is a Biologist famed for studying the rain forest canopy of Costa Rica.  The book was called “Life Above the Jungle Floor”, and it not only catalogued several new species, but it also inspired the 1992 film, “Medicine Man”, starring Sean Connery.
Perry’s work appeared on the covers of Scientific American, Smithsonian, and New York Sunday Times magazines, and was featured in Newsweek, Life, Geo, Paris Match, and Quick of Germany, as well as many other publications and documentaries worldwide.
What made Perry’s work so unique was that, in 1991, he was the first biologist to go up into the canopy ecosystem.  No one had ever done it before, and because of it, several new species were discovered.  Among them was a monkey no one had ever seen because it lives its whole life high in the trees.  There were also two new snake species no one had ever seen.
“It was really interesting,” says Nickell.  But the part that interested him most was the intricate system of ropes, platforms, and hammocks Perry had created so he could spend prolonged amounts of time in the treetops.  Perry had built the world’s first prototype zipline and was the first researcher to ever use one to study the rainforest canopy.
After the research was over, however, he didn’t know what to do with it.  The entire infrastructure was still there, with ropes stretched tree to tree.  Finally, Perry had decided to create a canopy tour where visitors could pay $45.00 to be manually hoisted into the treetops.  They would then then pull themselves along, hand over hand, from platform to platform.
After learning about the tours, Robert Nickell went to Costa Rica, had a go, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  He was also privileged to meet Dr. Perry, personally!  Robert tells us he was a nice guy.
Being engineer-minded and in the construction business at the time, Robert began thinking that if the ropes were pulled really tight between the trees, and if better pulleys were used, someone could just zip along the lines instead of having to pull hand-over-hand.
Robert decided to present his ideas to a couple of property owners in Costa Rica.  He didn’t have to try very hard to convince them.  “They thought it was such a great idea that they just went for it.  They just did it!”  And that’s how Robert Nickell designed the world’s first proper, recreational zipline.
After that first zipline had been built, another thought came to Robert’s mind.  “I need to be doing this!”  And that was all it took.  It wasn’t very long until Robert’s ziplines were being commissioned and built all around the world.
He designed and/or built in China, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru, Scotland, Wales, Mexico, and more.  He also built the first and biggest (to this date) zipline in Canada.  Located on the east coast, North Atlantic Ziplines is huge, with its longest line stretching over two-thousand feet from mountaintop to mountaintop.
Among many other places, he also built a zipline facility for Sir Richard Branson on his privately-owned Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.  Three years after it was built, Necker Island got hit by a devastating hurricane.  Days later, the billionaire called Robert personally to tell him the only thing left standing on the island was his zipline.
Eventually, Robert wanted to build in the United States.  This time, however, he wouldn’t be building for an investor.  This time, Robert aimed to own and operate the facility, himself.  It would be located in North Carolina, and it would be the first the country had ever seen.
Almost immediately, there were problems.  Insurance was impossible to get.  Nobody in America had ever heard of ziplines, and from the sound of it, no one wanted anything to do with them.
Building inspectors had no way to inspect them because there was no one qualified.  It was suggested that if he could get an engineer to sign off on the project, things could move forward.  Even then, it was difficult finding an engineer willing to look at it.  No one in America was familiar enough with what a zipline should be to judge the quality of the design or the completed structure.
Finally, however, Robert found an engineer who gave his design the stamp of approval.  He was then approved by the county and began to build.  After that, he obtained a conditional use permit, but soon hit another roadblock.
The state said that because there was no precedent for this type of facility, and because there were no inspection standards and no regulations, he would have to obtain a million dollars in insurance!  Robert called every insurance company there was.  Nobody would touch it.  He’d been building ziplines all over the world for almost twelve years and there had never been a single incident or accident.  Robert was baffled by the resistance.  After all, insurance is written every day for amusement parks, water-sport parks, public auto-racing facilities, ski resorts, and all other manner of adventure sport businesses.
He just couldn’t understand the reluctance.  So, he opened for a year with no insurance.  There are no state regulations for facilities that operate for free, so for the first year, his zipline was a non-commercial experiment.  The facility operated on donations; advertising to churches.  Their first customers were dozens of field trips and church groups.
After a year of no accidents or incidents, Robert returned to the insurance companies to challenge the denials based on no history or precedent.  “Please insure me,” he asked.  Finally, in 2006, he was able to get insurance and America’s first zipline officially opened for business.  Then it took off and exploded!
The local Fox news station came out and filmed a segment that aired during the evening news.  The piece was so popular that calls poured into the station!  There were also hundreds of hits on their website, with comments asking for more information.  As a result, Fox re-ran the story three times a day for a whole week.  Signature Magazine in North Carolina also did a story, and it was the most-hit story on the magazine’s website in five years!  Hundreds of people came for ziplining after having seen that article.
These two pieces of media coverage made Robert’s zipline so popular that he went from getting about sixty hits a week on his website to getting about 350,000 hits a month!  Apart from speaking to churches during that first year, Robert never advertised that zipline park.  He never needed to.
Upon reflection, Robert says he didn’t build in the United States until 2006 because he’d always thought the perception was that ziplines were for jungles and rainforests.  He really didn’t think anybody in America would be interested.  But as they, “if you build it, they will come,” and boy, was that famous movie quote on the money!
Not only was Robert responsible for the first zipline in America, as well as the first in North Carolina, he was also behind the first ziplines in Tennessee, West Virginia, Missouri, Arkansas, California, and more!  Most were built for other investors, but he also built two more for himself; one in Missouri and one in Arkansas.  He has since sold the ones in North Carolina and Missouri, but he still owns the one in Arkansas and it’s still doing great!
Robert and his family had moved to Branson, Missouri to build Zipline USA after having sold the first one in North Carolina.  At the time, Zipline USA was the biggest in the world.  It covered 120 acres of land and had twelve cables; one of which was three quarters of a mile long and 350 feet high – stretching from mountain top to mountain top.  It’s still one of the biggest in the world, and still probably the biggest in United States for land area and length of the cables.  “With close to five miles of cable,” says Robert, “it’s a heck of big zip line”.
Robert then set his sites on Virginia.  Having spent his childhood just across the North Carolina border in Stewart, Robert was often brought to Floyd with his family, many times visiting Mabry Mill.  Robert fondly remembers dancing at the Country Store when he was young; before it was the thing to do.  He’d come to the jam sessions where folks would just sit around play music.  In later years, he’d drive all the way from Winston-Salem to dance and clog in Floyd because there was nowhere to do it back home.
“I’ve always loved this area since I was seven years old,” says Robert.  “Even then, in the back of my mind at age seven or eight, I was thinking man I’d love to live up here.  It’s beautiful.  And you know just how life comes full circle…it just comes back around.”
Robert says that he and his wife, Joanna, looked all over Virginia to find a location that would support a large zip line, but they just couldn’t find the right land in the right place.  They looked at Nelson County, Amherst County, Augusta County, and Montgomery County.  They even checked Damascus and Abingdon, but multiple issues, including zoning, kept them returning them to Floyd.  “We found a good piece of land out near Copper Hill,” says Robert, “but it was at the end of six miles of narrow dirt road.  The traffic would have made it a nightmare for customers.”
More and more, the multiple return trips began to convince Robert that his favorite childhood destination was the perfect place for his Virginia-based zipline park.  “We spent a lot of money going back and forth, looking for land.  And we spent over $1000 at Floyd Motel!” he jokes.  “But that’s a good place, we like it a lot.”
They finally settled on the location at 3253 Black Ridge Road SW because it was situated only a mile off the Blue Ridge Parkway.  “It just seemed like the right place to do it.”  They broke ground earlier this year at the beginning April, and by the end of June, everything was built, complete, and ready to open.  Everyone was amazed!
On June 29, 2019, Buffalo Mountain Ziplines – the biggest zipline park in Virginia – opened to the public.  Along with Joanna, Robert runs the facility with his nephew, Laith, his son, Joseph, and daughter, Makayla.  In addition to finding a home for his zipline park, Robert also found a new home for his family; a little house on Slate Mountain, about two miles from Mabry Mill…and Robert couldn’t be more tickled about it!
A month later during FloydFest 2019, close to eighteen hundred people tried Robert’s temporary set-up that included two, 60-foot high lines that stretched 385 feet, each way.  “It’s hard to say no to free ziplines”.  With such excellent promotion, Buffalo Mountain got a solid start, and now averages two tours a day during the week and more on weekends.
Robert says that the zipline is already contributing to the community and its economy!  Not only does he hire local employees, but people who have come to the area for the first time after seeing the zipline on Facebook have been completely blown away by the beauty of this region.  And the folks at Buffalo Mountain Ziplines – especially Robert – are always happy to tell new visitors about the Country Store, Mabry Mill, the hiking trails, the music, the shopping, the art, and everything else there is to do and see Floyd.
At Buffalo Mountain Ziplines, guests can soar through the treetops on cables that reach as high as 150 feet above the forest floor while traversing distances up to 2400 feet!  Suitable for adventurers ages three and up, experiences include the Blue Ridge Adventure Tour which features eight ziplines for almost two hours of high-flying fun!  There is also the Rocky Knob Treetop Tour which can accommodate those with tighter schedules.  In just forty-five minutes to an hour, this tour features the park’s first five cables, and is perfect for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and birthday parties!
For ages eight and up, Buffalo Mountain also offers the Full Moon Tour!  Even seasoned zipliners may find this nocturnal ride a new experience.  This tour features eight cables, as well as a host of Floyd’s night-time wildlife.  Afterward, guests can also enjoy making s’mores and roasting marshmallows around a campfire.
A minimum of two guests is required for booking.  For more information, details about the tours, booking, pricing, and group discounts, visit www.buffalomountainziplines.com online!
Looking forward, Robert hopes to create more zipline locations throughout Virginia, as most are concentrated in the north; closer to Washington, DC.  The plan is for some of these to be commissioned by investors, while others will be owned and operated under Robert’s growing zipline company.
He also wants to further develop Buffalo Mountain Ziplines in Floyd by adding more lines and features.  The details are still hush-hush, but when building the ziplines, Robert discovered the site where the last moonshine still in Floyd County was busted, decades ago.  He tells us that on the Buffalo Mountain Ziplines property is an area littered with the shrapnel from where authorities used dynamite to destroy the still, as well as the structure that housed it.  The foundation of the building remains, as does the moonshiner’s specially-ordered car; now rusting and riddled with bullet holes.
Robert hopes to create a partnership that would result in a Moonshine Zipline Tour that would allow guests a birds eye view of the artifacts while zipping over them, followed by a walk-through tour and commentary.
Because there has never been a moonshine museum erected in Virginia, Robert also envisions creating one as part of the main building at Buffalo Mountain Ziplines.  It would be complete with artifacts, old photographs, and lots of information.  Robert is very excited about these plans and hopes to make them all a reality next summer.  In fact, if you have any artifacts, photos, or information pertaining to the old moonshine era that you would like to donate to this future museum, please contact Robert Nickell by calling 540-200-5234, emailing zip@buffalomountainziplines.com, or just stop by Buffalo Mountain Ziplines!
Stay tuned to further issues of Floyd Virginia Magazine for all the news and updates on this exciting new attraction in Floyd!