ISO: Fireworks From a Hike

I realized this week that I’m going to be in town on the 4th of July!  I’m on a mission– This year I would like to camp and watch fireworks from an overlook.  Last night I came up with some possible contenders. 

Please note these are all speculations at the moment.  I can not confirm fireworks can be seen from these spots:

Kelly’s Knob (Appalachian Trail)
From Kelly’s Knob you can see Blacksburg and Virginia Tech…. so it makes sense you would be able to see fireworks above Blacksburg.  The area has plenty of room for camping and some existing fire rings. 

McAfee’s Knob (Appalachian Trail)
From McAfee’s Knob you can see Roanoke Airport as well as plenty of valleys.  With its 270 degree view and its vicinity to Roanoke, it seems like a good candidate to see fireworks somewhere.

Angel’s Rest (Appalachian Trail)
This one I think is iffy.  You can see quaint Pearisburg and Narrows from the overlook– but a portion of Pearisburg is not in sight.  I couldn’t find any information on Pearisburg’s celebration plans.  Not knowing where the fireworks are being launched from (I highly doubt it is from the supermarket directly ahead of the knob), it’s a bit of a risk.

This morning I consulted my original hiking buddy and New River Valley sherpa, Tony Airaghi.  Turns out he was already working on similiar plans.  He brought a new candidate to the table, which is our tentative winner:

Butt Mountain Overlook
Butt Mountain is not off of the Appalachian Trail, but it does provide expansive views of Pearisburg, Narrows, Pembroke and Newport.  Tony believes we may even be able to see Blacksburg fireworks from that spot as well.  If all goes right, we’ll be able to watch multiple communities celebrate in one sitting.  And the thing that really gave Butt Mountain the edge– you can drive pretty darn close to the overlook with 4WD.  This is a plus as Tony sprained his ankle this past week.

Welp, I’ll be sure to report back next week.  In the meantime, if you have any other candidates or any details on these locales– let me know!

July 4, 2007 Edit:
The Roanoke Times introduced another contender in their July Fourth celebrations article– Sharp Top to watch the Peaks of Otter display:

Fourth of July at Peaks of Otter

National Park Service rangers lead the annual walk up to Sharp Top to view the fireworks. Bring sturdy shoes and a flashlight for the 6-mile round-trip hike. 7 p.m. Wednesday. Nature Center, Peaks of Otter. 586-4496.

The Things They Carried… Part II

In 1990, Tim O’Brien published “The Things They Carried” and gave us a glimpse into the lives of Vietnam soldiers.  One of the most memorable passages was a simple manifest of the soldiers’ packs.  By describing what they carried, O’Brien showed us the dangers the soliders were up against (flak jackets, steel helmets), the harsh environment they were in (malaria, dysentery, ringworms, leeches, trenchfoot), each man’s priorities (dental floss, extra rations, tranquilizers, vitamins to help night vision, Bible) and how they felt connected to back home (comic books, letters, pot, pictures).  The inventory of the men’s packs turned out to be as telling as any tale.

And now the Roanoke Times brings us a sequel, “Note What They Tote” with one tiny, tiny, insignificant difference.  Why, I feel silly even bringing it up.  Tim O’Brien focused on the lives of soldiers risking life and limb on the other side of the world by revealing what occupied the heavy packs they humped mile after mile.  The Roanoke Times highlights the lives of contestants in the Miss Virginia pageant by showing the things they carry… in their dainty handbags.

http://www.roanoke.com/extra/wb/122610

Quick Summary:

Miss Virginia Peanut	A Piece of Cabbage
Miss Hampton-Newport News	Stick of Degree Deodorant
Miss Arlington	Handwipes
Miss Portsmouth Seawall	Banana Chips
Miss Apple Blossom Festival	Stopwatch
Miss Southeastern Virginia	8×11 Photograph of Bill Clinton

And people say sequels are never better than the original!