It hasn’t been my intention for the weather to monopolize a few post topics lately, but these cloudy and dreary days just don’t provide the best environment for a photo opportunity!

Weather is wonderfully both non-permanent and uncontrollable. The past 5 days have given the Roanoke area plenty to like, and also not like so much, about the previous statement.

My lawn needs mowing but I wasn’t about to take on that endeavor this past weekend. There’s just something wrong with having to fight the cold and wear a jacket in order to comfortably cut grass.

But that’s life in the Valley, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

And anyways we’ve come this far, and we’ve been given a glimpse of what is to come. Here are a couple of those glimpses from last week that didn’t quite make the final cut for a previous post.

View Along the Blue Ridge Parkway (3/26/08)

View From Gum Spring Overlook, Located Along the Mill Mountain Parkway (3/26/08)

Noke News explores parts of Roanoke by foot, equipped with a camera and a notepad, in hopes of learning something new. Perhaps you will too.

I was excited about this one because, like the previous Exploring Roanoke post, I travel near or by the site fairly often. But, I have never bothered to take a closer look.

Entrance to Harkrader Park, Colonial Avenue Runs Just to the Left of the Sign

Until now.

So, let’s go:

Along Colonial Avenue is a charming spot named Harkrader Park, which I think may be often and unfortunately overlooked by passing cars.

The park is located around the 2000 block, which is near the intersection with Brandon Avenue and across the street from CVS Pharmacy.

The park is a curiously small little place, with paths made of pebbles and with multiple strategically placed sitting stones throughout. In the center lies a large, well maintained bed of blooming flowers and other decorative shrubbery.

With Colonial Avenue on one side and I-581 slightly below but seen from the other side, the area isn’t very quiet by any means during most times of the day. And my visit was no different, as car engines and the dull roar of rubber tires on pavement echoed continuously in the background.

However, I think this all adds to the charm.

Harkrader Park. The Intersection at Colonial and Brandon Avenues in the Background and to the Left. The Clearing in the Shrubbery to the Right Allows Viewing onto I-581

There’s a bit of peaceful serenity in sitting back in stillness, and looking out at all the movements and scattering of people arriving at and leaving the nearby Towers Shopping Center, CVS Pharmacy, or those zooming along on I-581. Most days of the week I tend to be one of those exact persons, seemingly always moving.

I searched online but could find no information on or about this park, other than simply a general listing of its existence buried within the City of Roanoke website. And the area has no designated spaces for parking a vehicle that I could tell.

But, the park is there, and with the numerous sitting stones that seem to be beckoning any visitors to just take it easy, even if only for a few moments.

Harkrader Park as Seen From the Other Side of Colonial Avenue

EDIT (4/7/08) - Noke News reader, Kathie, helped provide further information about the park.  The name of the park stems from John Harkrader, who attended Roanoke College and later became president and general manager of WDBJ television.  The WDBJ headquarters were previously located across the street  where CVS is currently located.

In a Nearby Yard, a Grape Hyacinth Fends Off and Stays Poised Amongst the Ice Crystals (3/30/08)

When I woke up this morning and went to retrieve the Sunday paper from the front porch, I was greeted with shiny crystals which formed in patches in the surrounding mulch beds.

Some cooler temperatures arrived this weekend, I suppose Winter doesn’t want to leave without a small fight. Come to think of it, when does it ever leave easily?

But, like this grape hyacinth, I choose to remain steadfast in my belief that Spring is here and we’ll be basking in the sunshine once again in no time.

I was watching the weather on the news last night, and even early this morning, and on both occasions was given assurance that a few rain showers were likely to creep into our area by sometime this afternoon. The clouds were a bit thicker than yesterday, I’ll admit that much, but precipitation was nowhere to be found.

However, the day did provide the opportunity for a couple more scenes of the season.

The beautiful Bradford Pear Trees continued to bloom lively on this mild late day in March. On a drive down Grandin Road I was caught in something of a Spring snowstorm, with the white blooms of those trees swirling around in a breeze on my windshield and the pavement ahead.

Bradford Pear Trees on Grandin Road and Causing a 'Spring Snowstorm' (3/28/08)

Bradford Pear Trees Bordering a Section of Grandin Road (3/28/08)

Much of both sides of this section of Grandin Road, from the theatre to the intersection at Brandon Avenue, are considerately bordered with these decorative trees. And, that in itself can make for quite a pitcturesque moment.

Maybe it’s not so bad when the meteorologists are a little bit off on the forecast.

Staples left.

Then, the A & N store closed.

Now, with Texas Steakhouse & Saloon still there, a local shopping center is being revamped with a facelift and updated sign in the parking lot.

Construction at Madison Square Shopping Center Along Electric Road (3/23/08)

It’s all happening at Madison Square Shopping Center on Electric Road around the 4100 block (across the street from the Shell Gas Station).

Staples ended up moving to Tanglewood Mall (which I think is slightly less convenient), but I believe the A & N store just closed altogether. This relatively small shopping center has been there as long as I can remember. The Madison Square sign in the parking lot, which displays store names, is currently blank but has a max of 4 spaces available. And hopefully it will acquire some adequate tenants and be back in full business in the near future.

Construction Sign at Front of Madison Square Shopping Center (3/23/08)

For the moment there are only those construction/real estate signs in the front facing Electric Road, but I’ll keep an eye on it and post with new information a little later.

Twice monthly (on the 7th and 27th) Noke News writes about an experience in local area dining.

Introduction

You may remember Thelma’s Chicken-n-Waffles as previously having a location open on Melrose Avenue. But, currently the restaurant is located at 526 Orange Avenue in Roanoke, which is at the corner of Williamson Road. The restaurant offers a wide variety of southern-style dishes and sides for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in a quaint dining environment.

Thelma's Chicken-n-Waffles Located on Orange Avenue, at the Corner of Williamson Road

When I set out to eat at Thelma’s Chicken-n-Waffles I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I mean, I like chicken, and I love waffles, but it never occurred to me to eat both simultaneously. Boy, was I in for a treat!

What I Ordered

Of course I had to try the staple entree of chicken and waffles. I even remember while waiting for the food a sense of puzzlement came over me. I saw the picture of the meal on the menu and knew what to expect from having eaten the items before, but just not together.

Chicken and Waffles with Fried Potatoes at Thelma's

Then, the meal arrived, and after the first bite I realized this would be a special treat. The entree is also served with a side order of fried potatoes, and overall includes just the right size portions of every item. After several minutes the plate was clean and my belly full (but not over-full). I could go on with a number of adjectives to describe the meal, but when a meal is good I think it’s best to just simply say that and leave it.

I had ordered it with the boneless chicken for around $9-10, but there are other options such as chicken fingers, wingettes, or bone-n-breast.

Other Specialties

Thelma’s also has a very extensive menu with a wide variety of other specialties including ribs, wings, and catfish entrees, and deli-style sandwiches. If I counted correctly, the menu had a total of 6 pages of selections and I’m looking forward to trying something else next time. The Mac & Cheese looks especially good. Check out the commercial for Thelma’s (Note: Adobe Flash Player required to view).

In a Nutshell

The signature meal of Chicken and Waffles was very good, no doubt about it. And, overall the pricing was rather reasonable for food that tasted like it was genuinely homemade. The prep time does take a short while, but after the food arrives it’s definitely worth the wait.

About 4 or 5 weeks ago we had a very pleasant weekend here in the Roanoke Valley. I think on that Sunday the temperature may have even reached 70+ degrees, or at least it felt like nature was giving a preview of what was to be in the coming weeks.

Springtime officially arrived last Thursday as I briefly wrote about, but over the past few days the outside has felt at best like a mild December day. Now, I wouldn’t consider this year’s Winter in Roanoke as particularly harsh by any means, but I’m ready for the warmth.

And after a day like today, maybe it’s here to stay.

View From the Mill Mountain Star (3/26/08)

While leaving work and walking to my car today it just felt like Spring outside. The sun was shining freely and didn’t have to fight too many clouds to spread its rays. And a slightly more gentle breeze replaced the stronger winds that have dominated the area over the past several weeks.

So, I took the opportunity (with the help of newly acquired daylight savings time) to travel around, window down while enroute, and snap a couple photos.

View Along the Blue Ridge Parkway (3/26/08)

Noke News explores parts of Roanoke by foot, equipped with a camera and a notepad, in hopes of learning something new. Perhaps you will too.

For the first in this new series of posts, I walked a stretch of about 1700 ft of Wells Avenue (which turns into Kimball Avenue towards the end) from the intersection at Gainsborough Road to Commonwealth Avenue. This road provides access to the primary entrance of The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. I already knew of the distinguishing crosswalks along this road, which feature a brick design, but I was pleasantly surprised at what else I encountered. Let’s check it out.

Historic Gainsboro Sign Located at Intersection of Gainsborough Road and Wells Avenue

The journey starts at the intersection with Gainsborough Road and continues west along Wells Avenue. The first thing you will notice is a prominent sign which relates this road as being part of Historic Gainsboro.

So, what does that mean?

Some minor research led me to information from the Roanoke City website that says:

Gainsboro, Roanoke’s oldest community, is part of the overall neighborhood fabric of Roanoke and its boundaries are designated by the Railroad, Orange Avenue NW, Williamson Road NE and Fifth Street NW.

Also from the Roanoke City page, I learned of the Historic Gainsboro Preservation District, Inc, a group that is working towards preserving and revitalizing the area I explored.

Sidewalk along Wells Avenue in Roanoke

As I continued walking west, on the same side of the road matching the flow of traffic, the first item of note was the sidewalk itself. The entire length of the this road is bordered, on both sides, by a sidewalk which is laid with thoughtfully placed bricks to form a design.

Crosswalk Along Wells Avenue in Roanoke

The brick design is continued even along the crosswalks at intersections, and thus make up part of the road. If traveling this road by car you will notice these crosswalks existing as a slight bump or deviation from the regular pavement.

Continuing west, the next notable mark was in the form of a plaque that’s embedded into the sidewalk (located a short distance before the intersection with Jordan Alley) that reads:

28 WELLS AVENUE, N.W.
SITE OF THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION (YMCA)
FOUNDED IN 1928 WITH L.A. LEE, DIRECTOR

Soon after this marker, I came upon the intersection with North Jefferson Street. And it’s here where I crossed the street and continued walking west along the sidewalk, this time in the direction facing oncoming traffic. Just ahead is the first of two quaint areas, what I would describe simply as sitting spaces.

Sitting Space Located on Wells Avenue

This first one is a gazebo of sorts, providing a covered and shady area adjacent to the sidewalk. This space is complete with two park benches, on opposite sides from each other. This sitting space is surrounded by a mixture of decorative shrubbery and flowers.

This is a very serene and simple space, and provides a unique outlook onto Wells Avenue and the nearby comings and goings of The Hotel Roanoke.

The next area, a short distance ahead, is essentially an alternate route of the sidewalk which vears to the left and then comes back around to reconnect.

Alternate Sidewalk & Sitting Space Along Wells Avenue

There is a slight incline and the walk is bordered by a modest brickwall that guides the way. At the top of the incline are 2 benches generously spaced apart, as well as room for standing and gathering without blocking the primary sidewalk.

Historic Gainsboro Sign at Intersection of Wells and Commonwealth Avenues

As I come to the end of Wells Avenue, I reach the intersection with Commonwealth Avenue (which is at the main entrance to The Hotel Roanoke).  Another inviting “Historic Gainsboro” sign was present, and nestled quietly amongst a small garden of flowers. A fitting end to a wonderfully thoughtful walk.