1) Commute to work and around to all areas of town quickly and comfortably in my own car, and I don’t have to set foot in a dirty and cramped subway.

2) Being able to look down at your city below, without the use of an elevator.

View From the Mill Mountain Star

3) An abundance of city parks, greenways, and biking/hiking trails for use, or being able to just take a casual drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway to temporarily get away from things, without having to actually go too far away.

4) Tacky and gimmicky? Perhaps. But a lighted star at the top of a mountain is rather cool in its own unusual way.

Beautiful Mill Mountain as Seen from the Elm Avenue Intersection with Route 220/I-581.

5) Many other Roanoke area bloggers who, whether with positive, neutral, or negative commentary, are still compelled to write about their own experiences and thoughts of Roanoke.

6) With the beautiful mountains providing a backdrop in just about any outdoor image, even an amateur-at-best photographer like me can snap decent pictures.

View Along the Blue Ridge Parkway.