When you think of Grayson County, you probably picture some of the most iconic outdoor destinations in Virginia, such as the sweeping vistas of Grayson Highlands or the summits of Mount Rogers or Whitetop. But just down the New River lies a place that’s every bit as rich in beauty and history - the small, riverside town of Fries.
Once a bustling textile mill town, Fries is now a quiet haven for paddlers, cyclists, and hikers seeking a slower pace. You can launch your kayak right into the New River, pedal New River Trail State Park, or join a ranger-led history tour that brings the town’s past to life. In the evenings, the air fills with the sound of banjos and fiddles during weekly music jams that celebrate Fries’ deep roots in Appalachian culture.
I’m joined by Kevin Combs, a Fries native, photographer, musician, and tourism manager who shares how the town is embracing its outdoor and cultural identity. We’ll also hear from Ricky Barton, who created the New River Float Calculator, an interactive tool that helps paddlers plan their trips. Ricky shares his expert tips for exploring the New River, from leisurely Class I floats with the family to adrenaline-packed Class III rapids.
Along the way, we’ll discover hidden gems throughout Grayson County, plus local dining and unique lodging.
Get ready to experience a place where music, history, and adventure meet on the banks of the New River. This is Fries - one of Virginia’s Adventure Towns. Let’s Go!
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Mentioned in this Episode:
The Crooked Road Heritage Music Trail
Thursday Night Music Jams - Fries
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay,
Virginia is a Mecca for outdoortravel and adventure.
Virginia Outdoor AdventuresPodcast is your local guide for
hiking, camping, kayaking,travel, and so much more.
Get the information and theinspiration to plan your own
adventure.
Right here in Virginia.
(00:22):
I'm your host, Jessica Bowser.
When you think of GraysonCounty, you probably picture
some of the most iconic outdoordestinations in Virginia, such
as the sweeping vistas ofGrayson Highlands or the summits
of Mount Rogers or White Top.
But just down the New River liesa place that's every bit as rich
(00:43):
in beauty and history, the smallriverside town of Freeze.
Once a bustling textile milltown, Freeze is now a quiet
haven for paddlers, cyclists,and hikers seeking a slower
pace.
You can launch your kayak rightinto the New River, pedal New
River Trail State Park, or joina ranger led history tour that
brings the town's past to life.
(01:05):
In the evenings, the air fillswith the sound of banjos and
fiddles during weekly music jamsthat celebrate Frieze's deep
roots in Appalachian culture.
I'm joined by Kevin Combs, aFreeze native photographer,
musician, and tourism managerwho shares how the town is
embracing its outdoor andcultural identity.
We'll also hear from RickyBarton, who created the New
(01:28):
River Float Calculator, aninteractive tool that helps
paddlers plan their trips.
Ricky shares his expert tips forexploring the New River from
leisurely Class 1 floats withthe family to adrenaline-packed
Class III Rapids.
Along the way, we'll discoverhidden gems throughout Grayson
County, plus local dining andunique lodging.
Get ready to experience a placewhere music, history, and
(01:51):
adventure meet on the banks ofthe New River.
This is Freeze, one ofVirginia's adventure towns.
Let's go.
Kevin and Ricky, welcome toVirginia Outdoor Adventures.
SPEAKER_02 (02:06):
Good morning, Jessica.
It's great to be here.
Good morning.
Thanks so much for the invite.
SPEAKER_00 (02:10):
What do you love about Grayson County?
SPEAKER_02 (02:12):
What I like about Grayson County is, first of all,
the climate.
It's significantly cooler uphere than it is, say, down in
the flatlands, what we call it.
And then the um landscape isjust beautiful here.
I'm a photographer and I lovethe scenery and beauty of the
area.
SPEAKER_01 (02:30):
From my perspective, I've been a lot of places and
been fortunate enough to seesome uh amazing scenery.
I know that in North Americathere's only like a few wild
places left, right?
Like there's a few places thatare still wild.
And uh for me, that's that'sjust Grayson County.
You can go into this place, youcan throw your boat in the
water, you can hit a trail, andin 10 minutes you're in this
(02:52):
wild environment.
It's just absolutely awesome.
I love it out there.
SPEAKER_00 (02:56):
Both of you are really fascinating people with
interesting backgrounds.
Could you tell us a little bitabout yourselves and your
connection to Grayson County?
SPEAKER_02 (03:05):
Well, uh, I grew up here.
Uh I grew up uh near Freeze.
By the way, that my hometown iscalled Freeze, Virginia.
It's spelled F-R-I-E-S, but it'spronounced Freeze.
And uh the joke here is it'sfries in the summer and freeze
in the winter.
So that's my connection to thecounty.
And I went and worked inCarolina for a few years, but
(03:26):
I'm back now, retired,semi-retired.
SPEAKER_01 (03:29):
I came back because of my love of the place.
I was brought into GraysonCounty to map river systems,
trail systems for recreationdevelopment.
So one of the businesses that uhown and operate is OAC, where we
build recreation infrastructure.
And part of that is GIS mappingand trying to better understand,
(03:50):
you know, how long it takes youto get through, you know, a
recreational asset, or where isit, or where are the access
points.
So I was living in uh Damascusand did for a long time and was
introduced to Grayson County onthe New River first, and then
some of the county leadershiphad reached out and asked if I
could come over and do somemapping for recreation.
And I said, Yeah, that soundsawesome.
(04:10):
So that's how I got over there.
SPEAKER_00 (04:12):
Let's start with what people might already know.
Grayson County is packed withiconic outdoor destinations.
Kevin, when people hear nameslike Grayson Highlands, Mount
Rogers, the Virginia CreeperTrail, what do you think draws
them to the region?
SPEAKER_02 (04:29):
Well, I think it's the natural beauty, uh, of
course.
Um this area is known as therooftop of Virginia because the
highest elevation mountains arein this area.
I think all the mountains thatare over 5,000 feet are in
Grayson County.
So they think of the highlands.
They may think of the music,definitely the recreational
opportunities such as the NewRiver, Grayson Highlands State
(04:51):
Park, and hiking, horsebackriding.
SPEAKER_00 (04:53):
How do these iconic places shape people's
impressions of the area?
Do you think that they capturethe full story of Grayson
County's outdoor opportunities?
SPEAKER_02 (05:03):
No, I don't.
Uh there are many moreopportunities that are available
other than what we've mentionedso far, such as bouldering, for
example.
That's uh yeah, I didn't evenknow that was a thing until
recently, but the boulderingsport.
There's some sites in GraysonHighlands Park.
SPEAKER_00 (05:21):
Actually, Grayson Highlands has gotten really
popular for bouldering.
I'm pretty sure that there's a aclub that goes there quite
frequently.
SPEAKER_02 (05:28):
And uh fishing is a big thing here, uh, especially
in Freeze or along the NewRiver.
We have muskies, uh, walleye,catfish, smallmouth bass.
So there are a variety ofrecreational opportunities in
the area.
SPEAKER_00 (05:44):
So, Kevin, like you were saying, so many people come
to Grayson County for themountains, for the high
elevations, the views, thereally unique landscape.
But just a few miles away,there's a whole other kind of
adventure waiting on the NewRiver.
So we are gonna talk in thisepisode about the town of Freeze
because I feel like so manypeople are already familiar with
(06:06):
the iconic locations aroundGrayson County.
But the town of Freeze offers somuch for outdoor adventurers,
and these are the lesser-knownplaces.
So for people who are alreadyvisiting Grayson County, who are
already thinking about theiconic locations, this is a good
bit of information to add totheir itinerary, things that
they don't want to miss in andaround Freeze.
(06:28):
So let's kick off theconversation about Freeze.
Kevin, give us a backstory sinceyou're from the area.
It's a fascinating town, bothhistorically and how it's
transformed in recent years.
SPEAKER_02 (06:39):
Freeze was built from the ground up pretty much
in the early 1900s, around theturn of the 20th century.
An entrepreneur fromWinston-Salem by the name of
Colonel Francis Henry Freezefounded the town, and he built
it by spending$2 million, whichis hard to believe, but that was
for the town, a dam, and atextile factory.
(07:00):
In today's dollars, that'd beabout$80 million, but still,
that you know, that was quiteinexpensive.
But at the time, houses werebuilt with very little comfort,
uh, not much insulation, thattype of thing.
But anyway, the town was builtat that time and it ran a
textile factory.
The dam powered the textilefactory first by hydromechanical
(07:22):
power and then later byhydroelectric.
The mill competed very well upuntil the late 1980s, and then
imports from other countries uhran it out of the business.
So the town started having tolook for other ways to survive,
and there was a railroad thatran into town.
So one of the first things thathappened, the railroad bed was
(07:43):
abandoned and it was turned intoa rails to trails park, which is
the New River Trail State Park.
Then other tourism-relatedactivities took over, and now
the town is a bedroom community,I guess, for some areas, you
know, as far as work, and thenit's a tourism-related town as
(08:03):
far as uh supporting the trailand other camping and
recreational opportunities inthe area.
SPEAKER_00 (08:10):
Kevin, when I visited Freeze, you took me on a
tour of the town, and it'sadorable, first of all.
But also, we were standing atthe place where one of the old
train station depots used to be.
From there, we could see the damreally well.
And the dam is one of the firstthings that you see when you
come into town.
(08:31):
And it's big, it's bold, it'sthere, it's in your face.
If somebody doesn't know thehistory of the dam, I think they
might drive right past it andnot think too much of it.
But understanding the history ofthe town kind of helps us make
those connections with theoutdoors as well, because isn't
that part of the new river?
SPEAKER_02 (08:49):
Oh, yeah.
Water below and above is the newriver.
The new river pretty much drainsout of Dyson County here in
Furie.
SPEAKER_00 (08:57):
Yeah.
So it was really interesting.
And you were also showing me thelandscape where the tracks used
to actually run.
Now there's nothing there, it'sjust flats, but you can see
where a train had come through.
And you also were showing me thehouses that people were living
in and who worked in the milland the routes that they took to
get down to the mill.
(09:17):
And it's a really great tourbecause it gets you familiar
with the town and it gets youlooking around and seeing things
in a different way.
SPEAKER_02 (09:25):
Yeah.
And well, we were at the depot,which was it was a passenger
depot at the time.
It was torn down in the 60s, butwe've built an open-air shelter
there since then, which it is arecreational spot itself, and
that we have concerts there.
But the depot was where a fellowby the name of Henry Whitter
(09:47):
boarded the train, most likelyto go to New York City in the
20s.
Witter was a musician, and hewas convinced that record
producers of the time needed tohear about the country music at
the time.
That's what it really what itwas, folk music.
He went to New York and recordeda few songs, but then the record
(10:09):
producer that recorded them justkind of put them on the shelf
until a year later, a guy downin Georgia named Fiddlin' John
Carson released a record thatreally caught on.
So all the record producers inNew York went scrambling to try
to find something similar tothat.
And the producer that hadrecorded Witter remembered,
well, I have this guy fromVirginia in in my records, and
(10:33):
uh, let's see what he soundedlike.
So they liked it.
They called Witter back, theycalled some of his friends back,
and started releasing thesetypes of recordings.
You know, the rural music wasreally taken off at that time.
That resulted years later inwhat was known as the Bristol
sessions.
Producers came down from NewYork again, recorded people in
(10:55):
Bristol, and among those peoplewere the Carter family, which a
lot of people know.
And that was in the beginningsof country music.
Bristol calls itself thebirthplace of country music, and
I say if Bristol is thebirthplace of country music,
then Freeze is where it wasconceived.
SPEAKER_00 (11:11):
I think that the music heritage in the area is
just so wonderful.
This is maybe a good time for usto talk about the Crooked Road,
which some people might befamiliar with.
It's Virginia's Heritage MusicTrail.
Can you talk about theconnection and how music plays a
role in the community of Freeze?
SPEAKER_02 (11:30):
Well, so the Crooked Road is a virtual trail uh
throughout southwesternVirginia.
It's a driving route uh thatgoes to several towns and venues
throughout southwesternVirginia.
It offers people the opportunityto listen to country music,
bluegrass, old time music.
Freeze is on the crooked road,and I'm on the board of
(11:52):
directors of the Historic FreezeTheater, where we host uh a jam
session every week, and thenalso host dances and concerts
throughout the year featuringold time music.
It's every Thursday night.
We call it the jam at the dam orthe Thursday night jam.
It's free to the public.
We have a lot of visitors comein from out of town who really
(12:13):
enjoy the the music, and a lotof them are there for the first
time.
You can always tell the firsttimers because they look around
the inside of the museum or thehall there where the music is
held and look at we have someexhibits up about frees and
country music and old timemusic.
And uh they look around and takephotographs and then they sit
(12:35):
down and when the jam starts,this look of just absolute
delight crosses their faces.
They just love what they'rehearing.
People get up and dance, uh,they do traditional dance called
flat footing, or for slowerdances, it's uh two-step or
waltz.
They get up, take pictures, theytry to dance.
So it's a huge draw for freeze,and the crooked road brings a
(12:58):
lot of people in to freeze uh insearch of that authentic music.
SPEAKER_00 (13:03):
So was it obvious that it was my first time there
too?
SPEAKER_02 (13:07):
I think so, yeah.
I can't remember.
Did anyone offer to dance withand yes?
SPEAKER_00 (13:14):
Oh my god.
So this was so fantastic becauseI have been wanting to go to a
jam session for so long, youdon't even know.
Like it's been on my bucket listforever and ever.
And when this opportunity cameup, it was the thing that I was
the most excited about on thistrip.
Like, obviously, outdoorrecreation in Grayson County is
(13:34):
fantastic, but if you want toreally like dive into community
and history and heritage, likeyou have to go to a jam session.
But I got there, I lookedaround, like you were saying,
you know, you were showing mesome of the things on the walls,
I was and some of the specificitems that were on display
around the hall.
And so I was taking thosepictures and um really getting
(13:56):
into the history about it.
And then the music started.
I had just sat down in my seat,like not even a minute, and
somebody came up to me and askedme if I wanted to dance.
And I practically rocketed outof the chair.
I was so excited.
I couldn't wait.
And I told him I didn't knowwhat I was doing.
I'm like, I've never done thisbefore.
He said, No problem, I'm gonnateach you.
(14:18):
And it was a simple two-step.
So it was really easy.
And it was, I was just sothrilled to actually be
participating and not justsitting there because it is a
really exciting opportunity andit's so much fun.
And I just wanted to have thefull experience.
So I was grateful that thatgentleman came up to me and
asked me to dance.
SPEAKER_02 (14:38):
Freeze and Grayson County are well known for
recreational opportunities,outdoor recreation, and that's
why we're here today.
But jam sessions like the one inFreeze offer the opportunity to
talk to local folks and see, youknow, what is on their minds and
get a glimpse of trueAppalachian culture.
At the jam session, we have agood mix.
(15:00):
It's about half regulars andhalf visitors every week.
So it's just a good mix ofpeople and uh good way to talk
to people and meet new friends,socialize.
SPEAKER_00 (15:14):
I was really surprised how many folks come in
because Freeze is such a tinytown, and you could tell that
people were parking their carsall the way down the road.
You could see the musicianscarrying in their instruments.
Um, the couple that was seatedbehind me, they were there from
North Carolina, and they did nothave that on their itinerary,
(15:36):
but they were passing throughthe area and they were asking,
like, you know, what should wedo while we're here?
And somebody said, We it'sThursday night.
You have to go to the jamsession.
And so that's where they endedup and they loved it.
And so I was talking to them forquite a while too, and they said
that they were actually thinkingabout coming back and making a
longer trip out of it becausethey didn't realize how many
(15:57):
things there are to do in andaround Freeze.
And so they're gonna be comingback from North Carolina in the
future.
SPEAKER_02 (16:03):
Yeah, we have a lot of repeat visitors.
Um, we have people that comedown from Ohio, Kentucky, all
over the country, really.
And we've made a map of visitorlocations from where they had
signed the guest book, and wehave pens from all over the
country and even the world.
Two guys that come from Franceevery year who visit the jam.
SPEAKER_00 (16:23):
Wow.
Yeah, that's that's justamazing.
Are there any outdoor festivalsor music events in Freeze that
visitors should put on theircalendar?
SPEAKER_02 (16:32):
Oh, yeah.
Uh well, every year we have theFreeze Fiddlers Convention.
It's a music festival, it's acontest among musicians.
Um, it's called a Fiddler'sConvention, but musicians of of
all traditional stringedinstruments compete.
And it's a great weekend.
It's on Friday and Saturday, thethird weekend in August.
(16:52):
Uh, we also have a uh concertseries every summer, and that's
at the depot.
So we have uh outdoor concertsthere about four four to five
times a year in the summer.
And indoors we have concertsother than the jam sessions as
well at the theater.
SPEAKER_00 (17:09):
Okay, so people should add those things to their
calendar.
And also, I believe that theCrooked Road has its own website
with locations and events.
Is that right?
SPEAKER_02 (17:20):
That is correct.
Crooked Road, I'm not sure howmany, but I think it's close to
a hundred venues in southwesternVirginia that offer music.
And then uh our website for thetown of Freeze, FreezeBA.com,
uh, has a calendar which showsthe different music events that
we have during the year.
SPEAKER_00 (17:40):
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(18:03):
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Before we dive into thelesser-known gems, where is a
(18:26):
good place for adventurers tobegin their visit to Grayson
County?
SPEAKER_02 (18:30):
Well, the 1908 Courthouse in Independence is a
great place to start at.
It's right, it's pretty much inthe middle of the county.
The Grayson County TourismOffice is in that building, so
they can answer questions, giveyou suggestions, they have
literature about the county.
Good place to start.
The Grayson County HistoricalSociety is also housed there,
(18:52):
and also there are exhibitsabout the history of Grayson.
A lot of information there.
There are occasional concerts atthe courthouse as well.
There's a jam session onWednesday night.
And um, I was at a show over theweekend on Sunday, uh, Legends
of Grayson, which is a localpromoter group, had a free
(19:15):
concert honoring a musician fromGrayson County, and it was
standing room only.
Great concert, great localmusicians.
That's a good place to start.
SPEAKER_00 (19:26):
When I pulled up to the front of it, I was impressed
right away.
It is a very cool building.
And then you go inside and thedisplays are excellent.
There's a dress in there thatEleanor Roosevelt wore when she
visited the county.
SPEAKER_02 (19:39):
I think she went up to White Top and attended a
music festival up there, infact.
SPEAKER_00 (19:44):
That's right.
And they have the dresses shehad on on display.
Um, so I think that's reallycool.
And yeah, you can go upstairsand you can see where they do
performances.
It's like a little theater, andthere's beautiful stained glass,
you know, above the doors.
So I would encourage everybodyto start there because that's a
stop on your tour in and ofitself.
But then you can get all theinformation that you need about
(20:08):
what you want to visit inGrayson County.
Okay, so let's dig into some ofthe outdoor spots that maybe
people don't know about.
What are some of the lesserknown places in and around
Freeze that deserve moreattention?
SPEAKER_02 (20:21):
Probably the New River Trail would be top on my
list.
It's a great place to start out.
Uh, it's an easy trail.
It's uh a rails to trails trail.
So the the grade is prettyshallow, not difficult at all.
It passes you by some of thebest scenery on the New River, I
think.
You can walk it, you can make along pike out of it, you can
(20:44):
bicycle it, you can uh go onhorseback.
It's about 57 miles and just afew mile, a couple miles are in
Grayson County, but uh, youknow, this is Freeze is a good
place to start.
Also uh with the um New RiverTrail State Park, we have just
had a bicycle repair stationinstalled by a private group,
(21:06):
friends of the New River Trail,and a hydration station.
So if you come to Freeze and youneed to do some repair work on
your bike, there's this bicyclerepair station, and you can fill
your water bottle before youstart out.
I mentioned fishing.
Fishing is a wonderful sporthere.
We have smallmouth, walleye'smuskie, several other varieties
(21:28):
of fish, stocked trap streamsnearby, kayaking, tubing.
Tubing is a wonderful way.
We have a boat ramp here inFreeze and a canoe rental place
nearby that it's a good place totake the family out on the river
and just spend a lazy couple ofthree hours going down the
river.
Uh we also have Grayson CountyGravel Traverse, Grayson Gravel
(21:51):
Traverse.
Starts well, you can start here,but it's all uphill to the other
end of the county.
Or you can start in uh up aroundthe western part of the county
in Mount Rogers area.
It's a virtual trail.
Uh follow various roadsthroughout the county, most of
them are gravel.
There's a couple of miles ofpaved roads.
(22:12):
But uh that's a bicycle trailthat you can follow.
It's about a hundred miles, Ibelieve.
And um but I I would say for thebicyclist, it would be the more
experienced bicyclist that wouldwant to use that part or or that
uh trail.
But it's a good drive too.
It's a good way to see the wholecounty from one end to the
other.
It ends, either ends or beginsin freeze, whichever way you
(22:35):
want to say it.
SPEAKER_00 (22:36):
I was looking at a map of it.
In fact, I have it in front ofme right now, and it's huge.
I think it's I actually thinkit's 72 miles or something like
that, but it goes around GraysonCounty in a loop.
You basically hit a lot ofreally beautiful spots along the
way, but it follows roadsmostly, which is why it's called
(22:56):
the Grayson Gravel Traverse,because I think a gravel bike
would be what's best suited forthat trail, right?
SPEAKER_02 (23:02):
Yeah, I think so.
I think a more experiencedbicyclist would be more
comfortable on that trail.
SPEAKER_00 (23:08):
And the other thing about it is if you pick up one
of these pamphlets at thehistoric courthouse when you
first arrive in Grayson, thispamphlet not only does it give
you a map, but it gives youplaces that you can stay along
the way.
And that could be either hotels,it could be unique lodging, it
could be camping.
So you can bike pack this trailtoo if you want, or you can go
(23:30):
section by section.
So they've got these itinerarieslaid out for people, maybe two
days, three days, you know, evenmore days than that, depending
on you know how many miles youwant to ride a day.
And it actually tells you, youknow, how many miles you would
need to ride each day to dothese different itineraries that
they have.
So you can, by your experiencelevel, decide where you want to
(23:51):
go and for how long and where tostay, and also places to refuel,
like where to eat, where tostock up on gear.
So really all the information ishere.
If you're a cyclist and you'reinto this, like this is a thing.
Like, I really think this issomething that that people
should look into.
SPEAKER_02 (24:08):
I think camping, you you touched on camping.
Camping is a huge thing in thisarea as well.
If you're in an RV, Freeze NewRiver Trail RV Park, here in
Freeze is a good place to go.
Beautiful little campground.
It's right in the middle of theFreeze, but you feel like you're
in the wilderness when you getinto the campground.
There's primitive camping allover in the Mount Rogers
(24:31):
National Recreational Area.
The New River Trail has someprimitive camping spots along
the trail.
So there are really hundreds ofcampsites in the area.
SPEAKER_00 (24:42):
Oh, you know what I forgot to mention?
There is a ranger-led programfrom New River Trail State Park.
It is a historical walking tourof the town of Freeze, and it
happens on Thursdays before thejam session.
Not every Thursday, but a lot ofThursdays.
So if you wanted to get your ownwalking tour with a park ranger
of Freeze, and then they dropyou off at the jam session at
(25:06):
the end, like you just need togo onto the park's website and
sign up for that.
I did the tour.
I was really grateful that theranger met up with me and took
me around.
And they have pictures that theyshow you.
Um, they have other informationthat they bring along.
So it's an interesting way tolearn about the history of the
mill, the houses, therestaurants, the river.
(25:28):
There's a lot.
And then, of course, the musictoo.
So the whole idea is to sort ofset the stage for what Freeze is
all about before they drop youoff at the jam session.
SPEAKER_02 (25:38):
That's correct.
And they do a great job withthat tour.
Uh, there's a lot of history tofreeze, and it's uh it's really
helps you appreciate the townwhen you know the history of the
town, when you understand whythe houses all are built in a
similar manner, or why you seesidewalk stairs going up the
side of the hill.
SPEAKER_00 (25:57):
Are there any other lesser-known locations that you
want to mention?
SPEAKER_02 (26:00):
You know, going outside of Freeze, there are
opportunities all really allover the county.
Um, Powerhouse Falls, forexample, is a great place to
just a little pocket park,really.
It's near independence.
It was actually uh, I think aprivate power provider for parts
of Independence at one time.
(26:22):
But there are some falls there,just beautiful.
Several years ago, I just turned60 and I was outside, it was
like 15 degrees that day, andI'm a photographer.
I was cry climbing all the wayover these rocks, 15 degrees,
freezing to death.
I mean, just freezing cold.
And I thought, if I slip here,nobody knows where I am.
(26:43):
That's probably not too wise.
So I I started trying to be alittle more careful about the
locations I chose, but it's abeautiful spot uh for
photography, for picnicking anduh just spending a little time
with the family.
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(27:19):
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(27:40):
delivery.
Anything else you'd like to add?
SPEAKER_02 (27:45):
Rugby Creek Animal Farm is a farm up in the western
end of the county.
It's near Grayson HighlandsState Park in the community of
Rugby.
It's a rescue ranch.
They have animals there who havebeen brought in.
One of them is Fabio, is a veryfamous pony that was at Grayson
Highlands Park.
And they have also have lodgingopportunities there.
(28:08):
So it's a well worth the visit.
Beautiful little place.
SPEAKER_00 (28:11):
I didn't realize that Fabio was living there now.
And he is such a cute little oldman.
He's all wrinkled, like his armsand legs are wrinkled, his
snouts wrinkled.
He's so cute.
And so uh I got to see Fabio,which was really exciting.
And it was really funny becauseI was trying to take a selfie
with, you know, Grayson County'sbiggest celebrity.
(28:33):
And this other pony came andphotobombed us.
And so I've got this like seriesof photos where it's me holding
up the phone and Fabio's behindme.
And then here's this pony headgetting closer and closer to me
and then sniffing my face.
And I'm like, I'm cackling andlaughing through the whole
thing.
It was really cute.
But the other thing that'sreally fun about it is that
(28:53):
there are lots of animals inthis location.
There are other horses.
There's a mini pony.
He's like, oh, he's like30-something years old.
I think he's all white.
He's beautiful.
Then they had like a litter ofpuppies.
There were um potbellied pigs,there were geese running around,
cows.
I'm trying to think of what elsebecause there were so much.
(29:13):
I mean, there's chickens, justanimals from all over the place,
and they're all living theirbest lives.
And you can walk around andvisit the animals.
I don't think you can go insidethe pens or anything like that,
but you can get pretty close.
And it's a great experience forthe kids, especially.
Um, but the other unique thingis they've got lodging all over
(29:34):
the property, and there's tinyhouses, there's little cabins,
then there's this reallygorgeous cabin I got to tour up
on top of the mountain.
You get views of all themountains and the valleys in
front of you.
You can actually see GraysonHighland State Park.
The cabin itself is luxurious.
It's absolutely beautiful.
I think when I go back, thatmight be a place that I'm gonna
(29:55):
be staying.
But the other nice thing is whenyou stay there, the proceeds.
Go back to the animal farm, tothe rescue farm.
So you're helping to support therescue efforts when you stay
there.
So it's it's very unique.
I I think that's something thatI would like to experience the
next time that I'm in Gray Sun.
SPEAKER_02 (30:14):
Going back to Fabio, just one other thing.
Uh the reason he's called Fabio,or reason he's such a celebrity,
is he has this mane of goldenhair.
He's just very unusual, verystriking and phony.
People just have fallen in lovewith him.
SPEAKER_00 (30:28):
Yeah, we probably should have said that.
I guess I just assumed everybodyknows Fabio, but maybe not.
Yeah, he's very dark.
He's a very dark brown.
And then his mane, you said it'sgolden, it almost looks white
sometimes.
So it's that striking differencebetween the two.
And and also, like, let's behonest, some people go up to
(30:49):
Grayson Highland State Park justto see the ponies, which is not
the reason to go to GraysonHighland State Park.
That park offers access to MountRogers, there's backpacking
opportunities, there'swaterfalls in the park, there's
bouldering, like you mentioned,fantastic hiking, the scenery is
gorgeous.
But unfortunately, some peoplethink that it's a petting zoo
(31:09):
and they forget that thoseponies are wild and we shouldn't
be getting close to them and weshouldn't be feeding them.
And unfortunately, they'vegotten a little too used to
people.
So this is a great alternativeto be able to go to Rugby Creek
Animal Rescue Farm, see animalsthere where you can actually get
up close to them and interactwith them is a much better
(31:31):
alternative.
SPEAKER_02 (31:32):
That's definitely true.
SPEAKER_00 (31:33):
Ricky, I'm so excited to be talking to you
about paddling the new river.
You and I had a wonderfulpaddling trip when I was in
Grayson.
I'm so excited to tell everybodyall about it.
Let's kick it off by talkingabout the New River, which is
one of the oldest rivers in theworld and one of the most
accessible for paddling.
(31:54):
So, what makes this river sospecial from a paddler's
perspective?
SPEAKER_01 (31:58):
This is just a really dynamic stretch that's in
Grayson County.
The New River Water Trail app,which is at GraysonCountyva.com,
when you open that up, it'llshow you every uh rapid that's
in the system.
So if you get that app open, youcan kind of pick where you want
to go uh depending on your skilllevel.
So it offers really long flatsections, but it also offers,
(32:21):
you know, a lot of drop and somefast water.
So that's pretty unique to haveall that into one county.
You know, usually you've got areally long section through the
whole county or you've got aseasonal float, which is really
weird, you know, because thewater's low, you can't even get
down the river.
I've never been to this riverwhen I couldn't get in and have
a good time.
(32:42):
Kevin was right about thefishing is phenomenal.
You can fly fish out of a canoebecause the canopy is so wide,
you're not completely covered incanopy the whole time.
From a recreation perspective,you know, you can bring your
kids, it's a great place tofloat because there's sections
that, you know, you would haveto jump out of the boat, you
know, to get into a situation towhere, you know, it was uh a
(33:04):
jeopardizing situation.
But so when we when we firststarted in the county, we we had
some we had a few problems, andmostly it was we don't know
where the access points are, andum there's no service at these
access points.
So when I get out, how do I geta ride?
Or what if something were tohappen?
So I think that the great workthat Grayson County's done with
(33:27):
with some final leadership is toput this thing together, uh,
mostly for uh, you know, thefolks that are visiting.
And I heard Kevin speak earlierto towns that were transitioning
away from their originaleconomies and kind of drifting
into recreation, and thathappens.
And it's really, really cool tosee how that's happened here.
And I run into people on thisriver all the time from all over
(33:49):
the place.
You know, there are a lot oflocals that use the river, but
I've seen a lot more people onthe water in the past two years,
especially after the the massiveflood that we had.
You know, I don't know if thatwas just to come and see the
damage or to experience whatwhat a river could really do
when Mother Nature gets herfangs out.
SPEAKER_00 (34:09):
Yes, that was definitely wild.
And we saw some of that when wewere paddling together.
But Ricky, when I was introducedto you, I was told that nobody
knows this section of the newriver better than you do.
So for someone who's neverpaddled here before, what kind
of river experience should theyexpect specifically around
freeze?
SPEAKER_01 (34:28):
The last section of the water trail app ends at
right before the freeze dam.
So, you know, you and I, I thinkwe floated riverside to Old
Town.
So that's a really good beginnersection.
That's just outside of Freeze,you know, Old Town.
We probably should focus ongetting a better access point
above the dam so we could getout there at freeze, you know,
(34:48):
in the future.
But um, that section will sureenough plug you into freeze.
You're not very far outside ofOld Town.
You can put in there, like Isaid, with your family, it's a
good flat float.
Maybe there was two ripples thatyou and I went over, Jessica.
And if you paddle, you know, youcan be through that section in
two and a half, three hours.
But if you're just floating andfishing, you can imagine like a
one mile an hour day.
(35:10):
And you can totally relax andtube down that section also.
SPEAKER_00 (35:13):
Yeah, when you and I did it, I felt like it was very
beginner-friendly and it wasn'ta super long section.
How long were we on the waterfor?
A couple of hours?
SPEAKER_01 (35:23):
Yeah, two and a half, three hours.
It's and and like I said, withthe generational gaps that you
see now, you know, the first 30minutes for the kids are like, I
don't know about this.
But once you get on that water,hey, you're here.
You know, let's have some fun.
But it's not a six-hour floatwhere everybody's sunburnt and
everybody's like, I never wantto come back, you know, I'm so
(35:43):
burnt.
This is a quick float.
It's beautiful.
Like this, the landscape isamazing.
There's a really goodrepresentation of this river
through the Department ofWildlife Resources.
So if you look at the VirginiaDWR site, these guys are laser
focused on the wildlife habitat,you know, for animals, even the
woods, the river, what have you.
(36:03):
There's there's greatopportunities to to see birds,
eagles, you know, all kinds ofraptors.
But and and Jessica, if you haveher with uh with you, then she
she'll know every sound of everybird on the river, which is
awesome.
I had no idea.
I had no idea there was a cuckoobird.
SPEAKER_00 (36:21):
You were like, Do you hear that?
And I was like, What?
And you're like, listen.
And then I we were bothlistening, and you're like,
That, what is that?
And I was like, Oh, that's ayellow-billed cuckoo.
And you were like, Oh, what?
SPEAKER_01 (36:31):
That is so cool.
And you know, you get that thatpeace and that that really
unique opportunity to just bestill, be quiet in a wild,
beautiful place.
I mean, it's it's so awesome,and uh, you're gonna love it.
I just know it.
SPEAKER_00 (36:49):
Join us next week as we dive deeper into the details
of planning your next paddlingtrip on the New River.
You'll also hear recommendationsfor lodging and dining to round
out your visit to GraysonCounty.
Virginia Outdoor Adventures isinspired by and supported by
listeners like you, which is whyyour messages and feedback mean
(37:12):
so much to me.
You can text me directly byclicking on Send Jessica a text
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(37:32):
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Virginia Outdoor Adventures.com.
Thanks for listening.
Until next time, Adventure On.
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay,
Virginia is a Mecca for outdoortravel and adventure.
Virginia Outdoor AdventuresPodcast is your local guide for
hiking, camping, kayaking,travel, and so much more.
Get the information and theinspiration to plan your own
adventure.
Right here in Virginia.
(00:22):
I'm your host, Jessica Bowser.
When you think of GraysonCounty, you probably picture
some of the most iconic outdoordestinations in Virginia, such
as the sweeping vistas ofGrayson Highlands or the summits
of Mount Rogers or White Top.
But just down the New River liesa place that's every bit as rich
(00:43):
in beauty and history, the smallriverside town of Freeze.
Once a bustling textile milltown, Freeze is now a quiet
haven for paddlers, cyclists,and hikers seeking a slower
pace.
You can launch your kayak rightinto the New River, pedal New
River Trail State Park, or joina ranger led history tour that
brings the town's past to life.
(01:05):
In the evenings, the air fillswith the sound of banjos and
fiddles during weekly music jamsthat celebrate Frieze's deep
roots in Appalachian culture.
I'm joined by Kevin Combs, aFreeze native photographer,
musician, and tourism managerwho shares how the town is
embracing its outdoor andcultural identity.
We'll also hear from RickyBarton, who created the New
(01:28):
River Float Calculator, aninteractive tool that helps
paddlers plan their trips.
Ricky shares his expert tips forexploring the New River from
leisurely Class 1 floats withthe family to adrenaline-packed
Class III Rapids.
Along the way, we'll discoverhidden gems throughout Grayson
County, plus local dining andunique lodging.
Get ready to experience a placewhere music, history, and
(01:51):
adventure meet on the banks ofthe New River.
This is Freeze, one ofVirginia's adventure towns.
Let's go.
Kevin and Ricky, welcome toVirginia Outdoor Adventures.
SPEAKER_02 (02:06):
Good morning, Jessica.
It's great to be here.
Good morning.
Thanks so much for the invite.
SPEAKER_00 (02:10):
What do you love about Grayson County?
SPEAKER_02 (02:12):
What I like about Grayson County is, first of all,
the climate.
It's significantly cooler uphere than it is, say, down in
the flatlands, what we call it.
And then the um landscape isjust beautiful here.
I'm a photographer and I lovethe scenery and beauty of the
area.
SPEAKER_01 (02:30):
From my perspective, I've been a lot of places and
been fortunate enough to seesome uh amazing scenery.
I know that in North Americathere's only like a few wild
places left, right?
Like there's a few places thatare still wild.
And uh for me, that's that'sjust Grayson County.
You can go into this place, youcan throw your boat in the
water, you can hit a trail, andin 10 minutes you're in this
(02:52):
wild environment.
It's just absolutely awesome.
I love it out there.
SPEAKER_00 (02:56):
Both of you are really fascinating people with
interesting backgrounds.
Could you tell us a little bitabout yourselves and your
connection to Grayson County?
SPEAKER_02 (03:05):
Well, uh, I grew up here.
Uh I grew up uh near Freeze.
By the way, that my hometown iscalled Freeze, Virginia.
It's spelled F-R-I-E-S, but it'spronounced Freeze.
And uh the joke here is it'sfries in the summer and freeze
in the winter.
So that's my connection to thecounty.
And I went and worked inCarolina for a few years, but
(03:26):
I'm back now, retired,semi-retired.
SPEAKER_01 (03:29):
I came back because of my love of the place.
I was brought into GraysonCounty to map river systems,
trail systems for recreationdevelopment.
So one of the businesses that uhown and operate is OAC, where we
build recreation infrastructure.
And part of that is GIS mappingand trying to better understand,
(03:50):
you know, how long it takes youto get through, you know, a
recreational asset, or where isit, or where are the access
points.
So I was living in uh Damascusand did for a long time and was
introduced to Grayson County onthe New River first, and then
some of the county leadershiphad reached out and asked if I
could come over and do somemapping for recreation.
And I said, Yeah, that soundsawesome.
(04:10):
So that's how I got over there.
SPEAKER_00 (04:12):
Let's start with what people might already know.
Grayson County is packed withiconic outdoor destinations.
Kevin, when people hear nameslike Grayson Highlands, Mount
Rogers, the Virginia CreeperTrail, what do you think draws
them to the region?
SPEAKER_02 (04:29):
Well, I think it's the natural beauty, uh, of
course.
Um this area is known as therooftop of Virginia because the
highest elevation mountains arein this area.
I think all the mountains thatare over 5,000 feet are in
Grayson County.
So they think of the highlands.
They may think of the music,definitely the recreational
opportunities such as the NewRiver, Grayson Highlands State
(04:51):
Park, and hiking, horsebackriding.
SPEAKER_00 (04:53):
How do these iconic places shape people's
impressions of the area?
Do you think that they capturethe full story of Grayson
County's outdoor opportunities?
SPEAKER_02 (05:03):
No, I don't.
Uh there are many moreopportunities that are available
other than what we've mentionedso far, such as bouldering, for
example.
That's uh yeah, I didn't evenknow that was a thing until
recently, but the boulderingsport.
There's some sites in GraysonHighlands Park.
SPEAKER_00 (05:21):
Actually, Grayson Highlands has gotten really
popular for bouldering.
I'm pretty sure that there's a aclub that goes there quite
frequently.
SPEAKER_02 (05:28):
And uh fishing is a big thing here, uh, especially
in Freeze or along the NewRiver.
We have muskies, uh, walleye,catfish, smallmouth bass.
So there are a variety ofrecreational opportunities in
the area.
SPEAKER_00 (05:44):
So, Kevin, like you were saying, so many people come
to Grayson County for themountains, for the high
elevations, the views, thereally unique landscape.
But just a few miles away,there's a whole other kind of
adventure waiting on the NewRiver.
So we are gonna talk in thisepisode about the town of Freeze
because I feel like so manypeople are already familiar with
(06:06):
the iconic locations aroundGrayson County.
But the town of Freeze offers somuch for outdoor adventurers,
and these are the lesser-knownplaces.
So for people who are alreadyvisiting Grayson County, who are
already thinking about theiconic locations, this is a good
bit of information to add totheir itinerary, things that
they don't want to miss in andaround Freeze.
(06:28):
So let's kick off theconversation about Freeze.
Kevin, give us a backstory sinceyou're from the area.
It's a fascinating town, bothhistorically and how it's
transformed in recent years.
SPEAKER_02 (06:39):
Freeze was built from the ground up pretty much
in the early 1900s, around theturn of the 20th century.
An entrepreneur fromWinston-Salem by the name of
Colonel Francis Henry Freezefounded the town, and he built
it by spending$2 million, whichis hard to believe, but that was
for the town, a dam, and atextile factory.
(07:00):
In today's dollars, that'd beabout$80 million, but still,
that you know, that was quiteinexpensive.
But at the time, houses werebuilt with very little comfort,
uh, not much insulation, thattype of thing.
But anyway, the town was builtat that time and it ran a
textile factory.
The dam powered the textilefactory first by hydromechanical
(07:22):
power and then later byhydroelectric.
The mill competed very well upuntil the late 1980s, and then
imports from other countries uhran it out of the business.
So the town started having tolook for other ways to survive,
and there was a railroad thatran into town.
So one of the first things thathappened, the railroad bed was
(07:43):
abandoned and it was turned intoa rails to trails park, which is
the New River Trail State Park.
Then other tourism-relatedactivities took over, and now
the town is a bedroom community,I guess, for some areas, you
know, as far as work, and thenit's a tourism-related town as
(08:03):
far as uh supporting the trailand other camping and
recreational opportunities inthe area.
SPEAKER_00 (08:10):
Kevin, when I visited Freeze, you took me on a
tour of the town, and it'sadorable, first of all.
But also, we were standing atthe place where one of the old
train station depots used to be.
From there, we could see the damreally well.
And the dam is one of the firstthings that you see when you
come into town.
(08:31):
And it's big, it's bold, it'sthere, it's in your face.
If somebody doesn't know thehistory of the dam, I think they
might drive right past it andnot think too much of it.
But understanding the history ofthe town kind of helps us make
those connections with theoutdoors as well, because isn't
that part of the new river?
SPEAKER_02 (08:49):
Oh, yeah.
Water below and above is the newriver.
The new river pretty much drainsout of Dyson County here in
Furie.
SPEAKER_00 (08:57):
Yeah.
So it was really interesting.
And you were also showing me thelandscape where the tracks used
to actually run.
Now there's nothing there, it'sjust flats, but you can see
where a train had come through.
And you also were showing me thehouses that people were living
in and who worked in the milland the routes that they took to
get down to the mill.
(09:17):
And it's a really great tourbecause it gets you familiar
with the town and it gets youlooking around and seeing things
in a different way.
SPEAKER_02 (09:25):
Yeah.
And well, we were at the depot,which was it was a passenger
depot at the time.
It was torn down in the 60s, butwe've built an open-air shelter
there since then, which it is arecreational spot itself, and
that we have concerts there.
But the depot was where a fellowby the name of Henry Whitter
(09:47):
boarded the train, most likelyto go to New York City in the
20s.
Witter was a musician, and hewas convinced that record
producers of the time needed tohear about the country music at
the time.
That's what it really what itwas, folk music.
He went to New York and recordeda few songs, but then the record
(10:09):
producer that recorded them justkind of put them on the shelf
until a year later, a guy downin Georgia named Fiddlin' John
Carson released a record thatreally caught on.
So all the record producers inNew York went scrambling to try
to find something similar tothat.
And the producer that hadrecorded Witter remembered,
well, I have this guy fromVirginia in in my records, and
(10:33):
uh, let's see what he soundedlike.
So they liked it.
They called Witter back, theycalled some of his friends back,
and started releasing thesetypes of recordings.
You know, the rural music wasreally taken off at that time.
That resulted years later inwhat was known as the Bristol
sessions.
Producers came down from NewYork again, recorded people in
(10:55):
Bristol, and among those peoplewere the Carter family, which a
lot of people know.
And that was in the beginningsof country music.
Bristol calls itself thebirthplace of country music, and
I say if Bristol is thebirthplace of country music,
then Freeze is where it wasconceived.
SPEAKER_00 (11:11):
I think that the music heritage in the area is
just so wonderful.
This is maybe a good time for usto talk about the Crooked Road,
which some people might befamiliar with.
It's Virginia's Heritage MusicTrail.
Can you talk about theconnection and how music plays a
role in the community of Freeze?
SPEAKER_02 (11:30):
Well, so the Crooked Road is a virtual trail uh
throughout southwesternVirginia.
It's a driving route uh thatgoes to several towns and venues
throughout southwesternVirginia.
It offers people the opportunityto listen to country music,
bluegrass, old time music.
Freeze is on the crooked road,and I'm on the board of
(11:52):
directors of the Historic FreezeTheater, where we host uh a jam
session every week, and thenalso host dances and concerts
throughout the year featuringold time music.
It's every Thursday night.
We call it the jam at the dam orthe Thursday night jam.
It's free to the public.
We have a lot of visitors comein from out of town who really
(12:13):
enjoy the the music, and a lotof them are there for the first
time.
You can always tell the firsttimers because they look around
the inside of the museum or thehall there where the music is
held and look at we have someexhibits up about frees and
country music and old timemusic.
And uh they look around and takephotographs and then they sit
(12:35):
down and when the jam starts,this look of just absolute
delight crosses their faces.
They just love what they'rehearing.
People get up and dance, uh,they do traditional dance called
flat footing, or for slowerdances, it's uh two-step or
waltz.
They get up, take pictures, theytry to dance.
So it's a huge draw for freeze,and the crooked road brings a
(12:58):
lot of people in to freeze uh insearch of that authentic music.
SPEAKER_00 (13:03):
So was it obvious that it was my first time there
too?
SPEAKER_02 (13:07):
I think so, yeah.
I can't remember.
Did anyone offer to dance withand yes?
SPEAKER_00 (13:14):
Oh my god.
So this was so fantastic becauseI have been wanting to go to a
jam session for so long, youdon't even know.
Like it's been on my bucket listforever and ever.
And when this opportunity cameup, it was the thing that I was
the most excited about on thistrip.
Like, obviously, outdoorrecreation in Grayson County is
(13:34):
fantastic, but if you want toreally like dive into community
and history and heritage, likeyou have to go to a jam session.
But I got there, I lookedaround, like you were saying,
you know, you were showing mesome of the things on the walls,
I was and some of the specificitems that were on display
around the hall.
And so I was taking thosepictures and um really getting
(13:56):
into the history about it.
And then the music started.
I had just sat down in my seat,like not even a minute, and
somebody came up to me and askedme if I wanted to dance.
And I practically rocketed outof the chair.
I was so excited.
I couldn't wait.
And I told him I didn't knowwhat I was doing.
I'm like, I've never done thisbefore.
He said, No problem, I'm gonnateach you.
(14:18):
And it was a simple two-step.
So it was really easy.
And it was, I was just sothrilled to actually be
participating and not justsitting there because it is a
really exciting opportunity andit's so much fun.
And I just wanted to have thefull experience.
So I was grateful that thatgentleman came up to me and
asked me to dance.
SPEAKER_02 (14:38):
Freeze and Grayson County are well known for
recreational opportunities,outdoor recreation, and that's
why we're here today.
But jam sessions like the one inFreeze offer the opportunity to
talk to local folks and see, youknow, what is on their minds and
get a glimpse of trueAppalachian culture.
At the jam session, we have agood mix.
(15:00):
It's about half regulars andhalf visitors every week.
So it's just a good mix ofpeople and uh good way to talk
to people and meet new friends,socialize.
SPEAKER_00 (15:14):
I was really surprised how many folks come in
because Freeze is such a tinytown, and you could tell that
people were parking their carsall the way down the road.
You could see the musicianscarrying in their instruments.
Um, the couple that was seatedbehind me, they were there from
North Carolina, and they did nothave that on their itinerary,
(15:36):
but they were passing throughthe area and they were asking,
like, you know, what should wedo while we're here?
And somebody said, We it'sThursday night.
You have to go to the jamsession.
And so that's where they endedup and they loved it.
And so I was talking to them forquite a while too, and they said
that they were actually thinkingabout coming back and making a
longer trip out of it becausethey didn't realize how many
(15:57):
things there are to do in andaround Freeze.
And so they're gonna be comingback from North Carolina in the
future.
SPEAKER_02 (16:03):
Yeah, we have a lot of repeat visitors.
Um, we have people that comedown from Ohio, Kentucky, all
over the country, really.
And we've made a map of visitorlocations from where they had
signed the guest book, and wehave pens from all over the
country and even the world.
Two guys that come from Franceevery year who visit the jam.
SPEAKER_00 (16:23):
Wow.
Yeah, that's that's justamazing.
Are there any outdoor festivalsor music events in Freeze that
visitors should put on theircalendar?
SPEAKER_02 (16:32):
Oh, yeah.
Uh well, every year we have theFreeze Fiddlers Convention.
It's a music festival, it's acontest among musicians.
Um, it's called a Fiddler'sConvention, but musicians of of
all traditional stringedinstruments compete.
And it's a great weekend.
It's on Friday and Saturday, thethird weekend in August.
(16:52):
Uh, we also have a uh concertseries every summer, and that's
at the depot.
So we have uh outdoor concertsthere about four four to five
times a year in the summer.
And indoors we have concertsother than the jam sessions as
well at the theater.
SPEAKER_00 (17:09):
Okay, so people should add those things to their
calendar.
And also, I believe that theCrooked Road has its own website
with locations and events.
Is that right?
SPEAKER_02 (17:20):
That is correct.
Crooked Road, I'm not sure howmany, but I think it's close to
a hundred venues in southwesternVirginia that offer music.
And then uh our website for thetown of Freeze, FreezeBA.com,
uh, has a calendar which showsthe different music events that
we have during the year.
SPEAKER_00 (17:40):
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your name.
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(18:03):
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Start planning your adventure bytapping on Virginia State Parks
in your show notes or byvisiting Virginia State
Parks.gov.
Before we dive into thelesser-known gems, where is a
(18:26):
good place for adventurers tobegin their visit to Grayson
County?
SPEAKER_02 (18:30):
Well, the 1908 Courthouse in Independence is a
great place to start at.
It's right, it's pretty much inthe middle of the county.
The Grayson County TourismOffice is in that building, so
they can answer questions, giveyou suggestions, they have
literature about the county.
Good place to start.
The Grayson County HistoricalSociety is also housed there,
(18:52):
and also there are exhibitsabout the history of Grayson.
A lot of information there.
There are occasional concerts atthe courthouse as well.
There's a jam session onWednesday night.
And um, I was at a show over theweekend on Sunday, uh, Legends
of Grayson, which is a localpromoter group, had a free
(19:15):
concert honoring a musician fromGrayson County, and it was
standing room only.
Great concert, great localmusicians.
That's a good place to start.
SPEAKER_00 (19:26):
When I pulled up to the front of it, I was impressed
right away.
It is a very cool building.
And then you go inside and thedisplays are excellent.
There's a dress in there thatEleanor Roosevelt wore when she
visited the county.
SPEAKER_02 (19:39):
I think she went up to White Top and attended a
music festival up there, infact.
SPEAKER_00 (19:44):
That's right.
And they have the dresses shehad on on display.
Um, so I think that's reallycool.
And yeah, you can go upstairsand you can see where they do
performances.
It's like a little theater, andthere's beautiful stained glass,
you know, above the doors.
So I would encourage everybodyto start there because that's a
stop on your tour in and ofitself.
But then you can get all theinformation that you need about
(20:08):
what you want to visit inGrayson County.
Okay, so let's dig into some ofthe outdoor spots that maybe
people don't know about.
What are some of the lesserknown places in and around
Freeze that deserve moreattention?
SPEAKER_02 (20:21):
Probably the New River Trail would be top on my
list.
It's a great place to start out.
Uh, it's an easy trail.
It's uh a rails to trails trail.
So the the grade is prettyshallow, not difficult at all.
It passes you by some of thebest scenery on the New River, I
think.
You can walk it, you can make along pike out of it, you can
(20:44):
bicycle it, you can uh go onhorseback.
It's about 57 miles and just afew mile, a couple miles are in
Grayson County, but uh, youknow, this is Freeze is a good
place to start.
Also uh with the um New RiverTrail State Park, we have just
had a bicycle repair stationinstalled by a private group,
(21:06):
friends of the New River Trail,and a hydration station.
So if you come to Freeze and youneed to do some repair work on
your bike, there's this bicyclerepair station, and you can fill
your water bottle before youstart out.
I mentioned fishing.
Fishing is a wonderful sporthere.
We have smallmouth, walleye'smuskie, several other varieties
(21:28):
of fish, stocked trap streamsnearby, kayaking, tubing.
Tubing is a wonderful way.
We have a boat ramp here inFreeze and a canoe rental place
nearby that it's a good place totake the family out on the river
and just spend a lazy couple ofthree hours going down the
river.
Uh we also have Grayson CountyGravel Traverse, Grayson Gravel
(21:51):
Traverse.
Starts well, you can start here,but it's all uphill to the other
end of the county.
Or you can start in uh up aroundthe western part of the county
in Mount Rogers area.
It's a virtual trail.
Uh follow various roadsthroughout the county, most of
them are gravel.
There's a couple of miles ofpaved roads.
(22:12):
But uh that's a bicycle trailthat you can follow.
It's about a hundred miles, Ibelieve.
And um but I I would say for thebicyclist, it would be the more
experienced bicyclist that wouldwant to use that part or or that
uh trail.
But it's a good drive too.
It's a good way to see the wholecounty from one end to the
other.
It ends, either ends or beginsin freeze, whichever way you
(22:35):
want to say it.
SPEAKER_00 (22:36):
I was looking at a map of it.
In fact, I have it in front ofme right now, and it's huge.
I think it's I actually thinkit's 72 miles or something like
that, but it goes around GraysonCounty in a loop.
You basically hit a lot ofreally beautiful spots along the
way, but it follows roadsmostly, which is why it's called
(22:56):
the Grayson Gravel Traverse,because I think a gravel bike
would be what's best suited forthat trail, right?
SPEAKER_02 (23:02):
Yeah, I think so.
I think a more experiencedbicyclist would be more
comfortable on that trail.
SPEAKER_00 (23:08):
And the other thing about it is if you pick up one
of these pamphlets at thehistoric courthouse when you
first arrive in Grayson, thispamphlet not only does it give
you a map, but it gives youplaces that you can stay along
the way.
And that could be either hotels,it could be unique lodging, it
could be camping.
So you can bike pack this trailtoo if you want, or you can go
(23:30):
section by section.
So they've got these itinerarieslaid out for people, maybe two
days, three days, you know, evenmore days than that, depending
on you know how many miles youwant to ride a day.
And it actually tells you, youknow, how many miles you would
need to ride each day to dothese different itineraries that
they have.
So you can, by your experiencelevel, decide where you want to
(23:51):
go and for how long and where tostay, and also places to refuel,
like where to eat, where tostock up on gear.
So really all the information ishere.
If you're a cyclist and you'reinto this, like this is a thing.
Like, I really think this issomething that that people
should look into.
SPEAKER_02 (24:08):
I think camping, you you touched on camping.
Camping is a huge thing in thisarea as well.
If you're in an RV, Freeze NewRiver Trail RV Park, here in
Freeze is a good place to go.
Beautiful little campground.
It's right in the middle of theFreeze, but you feel like you're
in the wilderness when you getinto the campground.
There's primitive camping allover in the Mount Rogers
(24:31):
National Recreational Area.
The New River Trail has someprimitive camping spots along
the trail.
So there are really hundreds ofcampsites in the area.
SPEAKER_00 (24:42):
Oh, you know what I forgot to mention?
There is a ranger-led programfrom New River Trail State Park.
It is a historical walking tourof the town of Freeze, and it
happens on Thursdays before thejam session.
Not every Thursday, but a lot ofThursdays.
So if you wanted to get your ownwalking tour with a park ranger
of Freeze, and then they dropyou off at the jam session at
(25:06):
the end, like you just need togo onto the park's website and
sign up for that.
I did the tour.
I was really grateful that theranger met up with me and took
me around.
And they have pictures that theyshow you.
Um, they have other informationthat they bring along.
So it's an interesting way tolearn about the history of the
mill, the houses, therestaurants, the river.
(25:28):
There's a lot.
And then, of course, the musictoo.
So the whole idea is to sort ofset the stage for what Freeze is
all about before they drop youoff at the jam session.
SPEAKER_02 (25:38):
That's correct.
And they do a great job withthat tour.
Uh, there's a lot of history tofreeze, and it's uh it's really
helps you appreciate the townwhen you know the history of the
town, when you understand whythe houses all are built in a
similar manner, or why you seesidewalk stairs going up the
side of the hill.
SPEAKER_00 (25:57):
Are there any other lesser-known locations that you
want to mention?
SPEAKER_02 (26:00):
You know, going outside of Freeze, there are
opportunities all really allover the county.
Um, Powerhouse Falls, forexample, is a great place to
just a little pocket park,really.
It's near independence.
It was actually uh, I think aprivate power provider for parts
of Independence at one time.
(26:22):
But there are some falls there,just beautiful.
Several years ago, I just turned60 and I was outside, it was
like 15 degrees that day, andI'm a photographer.
I was cry climbing all the wayover these rocks, 15 degrees,
freezing to death.
I mean, just freezing cold.
And I thought, if I slip here,nobody knows where I am.
(26:43):
That's probably not too wise.
So I I started trying to be alittle more careful about the
locations I chose, but it's abeautiful spot uh for
photography, for picnicking anduh just spending a little time
with the family.
SPEAKER_00 (26:59):
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delivery.
Anything else you'd like to add?
SPEAKER_02 (27:45):
Rugby Creek Animal Farm is a farm up in the western
end of the county.
It's near Grayson HighlandsState Park in the community of
Rugby.
It's a rescue ranch.
They have animals there who havebeen brought in.
One of them is Fabio, is a veryfamous pony that was at Grayson
Highlands Park.
And they have also have lodgingopportunities there.
(28:08):
So it's a well worth the visit.
Beautiful little place.
SPEAKER_00 (28:11):
I didn't realize that Fabio was living there now.
And he is such a cute little oldman.
He's all wrinkled, like his armsand legs are wrinkled, his
snouts wrinkled.
He's so cute.
And so uh I got to see Fabio,which was really exciting.
And it was really funny becauseI was trying to take a selfie
with, you know, Grayson County'sbiggest celebrity.
(28:33):
And this other pony came andphotobombed us.
And so I've got this like seriesof photos where it's me holding
up the phone and Fabio's behindme.
And then here's this pony headgetting closer and closer to me
and then sniffing my face.
And I'm like, I'm cackling andlaughing through the whole
thing.
It was really cute.
But the other thing that'sreally fun about it is that
(28:53):
there are lots of animals inthis location.
There are other horses.
There's a mini pony.
He's like, oh, he's like30-something years old.
I think he's all white.
He's beautiful.
Then they had like a litter ofpuppies.
There were um potbellied pigs,there were geese running around,
cows.
I'm trying to think of what elsebecause there were so much.
(29:13):
I mean, there's chickens, justanimals from all over the place,
and they're all living theirbest lives.
And you can walk around andvisit the animals.
I don't think you can go insidethe pens or anything like that,
but you can get pretty close.
And it's a great experience forthe kids, especially.
Um, but the other unique thingis they've got lodging all over
(29:34):
the property, and there's tinyhouses, there's little cabins,
then there's this reallygorgeous cabin I got to tour up
on top of the mountain.
You get views of all themountains and the valleys in
front of you.
You can actually see GraysonHighland State Park.
The cabin itself is luxurious.
It's absolutely beautiful.
I think when I go back, thatmight be a place that I'm gonna
(29:55):
be staying.
But the other nice thing is whenyou stay there, the proceeds.
Go back to the animal farm, tothe rescue farm.
So you're helping to support therescue efforts when you stay
there.
So it's it's very unique.
I I think that's something thatI would like to experience the
next time that I'm in Gray Sun.
SPEAKER_02 (30:14):
Going back to Fabio, just one other thing.
Uh the reason he's called Fabio,or reason he's such a celebrity,
is he has this mane of goldenhair.
He's just very unusual, verystriking and phony.
People just have fallen in lovewith him.
SPEAKER_00 (30:28):
Yeah, we probably should have said that.
I guess I just assumed everybodyknows Fabio, but maybe not.
Yeah, he's very dark.
He's a very dark brown.
And then his mane, you said it'sgolden, it almost looks white
sometimes.
So it's that striking differencebetween the two.
And and also, like, let's behonest, some people go up to
(30:49):
Grayson Highland State Park justto see the ponies, which is not
the reason to go to GraysonHighland State Park.
That park offers access to MountRogers, there's backpacking
opportunities, there'swaterfalls in the park, there's
bouldering, like you mentioned,fantastic hiking, the scenery is
gorgeous.
But unfortunately, some peoplethink that it's a petting zoo
(31:09):
and they forget that thoseponies are wild and we shouldn't
be getting close to them and weshouldn't be feeding them.
And unfortunately, they'vegotten a little too used to
people.
So this is a great alternativeto be able to go to Rugby Creek
Animal Rescue Farm, see animalsthere where you can actually get
up close to them and interactwith them is a much better
(31:31):
alternative.
SPEAKER_02 (31:32):
That's definitely true.
SPEAKER_00 (31:33):
Ricky, I'm so excited to be talking to you
about paddling the new river.
You and I had a wonderfulpaddling trip when I was in
Grayson.
I'm so excited to tell everybodyall about it.
Let's kick it off by talkingabout the New River, which is
one of the oldest rivers in theworld and one of the most
accessible for paddling.
(31:54):
So, what makes this river sospecial from a paddler's
perspective?
SPEAKER_01 (31:58):
This is just a really dynamic stretch that's in
Grayson County.
The New River Water Trail app,which is at GraysonCountyva.com,
when you open that up, it'llshow you every uh rapid that's
in the system.
So if you get that app open, youcan kind of pick where you want
to go uh depending on your skilllevel.
So it offers really long flatsections, but it also offers,
(32:21):
you know, a lot of drop and somefast water.
So that's pretty unique to haveall that into one county.
You know, usually you've got areally long section through the
whole county or you've got aseasonal float, which is really
weird, you know, because thewater's low, you can't even get
down the river.
I've never been to this riverwhen I couldn't get in and have
a good time.
(32:42):
Kevin was right about thefishing is phenomenal.
You can fly fish out of a canoebecause the canopy is so wide,
you're not completely covered incanopy the whole time.
From a recreation perspective,you know, you can bring your
kids, it's a great place tofloat because there's sections
that, you know, you would haveto jump out of the boat, you
know, to get into a situation towhere, you know, it was uh a
(33:04):
jeopardizing situation.
But so when we when we firststarted in the county, we we had
some we had a few problems, andmostly it was we don't know
where the access points are, andum there's no service at these
access points.
So when I get out, how do I geta ride?
Or what if something were tohappen?
So I think that the great workthat Grayson County's done with
(33:27):
with some final leadership is toput this thing together, uh,
mostly for uh, you know, thefolks that are visiting.
And I heard Kevin speak earlierto towns that were transitioning
away from their originaleconomies and kind of drifting
into recreation, and thathappens.
And it's really, really cool tosee how that's happened here.
And I run into people on thisriver all the time from all over
(33:49):
the place.
You know, there are a lot oflocals that use the river, but
I've seen a lot more people onthe water in the past two years,
especially after the the massiveflood that we had.
You know, I don't know if thatwas just to come and see the
damage or to experience whatwhat a river could really do
when Mother Nature gets herfangs out.
SPEAKER_00 (34:09):
Yes, that was definitely wild.
And we saw some of that when wewere paddling together.
But Ricky, when I was introducedto you, I was told that nobody
knows this section of the newriver better than you do.
So for someone who's neverpaddled here before, what kind
of river experience should theyexpect specifically around
freeze?
SPEAKER_01 (34:28):
The last section of the water trail app ends at
right before the freeze dam.
So, you know, you and I, I thinkwe floated riverside to Old
Town.
So that's a really good beginnersection.
That's just outside of Freeze,you know, Old Town.
We probably should focus ongetting a better access point
above the dam so we could getout there at freeze, you know,
(34:48):
in the future.
But um, that section will sureenough plug you into freeze.
You're not very far outside ofOld Town.
You can put in there, like Isaid, with your family, it's a
good flat float.
Maybe there was two ripples thatyou and I went over, Jessica.
And if you paddle, you know, youcan be through that section in
two and a half, three hours.
But if you're just floating andfishing, you can imagine like a
one mile an hour day.
(35:10):
And you can totally relax andtube down that section also.
SPEAKER_00 (35:13):
Yeah, when you and I did it, I felt like it was very
beginner-friendly and it wasn'ta super long section.
How long were we on the waterfor?
A couple of hours?
SPEAKER_01 (35:23):
Yeah, two and a half, three hours.
It's and and like I said, withthe generational gaps that you
see now, you know, the first 30minutes for the kids are like, I
don't know about this.
But once you get on that water,hey, you're here.
You know, let's have some fun.
But it's not a six-hour floatwhere everybody's sunburnt and
everybody's like, I never wantto come back, you know, I'm so
(35:43):
burnt.
This is a quick float.
It's beautiful.
Like this, the landscape isamazing.
There's a really goodrepresentation of this river
through the Department ofWildlife Resources.
So if you look at the VirginiaDWR site, these guys are laser
focused on the wildlife habitat,you know, for animals, even the
woods, the river, what have you.
(36:03):
There's there's greatopportunities to to see birds,
eagles, you know, all kinds ofraptors.
But and and Jessica, if you haveher with uh with you, then she
she'll know every sound of everybird on the river, which is
awesome.
I had no idea.
I had no idea there was a cuckoobird.
SPEAKER_00 (36:21):
You were like, Do you hear that?
And I was like, What?
And you're like, listen.
And then I we were bothlistening, and you're like,
That, what is that?
And I was like, Oh, that's ayellow-billed cuckoo.
And you were like, Oh, what?
SPEAKER_01 (36:31):
That is so cool.
And you know, you get that thatpeace and that that really
unique opportunity to just bestill, be quiet in a wild,
beautiful place.
I mean, it's it's so awesome,and uh, you're gonna love it.
I just know it.
SPEAKER_00 (36:49):
Join us next week as we dive deeper into the details
of planning your next paddlingtrip on the New River.
You'll also hear recommendationsfor lodging and dining to round
out your visit to GraysonCounty.
Virginia Outdoor Adventures isinspired by and supported by
listeners like you, which is whyyour messages and feedback mean
(37:12):
so much to me.
You can text me directly byclicking on Send Jessica a text
message in your show notes.
I answer questions, respond tocomments, and share your
feedback on the show.
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(37:32):
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Thanks for listening.
Until next time, Adventure On.
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