Land of Liberty
Modern Lynchburg offers its own attractions for travelers. One of the area’s key economic engines is Liberty University. With 80,000 students and 5,000 professors, Liberty is the largest Christian university in the world, and it offers lots of activity opportunities for traveling groups.
One of the most distinctive attractions at the school is the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Center.
“It’s the only place in the country that you can snow ski and snowboard year-round,” Hunter said. “Even if it’s 85 degrees out, you can start your day skiing and go on a tubing run in the afternoon.”
To accomplish this, the center uses a European technology called Snowflex. That synthetic surface uses a combination of durable material and a misting system to create a snowlike texture that isn’t weather dependent, allowing athletes and amateurs alike to ski year-round. The center is used as a training facility by some professional snow athletes, and hosts the Dew Games extreme sports competition each summer. But visitors can spend some time on the artificial slope as well.
“They open everything for the public to use at a very minimal cost,” Hunter said. “Two hours of snowboarding with your lift ticket and equipment rental is less than $10.”
The Snowflex center makes Liberty a popular destination for young groups, and the university augments their travel opportunities with indoor ice rinks and paintball fields. Many youth groups plan New Year’s Eve trips to Lynchburg to take part in Winterfest, a 48-hour party that features sports activities and Christian rock concerts.
A Mountain Bounty
For epicureans, Lynchburg and the surrounding area offer numerous opportunities to sample local produce, fruit, wine and cuisine.
“We have lots of apple orchards in the area — that’s very popular,” Hunter said. “You can go deep into the mountains and pick your own apples at Johnson’s Apple Orchard and Peaks of Otter Winery. They also produce their own fruit wine there. If you’re not interested in wine, they do jam, jelly and preservative tasting.”
Church groups that include wine in their festivities can visit one of 17 wineries in the Lynchburg area for tours and tastings. Several offer special events, live music and beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Back in downtown, groups can disperse to pursue their own dining interests or wrap up a tour with a farewell dinner at one of the local restaurants that takes advantage of the farm-fresh produce from around the region.
“Downtown Lynchburg is a hub for culinary experiences,” Hunter said. “There are several fantastic locally owned restaurants within walking distance of downtown.”
Discover Lynchburg
800-732-5821
www.discoverlynchburg.org
