Bedford, VA Road Trips

Bedford is an incorporated town and former independent city in Bedford County in the U.S. Southern state of Virginia. It serves as the county seat of Bedford County. The estimated 2018 population was 6,585, the city's historical peak. Bedford is well within the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical area, the 5th largest in the state at a population of 260,320. Lynchburg proper is a 30- to 45-minute drive from 18.6 miles (30 km) to the east, while the larger Virginian city of Roanoke – the center of the 4th largest metropolitan area in the state – is located 21.7 miles (35 km), or a 40-minute drive, from the west. Bedford has an area of 8.74 square miles (22.64 square km), 0.03 (0.07) of which are water. Bedford is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a part of the larger Appalachian Mountains, that runs from northern Georgia to southern Pennsylvania. The mountains are given a seemingly blue-green color from the trees releasing great amounts of isoprene into the atmosphere. Bedford sits at the bottom of the Peaks of Otter, three granite mountain peaks – Harkening Hill, Sharp Top, and Flat Top – overlooking the town, sitting at 3,372 feet (1,028 m); 3,875 feet (1,181 m); and 4,001 feet (1,220 m), respectively. The climate of Bedford is humid subtropical, characterized by mild to slightly below freezing temperatures in winter while warm to fairly hot temperatures are present in the summer. Bedford was founded as Liberty, named after the Patriot victory over Charles Cornwallis in Yorktown on Virginia's Atlantic Coast.

1 Avenel House, 413 Avenel Avenue (2-minute drive or 7-minute walk from town center; 37-minute drive from Lynchburg; 39-minute drive from Roanoke), ☏ +1 540 816-9385, [email protected]. For over 175 years, Avenel has served as Bedford's centerpiece for cultural, political, and social activity. It was built in 1838 by William M. and Frances Steptoe Burwell. His entire family later moved into the house, which was later purchased in 1906 by J.W. Ballard. The house has a simultaneous atmosphere of 1800s American architecture and the Greek Revival architecture of that time. Today, a plethora of historical furniture pieces, paintings, and other details are present here. While group tours are offered, vibrant corporate events and wedding venues are also held here. (updated Feb 2020) 2 Bedford Boys Tribute Center, 102 North Bridge Street (At town center; 32-minute drive from Lynchburg; 38-minute drive from Roanoke.), ☏ +1 540 425-5598, [email protected]. M-Sa 9AM to 5PM; Su noon to 5PM. The Bedford Boys Tribute Center serves as a memorial to the "Bedford Boys" – the 22 men killed in D-Day and the Invasion of Normandy – and a glimpse into the historical pieces of World War II. Bedford suffered the heaviest per-capita losses of any American settlement from D-Day, the center pays tribute to the sacrifices of the Bedford Boys, displaying multiple pieces of clothing, diary entries, guns, and a variety of World War II-era cultural artifacts immersing you in the small but fascinating details of the town's history.

1 Liberty Station, 515 Bedford Ave, ☏ +1 540 587-9377. Restored train station serving American comfort fare & cheesecake amid nostalgic terminal décor. (updated Jun 2017)

1 The Forget-Me-Not, 733 Peaks St, ☏ +1 540 650-4568. Country B&B whose single suite offers a private entrance, en suite bath, breakfast room & free Wi-Fi. $125 (discounts for veterans, active duty & reservist military, and seniors). (updated Jun 2017) 2 Super 8, 842 Sword Beach Ln, ☏ +1 540 707-2062. $68. (updated Jun 2017) 3 Vanquility Acres Inn, 105 Angus Terrace, ☏ +1 540 587-9113. $85-$250. (updated Jun 2017) 4 Peaks of Otter Lodge, 85554 Blue Ridge Pkwy, ☏ +1 866 387-9905. $129. (updated Jun 2017)

While Bedford used to be heavily connected to the rest of the East Coast and South by Norfolk and Western Railway until 1971 and Amtrak from 1975 to 1979, today it is reachable only by car, and the previous station was abandoned and renovated into a restaurant.1 Bedford Tourism and Welcome Center, 816 Burks Hill Road (Car: 3-minute drive or 20+minute walk from town center; 36-minute drive from Lynchburg; 39-minute drive from Roanoke), ☏ +1 540 587-5681, fax: +1 540 587-5983, [email protected]. Open everyday, 9AM to 5PM. A great jumping off point for visitors. (updated Feb 2020) Airports are easily accessible by both car and, if one so desires, by Amtrak lines. One can either fly regionally from airports in Lynchburg or Roanoke, or can take the Crescent and Northeast Regional Amtrak lines to major airports along the East Coast for international flights. Lynchburg Regional Airport (LYH IATA, also known as Preston Glenn Field) is a 22-minute, 19.2-mile (30.9-km) drive to/from Bedford while Roanoke Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA IATA) is a 40-minute, 31.3-mile (50.4-km) drive. Both airports offer regional flights to larger airports in the Mid-Atlantic and South allowing connections to airports around the country. It's likely the only way you'll be able to enter Bedford is via car, as with a vast majority of other American towns. U.S. Route 221, running 150 miles (240 km) from Independence near the state border with North Carolina to Lynchburg, runs directly through the town east-to-west.

The suburban sprawl, a main characteristic of American towns, present in Bedford means you will most definitely require a car if you wish to visit the plethora of sites in the area. With a car, you can easily travel around the town in less than 10 minutes and to nearby cities and towns in no less than an hour. You can still walk from one side of the town to another in around an hour if you so desire. The walk still offers beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains that Bedford is nestled in and streets surrounded by the red-brick architecture and historical buildings dating back to Colonial America.