The "Shell Money" city: Roanoke

When I first saw Hotel Roanoke I didn't know it was a hotel. I was charmed by its architecture and historical look. On our last trip to Roanoke I was really excited with the anticipation. (I had never stayed in a historical hotel before.)

The hotel was first built in 1882 by a railroad tycoon, Frederick Kimball. However, the oldest surviving part of the hotel is from 1931. Originally, the hotel was in Queen Anne style, but the later constructions were in Tudorian revival style. Hotel Roanoke is designated among the National Register of Historical Places. It is a conference center and is managed by Double Tree hotel chain. I guess Virginia Tech University has some ownership. When I checked in the receptionist asked whether I was a "Cavalier" seeing that I live in Charlottesville. He said he was going to Virginia Tech and the building also belonged to Virginia Tech.

The lobby of the hotel was very impressive. On one side there was a painting of George Washington, on the other side, there was a painting of General Thomas E. Lee. Near the reception and the elevators a mural depicted various times in Virginia. First Settlers coming with their ship to Jamestown, Pocahontas being christened, British and American troops, a scene from the congress, and finally settling of the land by Europeans and Africans.

However, I was so much disappointed when we checked in to our room. Our room was very small, with a very small bathroom. I couldn't believe a hotel can have so beautiful structure, grounds, and lobby but such a small and neglected room. OK, our sheets and towels were clean and crisp but the pillows and the bed were uncomfortable for me. A cabinet with two doors had a very small TV on one side, and a cloths closet with ironing board and iron on the other side. The room had no refrigerator, and it was so crammed that if you pulled the chair in front of the desk you wouldn't be able to go to the bathroom or leave the room. The bathroom was also very small. The floors were old mosaic, the bathtub had old style, simple tiling, the sink was a porcelain freestanding style and was cracked. The showerhead was really good and I had a nice shower but when I wanted to dry my hair I found that the hairdryer didn't work. I didn't want to call the desk to report it and stayed with wet hair, which caused heavy sinus headache.

Hotel Roanoke is just an elegant place to eat at their restaurants, but as charming to stay. I only stay in their regular room, may be their suites may be better.

The hotel has a glass covered bridge passage over the railroad that allows the hotel guest to walk to the Historical Market District. The valet parking is $7.50/day, and self-parking is $5/day.

Nawab was one of our favorite restaurants in Norfolk, VA, and when we saw one in Roanoke we were pretty happy. Nawab restaurants specialize in North Indian dishes. The Nawab restaurant in Roanoke is in Historical Market District where there are many other good restaurants.

We learned that Nawab in the Indian language means duke or demigod, and the restaurant''s purpose is to serve us in such a way. We went there on two different occasions. The first time we went was on a Saturday evening and the restaurant was very full. Although we didn''t have a reservation, they seated us. (I strongly recommend making a reservation.) The restaurant is decorated nicely, has high ceilings, white tablecloths, fresh flowers at every table, and beautiful Indian decorations.

My husband ordered vegetable korma (vegetables cooked in light cream sauce with a special blend of spices) which was his favorite. I ordered a lamb tikka masala (lamb roasted in clay oven, then simmered in a tomato and cream sauce). We also ordered naan bread and mango pudding. The entrees were good, but we were disappointed with the pudding dessert.

The second time, we went for a Sunday lunch thinking there would be a lunch buffet. However, we learned that the restaurant only offers a lunch buffet during the week. There weren''t many customers, but our waiter told us that because of the Christmas events in downtown Roanoke, they were very busy both Friday and Saturday. My husband again ordered vegetable korma, which he really really likes and I ordered the Nawab special for one person. My special was around $15.00 and included choice of soup, naan bread, basmati rice, chicken curry, vegetable masala, mixed tandoori and kheer (rice pudding), I especially enjoyed the soup I ordered which was a Mongolian recipe made with chicken and spinach (shorba ). The tandoori salmon was very good, and the tandoori lamb had a very Indian taste. The rice pudding tasted like the one my aunt would made in the village with the milk of her cow. However, the rice pudding had sliced almond pieces and sprinkled with ground pistachio. After eating his vegetable korma, my husband declared he could become a vegetarian.

I strongly recommend this Nawab for dining, as it does not only have awesome food, but also an elegant and authentic atmosphere. The restaurant''s website is http://www.nawabonline.com

We visited the Mill Mountain Zoo for a special occasion: Christmas Lights. This event started at 5:00 pm. By the time we arrived it became dark. The admission officer gave us special glasses to look at the lights outside. One set made the lights become a big star and one set made them have bells.

We were disappointed to see the size of the zoo, it was a very, very small zoo. The cages did not have lights so we could only see a couple of the animals. Some animals were also not in their cages because it was too cold for them. The zoo specializes in Asian species so we saw a couple of snakes from Asia, a snow leopard, a fishing cat who just slept, a red panda, apparently cold. The snow leopard interested us the most. He was on a tree licking himself when we first spotted him, later he came down and walk like the guys in the prison yard: one way a little, then turn and walk the other way. We were happy that he had lots of snow, but he had such a small cage. Like the other animals, we felt sorry for him.

Although we initially wanted to have a train ride and already paid $2.00 each for it, we changed our minds after seeing the size of the railway. We learned that the zoo is going to expand and is planning to have an Asian architecture. May be then it may worth a visit. I am only happy that my admission fee is used to feed the poor snow leopard. I wish we could all do more for animals in captivity.

Thomas Jefferson and his wife, Martha, inherited the land where the Poplar Forest now stands from Martha Jefferson''s father. This is the place Jefferson escaped to when British invaded Charlottesville in June, 4th 1781. Poplar Forest is a National Historical Landmark.

Thomas Jefferson ordered the construction of this house during his presidency in 1806. He designed the house as a perfect orthogonal. He was influenced by the works of Italian architects especially the works of the 16th century Italian architect, Andrea Palladio. We only visited the second floor which the family resided and it consists of 6 rooms and a hall. Poplar Forest reminded me of Monticello. , Jefferson''s main residence, in that it had alcove beds, a skylight in the dining area (the dining room was only illuminated by this skylight, and there was a terrace on one wing of the house. It is much smaller than Monticello, but the design is much more interesting.

Here, in Poplar Forest, we observed the private life of Jefferson. He had a big plantation where he rode his horse, he had nearly 700 books to read in his study, and he often spent time with his grandkids. Usually his two older granddaughters, Ellen and Cornelia Randolph, stayed with him and kept him company. A description of their life in Poplar Forest was depicted in a letter from his granddaughter Ellen Randolph to Henry Randall.

Unfortunately, over the years the house was not well taken of, a major fire burned all the original woods in 1845, different owners made changes to the original house. In order to prevent its demise the Corporation for Jefferson''s Poplar Forest bought the property and is restoring it to its original shape. When we visited the restoration on the outside of the house and the necessary (the outhouse) was finished. They were working on the inside of the house, and the work areas (kitchen etc) based on both archaeological and historical research. The grounds in front of the house called the Curtilage are also being restored.

The interior walls of the house were not yet constructed so we had a rare opportunity to see the bare building, the original bricks, irons, sand and marble. I really appreciated the foundations efforts to bring this place to its original form. Without their efforts this historical landmark might be diminished.

It would be nice to revisit later when the restorations progress or for special events such as Independence Day Celebration, Harvest Moon Festival or Archaeology Open House. Check the events schedule.