Summertime at Smith Mountain Lake can feel like being on vacation every day. Most of the local restaurants and marinas have open air bars and live music on the weekends.

Amanda and Dan had been living and playing in the Smith Mountain Lake area for YEARS. Amanda grew up in Westlake and thought she knew just about everyone in town. Dan, having lived in Westlake for over 6 years, also felt like he knew all the regulars who frequented the popular local hangouts.

Both Dan and Amanda believed that they wouldn’t find anyone they were interested in dating around the lake. UNTIL…

On August 23, 2019, Amanda and Dan ended up at one of their favorite bars to see live music, HOT SHOTS. Dan was there with his normal neighborhood crew and Amanda was there waiting for a girlfriend to arrive. After finding out that the friend was not coming, Amanda was about to call it a night until she saw this guy she had never seen before walk in the door and decided to stick around a little longer. Dan thought for sure it was a mirage when he saw this girl, under the age of 65, sitting all by herself at the bar. Was he imagining things? One thing he knew for sure was that he HAD to talk to her.

After a night of chatting and maybe a dance or two, Dan found out that the next night was Amanda’s high school reunion and she had been apprehensive about going so, Dan offered himself as a date if that would help her feel motivated to go. Sure enough, they agreed for Dan to pick her up for the reunion and it was a date! The next morning, Amanda thought for sure Dan would come up with an excuse not to go, but she happily woke up to a text from him confirming a pickup time and, “Can’t wait to see you tonight!”

The reunion date was a hit and Dan and Amanda had a blast. Dan stayed on the dancefloor with Amanda all night long, making all the girls on the dancefloor, with their dates just sitting in the corners, come up to her wanting to know who that “fun guy” was. From that night forward, they were an instant couple and spent the rest of the summer doing more of the same, but always together. Boats, friends, live music, and just enjoying each other.

And the rest is history...

Things to Do