Leaf peeping, or taking in the beauty of fall foliage, is a requirement when you're visiting Appalachia in October!

The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford is the highest apex in town where you can enjoy mountain views.

If you have extra time, take a drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway. Heads up, the traffic can be slow-moving this time of year as people come from all over the country to see the fall foliage. Check the National Park Service website for current alerts and conditions. Arnold Valley Overlook, less than an hour from Lynchburg, is a popular site to pull over a take in the views.

The Claytor Nature Center, in Bedford, is a 491-acre conserved property, owned by the University of Lynchburg. Here, you'll find 8 miles of hiking trails, gardens and certainly some great fall foliage!

Fun Fact: Autumn is both Harris's and Melissa's favorite season!

Enjoy this open-air market in the heart of Lynchburg. Here, you'll find home-made goodies, hand-made crafts, and locally grown produce.

The market is open from 7am to 2pm Tuesday through Saturday.

Fun Fact: Harris, Melissa and Amy visited the Community Market in February 2023!

Located in Bedford, the Peaks of Otter is a signature stop along the Blue Ridge Parkway and offers several hiking options ranging from easy to strenuous. Read more about the trail options here. The photo you see above was taken from the summit of Sharp Top Mountain - one of the "Peaks" of Otter.

If you're not into hiking, you can also shuttle to the top of Sharp Top Mountain.

Fun fact: Harris and Melissa had a pair of river otters visit them in their backyard pond last year! It was the best weekend!

Less than an hour from Lynchburg is Natural Bridge State Park, where you'll find a 215-foot tall limestone bridge. In addition to the bridge, there are also seven miles of hiking trails, including Cedar Creek Trail, which takes you under the Natural Bridge and ends at Lace Falls, a 30-ft waterfall.

Fun fact: Melissa visited Natural Bridge in middle school on a field trip!

Take a look at their website to see if there are any interesting art exhibits, pottery classes or shows during your visit! Melissa and her mom, Amy, loved taking a series of pottery classes in Virginia Beach!

Located less than an hour from Lynchburg, Apple Orchard Falls Trail offers tons of streams and is one of the most popular hikes in Jefferson National Forest. Leave yourself about 4.5 hours to complete.

If you're more interested in taking a leisurely stroll, check out Riverside Park in downtown Lynchburg. When you do, make sure to stop by the overlook for beautiful views of the James River and the Blue Ridge Mountains (pictured above). At the park, you can find the entrance to a quick mile long hike called the Alpine Trail.

To read more about the best fall hikes near Lynchburg, click here: https://www.lynchburgvirginia.org/fall-hikes-near-lynchburg/

Fun fact: Harris and Melissa spent a lot of time hiking with friends during their time at Virginia Tech (even though Melissa is the slowest hiker of all time)!

Quick, affordable, very tasty Japanese food! Harris, Melissa and Amy loved this place when they visited in February.

YES, Lynchburg has a Benny's too!

If you didn't go to Virginia Tech, let us introduce you to a sister restaurant of the place where we all went to get GIANT slices of pizza at 2am.