We are very pleased to announce that the Rockfish Valley Foundation is undertaking to create a travel opportunity and informational text in Nelson County which we have called the NELSON SCENIC LOOP.
The research, writing and website development are underway. We are pleased to have Jesús Najar, an Urban & Environmental Planning Masters candidate at the University of Virginia School of Architecture working for us this summer as lead developer. He is assisted by M.H.LA Liz Sargent, one of our very committed volunteers and a part time resident of Beech Grove. In addition we are working with Bluewall the website developer and social network creator run by Sara Pope and Peter Agelasto IV. Their intern Samantha Ashley is a valued member of their team for the summer.
You may follow the progress of the NELSON SCENIC LOOP at www.nelsonscenicloop.com.
It is a 50-mile auto and bike tour that follows four scenic byways and features Nelson’s bounty of natural, cultural, and historic attractions. There are a number of spurs that lead from it as optional discovery trails. Please let us have your comments.
Nelson Scenic Loop Goals
The Loop will:
• Promote the intrinsic natural, scenic, recreational, historic, cultural, and archeological qualities of Nelson County.
• Offer an authentic meaningful rural experience that will enrich the lives of visitors by highlighting connections between cultural activities and the natural world.
• Suggest opportunities for heritage tourism through regional branding and cooperative marketing, including Nelson County, in communities along the Loop.
• Encourage visitors to appreciate, respect, and experience Nelson County’s unique cultural landscape.
• Promote and enrich the Blue Ridge Parkway experience.
• Create a rural tourism model that can be replicated in other parts of Nelson and throughout rural Virginia.
Peter A. Agelasto III
June 1, 2009
