Visiting Creation Kingdom Zoo in Gate City Virginia

Ring Tailed Lemurs are just one of many exotic, endangered animals that can be found at the Creation Kingdom Zoo in Gate City, VA

Photo Credit: Elaine Yeary Bradley
Copyright: Elaine Yeary Bradley

Getting Up Close and Personal with Endangered Species from Around the World in the Tri-Cities

If you happen to be searching for fun things to do in the Tri-Cities area, a great trip for families and friends of all ages is to visit Creation Kingdom Zoo. Hidden away in a remote corner of Southwestern Virginia that is conveniently next door to the Tri-Cities area on the Virginia and Tennessee border, few people would expect to find a zoo that is stocked with some of the world's most rare and endangered species - but this is exactly what my family and thousands of others have found when visiting Creation Kingdom Zoo in Gate City, Virginia. 

This zoo features a vast array of different, exceptional specimens from the animal kingdom, including over 30 different endangered species. Black Handed Spider Monkeys, Ring Tailed Lemurs, the rare White Capped Mangabey, Amur Tigers, Black Mane Lions, and White Royal Bengal Tigers are just a few of the wide variety of primates, mammals, cats, birds and reptiles that one will encounter when visiting this zoo. The zoo staff have taken great care to ensure that all of the animals thrive in a relaxing setting with especially designed enclosures that are designed to mimic the animals' natural native habitats. This zoo was originally a private reserve that was dedicated to assisting in the preservation of endangered species through breeding programs conducted in conjunction with zoos and preserves from around the world. Three years ago the founders decided to share their knowledge of the animal kingdom with the general public to increase awareness about the need for preservation through education and thus the zoo was born. 

Creation Kingdom Zoo's mission is to provide "education, conservation and propagation" of these stunning creatures to ensure their survival as a species. Sadly many of the world's rarest creatures have found it difficult if not impossible to continue to survive outside of zoos and preserves as they have been driven to near extinction from both human misunderstanding about their nature and needs as well as the drastic reductions of their native habitats. Education, preservation and breeding programs are the key to help these dwindling populations survive.

Getting There

Travel on Alternative Highway 58 to the Gate City exit. The Gate City High School is just off the exit on the right. Turn right at the first light beside of the high school. Take a right at the stop sign onto Hwy 71. Travel 5.6 miles and turn left at the Zoo sign on Snowflake Road. Continue on Snowflake Road for 1.5 miles and you will reach the zoo entrance.

Admission and Hours

During the winter months from December through March, the zoo is only open on the weekends during the following days and times: Saturdays 11am-5pm and Sundays 1pm-5pm. As the weather begins to warm in mid-March, the zoo's regular hours return: Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Regular admission rates are $10 for ages 2 and up and visitors 2 and under are free. Group rates and special discounts for school and church groups are available by contacting the zoo.

What to Expect

Visiting this zoo is both exciting and relaxing. Everyone, including the animals, seems to have adopted a more leisurely pace to their day than what many of us have become accustomed to with our hectic, busy lifestyles. The zoo allows visitors to walk through the park at their own pace, and provides additional educational programs both on and off site. While touring the zoo grounds, I know that my family and I were not alone in noticing the extra time and effort that the staff spent in ensuring that everyone enjoyed their visit and was able to get the pictures and experiences that they wanted with the various animals and exhibits. 

Be prepared to come with lots of memory space and battery life for your digital camera when you visit, especially if you bring children along. Unlike some other zoos and conservatories, Creation Kingdom Zoo does not place a limit on the number of pictures that can be taken of these beautiful, magnificent animals, and I noticed that visitors were often allowed to get quite close and even interact with some of the zoo's inhabitants. The zoo even allows visitors to feed some of the animals with specially designated food that is available for purchase.

Education Programs

For schools and other groups, the zoologist and staff have special educational programs for groups touring the zoo, but they are also willing to bring the animals on site to schools to add to their curricula as an on-site field trip. These trips are great to help children and others learn about the wildlife with which we share the planet, and can be used to satisfy some mandated education requirements in both Tennessee and Virginia. More information about these programs is available by contacting the zoo.

Additional Special Programs

The zoo also makes a special effort to make many popular holidays and festivals even more enjoyable for both the animals and their visitors with special events such as Easter at the Zoo, "Boo at the Zoo" which has become one of the area's most popular harvest and Halloween events, and special tours and decorations for Christmas at the Zoo.

My family and I had a great time at this zoo, especially when we got to see and interact with some of the primates, birds and smaller mammals. If you are in the Tri-Cities and searching for a great activity for family and friends, regardless of the time of year, a trip to Creation Kingdom Zoo is a treat you will not want to miss!

Contact Information

Creation Kingdom Zoo

1692 Snowflake Rd

Gate City, Virginia 24251

Telephone: (276) 690-5450

Email: staff@creationkingdomzoo.com

Top 4 Best Bagel Shops in Charlottesville Virginia

Historical Charlottesville, Virginia, is known for being the home of one of the founding fathers of our country, Thomas Jefferson, and for his school The University of Virginia. What many people may not realize is that the area known as "The Corner," and the UVA campus itself, in Charlottesville are also home to some amazing Bagel shops.

Bodo's Bagels opened in Charlottesville in 1988 on Emmett Street, and has expanded to three locations, including my favorite one on the University's "Corner" near the Rotunda at 1609 University Avenue. Telephone: (434) 293-6021.

Bodo's makes all of their bagels from scratch every day in the "New York" style, kettling them before baking them. They have a wide variety of bagels as well, such as Plain, Sesame, Poppy, Garlic, Salt, Everything, Cinnamon and Raisin, to 100% Whole Wheat Bagels in Plain, Everything, and Cinnamon and Raisin. You can get a bagel with one of their many homemade cream cheese spreads which include Herb, Scallion, Olive, Vegetable, Walnut Raisin, Honey Pecan, Blueberry, Lox and Honey Butter as well as Egg bagels with Cheese, Ham, Sausage, Bacon, or Deli-Egg bagels. Prices for bagels start at .70 each and can rise to $4.80 depending on toppings and spreads. My favorite is the Deli-Egg topping with Scallion Spread on a 100% whole Wheat Everything Bagel. They also have various Salads, Wraps, Sandwiches and Omelets available. Bistro type seating is available outside and inside this Bodo's location the dark, wooden interior gives you a "nestled" feeling while you are eating. Parking is limited, and you may have to park at the parking garage or at the University and walk to the location. There are two other locations in Charlottesville with ample parking if this is an issue.

Einstein Brothers Bagels has two locations on the campus of The University of Virginia, one in the Rice Hall and the other location in the campus bookstore. Telephone: (800)224-3563.

Parking is an issue as you will need to walk from one of the parking garages, but the walk is well worth the gastronomical treat that you receive when eating one of their delicious bagels. Einstein Brothers Bagels are also baked fresh every day, and come in a wide variety such as Plain, Honey Whole Wheat, Plain, Pumpernickel, Asiago Cheese, Blueberry, Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Raisin, Cinnamon Sugar, Cranberry, Garlic, Good Grains, Onion, Poppy, Potato and Sesame. Einstein Brothers also serves a wide variety of Egg Panini, Egg Wraps, Sandwich Wraps, Salads, Pizza Bagels and Bagel Hot Dogs. Various Coffees, Espresso and Lattes as well as Teas and Fruit Drinks are available as well. My absolute favorite bagel here is the Whole Wheat Everything Nova Lox; its salmon and cream cheese filling is heavenly. Prices for bagels vary depending on bagel type, filling and topping, but range from $.99 to $5.69.

Dunkin Donuts has three locations in Charlottesville, including the one at The Corner near The Rotunda, 1509 University Avenue. Telephone: (434) 984-9600.

Including one of the mass producing restaurants in the category of "bagel shop" is anathema to some "bagel purists", but Dunkin Donuts does have a wide variety of bagels available at this location, including Sesame, Poppy, Cinnamon Raisin, Everything, Garlic, Multi-Grain, Salt, and Plain as well as Bagel Twists with various baked in flavors and their other Sandwiches, Wraps, Muffins, Doughnuts, Pastries, and Hash Browns, as well as a wide variety of Coffees, Espressos, Teas and other Beverages. Prices vary depending on type of bagel and topping or filling, but range from $1 to $6 in price. Like the other locations at The Corner, parking is limited.

Starbucks has nine locations in Charlottesville, including the one on The Corner at 1601 University Avenue. Telephone: (434) 970-1058.

Starbucks is not known for their bagels, but are known for their coffees, which come in a wide variety and are generally considered by many to be equivalent to nectar from Heaven. This location only has three varieties of bagels, Plain, Sesame and Everything and they are of the mass produced variety and are $1.25 each. The bagels are not terrible; it's just that with so many choices of genuine New York style bagels nearby, I would pass. If you just can't pass up your Starbucks coffee, if the weather co-operates you can have the best of both worlds, get your coffee from Starbucks and walk a few feet down to Bodo's Bagels and grab one of their bagels of homemade goodness and enjoy both outside at one of the bistro tables under the umbrellas.

Visiting the Vineyards of Southwest Virginia

When most people hear of the region of Southwest Virginia, they automatically think of coal, and indeed the mining of this resource has been a way of life for many generations in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. What many people do not realize is that there is fertile ground that is contained in the vast, open expanses that are found on the plateaus of reclaimed strips jobs, as well as the many naturally occurring, open meadows of the area that make the region the perfect location for growing grapes. There are several vineyards in the region that seek to capitalize on this resource as some in the area make the transition from coal and begin to pursue more sustainable endeavors.

My favorite vineyard in the region is located at the far corner of Virginia in Wise County, Mountain Rose Vineyard (10439 North Reservoir Rd., Wise, Virginia. 276-328-2013). The Lawson family which owns the vineyard planted its first vines in 1996 on land that was originally a reclaimed strip mine. At an elevation of 2,640 feet, the Lawson's currently grow eight varieties of grapes at this vineyard - white: Traminette, Riesling, Vidal Blanc, Seyval Blanc, Niagara, Rkatsiteli, and red: Chancellor, and Cabernet franc are grown there to produce wines that are known as "fruity and complex" and are winning awards everywhere. 

The vineyard offers daily wine tasting for free for five wines with a $3 fee for additional tastings, and tours 6 days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and also offer several special events throughout the year. This vineyard is also known for the over 100 roses that are growing throughout the vineyard and is becoming known for the private events that it also hosts, which include birthdays, weddings and other group gatherings. 

Perhaps two of the vineyard's best known and regional favorite events are the annual Concord Grape Festival, held sometime in September, where visitors are invited to pick their own grapes, and also the annual Grape Stomp & Harvest Festival, held sometime in October of each year, the event features hayrides through the vineyard, a country lunch, and a grape stomping contest! Recently the Lawson's opened a second, smaller vineyard in nearby Russell County, which is known as Grace Vineyards.

In nearby Russell County, there is another vineyard that seeks to capitalize on the region's abundant fertile ground and elevation to produce great wines, Vincent's Vineyards (physically located just past Big Cedar Creek Bridge near Lebanon. 2313 E. Main St., Lebanon, Virginia. 276-889-2505). The Gilmer's started the vineyard on land that has been a family farm for over six generations. Over the years, the farm went from growing Wheat, Corn and Tobacco and raising cattle and sheep herds to planting its first vines in 2001. Currently they grow seven varieties of grapes which include Traminette, Cabernet Franc, Steuben, Chambourcin, Chardonel, Chardonnay and Concord. They offer free wine tastings and tours 6 days a week from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, sell wine from their tasting room, and also have a small gift shop that features local artisan's crafts, wine accessories, and jellies made at the Vineyard.

Continuing up the road to Washington County one will find the Abingdon Vineyard & Winery(20530 Alvarado Rd., Abingdon, Virginia. 276-623-1255). The Nordin Carlson Family owns the 53 acres upon which this vineyard was founded. They planted their first 500 vines in 1998 and had over 6,000 by 2001. Their main varieties of grapes are Cabernet Franc, Riesling, Chardonel, Traminette, Pinot Noir, Norton, Chambourcin, and Viognier. This vineyard offers tastings and tours March 15^ththrough December 15^th on Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays 12 noon to 6 p.m.

There are many other vineyards that can be found throughout the unique, abundant and bountiful region that is known as Southwest Virginia, but these three are currently the best known. As more individuals in the region become more aware of the area's natural resources and turn to tourism and ecology to diversify employment opportunities in the region there will surely be more vineyards in the region in the years to come.

Hiking the Ridge Trail in Cumberland Gap National Park

In the early 1900s, the Hensley and Gibson families moved atop Brush Mountain and founded a completely self-sufficient community that at its peak contained over 25 families and is now known as Hensley Settlement. This settlement is one of the key sites to see when hiking The Ridge Trail. While the families have moved on, their legacy remains, and this frontier community featuring many of the original old cabins, barns, buildings, split rail fences, graveyard, and schoolhouse that were made from locally hewn oak and wormy chestnut have been restored. Depending on the time of the year, there is an abundance of wildlife and it is not uncommon to encounter groups of deer loping through the fields as well as to encounter bears along the hike.

There are a variety of ways to gain access to this historic site, and many visitors to Cumberland Gap National Park in nearby Middlesboro, KY often take one of the guided tours of the area. This was one of my children's favorite places to hike when they were growing up, and it is a hike that is both educational and enjoyable for all ages. While traveling by tour bus is certainly easier, if you enjoy hiking and a bit of a challenge, there are other ways to access the settlement by foot that are quite scenic and peaceful and that will allow you to take in other "secret" areas that are enjoyed mainly by locals and the rare backcountry aficionado. 

If you plan to camp overnight in the area, you will still need to stop by the visitor's center to the park to get a permit, and reservations can be made up to three months in advance by calling (606) 248-2817. While strenuous, it is well worth the time, effort and sweat, to see the other amazing natural sites in the area on foot! Depending on how many side trails that you add to your hike, you can easily walk 16 to 21 miles or more on this adventure! I will caution you now, that water and facilities are extremely limited, and you will want to pack for emergencies and bring your own water. At different times of the year there are limited amounts of water at the stream at Martin's Fork, and at the seasonal waterfall at the Sand Cave, but this needs to be filtered and purified, and while there is a pump at Hensley Settlement, it is often turned off during the colder months.

Rather than taking the tour from the park, when we are going to visit Hensley Settlement, The Sand Cave, White Rocks, Pinnacle Overlook and Martin's Fork, we prefer to start our journey by beginning our hike in Lee County, VA at the Chadwell Gap Trail. The Cumberland Gap National Park and Visitor's center can be reached via U.S. 25E from Kentucky and Tennessee, or U.S. 58 from Virginia. The Visitor Center is on U.S. 25E in Middlesboro, Kentucky. 

To get to the Chadwell Gap Trail, leave the park Visitor center and take 25E through the tunnel. Take U.S. 58 when you cross it. Shortly after passing the Wilderness Road State Park, you will see 690 on your right. This road leads to the parking area described. The parking area and trailhead are off of a driveway, but are clearly marked. The Visitor Center has maps detailing all of this. In recent years this trail has been closed at various times, when it is we then start our hike at the Ewing Gap Trail, in Lee County, VA. This trail is also steep, and is a difficult three mile trip from the Civic Park Parking lot in Ewing before it connects to the Ridge Trail and the White Rocks.

The Chadwell Gap trail is the original trail that members of the Hensley and Gibson families used to walk, single file, on and off of the mountain; it climbs for about 2.1 miles and gains around 2,000 vertical feet before intersecting with the 21 mile long Ridge trail, which runs along the border of the state lines of Virginia and Kentucky. At the far eastern end of the Ridge Trail are the scenic White Rocks and at the Far Western End is the Pinnacle Overlook. In between these two ends are Hensley Settlement, Martin's Fork and The Sand Cave.

Once you have reached the point where the Chadwell Gap Trail joins with the Ridge Trail, take the left turn and travel another .4 miles to Martin's Fork. Martin's Fork is a campground that features a cabin with fireplace and three primitive wooden bunkbeds (bring your own bedding). There are places at the campground for tents with established fire rings and a place to tie up your horses is also available. Rentals of the cabin fill up quickly, especially for weekends, and reservations and a $10 fee plus KY tax are required. If you can make a reservation for this campground, this is really the best place to use as your base when hiking the entire Ridge Trail.

From Martin's Fork it is another .8 miles to Hensley Settlement on the right, and from Martin's Fork it is about 3 miles to the Sand Cave and another 1 mile from the Sand Cave to the White Rocks on the left.

The Sand Cave is an astonishing natural feature of the region and cannot be missed on any hiking trip to this area. The Sand Cave is not a real cave but a gigantic rock shelter formed by the erosion-causing forces of wind, water and ice. At the low end of the opening is a waterfall. To reach Sand Cave, you travel downwards through a path that winds its way beneath branches of hemlocks and rhododendron that make a natural "green tunnel" for you to walk through as they grow up along a bubbling crystal clear stream that is strewn with quartzite sandstone pebbles. Once you enter this natural formation that towers hundreds of feet in the air, you cannot help but be dazzled by the more than 21 different colors of the sandstone ceiling that swirl above your head and the 1.5 acres of fine dry sand of multiple shades inside. Pictures of the inside will remind you of the remoteness and tranquility of space and the moon. It's an additional mile to the White Rocks, which served as a beacon to pioneers and travelers searching for the "Gap" in the mountains so that they could make their way West. While many people take the 4 mile drive up the winding and steep Skyland Road to Pinnacle Overlook, it is possible to hike there from Hensley Settlement. It is an additional 12 mile hike of mostly level to gently rolling trail that winds its way through the trees along the mountain top from Hensley Settlement to the Pinnacle Overlook. Hensley Settlement is actually another 1,000 feet in elevation than the summit at Pinnacle Overlook. From Pinnacle Overlook, you can see all three states of Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, and before pollution clouded the skies to the south, it was possible to see 7 states, including Georgia, from the summit. Whether you make the trip to the summit by car or hike, it offers genuinely breathtaking views regardless of the time of year, but the colors of the foliage in the fall and spring are truly stunning and should not be missed.

Hiking the Chadwell Gap Trail and then the adjoining Ridge Trail in the Cumberland Gap National Park is my favorite hike to find peace and serenity. On any given hike at any time of the year, it contains an abundance of wildlife and unique, natural formations that make this an exciting but relaxing trip.

The Ridge Trail is but one of over 85 miles of hiking trails available in the Cumberland Gap National Park. Nearby Wilderness Road State Park offers additional trails such as Indian Ridge Trail and Wilderness Road Trail that are equally interesting and relaxing and also features the historically restored Martin's Station that offers period reenactments and more for visitors to enjoy.

New Theater Showing Classic Movies Opens in Wise County Virginia

Classic film buffs in Wise County, and the City of Norton, Virginia, have a reason to rejoice. The Park Avenue Theater has just opened, providing lovers of older classic films and Hollywood blockbusters a chance to view their favorite films, again, on the big screen.

The theater is located within the former VA-KY Opry, which is housed in the WAXM building at 722 Park Avenue, Norton, Virginia. The VA-KY Opry opened in 1995, and originally featured the talents of area musicians, as well as nationally recognized bluegrass acts, such as Ralph Stanley and the Goose Creek Symphony. The VA-KY Opry's vintage setting is the perfect place for residents to gather together and watch their favorite stars from years past.

Currently, showtimes are for Friday and Saturday nights at 7:00 p.m., and the doors open at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are just $5 each, plus tax, and children under 4 can watch for free, when accompanied by a paying adult. Upcoming showtimes include former Hollywood blockbusters, such as the 1981 Steven Spielberg adventure classic: The Raiders of the Lost Ark, with Harrison Ford and Karen Allen, on April 18th and 19th. The 1997 epic romantic drama, Titanic, produced and directed by James Cameron, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, will be available for viewing on April 25th and 26th.

Exact dates and showtimes for the 1942 classic WWII drama, Casablanca, featuring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, as well as the 1980 Loretta Lynn biography, Coal Miner's Daughter, with Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones, remain unknown, but are expected to be shown later this summer.

Prior to the opening of The Park Avenue Theater in Norton, classic film lovers had to travel over an hour away to the Real to Reel Theater in Johnson City, Tennessee, or over two hours away to the Grandin Theater in Roanoke, Virginia, for limited screenings during special events held through the year if they wanted to see their favorite classic films again on the big screen.

For more information about the theater and it's showtimes, call (276) 328-3800 or visit their Facebook page.