Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2013 - 19

When's the last time
you spent

scouts honor

your vacation

For scouts at the Gorge,
new heights of Adventure

giants?

Joe Tennis

in pursuit of

The “wow” factor of West Virginia’s New
River Gorge is about to dazzle some special
visitors.
With its rushing current and phenomenal
sunsets, the gorge is viewed by the Boy Scouts
of America as “one of the greatest outdoor playgrounds in the world.” So it’s setting up camp
on 10,600 acres on a bend of the New River – for
the next 100 years.
The area’s grandeur is helping to attract
40,000 scouts to this summer’s national jamboree. Where miners from 40 company towns once
worked coal seams, scouts will now rappel,
kayak and hike.
Teaching scouts outdoor and leadership skills
is the objective, says BSA’s Gary Hartley.
“Being able to do things such as whitewater
rafting, rock climbing and mountain biking were
all-important in selecting a site that would serve
both as a jamboree site and as a future highadventure base,” says Hartley, adding that roads
and trails created during mining’s heyday meant
hundreds of acres could be left undisturbed.

Legend has it that Tsul'kalu', the slant-eyed Giant, roams the Great Smokies near
Cherokee, NC. So whether you pursue him via the amazing network of trails here,
or by car across the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway, it’s one of hundreds of adventures
you can have here. Join us for a long weekend and see how many you can squeeze in.
Discover more at VisitCherokeeNC.com or 800.438.1601.

Graham King, a scout from McCandless, Pa.,
looks forward to zip-lining.
“You get to fly through the camp and see
different things that you might not have ’cause
you’re so high up,” the 14-year-old gushes. “I
get to do things I’ve never done before.”
Folks in nearby towns are thrilled, too. Over
five days, 7,000 scouts a day will fan out to perform community service – a first for any jamboree in the organization’s 102-year history.
The Mountain State bested 27 other states in
the search for a new jamboree site.

Blue Ridge Country Getaway Sweepstakes Official Rules
To enter go to BlueRidgeCountry.
com/win to view the digital edition
of Blue Ridge Country or send a
stamped self-addressed envelope to:
Blue Ridge Getaway Sweepstakes,
PO Box 21535, Roanoke, VA 24018
requesting an entry form. Limited
to one entry per household. Entries
must be received by 8/31/13.
Reservation procedures to come with
notification of winning. Advance
reservations required.
Subject
to availability.
Some blackout
dates may apply. No credit will be

extended for an unused portion of
this package. Package may not
be redeemed for cash, resold or
transferred. Notification of the $1500
valued getaway prize will be sent
via EMAIL. The odds of winning will
depend upon the number of entries.
The prize will be awarded in a
random drawing from all valid entries
received. Drawing will be conducted
by LeisureMedia360 Inc. Winner will
be notified by EMAIL and will have
14 days to respond. Void wherever
taxed, restricted, or prohibited by law.

Taxes, if any, are the responsibility of
the individual winner.
Sweepstakes is open to all residents
of the U.S. and Canada except
advertisers, their employees, their
advertising and promotion agencies,
the publisher and employees of Blue
Ridge Country and families. For a
name of the prize winner, send a
stamped, self-addressed envelope
to Blue Ridge Country Sweepstakes
Winner, PO Box 21535, Roanoke, VA
24018. (See Ad on Page 5)

—Neil Cotiaux
JULY/AUGUST 2013 | 19

http://www.visitcherokeenc.com http://BlueRidgeCountry.com/Win http://BlueRidgeCountry.com/Win

Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2013

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