Welcome New Staff AND Guests !

May 25, 2010 – A new staff day is dawning at Clay Corner Inn. [They're shy about photos, so I tossed in the pool shot - pool is open and sparkling - and eggs Benedict, which we happen to be serving tomorrow morning!] Mary, our faithful, dedicated resident innkeeper, is leaving May 31st for North Carolina, where she will continue her faithful dedication to her husband, Sawaya, as he continues his medical schooling at a NC hospital. We will all miss her shining personality, amazing art skills and guest attentiveness. Stepping in as resident innkeeper is Liz, a Pennsylvania native with a business degree and emphasis in entrepreneurship. Welcome, Liz – Clay Corner Inn is the place to apply your experience and education!
As we bid farewell to Matt, our Virginia Tech intern, we welcome Cory, another VT intern. Like Matt, Cory is friendly, willing to learn anything, interested in the business and especially cognizant of guest service.
Samantha came on board about a month ago helping with guest rooms, laundry, front desk – another willing worker who also works at Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea, so she’s the go-to person for all things coffee – and we still grind it in our commercial kitchen. Summer is back for her third summer, and you’re as likely to see her watering the flowers as baking a coffeecake or dogsitting for a canine guest. Part time animal staff includes our yellow Lab, Canyon, who checks the pool a few times a week for temperature comfort and errant tennis balls [photo coming].
June is a wonderful time to visit Blacksburg, walk the Huckleberry Trail, chill by the pool, enjoy Virginia wine, stroll to the Farmer's Market - which is one hoppin' place on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Check out vivavirginia.org for details on a world-class International Festival of Music here in Blacksburg June 21-July 3. The Blue Ridge Quilt Festival is - in my eyes - a world class event, too, founded and organized by German native Karin Tauber, who got the idea when she lived in England. That website is brqfestival.com. The classes, the quilts, the comaraderie are fantastic, and vendors and participants come from all over the country.
We are here to serve you and make your visit to Blacksburg comfortable and special. Joanne

Multiple Meanings of Green

May 10, 2010 --- I started writing about being "green", then realized that could mean we're amateur, like not well-trained (think: horse), but that's not the case at Clay Corner Inn. We are all experienced and well-trained to serve you, give directions, suggest restaurants, hikes, shopping, activities. And there are "the greens" as in the links aka the golf course. Virginia Tech's large golf course turns five this year as the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech. It has not only been noticed in magazines like Golf Digest, GolfWeek and Sports Illustrated, but also it has been chosen for the 2011 NCAA golf regional. It's beautiful (check out these photos!) as well as challenging and about a 20 minute ride from Clay Corner Inn.

If you want to stick around town and play golf, The Hill Municipal Golf Course is just a couple minutes away and runs a reasonable $12 on weekdays and $3 more on weekends. The pro shop is fully stocked, and the staff can custom fit TourEdge golf clubs or measure you for a new driver or set of hybrid irons. And there are still nine holes on the Virginia campus, a couple minutes away across campus. Weekday play is $19 ($17 after 4 p.m.) and weekend fee is $22 ($18 after 4 p.m.).

But I really started writing about Virginia Green, the statewide program that works to reduce the environmental impacts of Virginia's Tourism Industry. It is run as a partnership between the Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Virginia Hospitality and Tourism Association. Certification assures you that Clay Corner Inn is doing its part in recycling and reducing adverse environmental impact as much as we can in as many ways as we can.

Y'all have a great, green day! Joanne