ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, December 2, 1995             TAG: 9512040009
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU 

SEVERAL B&BS ON BENEFIT TOUR

If you're a holiday romantic looking for new ideas to decorate your home or if you're just the nosy type curious for a peek inside some of Montgomery County's most elegant homes, Wednesday is the day to circle on your calendar.

A Holiday Tour of Bed and Breakfast Inns will give local residents a chance to tour five area inns in Christiansburg, Blacksburg and the Ellett Valley - and help the Montgomery County Christmas Store.

Evergreen, a historic bed and breakfast on Main Street in Christiansburg; L'Arche, Twin Porches and Per Diem inns in downtown Blacksburg; and The Sycamore Tree Bed & Breakfast in the Ellett Valley will be open for an afternoon tour 1-4 p.m. All but Sycamore Tree will be open for an evening tour 6-9.

For many visitors, the tour will offer the first chance to see inside a familiar Blacksburg landmark - L'Arche Bed and Breakfast at 301 Wall St. The handsome Federal Revival-style house, built around 1900, overlooks the Tech campus and the University Club from its perch on a small hill.

Now operated by Vera Good, the house was formerly occupied by George and Grace Shackleford, who were active in historic preservation projects in Blacksburg, such as Smithfield Plantation. The house has five bedrooms for guests, a small garden and a gazebo for weddings and receptions.

Tickets for the tour are $10 per person at each of the inns on the day of the tour or can be purchased on buses that will be available to drive visitors among the inns.

The buses, donated by Blacksburg Transit, will leave Wade's on South Main Street in Blacksburg at 12:30 p.m and at 5:30 p.m. A second bus will leave Kmart in Christiansburg at the same times. Visitors also can drive themselves to the inns. Maps will be available at each stop.

Proceeds from the tour will go to benefit the Christmas Store.

For information, call Barbara Capozzi at 382-7372 or Joanne Anderson at 951-0809.

LENGTH: Short :   48 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  ALAN KIM/Staff. L'Arche Bed and Breakfast in downtown 
          Blacksburg will be among the sites on the Holiday Tour of Bed and 
          Breakfast Inns on Wednesday from 1 until 4 p.m. and from 6 until 9 
          p.m. There are five B&B's on the afternoon tour and four in the 
          evening. color.