The Botetourt View is one year old this week. So naturally, we threw a party.

Except instead of asking for presents, we asked for advice. What’s the best of Botetourt County?

We offered up 50 some categories and you offered up lots of ideas.

We’ve counted and crunched, and now have the results.

Best places for: Breakfast | Coffee | Iced tea | Pizza | Lunch | Fancy meal | Happy hour | Post-game hanging out | First date | Family hike | School event | Picnic | Bike ride | Fall leaves | Dog-walking | Trick-or-treating | Taking relatives from out of town | Meeting new people | Park | Keeping fit | Local music | Wireless | Hair salon | Nail salon| Getting your car fixed | Music lessons | Preschool/day care | A day with the kids | Fresh food | Restaurant to take the kids | Fishing |

People: School staff member | Non-school coach | Insurance agent | Lawyer | Plumber | Electrician | Realtor | Bus driver | School sports coach | Teacher | Local politician

Businesses: Financial advice | Lawn service | Bargains | Home repair/handyman service | Unique gifts | Dry cleaner | Florist | Convenience store | Pet grooming | Pet sitting | Frame shop | Tattoo studio | Taxidermist | Antiques |

Other things Botetourt County likes: Parks and rec activity | Church outreach program | Community event | New thing in Botetourt County | Reason for living in Botetourt County |

PLACES

Best place for breakfast
1. Cracker Barrel
2. Blue Collar Joe’s
3. North Star

Best place for coffee
1. Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea
2. Blue Collar Joe’s
3. McDonald’s


Best place for iced tea
1. Bojangles’
2. McDonald’s
3. Hardee’s

Best pizza
1. Lil Cucci’s
2. Pizza Hut
3. Papa John’s

Best place for lunch
1. Three Li’l Pigs
2. Bellacino’s
3. Blue Collar Joe’s

Best place for a fancy meal
1. Pomegranate
2. Teaberry’s
3. Three Li’l Pigs

Best happy hour
1. Rancho Viejo
2. Pomegranate
3. Three Li’l Pigs

Best restaurant to take the kids
1. Country Cookin
2. Bellacino’s
3. Three Li’l Pigs

Best place to go after a game
1. Bellacino’s
2. Wendy’s
3. Pizza Hut

Best place for a first date
1. Three Li’l Pigs
2. Pomegranate
3. Buchanan Theatre

Best place for a family hike
1. Roaring Run
2. Appalachian Trail
3. Peaks of Otter

Best place for a picnic
1. Roaring Run
2. Troutville Park
3. Blue Ridge Parkway

Best place to go for a bike ride
1. Greenfield
2. Blue Ridge Parkway
3. Carvins Cove

Best place to view fall leaves
1. Blue Ridge Parkway
2. Roaring Run
3. Catawba; Eagle Rock (tie)

Best place to walk your dog
1. Greenfield
2. Blue Ridge Parkway
3. Roaring Run

Best place to go trick-or-treating
1. Fincastle
2. Wetherwood subdivision in Daleville
3. Steeplechase neighborhood
 
Best place to take relatives from out of town
1. Blue Ridge Parkway
2. Roaring Run
3. Blue Collar Joe’s

Best place to meet new people
1. Church
2. Kroger
3. Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea

Best park
1. Troutville Park
2. Blue Ridge Park
3. Greenfield

Best fishing spot:
1. James River
2. Jennings Creek
3. Craigs Creek

Best place to keep fit
1. Botetourt Athletic Center
2. Curves
3. Greenfield

Best place to hear local music
1. Three Li’l Pigs
2. Buchanan Theatre
3. James River Music Hall

Best place to find wireless
1. Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea
2. Library
3. nTelos

Best hair salon
1. Pzaz
2. Mane Perfection
3. Hair Gallery

Best nail salon
1. Pzaz
2. Elite Nails
3. Classic Nails

Best place to get your car fixed
1. Cavalier Automotive
2. Troutville Automotive
3. Fleshman’s Service Center

Best place for music lessons
1. Michael Lee — Buchanan
2. Blue Ridge Academy of Music
3. Cheryl Lunsford — Guitar Dojo

Best preschool or day care
1. Mill Creek Child Care Center
2. Bonsack Baptist Weekday Early Education Center
3. Fincastle Preschool

Best place to take the kids for the day
1. Troutville Park
2. Roaring Run
3. Craig’s Creek

Best place to buy fresh food
1. Ikenberry’s
2. Kroger
3. D&J Produce



PEOPLE

Best school staff member
1. Martha Alphin, James River High School
2. Martha Wilhelm, secretary of transportation for Morris Gill at the school bus garage; Pam Markham, James River High School; Tim Bane, assistant principal (principal 2009-10), Lord Botetourt High School (tie)
3. Beth Bell, James River High School; Chuck Pound, Lord Botetourt High School; Dave Moran, BTEC (tie)


Best coach (non-school sports)
1. John Hoffman
2. Chuck Dorton ; Danny Agee (tie)
3. Chad Fields, Gregory Krepps, Travis Meadow, Troy Gusler (tie)

Best lawyer
1. David Spigle
2. Buck Heartwell
3. Ronnie Clay

Best plumber
1. Ben Williams; Ricky Boblett; Dane Hamren (tie)
2. Wolfe Master Plumbers
3. David Aaron; Rodney Bryant (tie)

Best electrician
1. Ben Williams; Bill Rader; Dane Hamren; Austen Electric (tie)
2. D.J. Ostrum, Ostrum Electrical Service
3. Teddy Wolford

Best insurance agent
1. Richard Pauley; John Alderson (tie)
2. Larry Wood - Va Farm Bureau
3. Leslie Owens, State Farm

Best Realtor
1. Gary Crawford; Rodney Spickard (tie)
2. Todd Wampler
3. Pete Wood

Best bus driver
1. Melvin Burrell
2. Barbara Helms, Rhonda Kern (tie)
3. Elaine Kyle, Jean Collins (tie)

Best coach (school sports)
1. John Shotwell, James River softball
2. Chuck Pound, Lord Botetourt girls basketball
3. Mike Goad, James River boys basketball

Best teacher
1. Susan Woody, Buchanan Elementary
2. Mary Katherine Wimmer, Lord Botetourt High School
3. Doak Harbison, Lord Botetourt High School; Barbara Kolb, James River High School (tie)

Best local politician
1. Terry Austin, Buchanan District supervisor
2. Don Meredith, Fincastle District supervisor; Bob Goodlatte, 6th District congressman (tie)




BUSINESSES

Best home repair / handyman service
1. Donald Booze
2. My husband; Wolford Construction; Greg Miller At Work N 4U (tie)
3. Appliance Medic

Best place to go for financial advice
1. Bank of Botetourt
2. Bank of Fincastle
3. Michael Wade at Edward Jones, Daleville

Best lawn service
1. Botetourt Lawn Express
2. Earl Eubank’s lawn service
3. AJS landscaping

Best taxidermist
1. G W Guililams - Tinker Mountain Taxidermy
2. Dale Thacker - Thacker’s Taxidermy

Best bargains
1. Dollar General
2. Walmart
3. Eagle’s Wings Antiques & Uniques

Best place to buy unique gifts
1. Apple Barn
2. Three Graces
3. Cracker Barrel

Best dry cleaner
1. Valley Cleaners
2. Air Lee Cleaners
3. A Cleaner World

Best florist
1. Cahoon’s Florist
2. Botetourt Flower Shop
3. Floral Expressions

Best convenience store
1. Stop In
2. Old Mill, Fincastle
3. Nannie’s Market

Best pet grooming
1. The Pet Place
2. Country Pet Grooming Crystal Wright
3. Kelly’s pampered pets

Best pet sitting service
1. Botetourt Veterinary Hospital
2. Peaceful Haven Dog Kennel
3. Crest Hill Animal Inn

Best frame shop
1. Frame N Things
2. The Frame Connection
3. A.C. Moore; Brambleton Frame Shop; Jordan’s on Franklin Road (tie)

Best tattoo studio
1. Star City Tattoos
2. Danny’s Ancient Art
3. Alex’s New Tattoo

Best place to shop for antiques
1. Buchanan
2. Eagles Wings Antiques & Uniques
3. Kelly’s Real Deals; Purgatory Emporium (tie)

OTHER THINGS BOTETOURT COUNTY LIKES


Best parks and rec activity
1. Fishing Carnival
2. Softball
3. Baseball; basketball (tie)

Best church outreach program
1. Young Life, Fincastle Baptist (tie)
2. Bonsack Baptist Church

Best community event
1. Buchanan Fireman’s Carnival
2. Mountain Magic in the Fall
3. Relay for Life

Best school event
1. Football
2. After Prom
3. James River After Prom

Best new thing in Botetourt County in the past year
1. Blue Collar Joe’s
2. Botetourt Sports Complex
3. The Botetourt View

Best reason for living in Botetourt County
1. Scenery/Beauty
2. People
3. Schools