13 Best Things About Growing Up Near The Mountains In Virginia

If you’re one of the lucky ones who grew up in Virginia, you undoubtedly will consider the Old Dominion home for life. While each region of the state has its unique appeal, there’s something altogether different about growing up near the mountains. So whether you were raised near the Alleghenies or Blue Ridge Mountains, you’ve got a special tie to the landscape that can never be severed. Here are the 13 things you’ll only understand if you grew up near the mountains:

First things first: you know how to defend Virginia’s beautiful mountains when out-of-staters claim that “they aren’t really mountains.”

Lukas Schlagenhauf/flickr

You’ve probably hiked all of Virginia’s iconic trails and could recommend some lesser-known ones to visitors.

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You know that despite the name, the Blue Ridge Mountains aren’t always so blue. Sometimes, they’re purple…

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…golden…

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…and even green. You also know that despite this beautiful array of colors, nothing beats blue.

DM/flickr

You know that weather can roll in pretty quickly if you live near the mountains. This is especially true for thunderstorms in the summer.

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When you leave the house, you almost always bring an extra layer with you.

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You were probably introduced to all sorts of winter activities from an early age. Whether that was tubing…

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…skiing…

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…or snowshoeing, you knew that winter didn’t have to mean staying indoors.

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You’re an expert at navigating winding roads…

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12…and spotting these creatures before they leap out onto the road.

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And lastly, if you grew up in the mountains of Virginia, you know that there’s nowhere else in the world with views so lovely.

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For related state-pride humor, be sure to read about These 14 Totally True Stereotypes That Virginians Should Just Accept As Fact.