For the fourth year in a row, we asked readers of The Botetourt View to pick The Best of Botetourt. The votes poured in; nearly double the number we had just two years ago. So there’s a lot more competition. In some cases, we had new winners; in other we had repeat winners. Those who have won two years in a row are noted with a double asterisk (**), those who have won three years in a row get three, and those who have won all four years are identifed with four asterisks.
So without further ado, here’s who you picked as this year’s Best Of . . .

Best place to go trick-or-treating
1. Fincastle***
2. Buchanan’s Main Street
3. Wetherwood Subdivision

Best place to take relatives from out of town
1. The Rhein River Inn
2. Downtown Roanoke
3. Roaring Run

Best place to meet new people
1. The Rhein River Inn
2. Colonial Baptist Church Blue Ridge
3. Downtown Buchanan

Best park
1. Troutville Park****
2. Greenfield
3. Big Spring Park, Fincastle

Best place to take the kids for the day:
1. Troutville Park
2. Roaring Run
3. Middle Creek Campground

Best reason for living in Botetourt
1. James River
2. The people
3. Scenery

Best church outreach program
1. Fincastle Baptist Church**
2. BAMA Food Pantry
3. Mill Creek Baptist Church

Best community event
1. Mountain Magic**
2. Buchanan Carnival
3. 12th Night Concert fund-raiser

Best local politician
1. Terry Austin, Buchanan District supervisor
2. Harry Gleason, Buchanan revitalization manager
3. Jack Leffel, Fincastle District supervisor

Best parks and rec. activity
1. Fishing Carnival**
2. Van trips through Parks & Rec
3. Basketball

Best new thing in Botetourt in the past year
1. Willow Pod at Daleville Town Center
2. Mojosportswear Jeff Fralin Team Sports
3. James River Blueway

Best teacher
1. Phyllis Pratt – retired BTEC Cosmetology Instructor
2. Valerie Emerson, Fincastle Preschool
3. Donna Simmons, Greenfield Elementary

Best school staff member
1. Dave Moran, BTEC**
2. Arika Kovach, Greenfield Elementary
3. Judy Austin, Buchanan Elementary

Best bus driver
1. Nellie Cole, Buchanan Bus 33
2. Jimmy Walker, Bus 5 LBHS football
3. Melvin Burrell, Breckinridge & CAMS bus 30

Best coach (school sports)
1. Greg Emerson – LBHS Football
2. Mike Goad – James River High School
3. Renee Guilliams, LBHS JV girls Basketball, and Dan Bowser, James River High School girls basketball (tie)

Best coach (non-school sports)
1. Greg Emerson AAU Basketball & Rec Football
2. Robert Johnson
3. Denny Tincher

Best school event – high school
1. Key Club – Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast LBHS
2, Football
3. After Prom

Best school event – elementary and middle school
1. Greenfield Fall Carnival**
2. Fall Follies – Breckinridge Elementary School
3. Cloverdale Spring Carnival

Best place for a family hike
1. Roaring Run****
2. Apple Orchard Falls
3. Appalachian Trail

Best spot for a picnic
1. Roaring Run
2. Middle Creek picnic shelter
3. Jennings Creek

Best place to go for a bike ride
1. Greenfield Center Park**
2. Blue Ridge Parkway
3. Cherry Blossom Trail

Best fishing spot
1. Middle Creek Campground Trout Pond
2. James River
3. Craig’s Creek

Best sporting moment of the past year
1.James River softball wins state championship
2. Glow-A-Rama indoor miniature golf opens in Buchanan
2. Lord Botetourt vs. Northside overtime football game

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

Note: Blue Collar Joe’s finished third, but closed after the voting ended, so we’ve awarded two third places, one to Blue Collar Joe’s and one to the next finisher, The Buchanan Grill.

Best coffee:
1. Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea
2. Blue Collar Joe’s and Buchanan Grill
3. McDonald’s

Note: Blue Collar Joe’s finished second, but closed after the voting ended, so we’ve awarded two second places, one to Blue Collar Joe’s and one to the next finisher, The Buchanan Grill.

Best place to access wi-fi:
1. Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea****
2. Botetourt County Libraries
3. Three Li’l Pigs

Best pizza:
1. Pizza Hut**
2. Leonardo’s
3. Lil’ Cucci’s

Best place for lunch:
1. Three Li’l Pigs
2. Bellacino’s
3. Café Asia

Best place for a fancy meal:
1. Pomegranate
2. The Rhein River Inn
3. Three Li’l Pigs

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

Best place for happy hour:
1. Rancho Viejo****
2. The Lucky Dog Pub
3. Pomegranate

Best place to buy wine:
1. Kroger**
2. Blue Ridge Vineyard
3. Fincastle Winery

Best place to hear local music:
1. Three Li’l Pigs
2. Pomegranate
3. Buchanan Theatre

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

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

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

Best pharmacy:
1. Kroger
2. CVS
3. Fincastle Pharmacy

Best convenience store:
1. Brughs Mill
2. Thriftway
3. Greenway Market

Best hair salon:
1. New Reflections
2. Hair Gallery
3. Stylin Shed

Best nail salon:
1. Classic Nails
2. Pzaz
3. D & L Nail

Best place to get pampered:
1. Pzaz***
2. New Reflections
3. Hair Gallery

Best place to keep fit:
1. Botetourt Athletic Club****
2. Green Ridge Recreation Center
3. Curves

Best place to shop for antiques:
1. Buchanan
2. Eagle’s Wings Antiques
3. Kelly’s Real Deals

Best place to buy unique gifts:
1. Cracker Barrel
2. Willow Pod Provisions & Gifts
3. Eagle’s Wings Antiques

Best bargains:
1. Goodwill
2. Dollar General
3. Walmart

Best dentist:
1. Coots, Ward, Cross & Associates Family Dentistry
2. Dr. Misty Lenk
3. Dr. Fremont Vess

Best family physician:
1. Dr. Elizabeth Polk of Carilion Clinic***
2. Dr. Clarke Andrews of Daleville Medical Center
3. Dr. Lianna Lawson of Lawson Family Practice

Best lawyer:
1. David Spigle
2. Buck Heartwell
3. Robert Hagan

Best place to go for financial advice:
1. Bank of Botetourt**
2. Bank of Fincastle
3. Michael Wade of Edward Jones

Best insurance agent:
1. John Alderson Agency, Inc.**
2. Larry Wood of Virginia Farm Bureau
3. Todd Selkirk of State Farm

Best plumber/electrician/home repair service:
1. Appliance Medic
2. Austin Electric
3. Hamren Electrical & Plumbing

Best lawn or landscaping service:
1. Botetourt Mulch & Landscaping
2. Varsity Landscaping
3. Botetourt Lawn Express

Best dry cleaner:
1. Valley Cleaners****
2. A Cleaner World
3. VA Cleaners 1.95

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

Best real estate agent:
1. Todd Wampler of Wampler Realty
2. Pete Wood of RE/MAX
3. Janie Harris of James River Realty

Best real estate firm/brokerage:
1. RE/MAX Allstars**
2. James River Realty
3. Wampler Realty

Best pet grooming/pet sitting/pet boarding service:
1. Botetourt Veterinary Hospital***
2. The Pet Place
3. Crystal Wright of Country Pet Grooming

Best place for music lessons:
1. Mike Lee**
2. Blue Ridge Academy of Music
3. Pam Stump

Best preschool or day care:
1. Fincastle Preschool
2. Mill Creek Child Care Center
3. Cloverdale Church of Brethren

Best thing not on this list:
1. T/M MASONERY
2. WillowPod Provisions & Gifts
3. Downtown Buchanan

Here’s who won in 2011 and 2010 and 2009. Got an idea for a category we should add next year? Leave a comment and let us know!