MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VA. – Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of summer and with it brings a major milestone for a local small business. New River Junction is celebrating 40 years of tubing and camping fun in Montgomery County.
This Memorial Day they kicked things off with a splash on the New River and with plenty of sunshine Monday, there were few reasons for Natalia Velasquez-Ventura and her family to not float on by.
“It’s been great, it’s been awesome actually. At first, it was really cold and the water was really cold, you have to get used to it, but once you’re in you’ll get used to it,” she said.
The family campground and outfitter is a magnet for the region and some even drive hours just to get a slice. Holden Poindexter traveled in from Mount Airy, N.C. with his girlfriend to enjoy the fun.
“I believe it was worth it because there aren’t many places you can go and get this kind of view on the water and the sunshine and just have a blast while you’re doing it,” Poindexter said.
Jake Mondy is the second generation in the family business, giving up a professional golf career to take over for his late father. The rain and cold cleared in time for Monday making this year better than last year’s Memorial Day Weekend when the New River significantly overflowed its banks flooding the entire campground and riverside.
“You just sit there and watch the gauge go up, up and up. When we get that amount of rain, not around here necessarily, but in the mountains of North Carolina, it really affects the New River,” Mondy said.
Optimism is high this year as they’re hoping to pack as many people in as possible in the few months they get to entertain. Mondy said COVID impacted their business last year, and for those itching to get back to normal, the river is calling.
“Hopefully COVID stays away, we have nice warm hot weather, and the water stays low,” Mondy said.
He added his family is proud to support the local economy as well. Many visitors end up visiting local restaurants and other nearby businesses when in town.