Smith Mountain Lake

This is my absolute favorite place to vacation… friends of mine have a house right on the lake and we spend a long weekend together every summer. It’s so peaceful – there’s always solitude, despite the high number of houses around the lake. I can’t recommend it enough, it’s so lovely and peaceful.

I currently live at SML and, being 23, I can tell you it’s not the best for the younger set. Quite literally nothing to do in winter and practically swarmed by tourists in the summer, SML is probably best for people looking for a quiet life. But it is beautiful and if you can afford waterfront property, it’s good for year-round living, too.

I’m surprised that I’m the first entry for SML. Huge, man-made lake in VA that you can fish, swim, boat, etc at and has houses all around it. Nice place.