Northwest Trading Post

We were riding along the Blue Ridge Parkway and stumbled upon this cute place. We were so surprised once we walked in! There were so many items to look at from candles to pocketbooks to toys, souvenirs and jewelry. They also have a cafe too although we didn't try anything out.

The owners were there and were the most pleasant people. We chatted with them for just a bit. Many local and made in the US products. Unique gift ideas! Definitely worth a stop if you are riding along the BRP!

Nice little stop off the Parkway; right off the Parkway. They had all the usual gifts along with cookies, truffles, and sodas. I found a few things to purchase. The ladies that work in here were super sweet and engaging with the customers.

We also bought some snacks and refreshments and used the clean facilities before getting back on the road.

Neat to look around, because they have a big selection of many items. Mom bought my Dad a macadamia cookie, and he said it was great. (still warm too!)

I've been going to this shop for as long as I can remember - every time I've been in the area for over 50 years. I've seen change after change.
It has now morphed into a serious source for local crafts. There are beautiful hand carved bowls, vases and things like egg holders. There are candles, homemade soaps and decor items. There are also small goodies like homemade fudge and cookies.
As much as I love some of the items, the prices are a bit much on most of them. There's no way I'm paying $16/lb for tiny little cookies.
That being said, it's a fun place to just look.

We stumbled on this gem on one of our first drives on the Parkway after moving to West Jefferson in July, 2018. We thought it was just a convenient place for a pit stop (perfect timing that day) but it is so much more! After that day, we made it a regular stop to get sandwiches for picnics on the Parkway. We love to order our delicious subs first, then shop while they are being made. There are so many neat things to browse, we never get tired of it. We usually grab chips, sodas and a couple homemade brownies (they are awesome, but maybe I shouldn't let everyone know) to go with our subs, too. And the restrooms are always clean and tidy, so it IS a great pit stop if that's all you need. The only downside is that it closes for a few months in the winter.

This is a cheap tourist trap. Sandwich offerings: ham sandwich, turkey sandwich, ham and turkey sandwich - choice of bread: white. Really?! I'm disappointed. Was hoping for something special.

I agree with the other reviewer - nice place to look around, but the prices on most of the items were more than I was willing to pay. I did buy a jar of Toe Jam because it sounded fun, which is a combination of Tangerine, something else and elderberry I believe. The lady who checked me out was super sweet and a real hoot.