Movie road trip: A cinematic site per state for all 50 states

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Virginia: Dirty Dancing

Growing up, I would have given anything to have Patrick Swayze lift me in the air and twirl me around the dance floor. Dirty Dancing was a movie that I could watch over and over. While the movie had some underlying adult themes, I focused on the dancing and the romantic fantasy aspect. Any young girl who felt a little left out wanted someone to rescue her and make sure, like Baby, she wasn’t stuck in a corner.

While the movie was just a fictional story set at the Kellerman Resort in New York, the movie was actually filmed at a real resort in Virginia. The Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia was, and still is, home to Dirty Dancing.

Located in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, the Mountain Lake Lodge is well-appointed resort. Many guests visit the resort for rest and relaxation. While it seems like a distant, secluded location, the resort is relatively close to Virginia Tech and downtown Blacksburg.

While some visit the resort just because, Mountain Lake Lodge embraces its connection to the movie. Several times during the year, the resort hosts Dirty Dancing weekends. This special package includes a stay in the Main Stone Lodge, aka Kellerman’s Mountain House, film tours, dance lessons, and parties. Generally, these package weekends happen in April, June, July and August. Prices and availability vary.

While booking a Dirty Dancing weekend or just a stay at Mountain Lake doesn’t guarantee the time of your life, the visit can be relaxing and entertaining. Why not try to capture a little spark? You may never have felt that way before.