The Occasional Otter

05/21/2024

The Fries Community Center Pool opens for the season on Friday, May 24!

(Note that the pool will be closed June 4-9 and July 4.)

05/01/2024

Then and now: We gave the treated wood plenty of time to dry, and finally found a time in our schedule to stain the renovated porch and carport pillars! At last, the Otter looks finished! 😃

04/25/2024

The view from our porch this morning. We’ve cleared trees from our lots across the street to open up the view of the river and dam. 🙂

03/13/2024

Great news! We love to see the Fries Fiddlers’ Convention continuing, after it looked like it was coming to an end after almost 60 years.

If you’re looking for a place to stay during the Fries and Galax events in August, the Otter is available! We have a great front porch for your very own jam sessions too! 🎼🎻🎶

The Fries Fiddlers' Convention has been reborn! A new committee has been formed and the convention will return to the weekend after Galax.

11/19/2023

Here’s a nice podcast episode about the past, present, and future of Fries. Well worth a listen!

10/06/2023

Fries Fall Festival Tomorrow! Saturday, October 7. Tons of fun for everyone!

09/23/2023

Always a good time at The Depot!

09/18/2023

This Saturday! 🐎

09/18/2023

Another great evening of music at the Fries Depot! 🎶 7-9 PM

08/24/2023

Just a short walk down the hill, a great Fries tradition!

If it's Thursday, it must be time to jam! The Jam Session is tonight and every Thursday night at The Historic Fries Theatre (316 W. Main Street, Fries). Free admission (donations gratefully accepted). Concessions available. Come play, dance, or socialize. Doors open at 6 p.m. Jam starts at 7. Old-fashioned cake walk at the 8 p.m. break. It's a great place to see old friends and to meet new ones. If it's your first time at the jam, rest assured that you will be warmly greeted.

07/27/2023

TONIGHT! Fries Theatre Grand Re-Opening! The Old Time Music Jam returns to its proper venue after a few months away while water damage was repaired. Here’s to continuing traditions and celebrating this historic place in the heart of our town!

Last winter, a burst pipe flooded the theatre and destroyed the flooring.

05/07/2023

We have an improved view of the Fries dam and the New River from the porch of The Otter (thanks to our purchase of some land across the street—more clearing to come!), and more great views are steps away on Cliff Street and Top Street. That loop is one of our favorite walks!

04/25/2023

We’re excited to see this event in support of the Fries Community Center! And that weekend is still available to book at The Otter!

04/15/2023

What a nice review from a recent guest! And yes, it’s true! We have purchased the lots across the street, which allows us to open up the view to the dam! (The pics included here show the view Before and After our initial clearing work. 🙂) We are excited to add this enhancement to what The Otter has to offer!

04/02/2023

A chilly Spring morning in Fries is the perfect time to warm up with oatmeal for breakfast!

02/02/2023

Cloudy today, but here’s a sunny winter day memory from a few days back. The Otter eagerly awaits longer days and warmer temps (but still makes a cozy winter getaway too!).

01/18/2023

What makes an otter smile? Guest book entries like these! We’re so glad these nice folks felt the same peace we do from spending time in this special place!

01/14/2023

It may be cold now, but porch rocker days are coming!

01/09/2023

The sign worked! Happy to see the caboose at Fries Riverside Park will be serving treats and eats again, starting this Spring. Welcome to Fries, !

01/08/2023

The Otter’s bathroom features a one-of-a-kind medicine cabinet we put together ourselves! Here’s how the transformation progressed, from a proposed non-recessed wall-mounted cabinet to to the unique finished product. 😃

01/04/2023

The Occasional Otter, Then (early 2021, under contract to purchase) and Now (ready for guests, December 2022). We can’t wait for you to see it in person!

01/03/2023

Every season offers memorable scenes in Fries. 📷 Dec. 26, 2022

12/31/2022

Wishing you an otter-ly happy New Year!

12/27/2022

Here we go! The Occasional Otter is now actively listed and available as a vacation rental on all the major booking sites! Here's the Airbnb listing, and in the comments we'll post links to VRBO, Evolve, and Booking-dot-com!

Entire home in Fries, United States. Situated on a hillside overlooking the New River in Grayson County lies this charming 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom vacation rental home! Spend your mornin...

12/21/2022

We are happy to announce the launch of The Occasional Otter, our new vacation rental overlooking the New River in Fries, Virginia!

Rental listings will be active soon on Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, and Evolve.com, with bookings available starting Dec. 27 at incredible early-bird rates! We’ve put a lot of ourselves into making this little house a home away from home, and we’re excited to share it with you. ❤️

The Otter sleeps 5, with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. The front bedroom has a queen-size bed, and the back bedroom a full-size and a twin.

Where'd the name come from? We came across this line while reading up on wildlife in the area: "Along the shores of the New River, you may encounter black bears and bobcats, groundhogs and chipmunks, beavers, raccoons, and the occasional otter." 🙂

12/12/2022

The Occasional Otter, 99.9% ready to start hosting guests! 😃 This photo was taken Dec. 9, 2022.

07/21/2022