The Lincoln Theatre was opened in 1929 and its history is quite fascinating. My friends live in…read moreMarion and wanted me to see the local offerings. We went into the theater shop midday and they asked the lovely woman running the theater if we could have a tour? She was in the middle of getting ready for that night's Rocky Horror Picture Show, but in true sweet Southern hospitality, cheerfully let us in so we could look around and she could talk to us about the establishment. The theatre was lovingly restored in the 1980s by locals who turned it into a nonprofit. PBS broadcasts its Song of the Mountains show here monthly. The woman we spoke to was working on grants to bring in movies and other performances to the theater. It would be a great venue for all of the above. As I had an early flight home the next day, we didn't come back to see the show, but I truly believe this is a gem to be checked out in Marion.

Perfect venue in a small town, have seen great entertainment here! All seating has great views,…read moreprices are reasonable

Community center that really knocked my socks off, especially given that it is in a very rural…read morearea. I got a chance to visit because I was in town for the Enoch Rutherford tribute concert. The event was huge with food trucks, a fully stacked program of performers and round table experts. The best part? There was no cost associated whatsoever and it was centered on the local community. I was just lucky enough to be an out-of-town visitor who got to experience it. The production quality was exceptional, with a combination of projector content, audio, and live music. It definitely exceeded my expectations, and it was very well attended with every seat in the house taken and people taking up standing room too. When there isn't a major event, this is still a fantastic place to visit because there is a visitor center and a gift shop. The local community is really stepping up their efforts to increase tourism to the area, and everyone who was running the tourism program and gift shop was extremely knowledgeable and excited to share about their town. For those who are passing through to hike the Appalachian trail, I'd recommend taking a stop in here. Also, they have clean bathrooms and nothing cost a dime in terms of fee or admission to this space. Free parking right in front. So, definitely worth popping in.

Super cute spot. Looked like someone had just gotten married there because there was confetti…read moreeverywhere. Great stop for pictures and easy to walk too. Wheelchair accessible as well.

A beautiful covered bridge in the Historic district. This modern (1998) covered bridge connects the…read moreVisitors Center with the Historic district. We stopped here for a little walk about on a Sunday morning so we didn't happen upon many people and nothing was open at the time. It was peaceful walk in a pretty area.

The bridge was looking a little wind damaged at rickety this morning so we opted not to make the…read moreclimb. However, the view from the ground here is still fantastic looking out at the mountains of Virginia. On a clear day, you can see quite some distance. There is a small gift shop here if you're looking for snacks or mementoes. A shaded picnic area is also nearby. The view is free. The climb up the 100 foot tower is not. It was built in 1947 and is still looking good. [Review 530 of 2025 - 1470 in Virginia - 24091 overall]

This place is the perfect example of how important location is in a business. The Big Walker…read moreLookout is located away from everything else in a gorgeous spot on the side of a mountain. The views are fantastic. I stopped for a drink and a snack before an off-roading trip. The inside of the store is full of souvenirs, knick-knacks, etc. I was able to pickup a drink and a snack and move on. The cashier was friendly. The outside is kind of run-down. There is a bridge from the tower over the parking lot that ends in broken boards and potential serious injury. I wouldn't walk on it. Overall, meh. It's in a great spot, but they could invest in their business a little more.

I wasn't sure what to expect but the lady at the visitor center said this was a MUST DO!…read more This was a house that looked like Miss Gertrude stepped of and walked outside and you snuck in. Everything is in its place and authentic to how she had it decorated. The two ladies at the back entrance were super friendly and a wealth of knowledge. We enjoyed walking through and looking at the decor and photos. Amazing art work from around the world. I loved hearing the stories and I could just feel a sense that I had met Gertrude while walking her halls. Thank you for allowing us to stop by right at closing!!

The Gertrude Smith House is located just outside of Downtown Mt. Airy. It is within walking…read moredistance or you can drive as they have a parking lot or you can park in the street. The 1903 house is on the National Register of Historic Homes. Admission is free to tour the Victorian house as that was part of Gertrude Smith's will that admission be free. Ms. Smith left her house by will to be kept as a museum and established a trust to care and maintain it. The house is kept as if it were in the early 1900s with furniture; artwork and decor. The tour begins in the back of the house and I was greeted and given some history of the house and Ms. Smith. The house is self guided so you can spend as much time inside as you'd like. The rooms have information to read about or you can just look at the contents from the antiques; photographs; artwork; furniture; etc. I highly recommend visiting this historic gem if you are in the MT. Airy area.

This 48-foot span bridge built of oak crosses the Smith River. It was constructed in 1914 by…read moreCharles Vaughan of the Buffalo RIdge area and designed by Walter Weaver of Woolwine. It is a single-span queenpost truss. It is the only historic covered bridge remaining in Patrick County and is maintained by the Patrick County government. The Jack's Creek Covered Bridge was widened and received a new roof in 1969, followed by a full restoration by the Virginia Department of Highways in 1974, at a cost of approximately $4,550. Every June, the bridge is the site of the Patrick County Covered Bridge Festival. The bridge is in pristine condition and is open to the public though of course it is not open to vehicular traffic. It has been replaced by an adjacent boring concrete bridge. [Review 13754 overall, 1075 of 2020, number 1189 in Virginia.]

The more northern of the two tunnels on I-77 between Charlotte and Cleveland (yeah, the highway…read morestarts in Columbia and it has several other cities along the way but I'm uncaring about those facts), the East River Mountain Tunnel goes under the border of West Virginia and Virginia. At 5,412 feel long, it joins the cities of Bluefield WV and Rocky Gap VA. It took five years to build and was completed in 1974. It has saved travelers the difficult journey of going up and down the mountain on US-52. If you're headed northbound, exit one is immediately after the end of the tunnel. If your eyes take more than a moment to adjust from darkness to light, you may have some trouble. There is no toll to use the tunnel. [Review 20387 overall - 1446 in Virginia - 1365 of 2023.]

A tunnel that runs literally through East River Mountain, instead of a road and us literally…read moredriving up the mountain. Since the elevation for the mountain is more than 3,000 feet, the logical solution was a tunnel through both mountains, so they built this tunnel for us to drive through the mountain. There are actually two of these similar tunnels along I77, but this particular tunnel starts in Virginia and ends in West Virginia, or vice versa. The state line falls almost exactly across the midpoint of the tunnel, with 51% of the tunnel residing in West Virginia and the remaining 49% on the Virginia side. Because of that, both states antied up the 40 million for the project, that started in 1969 and completed in 1974.

About five miles out from Abingdon and well worth the drive down the country roads to get there,…read moreWhite's Mill and mercantile is a restored/working 18th century water mill that produces the best coarse ground yellow grits I have ever had (my first taste was the White's Mill Grit Cakes served at Abingdon's Bone Fire Smokehouse and I've never looked back/had better since). The goodness of those yellow grits are the main reason I'm writing this review, but the mill itself and the adjacent "mercantile" country store (where you can find said grits available for purchase stored within a chest freezer alongside other White's Mill milled grains (like cornmeal, flour, white grits etc.). I've never seen anyone attending the mill any time I have visited thus I cautiously wander around inside with at least one buddy in tow as the interior looks every bit as old as it's 1790 establish date (the 1866 restoration notwithstanding). From the entrance level there are rooms both upstairs and down, the lover level revealing a cool living room type of space complete with a hearth/fireplace and a lot of huge, aged and complicated-looking gears and other oddly quiet antiquated mechanics in motion. It feels like entering a portal to another time; braving the creaking stairs within the mill is an adventure in and of itself. The mercantile is an old house-turned-store next to the mill stocked windows-to-walls with goods, wears, and--let's be real--junk. If you like being overwhelmed with multiple rooms full of stuff and sifting through troves seeking treasures, get thee to this out-of-the-way country store. Aside from grain, jellies, and jams, you can find all kinds of antiques and other random oddities that only rural bric-a-brac magnets like this place can accrue. As a final testament to the boss quality of White's Mill yellow grits: when I moved to Japan I brought two bags with me that I keep squirreled away in the freezer for days when I have a fever for the flavor. To cook coarse yellow grits: boil 4 parts water and add 1 part grits. Stir every few minutes for about 25 minutes until they reach a naturally creamy consistency. Experiment to find your flavor by adding seasoning, cream/milk/water, cheese, other stuff etc. -or- let them cool and make polenta-like grit cakes :)

Trio sculpture is a smaller bronze sculpture that sits in the downtown portion of mount airy aka…read moreMayberry in North Carolina. My buddy and I was exploring the historic Main Street area checking out all the Mayberry sites when we came across this piece of public art. Overall Mayberry has a surprisingly vast public art scene and it added to the fun in exploring this historic little town.