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

This fantastic tunnel carries Interstate 77 (which runs from Columbia SC through Charlotte NC to…read moreCleveland OH) and was completed in 1972 after five years of construction. At the time, the $50m cost was the most expensive project in Virginia's highway history. The tunnel is 4,229 feet long and takes about two minutes to drive if you're going to speed limit and there are no slowdowns. There is no toll to pass through the tunnel and there is no stopping. I can't imagine what it might have been like to try driving over/around these mountains before the tunnel - it apparently saved a 30 minute detour. Five stars, I'm a fan. [Review 20386 overall - 1445 in Virginia - 1364 of 2023.]

The Big Walker Mountain Tunnel is on Interstate 77 in Bland County, Virginia. It is a LONG tunnel…read morethrough the Appalachian Mountians. This two lane, fast moving, tunnel is 4,229 feet long or 1.289 miles long. Driving through it the length was noticeable and that is why I snapped a photo of the light at the end of the tunnel. It wasn't until I went to write this review that I thought what would happen if there was an accident inside the tunnel. I'm not claustrophobic but in reading of the number of closures because of massive pileups mid-tunnel I'm going to have to put the possibilities of accidents out of my mind before we travel through this tunnel next year. Overall for a tunnel that was built in 1972 it appears in good shape. I know we will continue to travel through this tunnel annually as the alternate route is far worse. Three stars for being a good route from North Carolina to Kentucky. I can't help but deduct a couple of stars for the tunnel being two lanes and in possible need of extended closure if an accident occurs.

Beautiful place when I went it was closed but I was able to walk around outside. It doesn't appear…read morethat they are open for tours right now.

Fantastic historical place to eat. Much better menu than nearby establishments and the food is…read moregreat. Prices are more than the nearby venues but this is several cuts above. I also recommend taking the tour of the grounds and house. Great service! They are only open from May through December but is worth the trip!

Tony and I saw signs on the interstate and decided to check the park out. It is located about 2…read moremiles off the exit. The park is lovely and small. The tower is 75 feet tall. The park has honor system where you pay $7 per car for entrance to park and walk around.

the tower is a pleasant diversion from the natural splendor of trail below; a 75' ascent gets a…read moreperson to the public restrooms beside a large parking and picnic tables and grills for cookery lot so if you drove here why not stick around for a while. the lot is patrolled but not actively monitored, the fees are nominal and help keep this and other virginial parks and recreational areas in good repair so just do the right thing and ante up even if no one is looking. the shot tower is so old that I feel young in comparison; I'd like to believe that I'm a bit less musty but it's still wearing it's years much better overall and has a lovely spot near the river known locally as New. the historicity of this place is obvious and well documented and the technology and processes employed here offer insight into the thinkings and ideals of the times. pretty clever they were back then, and industrious too.

Near the entrance to the Interstate and adjacent to a gas station, this marker points out some…read moreColonial history. I'm not sure why it's on the south entrance when it belongs on the north entrance but whatever. The marker reads, "One mile north is a plantation that was surveyed in March, 1748, and patented, in June, 1753, by Colonel John Buchanan and named by him "Anchor and Hope." There in 1792 an academy was established to teach oratory. The pioneer educator, Thomas E. Birch, was instructor and minister for the settlement." John Buchanan's Anchor and Hope Plantation was left to his sons, James and William, at the time of his death. It is marker K-36 and was erected by the Conservation & Development Commission in 1932. [Review 19578 overall - 1416 in Virginia - 549 of 2023.]

Not at all easy to get to, this marker is off the interstate but there's only one way to get to it…read moreand one way to get back. A seven mile round trip unless you're heading to/from Pulaski via the ulta scenic route. The marker reads, "Crockett's Cove has been home to the Crockett family for two centuries. It was named for Lt. John Crockett, Sr. (1737-1799), son of Samuel and Esther Thompson Crockett, a Revolutionary War veteran buried in the family cemetery a mile east. His half-brother Lt. Col. Robert Sayers (1754-1826), buried on a hill near him, also served in the war and later became a justice of the peace and a member of the Virginia General Assembly. On 10 May 1864 during the Civil War, just east of the Allen Crockett house here, occurred a cavalry engagement between the brigades of Union Brig. Gen. William W. Averell and Confederate Brig. Gen. William E. "Grumble" Jones." [Review 20384 overall - 1443 in Virginia - 1362 of 2023.]

Along side a curvy mountain road, this marker is at the border between Pulaski County and Wythe…read moreCounty. The marker is on two sides. On the one side, "Pulaski County. Formed in 1839 from Wythe and Montgomery, and named for Count Casimir Pulaski, killed at the siege of Savanna, 1779. New River flows through this county." On the other side, "Wythe County. Formed in 1789 from Montgomery, and named for George Wythe, signer of the Declaration of Independence. New River flows through this county." The county seat of Pulaski County is Pulaski. It was formed on March 30, 1839 from parts of Montgomery and Wythe counties, becoming the 87th county of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was named for Count Casimir Pulaski, an exiled Polish nobleman who fought during the American Revolution as part of George Washington's army. The county seat of Wythe County is Wytheville. It was formed from Montgomery County in 1790. It was named after George Wythe, the first Virginian signer of the Declaration of Independence. During the Civil War the Battle of Cove Mountain was fought in the county. The road is narrow and there is no room here to stop safely but there was no traffic when I was here. [Review 13829 overall, 1151 of 2020, number 1262 in Virginia.]

It was a quick, pleasant experience while my fiance and I were passing through the town. Filled…read morewith rich history. It was fun learning about Edith's life growing up. The worker was quite nice as well and answered any questions we had.

Not yet open for tours (they are now but not then) when I stopped by so I was only able to view the…read moreoutside and read the historical marker. Mrs. Wilson (nee Bolling) was born here in Wytheville Virginia. In 1915, she married Woodrow Wilson. She served as First Lady of the United States until 1921. As FLOTUS, she played an outsized role after the President's stroke in 1919. She determined which communications and matters of state were important enough to bring to the attention of the bedridden President. When we look back at what she did and how well she did it, some consider her the first female President. The marker reads, "Edith Bolling Wilson was born here on 15 Oct. 1872, where she lived with her parents Judge William H. and Sallie White Bolling and ten siblings. Edith Bolling married Norman Galt in 1896 and after his death in 1908 she operated his Washington, D.C., jewelry store. She married President Woodrow Wilson on 18 Dec. 1915 and actively supported him and his policies. Following President Wilson's debilitating stroke in Oct. 1919, she managed his affairs during his convalescence and promoted Wilson's legacy after his death in 1924. Edith Wilson died on 28 Dec. 1961 and is interred with President Wilson at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C." [Review 14978 overall, 480 of 2021, number 1278 in Virginia.]