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

Hubby and I wanted to explore Mt Airy on this lovely Monday early morning. Tickets are 10.00 a…read moreadult and plenty of parking around the museum. There are two small section one upstairs and the down stairs. I would say this museum is on the smaller side. We were done within 25 mins. It's nice to see things from the show since I did grow up watching this over at my grand parents house.

Nice museum with plenty to take in! There's beautiful…read moremurals outside for photo opportunities. Employees were friendly and both buildings were clean. You can get a deal on the museum across the street if you buy tickets for both places. It also includes the Earle theater. If you're in town definitely check it out.

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 :)

this is the first lookout tower i have ever been on & it was REMARKABLE. below is some hopefully…read morehelpful information about the lookout tower. is it scary ? - the very simple answer is yes. it is pretty scary especially when you go on a windy day & the entire tower shakes while you walk on up it. however, you should know what you are getting yourself into. you're climbing a lookout tower on the top of a mountain! it's not easy but, it is worth it. don't look until you get to the top! sadly the very top of the lookout tower is locked but, you can still sit right below it for the same experience. bringing kids & dogs - starting with kids, i think you should only bring your kids when they reach the age where they won't wonder off of the side of a mountain. that age may vary, it really depends on the trust you have with them. as for dogs, i think they will love the trail but not so much the tower itself. while i was there i saw multiple dogs attempt a few stairs & then run back down in fear. i don't blame them haha! directions - i honestly just used apple maps for directions but, i will try to describe where to go in case you can't use apple maps. there is a campground called mount pisgah campground & it is very close to the lookout tower. it is on blue ridge parkway. if you are looking at the entrance to the campground you need to turn left & continue down blue ridge parkway until you see the first pull off / walking path to the right. from there you make your way up the path. it is a short walk however, you will be walking up in a incline for the most part. some websites say that the trail is on forest service road 450 but, i don't know how accurate that is. recommendations - if you go in march, i suggest bringing a sweater / jacket. the higher in the mountains you get, the colder it gets. i also recommend that you bring a water no matter the time of year. in conclusion, this is a must do! it is an easy little walk with a scenic drive on the way up & down the mountain. it will take you maybe three hours at most.

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 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.

Oh went thru ther on June 5 2026 i was in the semi lane lol but let me tell you it was so loud and…read morethat semi was right on me i thought i was never going to get to the end it sure seems longer and idk hiw dadt i was going but pretty sure i was speeding now the next set was not bad at all ni semi's in there only cars and it was ok but the first set really got me.but dine and over with we are all laughing about it im telling you my butt was stuck to seat and hands so tight on the steering wheel .but they are pretty awsome .

Lovely little park with a beautiful statue of Mary Draper & several story boards posted which share…read moreher harrowing story. What a strong & brave woman. There are many native plants growing there it's a peaceful place to visit & meander while learning about Ms. Ingles.

Looks like a house, acts as a hub for rotating art and history exhibits. This Queen Anne Victorian…read morehome used to belong to Alexander Black, a prominent figure in Blacksburg, but is now a cultural center for art, and also has a children's room, a small library and a genealogy center. I got to explore the space for a bit before they closed for the day. I was impressed with the children's area, which is fun and has quite a few things for kids to play with. Other than the children's area, everything else is mostly look-but-don't-touch. Art, historical objects and documents, maps, books, furniture and a few cozy places to sit are the rest of the cultural center. This is a nice place to stop into when you're in Blacksburg if you want to know more about the history of the city, but it's also a quick visit.

This house occupies a prominent spot in downtown Blacksburg. It is open for free visitation, but…read morethe hours are limited and it is not open on Sunday, which is a bit tough from a tourist perspective. When I visited, a weekend Street market was going on outside. It is a splendid looking structure outside and in, and had a variety of exhibitions on the history and natural environment of the area as well as some art on display. There was a gift shopped themed toward local history. One can also sit on the covered porch outside. Bathrooms and water fountains were available on the second floor, and it was a hot day.

While visiting in the area we stopped at the Fort Watauga replica at the Sycamore Shoals State Park…read morein Elizabethton, TN near Johnson City, TN. It is located along the Watauga River. Fort Watauga, more properly Fort Caswell, was an American Revolutionary War fort that once stood at the Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga River in what is now Elizabethton, Tennessee. The fort was originally built in 1775-1776 by the area's frontier government, the Watauga Association, to help defend Watauga settlers from Native American (primarily Cherokee) attacks, which were in part instigated by the British. Fort Watauga was originally named Fort Caswell after North Carolina Governor Richard Caswell Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Watauga Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park 1651 W. Elk Avenue Elizabethton, Tennessee FREE Park. Free to view and tour the Fort Watauga, and FREE to tour the Visitors Center. The visitors center was not open when we stopped there but we did walk around the Fort.