I think you can approach a review of a college in a couple of different ways, as a student most…read moreobviously, maybe also as an employee and/or professor or as a parent. I'm coming at this as merely a visitor. My top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality at VA Tech asked me to accompany her on a campus visit last week, her first time back since her graduation roughly a quarter century ago. She's always spoken very fondly of her time here and just unfortunately hasn't had the opportunity to return until now. Just for context, I went to NYU, which doesn't really have a campus - Washington Square Park is the closest comp to that, but one of the bigger selling points of that school is that NYC is your campus and you're not really cordoned off in your own little world. Pros and cons to both scenarios. I preferred to be dropped in the middle of a chaotic city but I can see the appeal of this type of college living as well. We spent roughly a day here, arriving by car late Tuesday morning and leaving the following day after checking out of The Inn at VA Tech. We were blessed with sunny skies but it was pretty toasty during our visit, in the 90s during the afternoon. For our main tour/walk, we went from The Inn down Perry Street, curving around Stanger Street until we hit the vaunted Drillfield and then visited the Duck Pond. Then we walked up West Campus Drive and down Washington before cutting back into the campus again to see some of her old dorms (I think Newman was one?) before hitting up the University Bookstore and walking into the downtown area for lunch. Especially with the nicer weather, the Drillfield was a great optic - just a gorgeous, lush lawn, and a cool homage (at least in name) to VA Tech's military background. The imposing structure of Burruss Hall was a cool sight right next to it, and right behind a very classy tribute to the VA Tech shooting - we were both wondering as we walked around if we'd see something acknowledging that tragedy from 2007. Initially we thought it was literally just a small kiosk, until turning around and realizing it was a much larger setup with an acknowledgment of each specific victim. My chum graduated several years before that shooting occurred but was obviously/understandably impacted by it in her own way, so that was a nice moment. She was a little disappointed (probably the right word) at how many new buildings had been erected since she'd graduated in 2001. On one hand, that's literally a generation ago so it's not surprising that there have been significant changes in the interim. But it WAS striking how many areas were just flat-out unrecognizable and new to her, particularly in the Perry Street section. I'm assuming that the student population has expanded significantly to accommodate all of the new buildings, but it's just not the same college she left. Not a negative, but probably not a positive either - is what it is. My two cents as a humble outsider is that everything just seems very monotonous - pretty much all of the buildings are constructed of this Hokie Stone, a specific time of rock that's mined nearby, I believe. A couple of buildings composed of that would have been pretty cool; it's got an old school gothic vibe to a certain extent, but after seeing the same building over and over again, I'd politely suggest a little more variety. Again, this school has its roots as a military institute so you definitely got that impression from the architecture as well, but to me it came up short compared to, say, their ACC rival Duke's campus and its buildings, or West Point. Definitely a cool experience to see this, especially through the lens of my top-tier chum and her formative years here. Go Hokies.

Driving over the mountains north of VT, this marker points out the amazing history of this world…read morerenowned education institution. It is on the side of a busy road but there is a wide breakdown lane if you're interested in risking your life to see and read the marker like me. As it says, this is FIVE MILES from the university so please don't merge it. The marker reads, "Five miles south lies the main campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, founded in 1872 as a land-grant college specializing in agriculture and mechanical arts. The land-grant college system initiated scientific agricultural and industrial instruction in the Commonwealth. Over the next century, Virginia Tech became nationally recognized as a comprehensive research university with a broad range of scientific, technological, business, and liberal arts instruction. The 3,000-acre campus includes the site of Draper's Meadow, where Shawnee Indians attacked settlers on 30 July 1755 at the beginning of the French and Indian War." This is marker number I-2-a and was erected by the Department of Historic Resources in 1998. [Review 19579 overall - 1417 in Virginia - 550 of 2023.]

We visited Virginia Tech while we were doing a bunch of campus tours while we were in the area…read more Virginia Tech was beautiful real like a football field. I like all the structure is the buildings environment. Everything was really an excellent experience.

Virginia Tech is a lovely campus to visit in the summer. My teenage sons (16 yrs., 14 yrs), wife,…read moreand I came on a Saturday morning for an 11:30am tour. First, you will park at the main entrance to Lane Stadium. After a 30 minute information session (which is well-organized), you'll be divided into smaller groups for a 60-minute walking tour to see the interior of a campus building and walk in the residential dormitory area. The campus tour is full of useful information and you'll get a chance to see the interior of a building (but you'll be walking more than 1 mile outside so comfortable walking shoes are a must). Our tour guide walked backwards for much of the tour (which seemed awkward at times). By the end of the tour, you get a sense of how large the campus is (more than 30,000 students) and the Hokie spirit (which values service toward others). Overall, I would recommend the campus tour if you are considering to apply here. The pretty rural location and physical buildings on campus are worth seeing before you commit to applying. One thing that surprised me is that high school students are strongly encouraged to declare their major and college before arriving. Also, the "Hokie spirit" is pervasive on campus, which may be fun for some. The branding logo of Virginia Tech is impressive and appears everywhere from road signs to clothing. I am sure that you will reach your 10,000 step walking goal for the day if you do the tour.

I like Virginia! After all, Virginia is for Lovers! That's been their tourism and travel slogan…read moresince 1969! I've lived in Hampton Roads, lived in Christiansburg, attended school in Radford, worked in Chesapeake, worked in Norfolk, lived in Newport News, and lived and worked in Virginia Beach. It's always interesting to visit PETA in Norfolk (pro tip: leave any leather items in your truck) with floors dedicated to animals, meaning one floor employees had their dogs working with them and one floor had employees with their cats working with them. In 1996, I saw "Titanic the Expedition" at the Nauticus maritime museum. This was an extraordinary exhibit! I enjoyed attending lectures and roaming the grounds of the Edgar Casey's Association for Research and Enlightenment, when I lived nearby in Virginia Beach. I played a lot of golf at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton. First Fridays are fun in Norfolk and feature free bands with the option to purchse food and drinks. I saw Lisa Loeb and the band Cracker several times at First Fridays. The Virginia Beach area has a lot of lighthouses, and these are really fun to explore! The New River Valley is really pretty with nice hiking/jogging paths. Virginia Beach proper always has something going on from professional sand volleyball tournaments, to professional sand sculpture contests/expos, free yoga classes, the Neptune Festival which marks the end of tourist season, to their iconic Christmas lights display at which you can load up your car and drive on the boardwalk itself! Virginia truly has something for everyone!

I recently stayed at the Best Western in Roanoke, Virginia, and I was thoroughly impressed by the…read morequality of the experience. From the moment I arrived, the professional conduct of the staff was evident, and the welcoming atmosphere made for a great start to my trip. ​The cleanliness of the hotel was excellent. It is clear that the housekeeping and maintenance teams take great pride in the property, as every area was spotless and well-cared for. Additionally, the complimentary breakfast was a fantastic perk, well-stocked and a great way to start the morning. ​What truly set this stay apart, however, was the hospitality. The entire staff was wonderful, and I want to specifically recognize General Manager Bobbie Jo and Manager Sherry, whose leadership and welcoming attitude were truly awesome. This level of attention to detail provided a comfortable, high-quality environment that made my stay seamless. ​I would highly recommend this location to anyone traveling through the Roanoke area. I look forward to returning on my next visit to Virginia.

Went there many years ago and I loved it so much. Made some of the best memories of my life…read more I had great teachers and it's a truly beautiful campus, known as "the Campus Beautiful"

What a great organization they do world renowned research and the people are so friendly it's like…read morea family

This is one of the two universities you need to tour if you're in the Lexington area. (The other…read moreone is VMI, and it's right next door.) Washington and Lee University is a historic campus, and it's worth a visit if you're into southern history. Washington and Lee was founded in 1749 and named after George Washington and Robert E. Lee. At this liberal arts school, you'll want to check out the University Chapel & Museum, where you'll see the 500 seat chapel, the Lee family mausoleum, and Lee's office when he was president of the university from 1865 to 1870. Also check out the Reeves Museum of Ceramics, which houses the 4th largest collection of ceramics in the U.S. I love walking around university campuses when I'm in a new area, and I'm glad I explored this one.

Washington and Lee University is beautiful. It's a small, extremely exclusive, private university…read morenestled lovingly into the old town of Lexington. It's original buildings were designated National Historical Landmarks in the 1930s and Lee Chapel is the resting place of Robert E. Lee who is entombed within. This university is immaculately kept, with expansion of any kind thoughtfully completed in order to seamlessly blend in with the historical feel. I spent a summer here at a program during high school 20 years ago and absolutely loved it. It's small and cozy and home-y and the small town of Lexington has plenty of shops and restaurants within a 5 minute walk of the school. Visiting this summer I easily found my way around like old times, after 20 years not much has changed. It's still beautiful, I saw a few updates, but essentially felt like I had stepped back in time.