Beautiful scenic ride up the mountain to breathtaking views of Roanoke…read more Dragged my husband there and he said he was glad because it was something totally worth doing. Takes about 10 minutes to drive up. The star is massive and way better than visiting the "HOLLYWOOD SIGN"

World's largest freestanding illuminating star also dubbed the Roanoke star. It really does shine…read moreon Roanoke. Nested in Mill Mountain, you can take some hikes or you can actually drive to the star. There's a nice vantage point that has restrooms and even a vending machine with soda. The parking lot has a couple of spots maybe around 20, but if it's full, you can also park at the discovery center, and it's a short walk on a paved mostly flat path to the star. When I say you're at the store, you are legitimately right in front of the star. There is a platform for a nice overlook view of the city and some of the mountains that you could potentially hike. One of the ones that I ended up doing, and that was marked was McAfee's knob If you're a biker, you can also fight up no mountain, is even a bike lane and even some bike repair tools at the discovery center

It's a simple memorial, but it's sobering. The April 16 Memorial is located on the campus of…read moreVirginia Tech, and it commemorates the 32 people who were killed by a deranged student on campus in 2007. The memorial is right in front of Burruss Hall, which serves as an administration building. It's kind of surreal to be standing at this memorial, looking at the photos of the lives lost to this senseless violence, while students and faculty bustle about. It's an example of how life continues, even as we look back and remember the lives that were cut short. I was staying at the hotel on campus and wanted to see the April 16 Memorial, so I walked to it. It's about a 10 minute walk. You pretty much can't miss it.

This is the April 16 memorial for the unfortunate events that happened on Virginia techs campus on…read morethat day. This is a nice tribute, but very sad tribute. I hate to see that this thing exists because the events should never happened. I'm glad they do tribute.

This marker at the intersection of Rock Road and Tyler Avenue points out some of the early history…read moreof Radford and reminds me of how wonderful it is to zip over a bridge at 70 mph instead of having to take a dangerous ferry ride across a river. US-81 crosses the New River about four miles from here The marker reads, "Ingles Ferry Road. As the population in the New River valley increased in the 18th century, the western branch of the Great Wagon Road from Philadelphia to the backcountry of the Carolinas and Georgia crossed the region. The branch became known as the Wilderness Road. After Daniel Boone and others improved it about 1775, it was the main route of migration to Kentucky and the West through Cumberland Gap. This segment of the Wilderness Road ascended the Allegheny Mountains at Christiansburg, crossed the New River at Ingles Ferry, then continued west. In the 19th century, the Ingles Ferry Road was incorporated into the South Western Turnpike." [Review 15539 overall, 1043 of 2021, number 1348 in Virginia.]

We came across the statue. We are visiting the Virginia Tech stadium. It is of their former coach…read morethat they have this cool looking statue outside the stadium. We enjoyed finding things like this.

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.

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.

Booker T. Washington. If you attended 4th grade in VA public school system, then you were taught…read moreabout the Life of Booker T Washington. Born into slavery, in VA, to be freed and to create a better life for black Americans. I took a 2 mile walk here on the farm. I saw chickens, horses, tobacco houses and his home. A very nice peice of land. Glad to have seen and stopped at this National Monument!

Whether you're a history buff or someone looking for a beautiful place to stretch your legs, this…read morenational monument is worth a stop. Booker T Washington was born into slavery on this plantation, later freed during the Civil War and went on to become an educator, author and political activist. You can learn more about his life inside the visitor center as well as from the information boards scattered throughout the property. I highly recommend a walk on the Jack o' Lantern loop trail which is about 2 miles long and takes you past old buildings and through the woods. Dogs are also allowed on the trail if they are on a leash. The visitor center is open from 10am-4pm and the grounds are open from 9am-5pm with the exception of some major holidays. And there is no fee to visit!

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.

Ice cream, views, music on a clear Sunday what more could you want…read more Any of the 5 could be the lead singer in any bluegrass group.

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]

Sunday, On the way back from Wanda's we stopped at Clover Creek Covered Bridge. It was free to…read morevisit and we are all about free and uncomplicated. The vehicle was parked in the small Pullover spot. Several other families were there enjoying the area. There was 2 picnic tables. Deacon enjoyed exploring around the bridge and area. Highly recommend if you are in the area.