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"

This is the best and most famous thing to do when visiting Roanoke. We went right before sunset and…read moreit ended up being the perfect time. You sit on the hill opposite the star and once the sun goes behind the tall trees, make your way over to the other side and see all of the city light up before you. Granted, it is a small place, but you get a whole view below you. The star is the biggest manmade star so take that as you will. It was nice that you could drive directly up to the parking lot and there were paved sidewalks so anyone could make the walk right up to the star. The parking lot is rather small so be prepared to either wait or have to go back down a little bit to find a place. We were there on a beautiful fall night so it seemed like the entire city was there. People were patient as you took pictures though so there was no trouble at all. Just a little crowded on the observation deck so be prepared.

Came back again and stayed in a waterfront cabin this time, and it's well worth the upgrade! The…read moreview was great and the bedroom faced the water with a picturesque double window complete with blinds to limit or highlight the scene! Osprey were nesting, which was amazing!! Trails were beautiful, and since we were just weeks from peak season, it was still quiet and peaceful, but with gorgeous spring weather!

Smith Mountain Lake is my 33rd VA State Park. Its not one of my Favorites because, after my…read morechildren are grown, I really dont play in the water. I may swim in a pool but I dont jet ski, or boat, or fish. I dont like to buy food from the food shacks and it seemed to me, the space allotted for swimming was small anyway. They did have hiking trails. I took a two mile trail hike, took pictures and started on my way to James River SP.

What a great way to explore downtown Lexington. Trotting down the street, hearing the clip-clop of…read morehorse hooves on the cobblestone, seeing important buildings and monuments, hearing the tour guide talk about the history of this Virginia town -- it's all very romantic. The horses are well-taken-care of and seem happy. No beefaroni in these horses' diets. But the horses who pulled out carriage did like getting apple Pop Tarts as treats, which was cute. The carriage tour goes all around downtown Lexington, and we saw the old hospital, cemetery, two universities, historic houses and lots more. The pace of travel is slow, so you have lots of time to look around and ask questions. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of Lexington, and answered all of our questions. Afterward, you get to pet the horses and take pictures with them. I would definitely recommend this carriage tour to someone visiting Lexington for the first time.

Plan Ahead - Beautiful Town, But Limited Carriage Availability…read more I was really looking forward to exploring the downtown area by carriage--it looked like such a charming way to see this quaint and lovely town. Unfortunately, I didn't realize the carriage service closes early and requires advance tickets. They only have one carriage, so it's not like other cities where multiple carriages run in rotation and you can wait for the next one. It was disappointing to miss out, especially since the experience seemed fantastic. I'm sure it would've been a 5-star ride had I been able to go. Just a heads-up to future visitors: book ahead if you're hoping for a carriage ride--don't count on just walking up.

The Appomattox Court House NHP is a fraud! Ok here me out. I am somewhat of a history nerd but…read morethink broad strokes not necessarily on a micro level. Anyway, when I arrived, I went into the visitor's center like one always should when visiting a National Park. One of the Park Rangers started telling me about the property. "Currently you are standing in the Appomattox Court House......absolutely nothing happened in here! The surrender was just a football field's length away at the McLean House." What!? Why is it named after the courthouse then? Anyway, all jokes aside the place is great. As stated, the visitor's center is located inside the old courthouse and has the standard gift shop, museum, and movie theatre. Outside there are several buildings that include a bookstore, a Tavern, The Mclean House and several others. The Mclean House was actually torn down at one point and then rebuilt. The house is set up to look like it did then when Lee surrendered to Grant. While the Mclean house is the main attraction to the park, there are plenty of battlefields, markers and hiking trails around to explore. So why only 4 stars, well name it the Mclean House National Historic Park and I will give it another star.

I love this place. It's so peaceful. There is rarely anyone here, so you get to walk the…read morebattlefield in peace in the shady woods and imagine what it was like to have soldiers camped out there, each army so close to each other. Parking is plentiful and easy to access. When you get to the settlement where the houses are, you encounter beautifully preserved homes that are set up as they would have been during the war. Unlike other battlefields that feel oppressive with death, Appomattox feels like hope for me. Maybe it's my imagination -especially because people died here too, but the way the two generals conducted themselves went a long way in restoring peace. It's a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.

Before visiting this small, but significant museum in the history of the City of Roanoke and…read moreWestern Virginia, I will admit I had no idea who O. Winston Link was. I discovered it one day while visiting the Virginia's Blue Ridge Visitor Information Center, which is housed in the former Norfolk & Western Railway passenger depot, a historic building renovated by industrial designer Raymond Loewy, and located in front of the also historic Hotel Roanoke. The museum is dedicated to the work of photographer O. Winston Link, famous for his 1950s photographs of steam locomotives, and is integrated with the Roanoke History Museum, which covers Roanoke and the region's broader history. For a small admission fee of $6, ones gets to explore Link's iconic photographs, audio recordings, and memorabilia, finding out more about the person himself and his significance to this region and to the field of photography and steam locomotives. We find exhibits on local history, industrial design, and the impact of railroads in Western Virginia's past. Walking through this museum was truly a leaning experience for me. With over over 300 black-and-white and color images, interactive exhibits, audio recordings, original photographic equipment, and a 30 minute movie in the theater about Link's life and works. At the end I visited the Museum's Gifts Shop, where you can buy souvenirs, books, rail-road related items, local history resources, Link's recordings, posters, estate prints, and other merchandise related to O.Winston Link and his famous steam locomotive photography, among other things. I purchased a miniature oil painting by a local artist of Mill Mountain with the Roanoke Star. The I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and its significance. The Gift Shop is operated by the Historical Society of Western Virginia and here are two links to their online shop and to other useful information: https://roanoke-history-museum.square.site/s/shop and https://roanokehistory.org/ I would highly recommend this museum to all those interested in steam locomotives, photography, Roanoke and Western Virginia's History, and the life of one man who played an important role in documenting all this for us and future generations to enjoy.

The movie was with it. Please see the movie. I enjoyed the entire experience. The staff was…read morehelpful, the atmosphere amazing and art was beautiful. I cannot wait to see how this museum evolves.

This was such a fun trip. We did the Rock Bottom tour. If you are looking for more than just the…read morewalking tour, this was Great! We did this with our older teen boys and they loved it. You will get dirty so bring clothes you don't mind getting muddy. This was such a great memory!

We had a great time on our visit to the caverns! Our guide, Lucas (I think), was very…read moreknowledgeable and funny. The caverns themselves are amazing! Definitely worth the price. And they have a park, picnic tables, and some little trails on the property too - for free. You could definitely make a great day trip visit!

My husband and I (we live in NC) and 2 of our friends (they live in Ohio) toured the house and…read moregardens in September. Shaun Spencer-Hester gave us a wonderful tour! She really brought Anne and Edward Spencer back to life. She was a pleasure to be with and made our tour so enjoyable! I am from Lynchburg, Va. I had heard of Anne Spencer, since I was a child, from my father. What a joy it was to see her home, her garden and purchase her book - Half My Life (great read). Amelia Jane F.

This famous poet's home is a museum now. It is viewed by appointment only, but is worth it. There's…read morealso a garden in the summer. Great for poetry enthusiasts and others who appreciate literature.

Monticello is probably the most famous of all the President houses (Mt Vernon may have it beat)…read more As a self-proclaimed Presidential history nerd, I have been to several presidential homes, libraries, museums, gravesites, monuments, etc. Monticello's history is the most interesting because of many factors including Jefferson's architectural obsession, the atrocities with slavery that occurred with building and maintaining it, and the innovations and experimentation Jefferson used while living here. Monticello is a huge operation. You should definitely get a reservation. You park at the bottom of the hill (or maybe middle of it) then you go through metal detectors and are now in the cafe/gift shop/bathroom area. From there you can take the 1/2 mile walk up hill to the home or take the bus. Once you are up top, you will be put into different huddles depending on your tour time. Oh, there are several different style tours, we just did the general admission tour. Anyway, you can walk around the grounds while you wait. The whole thing is very well organized. Our tour guide took us through various rooms in the house, pointed out various artifacts from Jefferson's past, told stories and was very knowledgeable when asked questions. The group I was in was probably 20 people. The whole tour took 45 mins. Then we walked the grounds independent of the tour including looking at Jefferson's family cemetery plot. My only issue is that I went on July 1st, 2026, so the whole back (or front) had a huge tent set up for the America 250 celebration. Not a big deal just didn't get the complete feel or pics.

Great Historical Site! We went back in 2017,…read moreSo it's been a minute. We loved it. Ask questions to the guides as they are very knowledgeable!

I enjoyed learning the history of the bridge. The cave arches were breathtaking. I did not enjoy…read moreclimbing the stairs to return to the main building, but the experience was definitely a hike! I was excited to watch otters fish for food in the streams. The waterfall was not as grand as I expected it to be, but the natural scenery was worth viewing for $9. As a bonus, there is a trail to a cave.

This is a perfect place to take a road trip break! We did exactly that on a recent drive from…read moreAsheville to Richmond. The visitor center was easy to find and the building reminded me of those found at the University of Virginia, which was founded by Thomas Jefferson. Coincidentally, Thomas Jefferson also owned the land on which the Natural Bridge is located. After paying your admittance fee at the center, you head down several stairs and will pass a small waterfall. Very soon thereafter, you will see the Natural Arch. There is a flat path that leads you through the arch where you can continue your stroll along a steam for about 15 minutes to see a larger waterfall. "Saltpeter Cave" can also be found along the path. It was interesting to read that Mr. Jefferson leased out this shelter for the excavation of potassium nitrate which was eventually used to make gun powder. While I would not make the Natural Bridge a destination trip, it is definite worthwhile to explore if passing through the area.

Man, I wanted to like this as I am a self-proclaimed Presidential History nerd. However, it is…read morejust land that Monroe once owned because his buddy Tommy Jefferson told him to buy it, sold because he was broke, then the house burnt down years after he left, then someone else built a house here. That's the house you see. Now they do have an outline of the foundation of the house that was once here. So, there is that. Then the new(er) house is full of exhibits on Monroe. Honestly, I am glad I went but if you are pressed for time, it's one you can skip.

Our visit to James Monroe's home was wonderful. Tour Guide Allison and Docent Russell added to…read morethe experience. Both were easy to talk with. They encouraged questions and were happy to not only answer the questions but also added bits of information that they have gained over the years. We give them 10+ stars. Thank you so much. We were happy to add to your donations. June and Craig