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

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]

This place is the perfect example of how important location is in a business. The Big Walker…read moreLookout is located away from everything else in a gorgeous spot on the side of a mountain. The views are fantastic. I stopped for a drink and a snack before an off-roading trip. The inside of the store is full of souvenirs, knick-knacks, etc. I was able to pickup a drink and a snack and move on. The cashier was friendly. The outside is kind of run-down. There is a bridge from the tower over the parking lot that ends in broken boards and potential serious injury. I wouldn't walk on it. Overall, meh. It's in a great spot, but they could invest in their business a little more.

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.

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.]

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.]

I stopped off I-81 to take a phone call and spotted this marker that is near a hotel and across the…read morestreet from a gas station. It points out some history that predates the Revolutionary War and continues past the Civil War. The marker has the same text on both sides, reading "Col. John Chiswell is credited with discovering a lead deposit along the New River, about seven miles south of here, late in the 1750s. With partners he established mines and a smelting operation. Enslaved laborers were a vital part of the workforce. The mines, leased by Virginia during the Revolutionary War, supplied lead to the Continental army. Moses Austin, father of Stephen F. Austin, ran the mines during the 1790s, and the town of Austinville grew up nearby. The mines supplied the Confederacy and were destroyed by Union forces on 17 Dec. 1864. Rebuilt, they were again destroyed in April 1865. After the Civil War, zinc replaced lead as the primary resource extracted here." This is marker number K-39 and was erected by the Department of Historic Resources in 2016. [Review 19577 overall - 1415 in Virginia - 548 of 2023.]

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!

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.]