Monday at noontime I swung around the traffic circle in Princeton to get a look at the Mercer…read moreCounty Courthouse, a 1931 Classical Revival building designed by Alex B Mahood, the Bluefield architect responsible for a number of prominent southern West Virginia civic structures. Mercer County is named for Hugh Mercer, the Revolutionary War general, and Princeton has been the county seat since its founding, rebuilt after being burned twice during the Civil War. The courthouse was busy with busy with people coming and going, so I stayed outside and took in the building from the circle, getting honked at only twice while I tried to make sense of the traffic pattern. Driving slowly helps. The grounds were active, the building is clearly well kept, and even without going inside, it's easy to appreciate how this courthouse anchors the center of Princeton and remains one of the town's most recognizable landmarks. [Review 904 of 2026 - 216 in West Virginia - 26085 overall]

The parking here is extremely limited. There are a few spots on the street, but are limited to a…read moretwo hour maximum. If you have business to conduct at the courthouse be prepared to park off site and walk a short distance. The staff at the assessors office are professional and very helpful.

Great rest stop and visitor center. Clean bathrooms, well stocked. If you need a snack vending…read moremachines available. Nice resting point. There are plenty of photo ops.

Welcome to Virginia! Virginia is for Lovers! The restrooms were very clean, informative signage…read moreavailable to learn more about the history and heritage of the location. Pet friendly as well. Separate car and truck parking. Nice landscaping. It's well worth the stop!

In Princeton West Virginia Where I Live At The Mercer County Courthouse Located In Mercer County…read moreWest Virginia Is Where We Do All Of Our Official Business Okay Yelp I Love How Fast We Can Get Things Done Like Paying Taxes Getting Help From The Mercer County Sheriffs Office And Getting Even More I Rate This Because It Is What I Most Care For In My Life So Thank You Kindly From Robert Byrd Until Later Peace-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.

Early Monday morning in Bland meant that the courthouse was still waking up, which made it easy to…read moretake in the 1923 Bland County Courthouse without a single interruption. It's a solid Classical Revival design by renowned architect Frank P. Milburn, the same guy responsible for a long list of early twentieth century courthouses across Virginia and the Carolinas, and his familiar symmetry and brick‑and‑stone detailing show up clearly here. Bland County takes its name from Richard Bland, the Virginia statesman and early advocate for colonial rights. The county's most widely known modern resident is probably Olympian and world champion wrestler Dennis Hall, who grew up here. Walking the grounds before the offices opened meant that I had time to look over the usual Confederate memorial statue, the local history marker and the Bland County Courthouse Bell on display, all of which give the lawn a little extra texture even if none of it rises to statewide fame. The courthouse has handled the routine mix of local criminal and civil matters over the decades but nothing that ever turned into a headline case. Parking was easy at that hour and the quiet made the stop feel calm and straightforward, a quick look at a well‑kept rural courthouse that still anchors its small mountain county. [Review 901 of 2026 - 1551 in Virginia - 26082 overall]

If you're just heading along SR 108, you might not notice this massive bridge that carries the road…read morevery high over the East River. It was initially a "bridge to nowhere" despite being built to Interstate highway specifications. I-77 passes not far to the east from here but it has its own bridge. It is named for Christine Elmore West (1932-2021) who was a longtime member of the King Coal Highway Authority and a dedicated employee of the West Virginia Department of Highways for over 30 years. The bridge was originally to be part of the King Coal Highway project that has been stalled since 2007. The bridge symbolized delayed infrastructure and missed economic opportunities, though that changed with a 2023 extension of the highway, which now links Airport Road to John Nash Boulevard, promising improved access and regional development. It might eventually be part of the routing of Interstates 73, 74, and 75, aiming to connect Detroit, Michigan to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. One day. The ribbon cutting was attended by Governor Jim Justice. It's nice from below as well as above. [Review 536 of 2025 - 127 in West Virginia - 24097 overall]

The Link Farm Covered Bridge was built in 1912 and spans Sinking Creek. It has a 50 foot span and…read moreis one of the few remaining bridges in the Newport area. It is very easy to access, right off Route 460 and only a couple of miles from the Interstate. No excuses. The bridge is on private property but is open to the public. Of course, it is not open to vehicular traffic but you can absolutely walk across this beautiful red bridge and look at the sheet metal roof. [Review 19583 overall - 1420 in Virginia - 554 of 2023.]

A beautiful bridge that I literally stumbled upon. I was driving by when I saw a street sign that…read moresaid "Covered Bridge Lane". There was a wide space to park, it appeared, and a green gate across the road. I did not stay long as I was traveling home, and it was unclear whether it was ok to approach the bridge.

Just north of Peterstown, this marker points out a piece of Colonial-era history. Traveling through…read morethe South, most markers denote Civil War events so this was a pleasant change to see something from a different era. It has the same text on both sides, reading "This defense, erected, 1775, by Captin Michael Woods, was of importance during Lord Dunmoore's War. Troops from here were engaged in the Battle of Point Pleasant next year and later were with George Rogers Clark." The marker was erected in 1979 by the West Virginia Department of Culture and History. There is room to stop to read the marker. The fort was a frontier stockade built in 1773 by Captain Michael Woods during a time of rising tensions between settlers and Native American tribes. It was strategically located along Rich Creek, marking the edge of white settlement in Monroe County at the time, with no other established communities between Woods' Fort and the mouth of East River in 1779. No physical remnants are remaining. [Review 577 of 2025 - 161 in West Virginia - 24138 overall]