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.

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.

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.

Located at the center of town at the main intersection, this historical marker recalls the first…read moreduel to use rifles. It's been 200 years and it was recently re-enacted here, https://roanoke.com/news/historic-duel-to-be-re-enacted-in-christiansburg/article_e69bc076-63bc-5c4f-ba35-837678223df3.html. Though no one seems to know why the two men felt compelled to duel. It reads, "In this town occurred the duel between Thomas Lewis and John McHenry in May, 1808. This was the first duel with rifles known to have taken place in Virginia. It resulted in the death of both men. Dr. John Floyd, later Governor of Virginia and member of Congress, was the attending surgeon. This affair contributed to the passage in January, 1810, of the Barbour Bill outlawing dueling in Virginia." Kentucky, which until 1795, was part of Virginia until it was split to become the 15th State, still contains a phrase in the oath of office that all elected officials must swear that they have not fought in a duel or acted as a second in one. [Review 13821 overall, 1142 of 2020, number 1255 in Virginia.]

Adjacent to a residential neighborhood and an electrical substation, this marker recalls a school…read morethat sadly no longer exists. It reads, "In 1866, Captain Charles S. Schaeffer, a Freedmen's Bureau agent, organized a school for blacks on the hill just to the southeast. Charles L. Marshall of Tuskeegee Institute became principal of the school in 1896. Under his guidance and with support from Philadelphia Quakers, a library, dormitories, classrooms, shops, and barns were constructed. Both academic and industrial classes were offered at the institute until 1947 when it became a public high school. In 1966, the institute graduated its last class, and its property was sold at public auction." The website for the school is still online and there is an active group working to maintain the former school structure. https://www.christiansburginstitute.com/ [Review 13817 overall, 1138 of 2020, number 1251 in Virginia.]

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.

This small park on a triangle of green space where two roads intersect is in the middle of a…read moreresidential neighborhood. The park features playground equipment, a swing set, picnic tables under shade trees, a small basketball court The park is in very good condition with no litter. There is ample street parking. [Review 13827 overall, 1148 of 2020, number 1260 in Virginia.]

Never actually been here for a movie but on Sunday morning it is Hope Chapel. Joe Volpi is an…read moreamazing pastor and continuously bringing a great message from God. The movie theater is beautiful old fashion. It has second level seating and the tickets are very cheap.

Seriously, what's not to love?…read more The Lyric isn't your top of the line theater where you see what just came out, but they have a good selection of movies, both indie, new (though it's released later) and classics. The inside of the theater is reminiscent of an old theater, with an old fashioned ticket booth, plenty of seating (there's balcony seating!) and a classic looking stage with a projector. It's really quite beautiful! The location makes it a prime place to go for a movie if you're in college, and the ticket prices are pretty reasonable! Even for a nighttime showing, it's only $5, and the concessions are just as cheap. The staff is extremely friendly, and they accept volunteers if you're looking for any volunteer work. Definitely a place to go, especially if you like seeing quirky movies. The only downfall is that it only shows one movie at a time, for one week each, unless there's a special showing. Harry Potter and the Princess Bride are coming up!