Note: I added this as "Wythe County / Grayson County Historical Marker" but the Yelp machine…read moredecided to truncate it. *shrug* This marker is located along US-21 during a curved part of the road at Dry Run Gap. There is minimal space to pull over but if you're careful, you can read the marker. It is marker number Z-88. On the one side, "Wythe County. Formed in 1789 from Montgomery, and named for George Wythe, signer of the Declaration of Independence. New River flows through this county." and on the reverse, "Grayson County. Formed in 1792 from Wythe, and named for William Grayson, one of the first two United States Senators from Virginia. Headwaters of New River are in this county." Wythe County feels more settled and established, with its long history tied to the New River corridor and the early development of Southwest Virginia. Grayson County, by contrast, has a more rugged character shaped by its mountains, its scattered communities, and its deep ties to the highlands around Mount Rogers. Crossing the line on US‑21, you move from a county known for its courthouse town of Wytheville and its transportation routes into one defined by small valleys, old farms, and a quieter pace. Wythe County has long been a regional hub, while Grayson has kept a more rural identity anchored in places like Independence and Elk Creek. The border marker sits at a point where those two personalities meet, giving you a quick sense of how different neighboring counties can feel in this part of Virginia. [Review 894 of 2026 - 1545 in Virginia - 26075 overall]

This marker is on the corner of Lee Highway and the appropriately named Withers Road. It's easy…read moreenough to spot and read while you wait at the traffic light. Marker K-37 tells us about Robert Enoch Withers, "Robert Enoch Withers was born in Campbell County on 18 Sept. 1821. After graduation from the medical department at the University of Virginia in 1841, he practiced medicine in Campbell County and Danville until 1861. During the Civil War Withers achieved the rank of colonel in the Confederate army. He served as the lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1874 to 1875 and in the United States Senate from 1875 to 1881. Withers was the U.S. Consul at Hong Kong from 1885 to 1889 and he died nearby at his home, Ingleside, on 21 Sept. 1907." It was erected by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in 2002. Withers became one of Virginia's most prominent postwar Conservative Party organizers, using his newspaper to rally opposition to Radical Reconstruction. He was also a leading national figure in Freemasonry, ultimately heading the Knights Templar in the United States. His wartime injuries at Gaines' Mill were so severe that doctors doubted he would survive, yet he recovered enough to resume mounted duty within months. Federal officials later noted his unusually humane treatment of Union prisoners in Danville, a reputation that helped shield him from postwar reprisals. Late in life, he wrote "Memoirs of an Octogenarian," offering a reflective, often opinionated account of nineteenth-century Virginia politics and society. [Review 895 of 2026 - 1546 in Virginia - 26076 overall]

It's one of those tunnels that feels way bigger and longer once you're actually driving through it…read more You enter this huge opening cut into the mountain, and then suddenly you're surrounded by concrete and darkness with the lights stretching out ahead of you. It's about a mile long, so you're in there long enough for it to feel like you're actually going through the mountain rather than just passing under it. And when you come out the other side, the daylight and mountain scenery hit you all at once. It's a pretty cool experience if you've never been through a mountain tunnel before. This trip we went through it at night time so we couldnt see any of the gorgeous scenery, this time through. But it is definitely a must see!

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.

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.]

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

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!

This marker is between two curves of the Scenic Highway and while there is room to pull over, you…read morewill want to be careful as there isn't a full median for your vehicle. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Samuel H. Newberry, a captain in the Confederate army who represented Bland and Pulaski Counties in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1865 to 1867, lived here at Eagle Oak. Newberry served in the Senate of Virginia during the 1870s and 1880s and joined the Readjuster Party, a biracial coalition that sought to repudiate a portion of Virginia's antebellum debt. In 1882 he and three other senators, known as the "Big Four," broke with party leader William Mahone. The Readjusters nevertheless passed their legislative agenda, but the party dissolved in 1885. Newberry left office in 1884, published a book of poetry later in life, and died in 1916." It is marker number KC-3 and it was erected in 2016 by the Department of Historic Resources. [Review 574 of 2025 - 1479 in Virginia - 24135 overall]

This obelisk is located in front of the Carroll County Courthouse thought it used to be located in…read morethe center of the street. The courthouse was built in 1870, the year Virginia rejoined the union. On one side, the marker lists a number of Civil War battles including Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Cold Harbor, Winchester, Atlanta and Bentonville. On the next, several Virginia infantry companies and reserves. A relief of (I assume) Jefferson Davis and two crossed swords. Atop the marker, the customary Confederate soldier in uniform, leaning on his rifle. He is facing to the southwest. There is some street parking in this busy part of Hillsville. [Review 13832 overall, 1154 of 2020, number 1265 in Virginia.]