You guys certainly know how to make someone feel welcome.
not me. I’m already here. I’m talking about an Arlington reader who recently contacted me and said he’d never been west of Roanoke and wanted to fix that right away. He was writing it as a response to my column defending southwestern Virginia, which was directed to an Axios Richmond article that made derogatory references to “What the hell is west of Roanoke?” was the reply.
I told potential visitors that I would be giving them some advice on what to see and do, and I immediately turned to the best source for that information: you.
I posted a form asking for travel advice and you guys responded.
In addition to specific suggestions, readers also sent us passionate testimonials about why they love this area so much. “I moved back to Southwest Virginia after living in Tennessee, including Nashville, for several years,” wrote Abingdon resident Rachel Fogg. “After seeing Lily Hyatt perform at the Barter Theater, I decided one night that I could go back. I like being outside, I like the culture, and literally everyone says your name. I love the small town feel that I know and Southwest Virginia has it all. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
We also heard from many βbeen hereβ like Babette Newman of Tazewell County. “I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, went to school in West Virginia, and then moved to Richlands. I loved the country feel and sense of community.”
Now let’s move on to travel advice. The impetus for all of this was a reference to “What the hell is west of Roanoke?” However, visitors to the state would have to travel through the Shenandoah Valley or Southside to reach southwestern Virginia. Some readers gave me advice on such places. be careful. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all tourist attractions in this region. This is just a rough sense of the crowdsourced list of recommendations.
If you are coming from the north
“On your way from Arlington, consider taking Skyline Drive in Front Royal and down the Blue Ridge Parkway to Roanoke,” writes Joy Loving of Rockingham County Caverns. “Great views of the gorgeous Shenandoah Valley stretching out to the west. … There are great views to the east and west along the parkway. Crabtree Falls and Humpback Rock are great stops.” She also said visitors should He also says that if you don’t see the mountains at night, you’ll miss something. “I moved to the Central Shenandoah Valley from Arlington 30 years ago. My favorite sight is the full moon rising behind the Blue Ridge Mountains.”
Kevin Holt of Roanoke suggested stopping at Lexington or Peaks of Otter. Rachel Fogg of Abingdon specifically encouraged visitors to stop by Roadmap Coffee Works in Lexington for coffee. Fincastle’s Alice Duerr recommends that visitors don’t just drive past Otter Peak, but “hike the trails if possible, or stay at the lodge and take a leisurely walk around the beautiful lake. Please,β he called out.
Peter Katt of Fincastle recommended spending a day on the Upper James River Water Trail, which follows the James River through Boattourt and Rockbridge counties.
Clifton Forge’s Tucker Keener wants visitors to take a detour west to the Allegany Plateau and see the region’s “railway history and natural beauty.” He suggested Falling Springs, Humpback Bridge Covered Bridge, Moomaw Lake, and Douthat State Park, as well as his C&O Railroad Heritage Center in Clifton and His Forge. “You can’t just drive through the small towns of Western and Southwest Virginia. Many of these towns are unique and have so much to offer, so get out of your car and explore. I love Allegany. I grew up there, but I moved away for school. But when I come back, I’m always amazed by the beauty of the mountains and my hometown.”
If you are coming from the east
Someone needs to step up the travel suggestions as there are quite a few suggestions for points in the east. But what we got is inarguable.
“On your way west, stop by Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest,” said Linda Carroll of the forest. “TJ’s second home is an architectural masterpiece. The tour allows you to see a different side of TJ.”
“It’s definitely a stop at a distillery (legal distillery) in Franklin County,” Fincastle’s Peter Katt said of the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount.
Michael Schewell of Richmond, a former state commerce secretary who grew up in Lynchburg, researched the name Smith Mountain Lake.
Let me point out that if you’re coming from the east, you’re probably coming through Farmville. Farmville is home to the Morton Museum, and this location is the site of a famous student-led strike that helped start one of the worldwide movements. Or the lawsuit that led to Brown v. Board of Education, or Danville, which now has a casino and a reborn downtown. Finally, you can’t say you’ve been to Lynchburg without walking the Bluff He Walk, but that’s all I can add to the conversation.
roanoke valley
While this is certainly not a comprehensive list, I thought this was a great story about Melvin Diago Journiette of Richmond, who grew up in Roanoke and once worked in the city engineer’s office. βHe was there when the Roanoke Greenway was proposed by the most cheerful and enthusiastic female city planner anyone could imagine. He walked along the once drivable Mill Mountain Road with a so-and-so of city workers, envisioning in words a similarly paved road extending into nearby neighborhoods. . I remember being asked by then-Assistant City Engineer Phil Schirmer to estimate how much this essentially new road network would cost. When we reached the hundreds of thousands of dollars, I stopped counting, unable to believe that Roanoke would see so much value in such an effort. Fast forward almost 30 years later to understand just the last mile. [the] The original vision cost $6 million to complete by summer 2023, on top of the previous millions of 49 miles. …I’m really happy that my 50-year-old self can now enjoy the boldness that my 22-year-old self couldn’t believe. The realization of this one project has created a big dream that will bring even more possibilities to our Star City. So when I ask you to visit the Roanoke Greenway, imagine all the things that are going to happen. Because the Greenway doesn’t really end here, it actually just begins there. Once the rest of Virginia understands Roanoke’s new “Can-Do” spirit, the region will take off among the stars, just as it did 140 years ago when it first became Virginia’s Magic City. The aircraft will land on the ground. β
Like I said, people are passionate about this part of the state. By the way, the original Roanoke Greenway Plan has now been expanded into a valley-wide greenway system that is still under construction. With enough foresight, that greenway system could one day extend into Vautourt County and into the New River Valley, connecting with trails there. All of this applies to how Roanoke has repositioned itself from a railroad town to an outdoors town.
Anyway, this is just a warm-up for the main event. I’m finally ready to move on to “Whatever Is West of Roanoke,” but if you think I’m going too long, I’ll take a break for a while. Come back tomorrow to see what our readers have recommended.