Insight Guides....

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

Southwest Virginia often plays second fiddle to the rest of the Old Dominion, but only because of the long drive it typically takes to reach the area from anywhere else in the state. If you go, you'll find a pretty and proud region, with many interesting things to see and do.

Abingdon is an ideal southwest Virginia base. The historic town serves as the beginning of an exploration of southwest Virginia along US 58. The Martha Washington Inn is an ideal place for a visit, a meal, or the night. Be sure to check the schedule of the Barter Theatre if you would like to catch a production of the State Theatre of Virginia.

Daniel Boone made a road through Big Mocassin Gap in 1775 all the way to Boonesboro, Kentucky. The road follows an original Indian path and was known as the Wilderness Road from the east all the way to Kentucky. West of Abingdon, up in Maces Spring, traditional mountain music fans flock to the Carter Family Memorial Music Center. The original Carter Family (Maybelle, AP, and Sara) was discovered by a talent scout in 1927. They went on to record 300 songs, including "Keep on the Sunny Side" and "Wildwood Flower." The center includes a Carter Family Museum and the Carter Family Fold, where traditional and bluegrass music can be heard every Saturday night and at a huge festival every August.

Natural Tunnel State Park provides a glimpse of Mother Nature's power. Just outside of Duffield, Natural Tunnel is a huge underground tunnel formed more than one million years ago from the dissolving of limestone and dolomitic bedrock by groundwater bearing carbonic acid. Later, the flow of Stock Creek enlarged the opening, which is now more than 400 feet in height.

Big Stone Gap: Just fifteen miles (XX kilometers) north on US 23, Big Stone Gap offers an entire day of interesting possibilities. This quiet town is famed for its outdoor drama, "Trail of the Lonesome Pine." The play tells the love story of a Virginia mountain girl and a handsome young mining engineer from the east. Next door to the small outdoor theatre is the Jane Tolliver House and Craft Shop, where the heroine of the drama actually lived.

Other interesting stops in Big Stone Gap include the Southwest Virginia Museum, John Fox, Jr. Museum (author of Trail of the Lonesome Pine), the Harry W. Meador, Jr. Coal Museum, the Victorian homes of Poplar Hill, and the memorial at Miner's Park (the town is known as the "Gateway to the Coalfields").

Cumberland Gap: Before man passed through Cumberland Gap, migratory animals used the break in the Appalachian Mountains to search further west for food. The Indians followed the animals into the rich hunting grounds of Kentucky and this trail of trade and warfare became known as the Warrior's Path.

Daniel Boone came to the area in 1775 and marked out the Wilderness Trail from Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. Mass immigration through the Gap began, with 12,000 people crossing into the new territory by the end of the Revolutionary War and another 100,000 by the time Kentucky was admitted to the Union in 1792.

Today, Cumberland Gap is a major tourist attraction and well worth the drive. Situated at the convergence of Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, highlights of a drive to and around the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park include more than fifty miles of hiking trails, excellent camping and picnicking facilities, the Hensley Settlement on Brush Mountain, and pretty views. The switch-back Pinnacle Road up to Pinnacle Overlook results in a 2,440-foot view over three states. It's a perfect view of much of the Old South.

From music to mountain lakes, there are many other soutwest Virginia destinations. Located just seven miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway in southwest Virginia, Galax residents call their town the "World Capital of Old-Time Mountain Music" and they mean it. A variety of activities, events, and sights make Galax a great place to spend some time with mountains and music.

Each winter, the Galax Downtown Association sponsors the Galax Mountain Music Jamboree. The performances feature old-time and blugrass bands, as well as cloggers and other entertainment.

An Old Fiddler's Convention and Fiddlefest are held the second weekend each August. The Jamboree is also held outside in June, July, and September, making Galax a four-season music mecca.

Mountain Lake is music to the ears and eyes for those looking for an outdoors getaway in this pretty region. If you want to feel at the top of the fall world, head to Mountain Lake an historic mountain resort featuring 2,600 acres of tall trees, stunning mountain scenery, and a clear mountain lake.

Fed by underground streams, Mountain Lake is one of few freshwater lakes in the state. The location has served as a resort destination since 1857 and the massive native-stone hotel has overlooked the lake since 1936. Mountain Lake was developed into a legendary resort by William Lewis Moody and his daughter Mary Moody Northen. It was the site for the filming for the popular feature film, "Dirty Dancing."

Accommodations options include hotel rooms and suites, as well as the rustic Chestnut Lodge nestled in the trees. In warm months, unique cottages are also available for rent.