On the Road: Short trip to Wise County, Virginia

Those who love to travel know they don't have to journey far and wide to find interesting places to visit. My wife and I go to various towns and historic sites within driving distance of our home in central Kentucky. 

Last fall, we discovered Wise County, located in southwestern Virginia and bordering southeastern Kentucky. It's an area rich in Appalachian history and culture, with beautiful scenery and mountainous terrain. It was a pleasant four-hour drive on the country roads. 

And it exceeded our expectations.

I first became aware of the area after the publication of Adriana Trigiani's best-selling novel, Big Stone Gap, in 2000. It was adapted into a movie, filmed entirely in Big Stone Gap, and released in 2014, starring Ashley Judd, Patrick Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg, and other notable actors. By the way, Big Stone Gap is Trigiani's hometown.

Wise County has 21 properties or districts on the National Register of Historic Places, reflecting an engaging and varied past in areas such as coal mining, music, and crafts. And because of the location, there are opportunities for camping, hiking, and simply enjoying the great outdoors.

We spent two nights in Wise, the county seat, at the historic Inn at Wise, a Colonial Revival-style hotel constructed in 1910. The town, with a population of about 3,000, was originally called Gladeville in 1874, but changed to Wise in 1924, after Henry A. Wise, a former governor.

Wise is home to the University of Virginia at Wise, an attractive 396-acre campus with modern facilities, a large pond and fountain, and plenty of steps. With an enrollment of about 2,000, it offers 30 majors and 32 minors. It was formerly known as Clinch Valley College, and was renamed in 1999. 

 

About 16 miles southwest of Wise is historic Big Stone Gap, a town with about 5,300 residents, founded in 1856. It's very walkable, with many of the sites located on the wide Wood Avenue or a block off one of the short side streets. You'll see the places where the movie was filmed.

A great place start is the visitor center, located at 306 Wood Ave. East in a former gas station. It's hard to miss since it has a Frank Lloyd Wright look. The staff is friendly and helpful, and you can pick up brochures about BSG and the surrounding counties.

Among the interesting stops along the way are:

• Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park, located in a Victorian stone mansion, presents the history of the area from the 1700s. The building has the original gorgeous oak interior.
  
• John Fox Jr. Museum, at the home of the bestselling author from the turn of the 20th century. His most famous work is The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come.
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  Henry W. Meador Coal Museum showcases the area's coal heritage, from equipment to artifacts.
  
• June Tolliver House is a Queen Anne-style home built in 1890 that features local history.
• Trail of the Lonesome Pine Outdoor Drama in the Barbara Polly Theatre, the official outdoor drama of Virginia. It's the longest-running outdoor drama in the nation. The musical drama, based on Fox's novel, is held in June, July, and August.
• Town Hall is a 2.5-story Colonial Revival building constructed in 1908 by the Stonega Coke and Coal Co. 
• Lonesome Pine School and Heritage Center includes music, research, and school rooms, focusing on the area's rich traditions and customs.

Other sites we visited:

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  The High Knob Observation Tower in Norton offers a view of five states from an elevation of 4,200 feet. The area has many hiking, biking, and horseback trails, as well as lakes and rivers for water activities, and campgrounds and RV parks.
  
• 
  Natural Tunnel State Park in Duffield is a 10-story-tall, 850-feet long limestone tunnel that is still used by trains. The park has trails, a chairlift ride, and a visitor center. The park is in adjoining Scott County, about 20 miles from BSG. 
  

Other points of interest (that we didn't make it to) include the Appalachian Cultural Arts Center in Appalachia, Lyric Theater in St. Paul, and Mountainrose Vineyards in Wise.

Besides Fox and Trigiani, a few other notables from Wise County include Oscar-winning actor George C. Scott, Bluegrass musician Ralph Stanley, NFL players Carroll Dale, Julius Jones, and Thomas Jones, author Napoleon Hill, and pro basketball player Glenn Roberts.

Check out the Wise County Visitors Guide for more information about places to stay, eat, and other activities in this delightful corner of Virginia.

We hope to return.