We have never spent much time in the far southwest section of Virginia, although we actually live here. It is funny after all the years that we lived here and never took the time to explore very much. I think that is quite common though. When working, a vacation meant going to the beach or some more exotic location, not just in your backyard. So, it was time to hitch up the 5th wheel camper and head down there for a little vacation.
The Week Plan
Our plans were very loose and we had a couple of rainy days, so we did not get to do or see everything as planned. Not a big deal as it is less than two hours to get to most of the attractions.
We booked a week at the Ft. Chiswell RV Park to be our base. It is located near Wytheville, VA and about an hour from our home. A good central location to the points further southwest.
The first couple of days were spent doing a deep cleaning in the camper after it was in storage for four months and had some maintenance work performed. After our trip we bring it back home as I will be washing and waxing the exterior.
After that, we spend a couple of days exploring Wytheville including a dinner theater and other treats, then go to the Shot Tower State Park and surrounding area. Then we are off to Abingdon and Bristol for a day. We see many things, but build a much longer to do list for next time!
Wytheville
The highlight here was being able to attend the dinner theater where our good friend Tammy was performing along with her children in The Sound of Music. The Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theater was completely booked with many groups. We have never had a bad experience there. Even the mass prepared food was quite good.
The Shot Tower State Park
We have driven past this monumental tower many times along I-77. Just never stopped to see it as we were going to Florida or else coming back home.
I find it fascinating at how early settlers 200 years ago were able to make the essentials themselves. If you wanted to put food on the table, shotgun pellets were certainly an essential. From the state park website:
Overlooking the New River, Shot Tower was built more than 200 years ago to make ammunition for the firearms of the early settlers. Lead from the nearby Austinville Mines was melted in a kettle atop the 75-foot tower and poured through a sieve, falling through the tower and an additional 75-foot shaft beneath the tower into a kettle of water. LINK
Walking bridge as part of the New River Trail 
Looking through glass down into the basement 
View from the top 
Another view from the top 
Log cabin across the road 
Old barn might be a future painting
A Thomas Jackson came from England and brought the secrets of making “drop shot” a process of pouring molten lead through the sieve to obtain the correct size pellet, then it would drop 150 feet to the water kettle. They discovered that 150 feet was the amount of falling and spinning that would create a perfect sphere for each shot after much trial and error. They start out misshapen and are round by the time the hit the water. The water was to provide a soft landing to not distort the shot.
The tower took five years to build and was completed in 1807. The workers made the shot from lead and arsenic. Not exactly a friendly bill of material. Plus the workers were in a small confined space with a roaring fire to melt the lead and keep crucibles hot. Pre-OSHA days for sure.
We took the guided tour from one of the park rangers. Very knowledgeable. Then a hike along the old railroad bed turned to trails.
Foster Falls, VA
I had never heard of this little spec of a town before. It was a thriving village back in the late 1800’s centered around the passenger rail service, lead mines, and a lead furnace. Now, it has mostly been restored by the state park service with a river access, primitive camping, and trails. Many old buildings and a railroad caboose can be observed.
The old train station, long since abandoned.
The old brick hotel has been restored by the VA park service and they are shopping for an organization to run it and the dining room. Even the US National Park service may be interested.
Their caboose used to run on the diesel trains from 60’s and 70’s and was mothballed here as an exhibit.
The conductor’s chair 
Tour guide explaining how they used to have cabooses at the end of trains 🙂 
From Wiki: The district encompasses 12 contributing buildings, 2 contributing sites, and 3 contributing structures in the village of Foster Falls. They are primarily industrial and commercial buildings and structures built in the late-19th century. They include the iron furnace stack, the rail bed and frame railroad passenger station (c. 1887), a general store building, and a combination gristmill/sawmill. The district includes the Foster Falls Hotel, a late-Victorian style brick building. The hotel property includes two brick dependencies associated with an orphanage that occupied the hotel building beginning in 1938. It now serves as the headquarters of the New River Trail State Park.
interesting read 
Old iron processing furnace. 
Big Walker Mountain
I had been up to the top of this mountain on the twisty roads a long time ago. Back in my motorcycle riding days. It is quite the ride. On this particular cloudy day it was in the comfort of the Honda car! It was 85 when we left the RV park and was 73 at the top nearly 3500 feet elevation. With a cool breeze to boot.
Interesting display 
Selfie, me and Pat 
Oh heck no 
They couldn’t pay me enough 
At the top there is a general store that has live music on weekends and a fire tower that you may climb for a small fee. We passed on that opportunity as it looked like the last maintenance was in the 1950’s. That and I don’t care much for heights.
But the outlooks provided some great views of the mountains. Too bad it was so overcast.
Bolling Wilson Hotel in Wytheville, Va
There is some history in this old hotel as well as a nice restaurant. We made dinner reservations here after a day of exploring. A little on the history first. The hotel was built in 1927 as the fireproof George Wythe Hotel. It continued until the 1970’s and became a bank. Then it was remodeled in 2010 as the Bolling Wilson Hotel. Being named after Edith Bolling Wilson, the second wife of Pres Woodrow Wilson.
Edith Bolling was born in Wytheville almost across the street from this hotel. She also had quite the history including running the country while Wilson was bedridden after a severe stroke. She was also a descendant of the first settlers in the Virginia Colony.
The restaurant is named the Graze on Main. It is small and specializes in fine dining and a large bourbon selection. We both enjoyed our dinners.
Pat had the salad appetizer 
Mine was the tomato bisque. Yummy 
Wrap Up
That’s enough for now as this essay has become longer than I planned. In the next update, we finish the week by going to Abingdon and Bristol Virginia. Even tried out the brand new Hard Rock casino in Bristol!
God Bless and thanks for following along.
Looks like a great short trip. You are right. It’s easy to overlook the stuff nearby.
Yes, we need to explore Virginia some more. Just a few weeks until Philly!
Wow! Thanks for sharing! Interesting facts!
Hey Amanda! Hope all is well for you guys!