Story and photos by Patricia Apelt (unless otherwise indicated)
A Variety of Lodging Choices
The first two nights of our journey along The Wilderness Road were spent at a delightful Airbnb just outside the city limits of Blacksburg, Virginia. It had a large living room with Queen-size sleep sofa, equally large bedroom with King bed, eat-in kitchen, and good size bath with tub/shower. A washer/dryer were available if needed, and we especially enjoyed the quiet deck overlooking a bubbling creek
Entering through the gate at the left, here is a lovely private yard looking toward the creek. Although this particular unit is no longer available, there are still wonderful places to stay, from a Five-star Hotel right on the campus of Virginia Tech, to a unique Bed and Breakfast only a few blocks away.
There are scores of other Airbnb units available along this route, with various prices, most of these same amenities and sometimes almost the same scenery. Bed and Breakfast homes are also plentiful, both within the town limits and out in the countryside. With a little research online, you can find plenty of pictures for the sites available and pick just the perfect spot for your vacation.
Camping is a very popular choice for lodging in this area. Whether in a tent or motor home, the sites are numerous. Almost all of the State Parks in the area have land set aside for campers, and some hiking trails also allow camping in certain locations. While there is an entrance fee for the all of the parks, by planning ahead, you can obtain a pass that will allow you to enjoy every state park in Virginia for a single price. https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/passes This would be a good value even if you do not wish to camp there. There are also dedicated RV parks such as KOA and privately-owned parks throughout the region.
The Martha
In honor of our wedding anniversary, our children had gifted us with a two-night stay at The Martha Washington Inn and Spa on Main Street in downtown Abingdon. What an absolutely wonderful experience! If you can fit even one night there into your budget, it is well worth the price. The entire Inn has been lovingly restored and is gorgeous. Even if you do not wish to sleep here, go in and tour the several public rooms. It’s like visiting a museum.
As you enter through the double doors at the front, the Entrance Hall is a very large room, with a huge circular table in the center, usually topped with a massive vase of flowers on the highly polished surface. A beautifully carved wooden staircase goes up three floors, and there is an outdoor balcony on the second floor where you can view almost all of Abingdon. The former formal drawing room to the right of the entrance Hall is now the Lobby and lounge. Pass through there and enter what was the private library of General Robert Preston, the original owner of the house. Here, there is a fireplace big enough to stand in, flanked by floor to ceiling windows, many comfortable chairs and sofas, game tables, and walls lined with books, some of them quite old. Back across the Lobby and Entrance Hall is the Family Drawing Room, now used for events such as wedding receptions, reunions, and other gatherings of large numbers of people. These rooms were all used in much the same way when The Martha was an exclusive finishing school for privileged young ladies.
Also available to the public is a lovely Gift Shop, the Spa, an indoor swimming pool, a miniature golf course, and a Five Star restaurant in what was the dining hall for the girl’s school. You may also walk around the grounds and enjoy the beautiful gardens, many of which are originals from the Preston Family era.
Because The Martha is directly across Main Street from the Barter Theater, it served as the dormitory for the actors when they were first trying to get the theater going. It was in the middle of The Great Depression at the time, and although The Martha had been a hotel for several years, no one could afford to travel, so it sat empty. Robert Porterfield went to the owners and traded tickets to his shows for dorm rooms for his actors. Some future stars of Hollywood lived in a room at The Martha for several years.
The Alpine Motel
There are many other great places to stay in or near Abingdon, including ten 5-star hotels and the Alpine Motel. This motel is located in the Shenandoah Valley, just off Interstate 81 and 2 miles from the Virginia Creeper Trail entrance. Facilities include free Wi-Fi and a daily continental breakfast, plus wonderful views of rolling hills and cattle next door.
Alpine Motel has a super site in the country-side near Abingdon.
Big Stone Gap and beyond
For the rest of our trip, the accommodations were not quite up to the standards of The Martha, but were very comfortable, nonetheless. We made it a point to stay at a Comfort Inn wherever we stopped for the night. They always seem to be in a good location for visiting the area and the staff is happy to share their favorite places to see and things to do.
The staff in each were always friendly and helpful, everything was kept clean, and they always have a free breakfast buffet available. They have Military discounts and called ahead to reserve our room at the next stop.
The Comfort Inn is 1.6 miles from downtown Big Stone Gap and three other well know chain accommodations in Norton, Virginia are six to 12 miles away. Unfortunately, these are the only choices for this small town. We could find no B&B’s there.
Bristol is a fairly large town, (Population of 17,835 on the Virginia side: 26,702 on the Tennessee side as of 2010.) so there are many hotels, motels, and B&B’s to choose from. Since this was only a day-trip for us, we did not stay in any of the hotels here, so I can’t recommend a particular one. Google it and take your pick.
