I do hope that you aren't confusing "Western Virginia" with West Virginia. Seeing how I-81 predominately travels through Virginia and only slightly through the state of WV. I don't say that to demean you, but it is unfortunately a common mistake a lot of folks make.
If you truly are wanting to see more of WEST Virginia, then it's going to depend on how far off of I-81 you're willing to travel. The majority of WV would take you quite a ways off of 81, and could totally change your trip. Even the border areas with Virginia are remote and hard to get to off of 81. If you wanted to just reroute your trip entirely, then that would open up a lot more options.
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Hi, mostly seeing things. Some walking but nothing to hard. My wife is very ill (terminally) and there will be no white water rafting or anything like that. She is hooked unto a CAD pump, so pretty limited on what we can do.
The bridge does sound like it might a nice stop along the way.
Battlefields are a nice stop as are nice walk-ways - in town main streets. Like to see what it's like in other area and Main Street is often a great way to tell about an area
Great Bakeries, Candy Shps and yarn stores are always a plus
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Assuming you don't want to stray too far away from I-81, I would recommend the following.
In Wytheville, VA hop off I-81 and drive north on I-77. That would take you into Southern WV near the town of Princeton. There's two really cool interstate tunnels on that stretch. In Princeton, take US 460 East to the town of Rich Creek, which spits you back out into Virginia temporarily. Then take US 219 from there and it will take you on a very scenic drive from Peterstown, WV to Lewisburg, WV. Lewisburg is a town that punches waaaay above it's weight class! The town is very charming, and has many historic structures and sites. The oldest church east of the Allegheny front is there. Downtown is very walkable with plenty of local stores, restaurants, art galleries, antique stores, coffee shops, etc.! There's buildings that have been preserved that date back to the 1700s. The town has been ranked as America's Coolest Small Town before. There's also a Carnegie Hall, which is only 4 remaining worldwide that's been in continuous use as a performance venue.
I absolutely love Lewisburg!
Lewisburg /
https://greenbrierwv.com/places/downtown-lewisburg
Carnegie Hall /
https://www.carnegiehallwv.org/
>After that, if you're wanting to continue exploring WV you can continue to follow US 219 and see some of best things in all of West Virginia. I'll call this "
Option A", give you more info below.
>If you're wanting to get back on 81, you can just take I-64 East from Lewisburg and it will take you back to I-81. I would HIGHLY recommend a stop at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulfur Springs. It's one of the most historic and beautiful places you'll find in the entire country! I recommend the bunker tour, which you cannot get anywhere else. If you are unfamiliar, the Greenbrier Bunker was intended to be a base of operation of the US Congress in the event of nuclear war. They built an entire facility under ground for both the House and Senate, with dormitories and all. It's fascinating!
The Greenbrier /
https://www.greenbrier.com/
Bunker Tours /
https://www.greenbrier.com/activities/bunker-tours/
Afterwards, it's just a hop skip and a jump back over to the VA side of the border and I-81.
>
Option A continued:
(*Note: All of this would be impossible to do in one day, so keep that in mind. This is more of a menu of possibilities!)
If you were to continue on in WV, you could still go visit the Greenbrier. It would just take you a different way north to the next stretch. If you follow US 219 from Lewisburg, you'll see some really cool things.
1. Author Pearl S. Buck Birthplace and Museum in Hillsboro
https://pearlsbuckbirthplace.com/
2. Marlington, WV > I recommend the Greenbrier Grill
You've got options from here. Some will take you off 219, but still logically heading north.
3. Green Bank Observatory and Telescope: Home to the largest telescope of its kind.
https://greenbankobservatory.org/
4. Cass Scenic Railroad: Is a former logging town that has been preserved. The train probably isn't running right now, but during the warmer months the train will take you up a mountain to an elevation of nearly 4600 ft. During the fal, you can't beat the experience!
https://mountainrailwv.com/legacy/
5. Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort: An entire Alpine village on top of a mountain. Great views, great restaurants, and you don't have to be a skier to enjoy it!
https://www.snowshoemtn.com/
From there you'd get back on US 219 North.
6. Elkins, WV: Another scenic and historic mountain town. Charming local businesses.
https://elkinsrandolphwv.com/
Again there's options for directions. We will call one
Option A1 (great sauce) and
Option A2
>
Option A1
Take US 48 (Corridor H) from Elkins to Parsons. From Parsons go to the towns of Thomas and Davis.
7a. Thomas/Davis, WV: Both very popular mountain towns. Very much an artsy and touristy area.
https://www.backpacker.com/trips/wes...mas-and-davis/
8a. Blackwater Falls State Park: Don't want to miss if you go this way! It's not entirely handicap accessible, but there's spots that allow for great views of the falls without having to do all the stairs.
https://stateparks.com/blackwater_fa..._virginia.html
From there, stay on US 48 and it will take you all the way back to 81. Or you could head into Maryland and connect with I-68 East. There's multiple options there. I-68 will connect with I-70 West in Hancock, MD, then eventually I-81 in Hagerstown, MD.
>
Option A2
Take US 33 East from Elkins. This route is very hilly and curvy! But it's one of the most beautiful drives in the Eastern United States IMO!
7b. Seneca Rocks: Breathtaking rock formation and discovery center. Apart of the National Recreation Area.
https://elkinsrandolphwv.com/place/seneca-rocks/
After Seneca Rocks, hop on WV 28 North. This is an extremely scenic route, with awe inspiring scenery.
8b. Lost World Caverns: Offers a quick stop with a tour of the caverns. Nice gift shop and food.
https://www.lostworldcaverns.com/
Then take 28 to Petersburg, WV. Then hop on US 220, and follow it to Moorefield. There you will meet US 48 (Corridor H) and take it East into Virginia and the I-81.
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