Southwest Virginia Crossroads: An Almanac of Place Names and Places to See [Paperback]

Joe Tennis (Author)

Book Description

Series: A | Publication Date: June 1, 2004

The mountains, rivers, and lakes of Southwest Virginia have invited explorers since the mid-1700s. Now this land beckons the modern traveler with its siren song of beauty, wonder, and history. Southwest Virginia Crossroads: An Almanac of Place Names and Places to See extols the virtues of this national treasure and serves as a guide for those who want to find the best of America. As you journey with author Joe Tennis through Southwest Virginia Crossroads, he relates the history of the land and its people, chronicling the fascinating stories birthed in this fabled region, as well as age-old place-names and their origins. County maps and detailed directions lead you to all the little- and best-known attractions housed in cities and towns like Bristol and Abingdon or sheltered within the rolling farmland and weathered mountains. Even those familiar with the area will want to visit waterfalls, lakes, towns, cities, restaurants, and historical sites discovered in the! pages of this comprehensive work. Whether on the car dashboard or at home on the coffee table, Southwest Virginia Crossroads is a wealth of knowledge and a delight to read.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"History lovers will have a festival reading about the origins of places and happenings of bygone days." -- THE ROANOKE TIMES Nov. 28, 2004

"a mesmerizing, detailed, brilliantly researched account of our region which will make the public proud of where they came from." -- Abingdon Virginian Wed. Aug. 25, 2004

"much to see and do in Virginia's Southwest, and Tennis provides a good starting point in this tour guide." -- Richmond Times-Dispatch Sunday, Aug. 15, 2004

Joe Tennis has produced a masterpiece -- V.N. “Bud” Phillips, author of Pioneers in Paradise

What a fantastic comprehensive summary of the heritage and beauty of this area. -- Kitty Barker, Executive Director Blue Ridge Travel Association

About the Author

Joe Tennis is a graduate of Radford University in Radford, Virginia, where he studied journalism and political science. Born in 1969 in Virginia Beach, Tennis began his professional writing career at age 20 as a correspondent for the Virginia Beach bureau of theVirginian-Pilot. His articles and photos have appeared in several Virginia newspapers, including the Bristol Herald Courier, Roanoke Times, and the Virginian-Pilot. He has also written for the Kingsport Times-News in Tennessee and Blue Ridge Country magazine. Tennis has won awards from the Virginia Press Association, Tennessee Press Association, and the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association for his work as a feature writer for the Bristol Herald Courier in Bristol, Virginia. The author’s articles have appeared in two books as well as several major newspapers, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Greensboro News & Record, Charlottesville Daily Progress, Winston-Salem Journal, and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Tennis and his wife, Mary, live with their daughter, Abigail, near Bristol, in Washington County, Virginia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 166 pages
• Publisher: Overmountain Press (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570722560
• ISBN-13: 978-1570722561
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,131,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Travel > United States > States > Virginia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on Virginia's wild backyard, February 28, 2005

By 

Dan Rogers (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Southwest Virginia Crossroads: An Almanac of Place Names and Places to See (Paperback)

A newspaper journalist friend of mine wrote this book over ten years of trapsing the hills and mountains of his ancestral home of Southwest Virginia, chasing stories for the paper, and meeting everyone and uncovering nearly every story and beautiful place of Virginia's wilds along the way.

If you want to hike with the wild but friendly ponies of the Southwest Virginia Blue Ridge mountain ranges, climb Virginia's highest peak, or just find out the history of old Virginia places, like the stunning Burke's Garden, this is the book for you. These are just some of the experiences I have had using this book as a guide through Virginia's backyard. The good directions and maps will get you there to trail heads and take out points along the way.

I don't live in South West Virginia, and before I read this book (now in its second printing), I thought of Virginia in very local terms. Since then, I've realized that the history that starts here in my area, continues there in SW Va., the historic frontier. I've also been venturing out to "undiscovered" streams and waterfalls, getting away from the grind. The book makes for good weekend getaways, and you can afford to make these frequent, as SW Virginia tends to be less expensive than the rest of the state.

For everyone, and especially if you are from Southwest Virginia, I think you'll find the book indispensible for its history of your area, neglected too long. You'll not only know where to take out of town guests, but how to answer their questions about the things you've probably always wondered too -- just how did Hungry Mother State Park get its name? And what sight raised the hair on arms and necks leading to the name Goose Pimple Junction anyway? And what about Daniel Boone, Revolutionary and Civil War sites, ancient churches & communities, missing settlers, Virginia Indian Tribes still here, Blackbeard, railroads, oil and gold strikes, salmon and the best view east of Colorado? Southwest Virginians have a place and history they can be proud of, but I wonder how much of it is being passed on to the kids. This book will give you the stories to tell as you drive down the road. It will serve as a jump point for further investigation. And it will introduce you to places you will love, even if you've lived in Virginia all your life.

Interested in the project, I have been looking for a while at what else is out there. I know you'll find that this is the most thorough book of its kind for Virginia's beautiful but wild back yard; it's worth taking some weekends away to trace through the South West Virginia Crossroads.

4.0 out of 5 stars Southwest Virginia, November 12, 2011

By 

Wolf - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Southwest Virginia Crossroads: An Almanac of Place Names and Places to See (Paperback)

Very interesting book. Lots of facts and history for the newly arrived, as well as the born here local resident.