Lost Communities of Virginia Driving Tour Brochures
We’ve found that people are using the Lost Communities of Virginia book to tour the state, but there are many more fascinating places than we had room for in the book. Lost Communities of Virginia Driving Tour Guides introduce travelers to lesser known aspects of Virginia history by providing backroad routes to lost communities. Communities highlighted on the routes reveal physical remnants of once thriving communities and unique areas to explore and visit; each with their own unique piece of Virginia’s history and character.
The tour guides are brochures covering a few counties at a time via rural roads, with historical information and points of interest highlighted, along with a detailed map showing the tour route. The brochures are available in local county tourism offices, at our office (101 South Main Street, Blacksburg), or can be downloaded as PDFs.
Visual Composition The image is a vertical brochure cover layout. Top Header: A solid, olive-green horizontal banner contains the main title text in a white, serif font. Logo: Below the header, suspended against a clear blue sky, is a distressed, slate-blue rectangular logo with ornate wrought-iron scrolls on top. The logo features a white silhouette map of the state of Virginia above stylized text. Central Image: The primary subject is a tall, historic, weathered white wooden building—likely an old mill—surrounded by green grass, leafy trees, and branches framing the foreground and right side. The building features multiple tiers, weathered tin roofing, two small dormer windows on the middle roof slope, and a small cupola or bell tower at the very top peak. The white paint on the wooden siding is significantly chipped and aged. Transcribed Text Top Banner Text: BACKROADS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA Logo Text: Lost COMMUNITIES of VIRGINIA
Virginia’s back roads and rural areas are dotted with traces of once-thriving communities. General stores, train depots, schools, churches, banks, and post offices provide intriguing details of a way of life now gone. The Lost Communities of Virginia Backroads of Southwest Virginia Driving Tour gives people the opportunity to explore a sampling of Virginia’s back roads in counties connected by the mountains and the New River.
Enjoy seeing mountain views, iron furnaces, agricultural landscapes, historic churches and cemeteries, and general stores; browse historic downtowns; hike trails like the New River Trail; listen to music of the Crooked Road. This route is designed as a loop so that you can jump on the route from a multitude of locations.
Please note that some points of interest in the brochure may no longer be open or be open different hours than stated in the brochure.
Download the 28″x19″ interactive PDF copy of the brochure. (Note: For best results, download the PDF file and use Adobe Acrobat Reader) Click on communities and points of interest on the map to link to their descriptions in the text. Click on URLs in the text to learn more about points of interest.
Alternatively, download the brochure as a PDF of 16 (8.5″ x 11″) pages that can be printed and assembled into a full-size copy of the brochure on your home printer.
Visual Composition The image is a vertical brochure cover or promotional banner. It features a scenic, eye-level perspective looking down a historic, rustic steel truss bridge that has been converted into a pedestrian or driving path. The Bridge: The bridge is a dark reddish-brown, weathered steel structure with an intricate, geometric web of overhead and side trusses. It has wooden side railings with wire mesh panels. The deck is covered with fallen autumn leaves, and long shadows stretch across the path from the right. Surrounding Nature: To the left, vibrant orange and yellow autumn leaves hang from tree branches, partially framing the bridge. A clear blue sky is visible through the framework of the bridge and the trees. Graphic Elements: At the very top, a solid dark red horizontal bar contains white text. Overlaid on the upper third of the image is an orange, vintage-style hanging sign graphic containing a logo and text. Text and Branding Transcription Top Banner: SOUTHERN DRIVING TOUR Logo Sign Text: Top Graphic: A white silhouette map of the state of Virginia. Middle Line (Serif Font, White): Lost COMMUNITIES Bottom Line (Serif Font, White): of VIRGINIA
Virginia’s back roads and rural areas are dotted with traces of once-thriving communities. General stores, train depots, schools, churches, banks, and post offices provide intriguing details of a way of life now gone. The Lost Communities of Virginia Southern Driving Tour gives people the opportunity to explore a sampling of Virginia’s back roads in south central Virginia. The route is designed as a loop so that you can jump on the route from a multitude of locations and spend an afternoon exploring or create a multi-day adventure.
Please note that some points of interest in the brochure may no longer be open or be open different hours than stated in the brochure.
Download 28″x19″ interactive PDF copy of the brochure here. (Note: For best results, download the PDF file and use Adobe Acrobat Reader) Click on communities and points of interest on the map to link to their descriptions in the text. Click on URLs in the text to learn more about points of interest.
Alternatively, download the brochure as a PDF of 16 (8.5″ x 11″) pages that can be printed and assembled into a full-size copy of the brochure on your home printer.
Overall Layout The image is a vertical brochure cover with a vibrant dark blue background. It features a collage of photographs related to motorcycle touring in Virginia, combined with prominent white and orange text. Text Transcription Main Title & Header (Top) Header: MOTORCYCLISTS GUIDE (White, all caps, bold sans-serif) Title: to "Lost" Communities (Large, stylized white script font with a hand-drawn look) Subtitle: of Virginia's Blue Ridge (Orange with a black outline, bold sans-serif) Feature Lists (Middle Section) An asymmetrical layout lists key highlights of the guide in orange text with a dark outline: Right side highlights: back roads scenic routes people country stores Left side highlights: history pioneering industry majestic mountains map food lodging breathtaking vistas points of interest Slogan & Branding (Lower Middle) Virginia is for Lovers (White script and serif text with a red heart icon) Footer & Contact Info (Bottom) Organization Logo: Blue Ridge Travel Association of Virginia (The word "Blue" features a yellow rising sun graphic inside the letter 'u', and a small red heart rests above the letter 'i' in "Ridge") Phone Number: 1-800-446-9670 (Large, bold white text) Website: www.virginiablueridge.org (Bold white text) Imagery & Key Visual Details Top Right Photo: Shows a carved wooden bear holding a "WELCOME" sign outside a brick building. Two white motorcycle helmets rest on a wooden bench or railing nearby. Middle Left Photo: A close-up shot of the corner of a white, historic building with decorative trim. A small rectangular sign on the building reads RURAL RETREAT. Middle Right Photo: Features two touring motorcycles parked in front of the PAINT BANK GENERAL STORE. The store has a white porch railing, brick pillars, and distinct signs over the entryway.
The Motorcyclist's Guide to Lost Communities of Virginia's Blue Ridge Driving Tour Brochure is the first of our driving tour brochures and is less detailed than the later brochures. It provides directions and suggested stops for 2 drives of less than 100 miles each in Southwest Virginia that highlight the boom and bust of Virginia's Iron Industry.
It is envisioned that these brochures will become a guidebook that seeks to bring to life the past and present characters of Virginia’s lost communities by providing the traveler with a historical sketch of each community written in the words of its residents. Accented by a general narrative of the trends and movements of Virginia and U.S. history, the book will highlight those moments in time that make each community a unique part of our shared American story.
For more information, call 540-231-5644, or email tlfisher@vt.edu.