Rap' s Orchard Gap
Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 193.5
1113 Dust Ridge Road
Fancy Gap, VA 24328
bob@rapsorchardgap.com

Happy days are here again at this 50's-style pit stop for gas, food, and fun!
Open from 9AM to 6PM Friday thro Saturday, and 10AM to 6PM on Sunday

A landmark to Hillsville since 1946, the Hillsville Diner is now the oldest continuously operating streetcar diner in the entire state of Virginia. Manufactured by the O'Mahoney company. The facility is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Hillsville Historic District. Moved here from Mt. Airy, NC where a young Andy Griffith frequented. It is open from 4:45 a.m. till 2 p.m. Monday - Friday and on Saturday open until 10 a.m. Stewed beef is a specialty, as is gravy biscuits and buttermilk pancakes - home cooked selection and short order

Conveniently located at Exit 14 of Interstate 77 and just a few miles west of Hillsville off of Route 58/221. the restaurant features plate and buffet and home cooked meals. Seating capacity of 283 with two meeting rooms. Store hours are: Sunday - Thursday, 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Friday & Saturday 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

A truly unique destination - the Old Nuckolls Drug Soda Fountain features old time ice cream treats, sandwiches, homemade desserts, and gourmet coffee items. Originally established in 1932, the Soda Fountain has a stunning retro-environment with the original tin ceiling and mosaic tile flooring. The Soda Fountain is collocated with "The Hardware Company Restaurant," which offers lunch and dinner daily in a 1930s hardware atmosphere. Together, these establishments offer a broad menu of dining options and treats, all set in a unique historic setting. Kids will enjoy the Arcade Room and retro-treats. All major credit cards are accepted. The Soda Fountain is open 7 days per week, serving lunch and ice cream treats, pastries and coffee from 11am until 9pm.

Rio Grande is a popular Hillsville Restaurant that serves authentic Mexican food. The business is located on Stuart Drive (Route 58) in the Hickory Hills Shopping Center. Mixed drinks and beer are available. Daily Specials. An enclosed porch is available.

Hillsville's own sports bar and grill. Three Cheers offers music, wide-screen TV, pool tables, and a relaxed atmosphere. It has been in business for three years and seats 45. Come in for a drink - all ABC permits. Great food - especially the burgers. Serves lunch and dinner.

Learn about the rich history of Carroll County in the museum located within the Historic District of Hillsville in the Historic Carroll County Courthouse. The facility presents the history of Carroll County and its various communities. Exhibits and artifacts reflect the heritage of Carroll County, which was formed in 1842. Early Native American artifacts recovered from nearby archaeological are also on display. Large Civil War collection including drum used by local unit. Museum has extensive archive and reference materials in its resource section. Guided tours are available of the Historic Courthouse (1872-74), which is an architectural gem and site of tragic courtroom shooting incident in March 1912 (advance reservations requested). Publication and gift sales. The Museum is open Tues.-Fri. 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sat. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

This monument was first unveiled on July 4 1907.The sculpture stands 21 feet tall and is made of cast zinc a zinc alloy-most period monuments were made of a combination bronze granite and marble. Located on the lawn of the Historic Carroll Courthouse.The monument originally stood in the middle of Main Street but was moved to its current location in 1930.The monument is a contributing object in the Hillsville Historic District of the National Register of Historic Places and is listed in the Save Our Sculptures program. The Jubal Early Camp #1691 Sons of Confederate Veterans had a campaign to help restore the monument, which had experienced heavy deterioration. This monument was restored at the Modern Art Foundry in New York New York and was re-erected on February 28 2007 and re-dedicated in April of 2007 on its 100th anniversary.

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Plateau of Southwest Virginia in northeast Carroll County, Dinwiddie Presbyterian Church is one of six rock churches built by Rev. Bob Childress of native stone. Subject of the book, The Man Who Moved a Mountain by Richard C. Davids (1970). This is the largest of the six rock churches. Construction for the church building began in 1946. Visitors who wish to view the property are encouraged to do so, but tours are not available. The six churches are a popular regional atttraction.

The Hale-Wilkinson-Carter Home is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Hillsville Historic District. Initially the home was constructed by Fielden Hale in 1845, but extensively modified in 1924 by Industrialist George L. Carter. The property is owned by the Carroll County Board of Supervisors, but is leased to the Hale-Wilkinson-Carter Home Foundation - a non-profit organization. The building is currently undergoing renovation, but frequently accommodates social events in the restored second floor. Space is available for weddings, luncheons, and such. Future use will include arts and craft sales and display. Tours are available on a limited basis, usually Wednesdays; a scheduled work day of the foundation. Site part of the Historic Hillsville walking tour. Please call for tour information.

This trail is a part of the statewide Birding and Wildlife Trail system of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Southwest Virginia is a part of the Mountain Area which includes 34 trail loops with 340 sites. Carroll County has four trails within the Blue Ridge Highlands Loop. This trail is also a part of the Mountain Warbler Trail loop, the first of it's kind in VA.
This is a walking trail with spectacular outdoor nature scenery within Town of Hillsville. It is situated along a stream embankment with views of open fields opposite the creek and the trail meanders through a peaceful canopy of hardwoods. The trail is open from sunup to sundown. Access is on Beaver Dam Road (If traveling north from Downtown Hillsville on Route 52, take a right onto Beaver Dam Road. Go 1/4 mile and parking at bottom of hill on left.

The Carter Pines Community Park is a 24 tract within the Town of Hillsville and is owned and administered by Carroll County. Largest town park in SW Virginia. The tract contains one of the first and last surviving white pine plantings in the state. Five-acre remnant stand was planted in the 1930s. Several acres are replanted native hardwoods. A cleared landscaped area has a recently constructed large picnic shelter and a large granite Community Honor Wall. The tract also contains a unique 1924 hydraulic water ram system listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Trail system soon to be built. Tract adjacent to the Carroll Wellness Center and Carroll County Governmental Center and open sunrise to sunset. Best access to the park is from West Grayson Street near the intersection of Rt 221 (Floyd Pike) and East Grayson Street.

Nestled within the heart of the Blue Ridge Plateau, Carroll County boasts an ideal setting for fishing within many of its mountain streams. Seasoned fishermen will attest to the vibrant quality of trout that can be hooked within Carroll County. Key streams include: CROOKED CREEK (brown, rainbow, and brook trout); STEWARTS CREEK (brook trout); LITTLE REED ISLAND CREEK (rainbow and brown trout); Paul's Creek (brook trout); LOVILL'S CREEK (rainbow trout); and LAUREL FORK (brook trout). Many of these streams are within protected waters, such as within the Stewarts Creek Wildlife Management Area and the Crooked Creek Wildlife Management Area. Please consult website listings and other sources for further details.

Overlooking the New River, the Shot Tower was built in the 1800s to make ammunition for firearms of the early settlers. Lead from the nearby Austinville Mines was used to manufacture lead shot for muskets and muzzle loading shotguns. Because lead required a 150-foot drop to properly form a shot, the lead was melted in a kettle at the top of the 75-foot tower and poured through a sieve falling through the tower into an additional 75-foot shaft beneath the tower into a kettle of water. The shot was then sorted and shipped to market via an access tunnel that ran from the bottom of the shaft to the river’s edge.

This low-tech, yet effective, version of production ran until the end of the Civil War when changes in technology forced the Shot Tower's closure. Today, the tower is believed to be the only one of this particular design in the world. For this reason it has been designated both a National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Engineering Landmark. Visitors may ascend the tower and enjoy the picnic facilities.

The Southwest Virginia Farmers' Market opened for business in 1992. It is a State owned facility operated by Carroll County. The market provides additional marketing alternatives for the agricultural producers of SW Va. It operates both Wholesale and Direct Retail sales. The Direct Retail sales is open each spring until December. Here farmers/vendors sell their produce directly to the public.

The market is conveniently located next to I-77 (Exit 14) just west of Hillsville at the intersection with Route 58. Travelers will enjoy the opportunity to stop and purchase fresh locally grown produce and related products, such as jams, honey, and jellies. There is also a green house. The market sponsors special festive events throughout the year. Product availablity is based on season and hours of operation may vary with season.

This event is sponsored by VFW Grover King Post 1115 and has achieved such popularity that it now consumes much of the entire town of Hillsville. Antique dealers, gun dealers and traders of all kinds make this one of the largest shows in the southeast. Hillsville expects to draw over 500,000 visitors this Labor Day weekend.

Dates: September 4, 2009 thru September 7, 2009