We didn’t plan to fall for Danville. We drove up to this small city on the Dan River just over the border not really knowing what to expect. What we found was a layered little city with a tobacco-and-textile past, a civil rights story most people in Raleigh have never heard, a river trail that locals quietly love, and a downtown that has been reinventing itself for the last decade. (Hint: it’s only going to get better.)
And the people. They made us feel like we were part of the community. We left with the names and phone numbers of a few locals I think we could possibly call friends!
If you’re in Raleigh, Danville is closer than you think. 90-minutes up Highway 86 and you’re in a completely different state, in every sense of the word. We’ve been writing a lot of 36-hour itineraries, but this one is different. People go to Danville for all kinds of reasons. The casino. A race weekend at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR). A wedding. A history kick. So instead of a tight schedule, this is a highlight reel. Pick the parts that match your trip.
We visited the Danville and Pittsylvania County region for three nights in partnership with Visit SoSi, the tourism organization for Southern Virginia. This Danville-Pittsylvania guide is written based on our personal experiences. Fun fact: SoSi was named the fastest-growing tourism destination in the commonwealth by the Virginia Tourism Corporation last fall.
Read the full/original blog post here (This is Raleigh, Caroline & Craig Makepeace)