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Roanoke went from a sleepy farming settlement called Big Lick to a railroad city of 25,000 in under five years. When the Shenandoah Valley Railroad and the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad merged to form the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1881 and chose this Appalachian valley as their machine shops headquarters, the transformation was almost instantaneous. The original N&W Machine Shops along Norfolk Avenue are now part of the Virginia Museum of Transportation, which holds one of the best collections of steam locomotives in the American South, including the Class J 611 and the massive N&W Class A 1218.

The Roanoke Star on Mill Mountain has overlooked the city since 1949, a neon-lit steel structure that glows blue, white, and red and can be seen from 60 miles on clear days.

The star's hilltop park also holds a small zoo and a dramatic overlook above the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Roanoke Valley. The Historic City Market on Campbell Avenue has operated since 1882, making it one of the longest-running outdoor markets in Virginia -- a good place to find local apples, handmade crafts, and whatever the Blue Ridge growing season is offering.