Southwest Virginia’s “Crooked Road” region has been named one of the 2010 America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The 253-mile route through Virginia’s Appalachian region winds through 10 counties, three cities, and 19 towns. Originally conceived and incubated through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), the project was designed to higlight the unique cultural heritage of the region and build on tourism and related economic restructuring strategies to revitalize the string of historic downtowns. 

(Photo Credit: Virginia Tourism Commission)

You can vote for The Crooked Road as the 2010 most distinctive destination, and you’ll be entered to win a complimentary two-night stay at any Historic Hotel of America.

Vote as often as you’d like at www.preservationnation.org/ddd and vote through Feb. 28.

According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, eight out of 10 leisure travelers include cultural heritage sites in their itinerary.  Each year, that translates to 118 million travelers spending more than $194 billion. For more information on the announcement, read the related Roanoke Times article.