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Lexington
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Though it's one of the region's smaller towns,
LEXINGTON
, in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, easily has the most to offer visitors. From horse-drawn carriages parading along its quiet, brick-lined streets, to the fine rolling countryside all around - displayed to great effect in the movie
Sommersby
- Lexington makes a great place to sit back and relax or, if you prefer, delve deep into Civil War and assorted other military memorabilia at its small museums and memorials.
The most engaging of these, the Lee Chapel (April-Oct Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 2-5pm; Nov-March Mon-Sat 9am-4pm, Sun 1-4pm; free), is on the attractive colonnaded campus of Washington and Lee University , a short walk north of the town center. A commodious and somber building, the chapel is named in honor of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, who taught here after the Civil War. Behind the pulpit is a marble statue of Lee in repose, surrounded by an array of authentic battle flags; along with many members of his family, Lee is interred downstairs in the chapel crypt, and his horse Traveler is buried just outside. On the comparatively bland but formidable campus of the Virginia Military Institute , just east of the Lee Chapel, the Military Museum (daily 9am-5pm; free) tells the story of the state-supported, male-only military academy, which was founded in 1836 and has the dubious claim to fame of being the only university in US history to have sent its entire student body into battle. If possible, time your visit to coincide with the 4pm Friday full-dress parade held on the field in front of the museum. At the opposite end of the parade ground, the George C. Marshall Museum (daily: March-Oct 9am-5pm; Nov-Feb 9am-4pm; $3) documents the life of World War II US general and later secretary of state George C. Marshall, whose plan for the reconstruction of postwar Europe earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. The Stonewall Jackson House , 8 E Washington St (June-Aug Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 1-6pm; Sept-May Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm; $5), is where the noted Confederate general and Virginia Military Institute philosophy professor lived for fifteen years before his death at the battle of Chancellorsville. His spartan brick townhouse is furnished as it was in the years before the war. Stonewall is buried, along with hundreds of his fellow soldiers, in the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery off South Main Street. This is now the prime destination for twilight ghost tours , leaving from the visitor center every evening at 8.30pm (May-Oct only; $8), which are great if you're traveling with kids. Twenty miles south of Lexington on US-11 is the spectacular Natural Bridge (daily: June-Sept 9am-10pm; Oct-May 9am-5pm; $10), where meandering Cedar Creek has gradually carved away at the softer limestone, forming a 215ft archway that has dazzled several distinguished visitors over the years: George Washington allegedly carved his initials into the rock (though it takes a keen eye to see them), and Thomas Jefferson was so impressed that he bought the site and owned it for fifty years. It's worth the hefty admission price, but don't expect it to be "one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World" as its publicists suggest. The Natural Bridge Caverns are also on site ($7), but it's best to save your money for the more spectacular Luray Caverns, further north. Another option is the $17 combination ticket which gets you into the caverns, the Bridge and the cheesy Wax Museum that's also here.
Even if you're not thrilled by war stories and natural bridges, Lexington still makes a good stop, with dozens of fine old homes to see; pick up a walking tour map from the friendly
visitor center
, 102 E Washington St (daily: June-Aug 8.30am-6pm; Sept-May 9am-5pm; tel 540/463-3777,
). For
food
, the
Southern Inn Restaurant
, right in the center at 37 S Main St (tel 540/463-3612) offers good ol' Southern cooking such as a scrumptious meatloaf; it's attached to a bar that churns out live
music
Friday and Saturday nights. If your taste tends towards tofu, you may prefer the
Blue Heron Cafe
, 4 E Washington St (tel 540/463-2800), one block from the visitor center. A few blocks west stands Lexington's one remarkably cheap
place to stay
, the nicely maintained $10-a-night self-serve
Overnight Guests
, 216 W Washington St (tel 540/463-3075; up to $35); in addition to the usual motels along the highways, the comfy German- and French-speaking
Asherowe B&B
, 314 S Jefferson St (tel 540/463-4219; $50-75), is located six blocks southwest of the visitor center. There is also a
campground
along Rte-11 south of town, near Natural Bridge (tel 540/291-2727). Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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United States,
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