Lexington is a great place for a quick daytrip from Roanoke, especially when the weather is nice. On a spring-like February day, we snuck off for a nice walk through town and some history research time for Justin.
It's always a simple pleasure to walk from shop to shop in the town, especially when you take in the Victorian Parlor and Shenandoah Attic. In those stores, spend time with the personable, warm owners as you browse. These days, there are a number of restaurants, too--most of which are non-chain.
We typically walk up to Lee Chapel and the Virginia Military Institute Museum, both which feature some interesting collections and are both housed in buildings with churches. Lee Chapel's museum has been retooled recently to focus on Wasington and Lee University history and includes classroom artifacts, and the VMI Museum is in the process of updates as well. At the VMI, don't miss Jackson's horse: yep, Stonewall's actual horse hide, mounted, is there. On a more serious note, Kim is always moved by the display of military medals for those cadets who "died on the field of honor," one of which is her classmate Josh Hurley, Alleghany High School '97, VMI '01. If you visit in a museum mood, also see the Stonewall Jackson House (closed part of the winter season) and VMI's Marshall Museum.
If you go, we think the best place to park is in the visitor's center free lot and that a walk from the center through town helps you feel oriented. The town is pleasantly walkable.
Relevant Links:
Shenandoah Attic and Victorian Parlor
VMI Museum
Lee Chapel and Museum
Relevant Twitter Handles:
LexingtonVA
We totally need to take our boys to Lexington for a day trip. We tend to just get stuck in the rut of doing things around Roanoke - it's fun but they'd love some variety I'm sure.
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