The Washington herald., 1916-03-26

burg, in the vicinity OF which are To-
Gated many beautiful country estates
| 1t Is a climb from Leesburg most OF
the way to Smokers Gap, where the
highway crosses the Blue Ridge Noun
| tatns. 1t was here that J. z. B. Stuart,
in 1862, with his cavalry lay concealed
for two days watching the Federal army
marching by. He dared not strike for
he was hopelessly outnumbered and
there was but one way out, and the
Northerners held that.
Virginia Apple Country.
1t was at Winchester that Washing
ton gained his early training when
! serving under the English flag. He
was sent up to build a fort to pro-
tect the country from a French in
vasion. His headquarters still stand
as do those Of Stonewall Jackson. This
is the apple country OF Virginia. The
fame of this product has reached Eu-
rope and annually hundreds of bar
rels are shipped direct to European
customers.
The road leads down the Valley
pike, which is part of the National
Highway that runs from Atlanta, Ga,
to New York. 1t is lined on either
side with fertile fields and we'll kept
farm houses that bespeak the pros
perity of their occupants. In the back
grounds are the mountains with their
haze of blue from which they get
their name Blue Ridge.
At New Market, a side trip OF four
teen miles can be taken to the Luray
Caverns, one of Virginla's famous
! points OF interest Returning to the
pike again Harrisonburg. a wealthy
little city, the county seat OF Rocking
ham County. is passed through. TWEEN
| ty-five miles beyond ties Staunton, ia
/ nous now as the birthplace of Presi-
| dent Wilson. 1t is also the seat of
several educational institutions.
| Which way to motor from stanton,
! to use the vernaCular. is up to" the
man that owns the car or to his guests.
Some prefer continuing on down
| over the beautiful National Highway
through Lexington and on to Natural
| Bridge and Roanoke. At Lexington
| is located Washington and Lee Uni
versity. When established in 1899 1t
was called Washington College in
| honor of George Washington, but in
1855, when General Robert +. Lee was
elected president of the institution,
| the name was changed in his honor to
| Washington and Lee.
Virginia Military Institute. a famous
school of the South. and which num-
bers among its graduates such men as
, Gen. Robert f. Lee and Stonewall
Jackson. is also located at Lexington.
| The city itself is one of the oldest in
! the State. and there is much of interest
! to be learned about it.
VirginIa's Natural Bridge.
Fifteen miles beyond Lexington on
the National Highway Is one of the
wonders of the world-Natural Bridge.
+ This bridge of limestone formation is
215 feet high, 100 feet wide, and has a
( ninety foot clear span over a ravine
/ of Cedar Creek. Superstition has II
THAT originally this creek was a sub
terranean stream, and that the roof
has caved in with the exception of
! the bridge. From the top of Mt JEFF
] ferson, located within the park. a beau
I tiful view of the surrounding country
| is to be had. In the distance the
! Peaks of Otter, the highest mountains
] This bride of limestone formation Is
/ Those who wish to visit Lynchburg,
one of the richest towns In the South
and famous as a shoe manufacturing
center. leave the National Highway al
Natural Bridge. The intervening forty
one miles is over good roads. Twenty
five miles west lies Appomattox. where
! with the surrender Of Gen. Lee to Gen
| Grant, the civil war was terminated
/ Seventyfour miles from Lynchburg
| over a good dirt road, is Danpille Va.
said to be one of the largest tobacco
centers in the world. Those who wish Ia
continue further South can cross into
North Carolina, two miles from Danville
and go to Raleigh, Charlotte, Winston,
Salem, or other points as they may de-
/ sire
! Continuing straight ahead at Natural
! Bridge, the highway leads into Roanoke
twenty-eight miles beyond Roanoke is
the metropolis of southwestern Virginia,
! Beyond Roanoke lie Radford, and Bris-
! toll, Va, on the way to Atlanta, while
a turn to the south leads to Winston
Salem and other North Carolina points
Two Famous Resorts.
| Hot Springs, Va, and White Sulphur
! Springs, w. Va, two famous resorts, are
both within a short distance Of Staun-
ton. En- route to either of these points
the disciples of Isaac Walton can have
ample opportunity to indulge in their
| favOrite pastime. The streams and rivers
abound in mountain trout. If one cares
for this sport, IT is well to enlist the
services of some one familiar with the
| locality. By this means the best fishing
points can be more readily found.
| Portions Of the country are wild
| enough to suit the most fastidious OF
those who desire to get back to nature
| During the Hunting season ample oppor-
|
be handy with the rife to exercise their
| skill. Hot Springs and White SULPHUR
are too well known to need more than
passing mention. One can continue on
| from White Sulphur or The White" as
! it is called by those living in the vi
cinity. to Charleston. w. Va, and thence
/ 20 Cincinnati and the West
J To the east from Staunton, the route
leads over the Blue Ridge Mountains
/ out Of the Shenandoah Valley into the
Albemarle Valley. 1t was from the tor
Of Rock Fish Gap that the early settlers
got their first glimpse Of the Shenan-
doah Valley, and laid claim to II in the
name of the King of England. Like the
Shenandoah Valley. the Albemarle VAL
ley Is famous apple country No more
beautiful sight can be found than the
view In either direction from Rock Fish
| Gap. As far as the eye can see. the
country is studded with beautiful coun-
try homes and fertile fields. CharIottes-
vile, the county seat, lies in this valley,
Temporary Capital of State,
In 17s2 It was the temporary capital Of
the State Two miles east of the city
/ Is Monticello, the home of Thomas JEFF
ferson, now the property of Congress
man Levy, Of New York. The place Is
being preserved as nearly intact as pos
. IN