Evening star., 1951-04-22
Or Tour Possibilities in Vrqino Are VirtLoly Endless
Special Map Shows
Trip Combinations
BY Walter w. Hubbord
American Automobile Association

American Automobile Association
Weekend motor tours through
Virginia have historic, geologic
and scenic interest. History, in
the Old Dominic State, ranges
from the days of the earliest
English settlement in the New
World. It's geologic interest in
cludes mountains and tidewaters,
and such items as mineral springs,
natural bridge and vast area
OF underground caves, with color
ful StalactiteS and stalagmites.
Its scenery runs the gamut of
sightseeing wonderS-the snake
like road of Skyline Drive, fiow-
ering hillsides, forests, rivers, val
leys and tidal basins. OF the
States 49,000-mile network of
roads about 1000 miles are con-
crete surfaced.
Pick a Combination.
The map prepared by the Amer
lean Automobile Association, when
broken down into individual units,
shows a number of tours that.
can be made in one day or I'M
long week end. Among ex-
ampies are days trip to historic
winchester by way of U. S. SO,
or a longer tour into Staunton,
the Skyline Drive and the Shen-
andoah Valley, making one or
two overnight stops. Pick out
your own combination; the mile
ages are clearly indicated.
A motor tour to Natural Bridge
by way of U. S. SO, %, II and $50
is a sample of what one might
expect by way of variety, for 90
miles out of Washington we are in
the Bull Run area. scene of the
First and Second Battles of
Manassas, both of which were lost
by the Union forces.
Touring highlights include:
Winchester-Locale of the an
nual spring Apple Blossom Festi-
val and the Blue Ridge Hunt Club
Horse Show in June. Center of
the greatest apple growing area
In the world. Within a 25-mile
radius of this city, established by
law IN 1852, were fought more
than 100 engagements during the
War Between the States. Christ
Episcopal Church contains the
tomb of Lord Fairfax, for whom
George Washington worked in be-
ginning his career as a surveyor
here. Stonewall Cemetery con-
tains the graves of more than
$500 Confederate soldiers. Win
chester National Cemetery con-
tains the remain of 1853 Union
veterans.
Washington's. Sheridan's and
Jackson's headquarters are all
located In Winchester, as is the
site of Fort Loudoun, built by
George Washington in 1855.
StraSburg-A mile to the north
OF Strasburg, in the Shenandoah
Valley, once known as the Gran
ary OF the Confederacy," are the
Battlefield Crystal Caverns. On
the grounds are. the infantry
breastworks thrown up by Phil
Sheridan's troops during the sec
ond year of the Civil War.
New Market-Near this part of
Virginia are located the Endless
and Shenandoah Caverns. Here,
too, occurred one of those thrills
OF history"-an incident in the ]
Battle of New Market, May Is, |
1854. Gen. Franz SigeTs. veteran
Union Army was starting to whip
the gray-clad forces commanded |
by Gen. John C. BfeckirRidge.
Cadets from the Virginia Military
Institute at Lexington were called
20 bolster the Confederate forces.
In their first baptism of fire they
captured a Federal battery andI
took approximately 30 prisoners.
Sigeps seasoned troops retreatedI
after the Gray attack. OF the 221
boys, IS were killed or wounded
on the field.
burg-Hungry for Vir-I
g1nia hams, chicken or broad
breasted turkeys? Then stop off
at Harrisonburg and have the
children see some of the largest
turkey and chicken farms east of
the Mississippi River. Then sam
pie turkey steak in a local res
taurant; it's "yummy!"
In the valley, nearby, is the
Lincoln homestead on State $780,
Here lived Abraham Lincoln's
grandfather. and here was born
Thomas Lincoln, father of the
Civil War President, Stonleigh,
on East Market street, was an
early home of DR.. Walter Reed.
Staunton-This was the CAPT.
tai of Virginia when the Assembly,
fleeing from Col. Bannister Tarle-
tons raid on Charlottesville to
capture Thomas Jefferson, met
here for a while. The Manse.
birthplace of Woodrow Wilson
still stands.
WaynesborO-Near here oc-
CURED one Of the last skirmishes
Of the Civil War, when Jubal
Early's forces were beaten by
TTvai~~n