These destinations are stunning in their own right, but couple them with the colors of fall and you have a real winner.
Monticello
1. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello * Charlottesville
- Thomas Jefferson – third president, author of the Declaration of Independence, self-taught architect
- UNESCO World Heritage Site – the only U.S. presidential and private home on the List
- Saunders-Monticello Trail – four miles; accessible. Includes unique features, like an elevated boardwalk and pond. (MAP)
Mount Vernon
2. Mount Vernon, George Washington’s Estate and Gardens * Mount Vernon
- George Washington – first president, commander of the Continental Army, gentleman planter
- Originally, the estate was more than 8,000 acres. Presently, an estimated 500 acres have been preserved.
- Interactive Map
Montpelier
3. James Madison’s Montpelier * Montpelier Station
- James Madison – fourth president, Father of the Constitution, scholar
- 2,650-acre estate includes the 200-acre Landmark Forest, a National Natural Landmark
- Google Trails Map
Ash Lawn-Highland by Rick Stillings
4. James Monroe’s Ash Lawn-Highland * Charlottesville
- James Monroe – fifth president, Governor of Virginia, negotiator of the Louisiana Purchase
- See the “witness tree,” a white oak yet standing from Monroe’s time on his Highland plantation.
- Virtual Tour
5. Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest * Forest
- Archaeology and restoration is always in progress at Jefferson’s personal retreat.
- UNESCO World Heritage Site Nominee
- Buy Tickets Online
Stratford Hall
6. The Lee’s: Stratford Hall * Stratford
- Robert E. Lee’s Birthplace; Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee’s Boyhood Home
- Robert E. Lee - General of the Confederate Army; President and namesake of Washington and Lee University
- Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee - only brothers to sign the Declaration of Independence
- 1900 acres overlooking the Potomac River
7. George Washington’s Ferry Farm * Fredericksburg
- Washington’s family moved to Ferry Farm when he was six.
- See the home site along the Rappahannock River.
- Archaeology lab allows visitors to see artifacts discovered on the property.
Crab Orchard Museum & Pioneer Park
8. Crab Orchard Museum * Tazewell
- Periods of history include Native American, Pioneer, Revolutionary War and Civil War.
- Fifteen 1800s log cabins and stone structures
- Special tours and a pioneer summer camp are available.
9. America’s Historic Triangle * Jamestown * Williamsburg * Yorktown
- Jamestown was settled by the English in 1607 as the first permanent colony in the New World.
- Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the country, and was the first capitol in the new World.
- Yorktown is where the American Revolutionary War was won. It was October 19, 1781.
Gunston Hall
10. George Mason’s Gunston Hall * Lorton
- George Mason – Author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, after which the United States Bill of Rights was modeled
- 550 acres on the Potomac River
- Download Grounds Map
Oatlands
11. Oatlands Historic House and Gardens * Leesburg
- Federal-style mansion was built over five years, beginning in 1804; embellished into the 1830s
- Original grounds were 3,408 acres; today the estate is 261 acres.
- English Oak and European Larch are existing from the original 1800s gardens
Sherwood Forest Plantation
12. John Tyler’s Sherwood Forest Plantation * Charles City
- John Tyler – tenth president; America’s first vice president to ascend to the presidency upon the death of the sitting president
- Longest frame house in America; continuously occupied by the Tyler family since 1842
- Home to America’s first Ginkgo tree
- Additional nearby plantations include Shirley (Virginia’s first plantation; 1613) and Berkeley (site of the first official Thanksgiving; 1619)
VIRGINIA IS FOR LOVERS.
© Casey for Virginia's Travel Blog, 2014. |
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