6 Great Beautiful Places in the State of Virginia

If you are looking for a few places to visit in the state of Virginia here are a few for your enjoyment that you won't want to miss.

Shenandoah National Park

This 200,000-acre national park, established in 1935, includes an 80 mile-long swathe of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Shenandoah is an Indian word meaning "Daughter of the Stars," a name that refers to the towering mountain peaks. To the west the land drops sharply to the Shenandoah Valley, and the ridges and wooded hills of the Piedmont dominate the landscape to the east. One of the most popular ways to view the lush terrain is from the 105-mile-long Skyline Drive, which connects Front Royal to Rockfish Gap.

Alternatively, you can explore the park by taking advantage of its more than 500 miles of hiking and horseback riding trails, including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail, the flora and fauna here include more than 40 mammal species, 200 bird species, 1,100 species of flowering plants, and 100 tree species.

The Harry F. Byrd Visitor Center at Big Meadows and the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center in the North District offer exhibits on the history of the park and the culture of the region. The park's northern entrance is located at Front Royal and the southern entrance at Rockfish Gap.

Prince Michel Vineyard

This 150-acre vineyard, famous for its chardonnay, Riesling, and merlot wines, offers tours to visitors who want to learn about the history of wine making and about contemporary methods of cultivating grapes to produce wine. Tours take in the vineyard fermenting tanks and a traditional barrel room, and visitors can examine rare wine bottles and antique wine-making equipment and learn about the history of viticulture through a video presentation. The tour ends with wine tastings of the vineyard's chardonnays and sauvignons. The vineyard is located 10 miles southwest of Culpeper on Hwy, 29.

Fredericksburg

Many of the 18th century buildings in this historical town are associated with George Washington and his family. George Washington gave the Mary Washington House to his mother, Mary, in 1770. Washington left from here for his presidential inauguration in New York City in 1789.

The Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop offers demonstrations of medical treatments such as leeching and bleeding, and displays instruments and equipment used by 18th century American apothecaries. It was opened in 1761 by George Washington's friend Hugh Mercer, an office when he was in town visiting his mother.

Washington's brother Charles built the Rising Sun Tavern in 1760. It was here that Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Comte de Rochambeau toasted their victory over the British in 1781. Fredericksburg is located of Hwy, 95.

Montpelier

This 2,700-acre estate of rolling pastures and forest was the home of James Madison, fourth president of the United States. He wrote much of the United State Constitution and the Bill of Rights here. Madison's grandparents bought the land in 1723, and the family continued to live at the estate for three generations. When James died in 1836, his wife, Dolley, suffered financial woes and was forced to sell much of the family furniture.

Montpelier itself was sold in 1844. The estate changed hands six times after that until 1901, when William de Pont purchased it. He expanded the mansion and added a number of buildings, including greenhouses, barns, a sawmill, and blacksmith's shop, bowling alley, and train station. He also built a two-and-a-half acre formal garden and a steeplechase course where the Montpelier Hunt Races are held the first Saturday in November. A guided tour of the estate includes the 77-room mansion and a portion of the extensive grounds, which include more than 100 other structures, such as the stables, the bowling alley, and Madison's Temple. Montpelier is located four miles southwest of Orange on Hwy, 20.

Ash Lawn-Highland

James Monroe, the nation's fifth president, bought this 3,500-acre property in order to be close to his friend Thomas Jefferson, whose mountaintop estate, Monticello, is two miles away and visible from Ash Lawn-Highland. Monroe named his estate Highland and a later owner renamed it Ash Lawn. Monroe was about to move to his new property in 1793 when President George Washington sent him to Paris to serve as the American ambassador to France. During Monroe's absence, Jefferson selected a site for Monroe's farmhouse and had his gardener planted orchards there.

In two years after Monroe returned from Europe, he took up residence at the house, filling its rooms with French Empire furniture. In 1826, a year after Monroe completed his second term as president; he was forced to sell the estate to pay off his debts.

Today Ashe Lawn-Highland comprises 535 acres. The house and boxwood gardens are open to the public. A statue of Monroe by Attilio Piccirilli is located on the grounds. During the summer the estate hosts living history programs of 18th and 19th century cooking and spinning techniques. Activities take place during the Summer Festival concerts and light opera. Candlelight tours and carol singing take place at Christmastime. Ash Lawn-Highland is located four miles south of Charlottesville off Hwy. 795.

Staunton

First settled by John Lewis in 1732 and laid out in 1749, this village became an important agricultural trading center in the 18th and 19th centuries. Because Staunton was undamaged during the Civil War, much of its historic architecture is preserved.

The Trinity Episcopal church, built in 1846, stands on the site of a building that was once occupied by Gov. Thomas Jefferson and members of the Virginia General Assembly. For 17 days in 1781, while fleeing advancing British soldiers, the members of the general assembly used the building as the territorial capital.

The career of the nation's 28th president is described at the Woodrow Wilson birthplace and Museum. The house has been restored to its 1856 appearance, the year of Wilson's birth. Rooms display family memorabilia, pictures, and furnishings such as chairs and a wood-burning stove. Woodrow Wilson's four-poster bed is on view as is his baby crib. The museum's Princeton Exhibit Gallery recreates Wilson's study, complete with desk, typewriter, and paintings from his years as Princeton University President, from 1902 to 1910. A highlight of the museum is the Pierce-Arrow presidential limousine. Staunton is located off Hwy. 81.