Virginia Mountains - Vistas, History, & Wineries

[scifan57]

Thanks for another very good Civil War article. I found this map of the third battle of Winchester.

 

[suenc]

Monticello - Jefferson's Main Home - Part 2

The Monticello complex includes a large visitor's center and gift shop w/ buses that transport you to the mansion - a number of tours are available so if you plan a visit check ahead. The house is of course a MUST but self-tours of the 'wings' (the L-shaped extensions shown in the previous post) and a look at the gardens (faithfully duplicated from historic records) and the reconstructed slave quarters is also of great interest - Jefferson's wife (Martha Jefferson) died in her early 30s in 1782 - his later mistress was Sally Hemings, a slave and the mother of a number of his later children - Sally's and Martha's father were the same, i.e. John Wayles, Tom's father-in-law - BOY, isn't this an interesting relationship for one of the Founding Fathers of the United States!

The first image below shows just one of the two wings which contain passageways (tunnels) and many different types of rooms related to storage (e.g. wine & beer) and other purposes (kitchen). On the grounds are the 'historically' restored gardens and slave houses; finally, a short walk will take you to the Monticello graveyard where Thomas Jefferson is buried.

Near the entrance to the Monticello Visitor's Center is the colonial Michie Tavern, ca. 1784 - beginning description quoted below (and last two images below) - click on the link - another MUST visit if in the area. Dave



.
View attachment 67115 View attachment 67116 View attachment 67117 View attachment 67118 View attachment 67119 View attachment 67120 View attachment 67121 View attachment 67122 View attachment 67123 View attachment 67124 View attachment 67125 View attachment 67126

I have always been a fan of old TJ. An organization I know changed their name from Thomas Jefferson District to Southeast District because they were offended that TJ owned slaves. A bit short-sighted to me, since that was in the 1700s, but many people would say that racism is racism.

 

[suenc]

Luray Caverns & Other Caving Attractions

For those who enjoy caverns and caves, the Shenandoah Valley and the Smoky Mountains National Park (on both the North Carolina & Tennessee sides) offer plenty of experiences - quoted below, I've listed a bunch of options - we've visited about a half dozen over the years, so just another different experience when touring the area.

Luray Caverns is the most spectacular one in my first listing - click the link for some larger and dramatic pics (I've added some below). The caverns can be easily reached off I-81 or from the Skyline drive discussed previously - see the map below which shows the relative location of the towns of Staunton & Charlottesville covered in my previous posts. Dave


.
View attachment 67157 View attachment 67158 View attachment 67159 View attachment 67160 View attachment 67161 View attachment 67162 View attachment 67163 View attachment 67164

I'm not usually claustrophobic, but when I visit caves I'm always afraid that they will collapse and bury me alive. Luray is spectacular, though, and worth a visit.

 

[suenc]

Well w/ the post above, we returned to Keswick Hall and decided to eat in the bar area which has a small room w/ the bar and adjacent rooms (one w/ a pool table - tried to see if my skills were still present from 40 years ago - I was TERRIBLE!) - some pics below (there is a luncheon brunch which we did not try).

Because of a decent sized lunch, we both started w/ a half dozen Chesapeake Bay oysters on the half-shell w/ a fennel infused creme fraiche, followed by salads (Cobb salad for Susan - the chicken was a disappointment, so a fresh breast was grilled and her two cocktails were not charged - classy place); I had a mix field greens salad w/ a delicious crab cake - nice last day.

NOW - we've been going to the Shenandoah Valley & Charlottesville for decades, so I plan to continue this thread w/ more posts of the attractions in the area for those who are nearby and may want to visit? Of course, the most famous and visited house in the Charlottesville area is Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's jewel of a structure (I've been there a half dozen times so was not a visit recently) - this will be the topic of my next post! Dave
.
View attachment 67059 View attachment 67060 View attachment 67061 View attachment 67062

Keswick Hall is a keeper! It's so elegant that I felt like a princess in my private castle. No ladies in waiting, unfortunately.

 

[suenc]

Montpelier & More Wineries - Part 1

Our third full day included a visit to the ongoing restoration of James & Dolley Madison's Montpelier - the house was sold by Dolley after her husband's death, mainly to pay off debts (in her last years, she was broke and lived off the kindness of others). Dolley Madison was born in North Carolina near what is now Greensboro, about 40 minutes east of us (there is a major exhibit in the Greensboro Historical Museum worth seeing) - a little more information on her in the quotes below.

James Madison (1751-1836) was the 4th President of the United States and is considered the Father of the Constitution - in the winter of 1786-1787 (just before the Constitution Convention meet in Philadelphia - in the same room where the Declaration of Independence was debated and signed in early July 1776), he sat in his study (library below in the restored house) studying all forms of governments and came up w/ the Virginia Plan which formed the template for the American Constitution.

Montpelier went through a number of owners after the Madisons and was finally purchased by the famous and wealthy duPont family - the house was added to and updated w/ modern conveniences (and appeared as in the first image below) - Marion duPont Scott (she was married to the actor, Randolph Scott) gave the property to the National Trust for Historic Preservation (I'm a member of the organization which provided a 'free' admission for the both of us!) in 1983 - a major ongoing restoration is still underway w/ MUCH progress having been made since our last visit - at the moment, slave quarters are being reconstructed.

For our tour, we had an outstanding guide who brought the Madisons and their times in the house to life - James & Dolley loved company and also 'showing off' their possessions - this aspect of their personalities comes to life while walking through the house. The pics show the 'duPont House' and the restored Madison mansion; also several inside rooms (dinning room & library), the Temple (Madison & Jefferson enjoyed drinking and smoking there for hours while looking at the Blue Ridge Mountains), Madison's (and Dolley's) graves, and Susan reading w/ the couple on a bench (this is supposedly a life size portrayal of James & Dolley - James Madison was the shortest President at 5'4" although other's claim 5'6" as did our guide - if the latter height is true, then Dolley was as tall and maybe a little taller than her husband). Dave

P.S. like Adams, Jefferson, & Monroe who all died on July 4th, Madison was hoping for the same but came up short by only a week!






.
View attachment 67002 View attachment 67003 View attachment 67004 View attachment 67005 View attachment 67006 View attachment 67008 View attachment 67009 View attachment 67011 View attachment 67012 View attachment 67014 View attachment 67015 View attachment 67016

I enjoyed reading with my new friends, James ("Jim") and Dolley. She was quite a hostess. As you might see in the dinner table photo, she sat guests with opposing opinions next to each other, to make for lively conversation.

 

[suenc]

Shenandoah Valley & Attractions

From Charlottesville, Virginia, there are two main ways back to North Carolina (NC) for us: 1) Via HW-29 though Lynchburg to Danville and into NC; or 2) I-64 west to I-81 south which connects to I-77 about an hour from our home.

There are many other places to visit and historic sites to see - below on the map, I've highlighted a number w/ arrows/names and will dedicate a post to most - the famous mountain resort The Greenbrier, which is in West Virginia was discussed throughly in my travelogue for that state. SO, more discussions & pics to come soon - Dave
.
View attachment 67184

All great places. We're lucky to live within driving distance of so much beauty and history.

 

[suenc]

Thanks & you're welcome! But, you piqued my curiosity, i.e. 'how many' natural bridges or spans are in the eastern USA - found the website Longest Spans in Eastern United States - the criterion is a span of 100 ft or more (which eliminated VA's Natural Bridge by 10 ft). Although I've been to all of these eastern states, some many times, I have never seen any of these natural spans/arches - however, in October, we are going to visit our son in Indianapolis and usually fly (2 planes) - prices have really gone up!

Thus, we may drive but take 'overnights' in Kentucky (specifically, Frankfort, the capital & Lexington - never been to either and some sites to see) - I'd love to visit item #9 on the link given, i.e. Natural Arch of Kentucky - my original plan was I-77 through West VA, then I-64 to the Lexington area, but just plotted a number of directions and if I head west on I-40 through Knoxville, TN, then north I can come close to the Kentucky arch (lower red pins on the second image below) w/o adding much time at all to the first leg of the trip - looks like a worthy 'quick stop'? Dave

.
View attachment 67205
View attachment 67206

OK, I'll allow you to stop at that Kentucky arch.

 

[suenc]

Below is a schematic map of the current resort - it is huge - I remember a fire destroyed the place but could not recall the details; but plenty of information HERE w/ several paragraphs quoted below - year of the fire in 1901 (bold below) and a small pic of the resort before that fire (best one I could find) - we've not been back in a while and I'm sure Omni has done a great renovation - just checked and only jackets required in the Main Dining Room (the two pics shown previously), but plenty of other causal restaurants have been added - in retirement, I no long take jackets & ties on our trips, but would be interesting to return to the Homestead. Dave


.
View attachment 67235 View attachment 67236

I like the Homestead. It's a nice, comfortable Southern resort. I hear the mineral waters are therapeutic to bathe in, but we've never soaked. I'm curious to see the renovations.

 

[suenc]

Susan and I just returned from a 4-night trip to Charlottesville, Virginia (VA) - we've visited the area a half dozen times over the decades but has been 4-5 years since our last trip - I mainly wanted to return to see the progress on several historic houses of a number of the early Presidents of the United States. So, I'll start by describing our short journey there w/ a day to day account of our activities; then subsequent posts will describe some of our previous trips - as usual, I'll use some of my photos and borrow many images from the web.

Charlottesville is surrounded by mountains and is near the Shenandoah Valley - map below shows our route from Winston-Salem; we went via HW 29 through Lynchburg (to see one of Thomas Jefferson's homes - will be part of the next post) - there are a number of driving options including I-77 to I-81 which runs through the beautiful valley w/ a number of historic towns to visit. Charlottesville is the home of the University of Virginia, one of the best schools in the Southeast part of the USA - check the link, if interested; Thomas Jefferson (author of the Declaration of Independence & the third United States President) designed the Rotunda and adjacent wings (a couple of pics below after the map).

There are plenty of motels, hotels, and other housing option, but we have usually stayed @ the Boar's Head Inn, which is the official 'inn' of the University w/ an outstanding fitness center and restaurant; however, this time we splurged a little (kind of a second 45th anniversary celebration for us) and stayed at Keswick Hall, a historic property converted into a 48-room hotel w/ several restaurants, spa, and a gorgeous golf course designed by Pete Dye - below are my pics of the hotel from the front & back w/ some panoramic views - the grounds are landscaped beautifully - we really enjoyed our stay there.

Upcoming posts will describe our daily activities which varied from mountain scenery, visiting President's houses in the area, and also finding a number of the excellent wineries. Dave
.
View attachment 66817 View attachment 66818 View attachment 66819 View attachment 66820 View attachment 66821 View attachment 66822 View attachment 66823 View attachment 66824 View attachment 66825 View attachment 66826

Aaah, luxury! There were lots of Roll Royces and Mercedes in the parking lot--in contrast to our lowly Camry.

 

[giradman]

Thanks for another very good Civil War article. I found this map of the third battle of Winchester.
View attachment 67350

Great historic map, thanks! - I'm sure there are many concerning Civil War Winchester - I've never been to the town but would love to visit for many reasons, but just two as a beginning: 1) Daniel Morgan's Home; and 2) Patsy Cline's Home - plus, near Harper's Ferry National Park, which I have visited (site of John Brown's Raid) - so much to enjoy in that Valley! Dave

 

[scifan57]

Great historic map, thanks! - I'm sure there are many concerning Civil War Winchester - I've never been to the town but would love to visit for many reasons, but just two as a beginning: 1) Daniel Morgan's Home; and 2) Patsy Cline's Home - plus, near Harper's Ferry National Park, which I have visited (site of John Brown's Raid) - so much to enjoy in that Valley! Dave

It's from that Civil War Today app I mentioned before.

 

[giradman]

Roanoke, Virginia - Major City in the Valley

Roanoke is the largest city in southwest Virginia and a great place to visit - the town is just off the Blue Ridge Parkway and close to some of the topics already discussed, e.g. the Natural Bridge, Smith Mountain Lake, Lexington (my next post), and others. Quoted below are some selected paragraphs describing the importance of the city as a transportation center both in colonial times and when the railroads were the predominant means of long distance travel in the country (Source).

Roanoke is surrounded by mountains (see initial pics below of the city's skyline during the day and at night, plus nearby attractions, including mountain roads and Smith Mtn Lake). A great place to stay is the Hotel Roanoke which is an historic railroad hotel close to downtown (a crosswalk over the tracks makes easy access to the museums and excellent restaurants close by) - below are some views of the hotel and the crosswalk.

Just to mention three attractions: 1) Taubman Museum of Art in a new modern looking building as shown below - check the link, if interested; 2) Virginia Museum of Transportation - see second quote below along w/ a few pics; and 3) O. Winston Link Museum - he became famous for photographing a moribund technology, lugging his flashbulbs and Rolleiflex around the hills of Appalachia in search of steam locomotives - the museum is dedicated to his life w/ innumerable photographs of iconic steam locomotives - last four images of the outside/inside of the museum along w/ just two of his photos - check HERE for more. Dave

Roanoke (formerly Big Lick) is an independent city in the southern U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 97,032.[5] It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia.
Roanoke is the largest municipality in Southwest Virginia, and is the principal municipality of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which had a 2010 population of 308,707. It is composed of the independent cities of Roanoke and Salem, and Botetourt, Craig, Franklin, and Roanoke counties. Bisected by the Roanoke River, Roanoke is the commercial and cultural hub of much of Southwest Virginia and portions of Southern West Virginia.

During colonial times the site of Roanoke was an important hub of trails and roads. The Great Wagon Road, one of the most heavily travelled roads of eighteenth century America, ran from Philadelphia through the Shenandoah Valley to the future site of the City of Roanoke, where the Roanoke River passed through the Blue Ridge. The Roanoke Gap proved a useful route for immigrants to settle the Carolina Piedmont region. At Roanoke Gap, another branch of the Great Wagon Road, the Wilderness Road, continued southwest to Tennessee.

The Norfolk & Western was famous for manufacturing steam locomotives in-house. It was N&W's Roanoke Shops that made the company known industry-wide for its excellence in steam power. The Roanoke Shops, with its workforce of thousands, is where the famed classes A, J, and Y6 locomotives were designed, built, and maintained. New steam locomotives were built there until 1953, long after diesel-electric had emerged as the motive power of choice for most North American railroads. About 1960, N&W was the last major railroad in the United States to convert from steam to diesel power.

The Roanoke Transportation Museum, originally formed as a partnership of the Norfolk & Western Railway and the City of Roanoke, first opened its doors in 1963 in Wasena Park along the Roanoke River. Although all modes of transportation were represented, the Museum focused on telling the story of Roanoke’s rich rail heritage.

The Museum’s collection includes approximately 2,500 objects, including more than 50 pieces of rolling stock—locomotives and other rail cars—including the largest collection of diesel locomotives in the South. The Museum has expanded its collection to include automotive, aviation, transit, and other artifacts and frequently exhibits loaned objects.

.

 

[scifan57]

Roanoke, Virginia - Major City in the Valley

Roanoke is the largest city in southwest Virginia and a great place to visit - the town is just off the Blue Ridge Parkway and close to some of the topics already discussed, e.g. the Natural Bridge, Smith Mountain Lake, Lexington (my next post), and others. Quoted below are some selected paragraphs describing the importance of the city as a transportation center both in colonial times and when the railroads were the predominant means of long distance travel in the country (Source).

Roanoke is surrounded by mountains (see initial pics below of the city's skyline during the day and at night, plus nearby attractions, including mountain roads and Smith Mtn Lake). A great place to stay is the Hotel Roanoke which is an historic railroad hotel close to downtown (a crosswalk over the tracks makes easy access to the museums and excellent restaurants close by) - below are some views of the hotel and the crosswalk.

Just to mention three attractions: 1) Taubman Museum of Art in a new modern looking building as shown below - check the link, if interested; 2) Virginia Museum of Transportation - see second quote below along w/ a few pics; and 3) O. Winston Link Museum - he became famous for photographing a moribund technology, lugging his flashbulbs and Rolleiflex around the hills of Appalachia in search of steam locomotives - the museum is dedicated to his life w/ innumerable photographs of iconic steam locomotives - last four images of the outside/inside of the museum along w/ just two of his photos - check HERE for more. Dave





.
View attachment 67374View attachment 67375View attachment 67376View attachment 67377View attachment 67378View attachment 67379View attachment 67380View attachment 67381View attachment 67382View attachment 67383View attachment 67384View attachment 67385View attachment 67386View attachment 67387View attachment 67388View attachment 67389

I've always been interested in steam locomotives. The transportation museum would be something I would make sure to see.

 

[giradman]

I've always been interested in steam locomotives. The transportation museum would be something I would make sure to see.

There is also a wonderful North Carolina Transportation Museum which restored the 611 locomotive on the poster pic in my previous post - built around the 'Spencer Shops' which housed the many workers during the hey-days of locomotive transportation between the northeast and Florida.


But if you do get to Roanoke, VA, their transportation museum is wonderful but you definitely have to also go to the one on O. Winston Link - a little bio below (Source); plus, found some more of this photos online, even a picture of him (he is on the left) w/ his assistant and a few in color - he preferred night scenes in B&W. Dave

O. Winston Link was born on December 16, 1914, in Brooklyn, New York, and died in 2001. From an early age his two great passions were photography and trains, and when a chance commercial assignment took him to Staunton, Virginia, a town only a few miles from the Norfolk and Western railroad line, his artistic and life path was set.

It was 1955 and the Norfolk and Western (the N&W) was the last large steam-powered railroad in America. Within weeks of his first visit, Link had secured permission to access the tracks from R. H. Smith, president of the railroad company. Over the next five years, Link made over twenty trips to Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina, producing over 2,400 images of the line. Most of the images were produced on 4 x 5 film with a Graphic View Camera.

.

 

[scifan57]

There is also a wonderful North Carolina Transportation Museum which restored the 611 locomotive on the poster pic in my previous post - built around the 'Spencer Shops' which housed the many workers during the hey-days of locomotive transportation between the northeast and Florida.


But if you do get to Roanoke, VA, their transportation museum is wonderful but you definitely have to also go to the one on O. Winston Link - a little bio below (Source); plus, found some more of this photos online, even a picture of him (he is on the left) w/ his assistant and a few in color - he preferred night scenes in B&W. Dave


.
View attachment 67390 View attachment 67391 View attachment 67392 View attachment 67393 View attachment 67394 View attachment 67395 View attachment 67396 View attachment 67397 View attachment 67398 View attachment 67399

You're right, the O. Winston Link museum is definitely worth a visit, based on all those excellent steam locomotive photos in your post.