Tubing on the James River. Credit: Pete Hellman
Take a carriage ride to tour Lexington. Credit: Chris Weisler
Lee Chapel, constructed in 1867, is a National Historic landmark.
Lavender Fields at Tantivy Farm. Credit: L. Michael Whited
in the area. A lovely and lazy tube trip organized by Twin River Outfitters on the nearby James River cooled us off on a warm day. This river is Virginia’s largest and flows across the entire state. Cedar Creek under the Natural Bridge is actually a tributary to the James. It was such a beautiful area, we decided to search for other places to visit and discovered and explored Humpback Covered Bridge in nearby Covington, which is one of the few remaining covered bridges in the United States that was built higher in the middle than on either end; hence, the name humpback. No trip to Humpback Bridge is complete without traveling a few more miles to Falling Spring Falls. As we drove, I searched both sides of the roadway waiting for a glimpse and was totally delighted and surprised when the falls appeared. The waterfall itself is easily viewed from the roadside lookout. The falls are created by a spring, so there's always some flow. The waterfall drops about 150 feet off an overhanging ledge, a rare type of fall in a state where most falls are cascades or slides. It’s especially thrilling after a spring rain. Our wanderings also took us to Lavender Fields at Tantivy Farm in Fairfield, a family-owned lavender farm and flower garden set atop one of the nearby mountains with most impressive views. You may sit and enjoy the
view and the lovely scent of lavender, or explore one or more of the hiking trails. The proprietors, Brian and Penny, were delightful hosts and introduced us to their friendly horses and Sicilian mini burros. Before parting, we sampled their homemade lavender ice cream. Armed with lavender sachets from their well-stocked gift shop, we enjoyed the lovely scent all the way home. No trip to this region would be complete without staying awhile in nearby Lexington. Not only is it a city of beauty and history, but one of higher education including not one but two well-known universities: Washington and Lee and Virginia Military Institute. The City of Lexington, originally known as Gilbert Campbell's Ford, was established as the town of Lexington in the spring of 1778. The name chosen by the Virginia Legislature for the new county seat was in honor of the first great battle of the Revolutionary War, the battle of Lexington, Massachusetts, which had occurred three years earlier. TheCityof Lexingtonwas incorporated in1841andalmost from the beginning its main industry was education. Liberty Hall Academy was established in 1790 just to the west of the town. When George Washington made a sizable gift to the college's endowment, the institution's
NATURALLY VIRGINIA
COAST TO COAST FALL MAGAZINE 2020
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