After getting everything straightened out this morning with car rental and air flights…I felt like the trip really got underway today doing what I love the most…historical travel.

I left Roanoke about 9 am and drove up Hwy 81 to the town of Lexington, Virginia a historical civil war town founded in the 1700’s! I stopped at the visitors center to pick up some information and maps and got there in time for the 10 am tour of the Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson home. As much as I think I know history I am always learning. I learned that Stonewall Jackson was a war hero from the Mexican American war and then returned to teach at the Virginia Military Institute where he was a professor. When the Civil War broke out he became general of the Confederate Army. He was shot by his own men “friendly fire” at Chancelorville and died 7 days later from pneumonia. The tour of his home was quite fascinating. After I walked around the main historic downtown district marveling at the architecture and quaintness of this town.

I then headed over to Lee University where General Lee was President of the University in his later days after the civil war. At the university is the Lee Chapel which is where General Robert E. Lee is buried with his family and his horse!!! His horse Traveller was with him during every battle of the Civil War. Lee died in 1870 and Traveller died in 1871. The campus was absolutely gorgeous and reeked of history. Right next door to the Lee University is the Virginia Military Institute. I didn’t think I would find it interesting but it actually was.

It was the first federally founded military academic school in the US back in 1839. George Marshall (of the Marshall Plan) attended there as well as General Jackson. It is still used to this day as a military school and also buried on the grounds is Stonewall Jackson’s horse.

There is a museum there I visited and the chapel as well as the George Marshall Museum. I then walked through the town of Lexington to the outskirts of town to visit the Cemetery. At this cemetery Stonewall Jackson is buried as well as his family members. Aside from seeing this, it was nice to wander around the old cemetery and the old headstones fascinate me and are thought provoking letting my imagination run wild thinking of what they may have died from, how did they end up in Lexington, Virginia, what were there stories? There was also a burial area for unknown Confederate Dead.

At this point I was done with Lexington and going to head up to Staunton via the interstate. But the lady at the visitors center said I should take the back road hwy 11 because it was much more scenic and was the actual road the cadets marched during the civil war. Aside from that, the birthplace of Sam Houston was along that route who later went on to be President of Texas (Yes…Texas was it’s own country for a while).

The drive north along this route was very scenice and it was nice to drive through the rolling hills with no traffic, music blasting, and thinking what it must have been like nearly 150 years ago as troops marched along this road.

I finally arrived in Staunton (prounced Stan-ton)! My main point I wanted to see here was the Woodrow Wilson Birth Home. The city of Staunton was very quaint and founded in the 1700’s as well. The Woordrow Wilson Birth Home and Museum was very interesting and I learned some new historical facts! Woodrow Wilson is the only president to have earned a PhD….the other presidents have only had honorary PhD. There was no one else there so I had a private tour of the home which contained the actual bed he was born in and his crib.

The museum was well put together tracing his life and his Presidency as he lead the US through World War I. It was during his Presidency that the woman’s suffrage movement took hold and women gained the right to vote. I also learned his first wife died while he was in office and he remarried during his second term. There was a special exhibit about the tragedies of World War I.

By this time it was getting late and I pushed on to Charlottesville which is where I am now. I arrived in Charlotesville looking for a place to crash for the night and found a relatively cheap Holiday Inn. I was too tired and distraught to try to find a real budget motel. So I’m all checked in now and going to do my research and prepare for tomorrow tour of three Found Father’s Homes…Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe.

This evening I am much more relaxed and enjoying the history and today my passion and love for free exploration travel and history has been rekindled.