Shenandoah Valley

National Park

One of the most spectacular national parks in the country, Shenandoah is a showcase of natural color and beauty: in spring and summer the wildflowers explode, in fall the leaves burn bright red and orange, and in winter a cold, starkly beautiful hibernation period sets in. White-tailed deer are a common sight and, if you're lucky, you might spot a black bear, bobcat or wild turkey. The park lies just 75 miles west of Washington, DC.

Museum

Many visitors to Lexington give this museum in the grounds of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) a miss. We counsel you not to do the same, as its subject matter and exhibits are totally engrossing. Chief of staff of the US army during WWII, Marshall was described by Winston Churchill as 'the organiser of the Allied victory.' A 1901 graduate of VMI, he is perhaps best known as the creator of the $13 billion Marshall Plan for post-WWII European reconstruction.

Cave

If you can only fit one cavern into your Shenandoah itinerary, head 25 miles south from Front Royal to the world-class Luray Caverns and hear the 'Stalacpipe Organ' – hyped as the largest musical instrument on earth. Tours can feel like a cattle call on busy weekends, but the stunning underground formations make up for all the elbow-bumping. To save time at the entrance, buy your ticket online ahead of time, then join the entry line.

Bridge

We're going to let Thomas Jefferson write the review of the main feature in this state park, which he described in his book Notes on Virginia : 'It is impossible for the emotions arising from the sublime to be felt beyond what they are here: so beautiful an arch, so elevated, so light, and springing as it were up to heaven...' As well as the 215ft-high limestone bridge here described, the park has 6 miles of hiking trails through forests and meadows.

Mountain

The highest peak in the park (4050ft) is also a well-known nesting area for peregrine falcons. Stand on the rustic stone observation platform at the end of the trail for long-lasting impressions of the park’s wondrous beauty.

University

You'll either be impressed or put off by the extreme discipline of the cadets at Virginia Military Institute, the only university to have sent its entire graduating class into combat (plaques to student war dead are touching and ubiquitous). The VMI Museum houses the stuffed carcass of Stonewall Jackson's horse among its 15,000 artifacts and the George C Marshall Museum honors the creator of the Marshall Plan for post-WWII European reconstruction.

University

Named for George Washington and Robert E Lee, this pretty and preppy liberal arts college was founded in 1749. George Washington saved the young school in 1796 with a gift of $20,000. Confederate general Robert E Lee served as president after the Civil War in the hope of unifying the country through education. Visitors today can stroll along the striking redbrick Colonnade and visit Lee Chapel & Museum.

Amusement Park

One of the wackiest attractions yet from artist and creative wunderkind Mark Cline, this kitschy theme park transports visitors to an alternate reality: a forested kingdom where Union soldiers are attempting to use life-size dinosaurs as weapons of mass destruction against Confederate forces during the Civil War. Even President Lincoln is here, trying to lasso a flying pteranodon. The Styrofoam and fiberglass creations are lifelike enough to amaze younger kids, and the offbeat historic juxtapositions will entertain even the grouchiest of adults.

Museum

This picturesque chapel inters Robert E Lee (1807–70). After Lee's death, Virginia sculptor Edward Valentine created its life-size 'Recumbent Lee' statue. A small museum displays Lee's office, and his horse Traveller is buried outside.