Nestled in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley along the expansive Blue Ridge Parkway, Lexington is home to the
Virginia Military Institute, the oldest publicly funded military college in the country. In addition to cadets who have called the city home, the area was also the birthplace of Cyrus McCormick and Stonewall Jackson. Washington & Lee University students mingle with VMI cadets, residents, and visitors in the historic downtown, the whole of which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; perhaps the best way to appreciate the town is on a Lexington Carriage Company guided tour. Outdoor adventurers enjoy biking, hiking, tubing and horseback riding, and the truly adventurous enjoy llama treks at Applewood Inn. History buffs observe native techniques of canoe-building, hide tanning and harvesting at the Monican Indian Village, which is in nearby Natural Bridge and was once owned by Thomas Jefferson. Art lovers are fond of the Art In Lexington Tour and Theatre at Lime Kiln, and the abundance of c