Charlottesville, Virginia

First stop today was in Winchester, Virginia in Frederick County.  I stopped in the visitors center which had a great film on the local history and a notable local celebrity - Patsy Cline.   This little town was caught in the cross hairs several times during the Civil War, changing hands between the Confederate and Union armies nearly every threes weeks during the war.  There are two Civil War cemeteries in town one for each army.  

Below is photo of George Washington's office before and during the French Indian War.  It was later used by Stonewall Jackson during the Civil War.

From Winchester I drove to the small town of Front Royal, the beginning of the Skyline Drive.  The drive is 100 miles of roadway through the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Shenandoah Valley. The trip took 6 hours.  At first it was completely fogged in and by the end the sun was out and the overlooks provided spectacular views of the valley. FDR dedicated the Shenandoah Valley as a National Park. There are several hiking trails, a lodge with a restaurant, camping, picnic sites, visitor centers, and 70 overlooks providing guests along the roadway a chance to see multiple views of the valley from both sides of the mountain range. It was beautiful!