On to Lexington

Well, after walking Pickett's Charge, we boarded the bus and headed out of Pennsylvania for Lexington, Virginia. This is where we would tour Jackson's home, church, and grave; Lee's home and grave; Lee Memorial Episcopal Church; and VMI and Washington and Lee colleges. We made a quick stop along the way for a bite to eat, and pulled into Lexington around 2:30pm. We divided into groups, and then proceeded to the Jackson home for the tour. Dad and I were in the first group, so we were able to have a little more free time to peruse the bookstores and shops in town after the tour. The home has been recently restored, and you could still smell fresh paint. We were not allowed to take photos inside, but it was well done. The guides there really know their Jackson history, and it was very informative.

After the tour, Dad and I walked around this historical little town, and visited some shops. There was one bookstore at every stop that Harry would recommend, so we headed for that one. Of course when we found it, Harry and Cindy were already there!

Once everyone had completed the Jackson home tour and checked out the town, we boarded the bus and Harry took us on a quick drive past the campuses of VMI and Washington and Lee. We will be visiting these places in more detail the following day.

From there, we drove out to the location of our hotel and restaurant for the night. Luther had a meeting room reserved at the Country Cookin' Buffet, and the food was great. We ate, and then Harry, Luther, and Charlie Dunn(from RTS) spoke and took questions. We then went next door and checked in to our hotel. This was a beautiful place, as the front main building was a refurbished hotel that was there during the war. It is used as a Bed and Breakfast and main desk. Dad and I hit the rack early to get some rest for our last day of the trip.