Lexington Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

Overview

Introduction

Overview

Introduction

Lexington, Massachusetts, about 10 mi/16 km northwest of Boston, bears witness to the war for U.S. independence.

On 19 April 1775, Lexington was the site of the first skirmish of the Revolutionary War when British troops were dispatched to seize a supply of arms in Concord and were challenged by Minutemen as they reached Lexington.

Guided tours at Buckman Tavern recount the actions of the Minutemen (they used the tavern as their headquarters), but the actual battle took place on the town green, where you can view Daniel Chester French's Minuteman statue of Capt. John Parker.

Every April, the battle is re-enacted. If you want a good viewing point, arrive early and don't blink, or you'll miss it: The re-enactment, true to history, is over in a few minutes.

If time allows, visit the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, previously known as the National Heritage Museum.

For a look at Massachusetts' revolutionary side, take a trolley tour of Battle Road. The tour features costumed guides who describe the events that led up to the fight for independence.

Overview

Introduction

This lovely town in the Shenandoah Valley is home to two famous schools: Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute. Washington and Lee dates from the 1740s and contains Lee Chapel, Robert E. Lee's final resting place.

The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is one of the nation's most prominent military academies. There are two museums on campus. The VMI Museum includes objects that belonged to cadets and instructors who went on to military fame, including George S. Patton and Stonewall Jackson. Among the exhibits is Little Sorrel, Jackson's horse, which has been stuffed and preserved.

The George C. Marshall Museum is dedicated to the VMI graduate who became the Army Chief of Staff during World War II. He is best remembered for rebuilding Europe (through his eponymous Marshall Plan) at the close of that war.

Stonewall Jackson's home has been preserved in Lexington, and his burial site is now the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery.

Equestrian enthusiasts should not miss the Virginia Horse Center, which hosts dozens of horse shows and contests throughout the year.

About 12 mi/18 km southwest of Lexington is Natural Bridge, a limestone arch that so fascinated Thomas Jefferson that he bought it in 1774. (George Washington carved his initials into the rock.) Equally impressive are the Caverns of Natural Bridge, three levels of caves that go 34 stories below the Earth's surface.

Overview

Introduction

Lexington Park, Maryland, is located near the Potomac River's Breton Bay in the south-central part of the state, 50 mi/80 km south of Baltimore. Lexington Park is the home of the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum, part of the Air Warfare Center located there. St. Clement's Island (where ships landed in 1634 with the first European settlers) and the Potomac River Museum (historical displays) are nearby.

Just across the river is Solomons, a fishing village that has lots of antiques shops along a riverwalk. The town's Calvert Marine Museum, a natural-history museum, has a period-decorated screw-pile lighthouse and fossil and wildlife displays, including the fossil remains of an 8-million-year-old whale, as well as a collection of oceangoing vessels.