Virginia

I decided I should go through Virginia. I can get to Virginia from where I live within one hour. In spite of that, I've only spent one or two hours total in Virginia in the past couple years. The state has a lot of interesting stuff, but almost all of it is on the Eastern half of the state. But right in the center of the state there's some stuff that I figured would interest me. Its mostly historical/presidential stuff. Also, a lot of cool gravesites. So off we go on something I like to call the I See Dead People Tour.

Lexington, Virginia is a cute town. It also has Washington and Lee University, the burial spots of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, The George Marshall Museum, the Virginia Military Institute, and Stonewall's House. Pretty good for such a small town. They aren't all independent events. Stonewall taught at VMI, thus the house, thus his burial there. Washington and Lee used to be Washington University. After the Civil War, Robert E. became its president. He was at that job when he died. George Marshall was a graduate and maybe taught at VMI. His museum is right across from the campus.

I went through the Marshall gift shop, but not the museum. I was filled with angst on whether I should go through it. Plusses - He was an important person in U.S. history (The Marshall Plan). Minuses - 1.) It cost $5. 2.) He was just a Secretary of State (Would you pay $5 to go through a John Kerry museum?). 3.) He oversaw WWII operations from Washington D.C. making him really important, but a very unexciting WWII general. 4.) Nobody but Alex Trebek and few others know what the Marshall Plan was. The Minuses won. I did buy a $2 item from the gift shop because the greeter at the door seemed nice and by not going through the museum, I felt like I made him sad.

Washington and Lee University is adorable. It would be fun to be in college again. When your in it, I don't think you appreciate the uniqueness of that period of your life. A chapel Lee had built on campus has where he is buried. It also has his father, Revolutionary War general, Lighthorse Harry Lee. His horse, Traveler, is also buried there. For some reason that seems just a bit creepy.