Planning a Trip

Visitor Information -- The Lexington & Rockbridge Area Visitor Center, 106 E. Washington St., Lexington, VA 24450 (tel. 877/453-9822 or 540/463-3777; fax 540/463-1105; www.lexingtonvirginia.com), is a block east of Main Street. Begin your tour of Lexington at this excellent source of information, for it offers museumlike displays about the town's history, has an accommodations gallery for making same-day hotel reservations, and distributes free walking-tour brochures (you can park in the center's lot while touring the town). The center is open daily from 8:30am to 6pm June through August, from 9am to 5pm the rest of the year. It's closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Getting There -- Lexington is at the junction of I-81 and I-64. U.S. 60 and U.S. 11 go directly into town. The nearest regular air service is at Roanoke Regional Airport. Staunton has an Amtrak station (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com).