Whitewater Rafting
at the Adventure
Sports Center
International at Wisp
The area also hosts a vast number of
historical sites. Among them are the
Blue Ridge Institute & Museum, Thomas
Jefferson’s private retreat — “Poplar
Forest,” and Avenel Plantation, which hosted
Robert E. Lee and Edgar Allen Poe. For the
history buffs, visit Blue Ridge Institute &
Museum, which is considered Virginia’s
center for Blue Ridge Folklore.
There are plenty of rustic accommodations,
but if you’re looking for something a bit more
modern and swanky, stay at Sans Souci at
Smith Mountain Lake. It’s a luxurious chalet
on the lake with breathtaking views. You must
Lake Anna State Park
Photo: biblio1979
bring your own food and prepare it, but the
amenities are beyond sufficient to create a
memorable vacation.
Perhaps you’re on a bit more of a time budget
and would prefer something a little closer. If
that’s the case, head up to Deep Creek Lake
in northwest Maryland. It’s less than a 3-hour
drive outside of D.C. There is folklore that
McHenry, MD, where a good portion of the
lake exists, is the inspiration for the film Shrek.
Supposedly, in other countries the foreign
translation of Shrek is McHenry. We have yet
to verify this, but it’s a great claim to fame if
it could be corroborated. That said, no fame
is needed in