| Virginia holds an important place in American history, as its past is the beginning of the nation’s history and heritage. Virginia was home to many of the United States’ founding fathers, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Mason and Patrick Henry. Today, Virginia is a popular tourist spot where people can visit historic places such as Alexandria, Williamsburg and Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate.
Virginia also offers the beautiful scenery of the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountain ranges to the west, the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay to the east, and the green rolling hills of the Piedmont in between. Luray Caverns, the largest caverns in the eastern United States and a National Landmark, are located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
Additional points of interest and attractions in Virginia include Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson; Stratford, home of the Lees; Richmond, capitol of the Confederacy and of Virginia; and Williamsburg, the restored Colonial capital, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park; the Booker T. Washington birthplace near Roanoke; Arlington House (the Robert E. Lee Memorial); the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge National Parkway.
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