Life Outside Fall 2017 - 35

UTSIDE
SOME WHO VISIT LEXINGTON say it's in the middle of

nowhere. Others know that's one of its best parts, as
Lexington and surrounding Rockbridge County are
certainly somewhere special for those who enjoy the
outdoors, great food and a peaceful, restorative place
to sleep. Lexington is comfortably nestled toward
the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley, and
uniquely offers both flat and mountainous activities.

Flat Trails and Water Sports
Washington & Lee University and the Virginia
Military Institute are both located in Lexington, and
many students take advantage of the Chessie Trail,
a flat, gravel path which begins at Jordan's Point
in town and navigates alongside the Maury River
and under a canopy of trees for about seven miles
to Buena Vista (vmi.edu/about/visit/chessie-trail).
The Maury River meets the Upper James River
in Glasgow, and the James offers fishing, kayaking,
rafting and tubing on its Class I and II rapids.
Check in with the Wilderness Canoe Company
(wildernesscanoecompany.com) to schedule a trip
on the water.
And stop by the new Natural Bridge State Park
while in the area to see the cultural landmark.
There are caving opportunities at Natural Bridge, as
well as walking trails, kayaking and a zoo. Thomas
Jefferson himself developed a penchant for the
limestone arch, and began a retreat in the area,
which switched out its log cabins for a lovely hotel
well-worth visiting over the years (naturalbridgeva.
com/recreation).

Road Biking
The countryside south of Lexington is delightful
for biking. Start on Collierstown Road, and
gently roll through a 20-mile shutterfly of
peaceful farms, gurgling creeks, and of course,
breathtaking mountain views (wlu.edu/outing-club/
outdoor-activities/road-biking/collierstown-ride).
Traffic is lowest in the middle of the day, so grab
a late breakfast at Sweet Treats Bakery in town
beforehand -they have hot food as well as treats
(sweettreatsbakery.net). Browse through other biking
routes available if the Southside ride isn't your level
of difficulty or preferred length (wlu.edu/outing-club/
outdoor-activities/road-biking). And don't forget to
stop at Lexington Coffee Shop for some extra energy
and an authentic small-town experience-regulars
LifeOutsideMag.com // Fall 2017

35

http://www.vmi.edu/about/visit/chessie-trail http://www.wildernesscanoecompany.com http://www.wlu.edu/outing-club/ http://www.sweettreatsbakery.net http://www.wlu.edu/outing-club/ http://www.LifeOutsideMag.com

Life Outside Fall 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Life Outside Fall 2017