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These guys were brilliant. They studied law, architecture, botany, music, philosophy, art. They spoke more than a half-dozen languages.

Both were presidents, and both were instrumental in setting up our form of government.

One, Thomas Jefferson, wrote the Declaration of Independence. The other, James Madison, was the architect of the Constitution.

SCOTLAND NECK, N.C. It would be possible to spend an entire day at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park without taking more than, say, 20 or so steps from the entrance.

As you drive into the center of Lexington, you pass the austere buildings of Virginia Military Institute, which bills itself as a training ground for leaders. Wind around the streets, and suddenly you see a pilates studio, and you just know Stonewall Jackson never heard of such a thing.

It’s this mix of old and new that makes Lexington a fun weekend trip.

I’m standing atop a sand dune in Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the Outer Banks with a 30-foot wing harnessed to my body. I’m about to fly.

I’m jittery, but I’m too busy focusing on my instructor to really think about what I’m doing. Maybe my family and friends were right when they said I was crazy.

My instructor, David J. Miller, tries to calm me down.

History buffs travel to Williamsburg and Richmond to discover the past, often skirting one of the neatest stretches of yesteryear around - Charles City County. Situated between the two more-visited cities, the county is small - about 7,200 residents, according to the 2008 estimated census - but packed with plenty of stories and preserved gems of history.

IRVINGTON
Being sent to detention isn’t as horrible as it once was.
Detention is the bar at The Hope and Glory Inn in Irvington on Virginia’s Northern Neck. But more on that later.

VIRGINIA BEACH Heed my words: Dress warmly. The wind was blowing hard on the otherwise bright, sunny day I chose to ride the tram into Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park. "Do you have a hat or anything? 'Cause you're gonna need it," advised one of the drivers.