2 Best Sights in Central and Western Virginia, Virginia

Step into "Edankraal," the studio of Anne Spencer, a late poet of the Harlem Renaissance, and where she penned her most significant works. Hers is the only work of a Virginian to appear in the Norton Anthology of Modern American and English Poetry. A librarian at one of Lynchburg's segregated black schools, Spencer (1882–1975) penned most of her work in this back-garden sanctuary, which has been left completely intact along with her writing desk, bookcases, mementos, and walls, tacked with photos and news clippings.

This arboretum, 9 miles east of Winchester, has the most extensive boxwood collection in North America. Hands-on workshops and tours are available throughout spring, summer, and fall. You can stroll through the perennial and herb gardens and have a look at more than 8,000 trees. This spot is a wonderful place to bird-watch or to have a picnic.