Booker T. Washington National Monument birthplace of the great black educator and statesman, author of "Up From Slavery" and advisor to several presidents (540) 721-2094. www.nps.gov/bowa

AEP Visitor's Center at the Dam. Tour includes model of the lake, explore the history of the dam, and learn how the pump-back system operates. Great views from the top of the dam and a scenic picnic area at its base. (Accessible only by road.)

D-Day National Memorial - Bedford - The nine-acre, $14-million memorial honors D-Day veterans with dramatic life-size bronze sculptures of soldiers struggling to survive and gain a foothold on the shell-swept coast of Omaha Beach in Normandy. http://www.dday.org/

Blue Ridge Parkway - Breathtaking scenery. Go hiking, biking, picnicking or explorng. Or take the Parkway winery trail to Château Morrisette, AmRhein Wine Cellar , and Villa Appalaccia Winery. Also visit the historic Mabry's Mill. http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/

Virginia's Explore Park - Roanoke. Barely a thirty-minute drive from the lake, Explore Park features living history displays along with hiking, biking, kayaking and dining.
http://www.explorepark.org

Blue Ridge Institute, Museum and Folk Life Center - Ferrum. Explore Virginia's rich traditions of craft, music, art and lore in BRI Exhibits. Step back in time to a German-American Blue Ridge farm in the year 1800. http://www.blueridgeinstitute.org/

Virginia Museum of Transportation - Roanoke.The largest collection of locomotives in the Southeast, with over 40 pieces of rolling stock in the rail yard. Also on display are antique carriages, cars, trucks, buses, and trolleys, Interactive exhibits. Special events and more! http://www.vmt.org/

Mill Mountain Zoo - Roanoke. Just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Zoo exhibits 45 plus species including Snow Leopards, Red Pandas, Japanese Macaques, Bald Eagles and much more. http://www.mmzoo.org/

Virginia Museum of Natural History - Martinsville. Permanent exhibits: Age of Reptiles, Age of Mammals, Rock Hall of Fame, Earthquakes of Virginia. Gift shop, natural history library. Eight research scientists on staff, over 21 million specimens in collections. http://www.vmnh.org/