The 100 Best Affordable Vacations (5 page)

Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce,
336-248-5929,
www.lexingtonchamber.net
.

Lockhart, Texas.
Located some 25 miles south of Austin, this tiny town of 14,000 on the historic Chisholm Trail boasts less than a handful of barbecue restaurants, but collectively they serve up 5,000 meals per week. Barbecued pork sausage is the specialty here, though you’ll find chops and brisket as well. All the barbecue joints win raves, but if you must choose only one, make it
Kreuz
(pronounced
KRITES
)
Market
(619 N. Colorado St., 512-398-2361), where smoky brisket, peppered pork ribs, and jalapeño-cheese sausage win raves. Don’t ask for sauce—they don’t have it; but the sauerkraut is divine. The town’s annual Chisholm Trail music and ‘cue fest is held the second weekend in June.

Lockhart Chamber of Commerce,
512-398-2818,
www.lockhart-tx.org
or
www.lockhartchamber.com
.

Memphis, Tennessee.
Debating where to find the best barbecue here is something of a city sport. With more than a hundred ‘cue joints, there’s plenty to choose from. Often mentioned are
Rendezvous
(52 S. 2nd St., 901-523-2746), famed for its ribs since 1948;
Central BBQ
(2249 Central Ave., 901-272-9377), known for its slow-smoked ribs, pulled meat, and hot wings;
Corky’s
(5259 Poplar Ave., 901-685-9744), seasoned with a dry rub, slathered in sauce, and slow cooked; and
Neely’s
(670 Jefferson Ave., 901-521-9798), made famous by the Food Network’s show
Down Home with the Neelys.
Also recommended? The funky
Blues City Café
(138 Beale St., 901-526-3637), where the ribs are flavored with a wet rub and slow cooked at 225°F, then drenched in a sweet barbecue sauce. They’re worth every last calorie.

BARBECUE BACKGROUND

Nearly every culture claims an early form of ‘cue, but the term “barbacoa” first appeared in print in Spain in the 1500s, says Steven Raichlen, author and host of public television’s
Primal Grill
and
Barbecue University.
It referred to a wooden frame made with sticks—a primitive grill—used to slowly cook wild meats or seafood over a fire. “But in fact, people have been cooking meat with live fire for almost two million years,” says Raichlen.

For the ultimate Memphis pig-out, check out the
World Championship Barbecue Contest
(800-745-3000,
www.memphisinmay.org/bbq
, tickets from $8), including barbecue tours and a chance to vote in the People’s Pick. The weekend-long contest is held mid-month during the annual Memphis in May Festival.

Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau,
888-633-9099,
www.memphistravel.com
.

St. Louis, Missouri.
St. Louis is known for its barbecued spare ribs and reportedly leads the world in per capita consumption of barbecue sauce. The sauce is sweet; the ribs are trimmed to remove the fatty portion off the rack. But as far as the locals are concerned, you haven’t tried St. Louis–style barbecue until you try the barbecued pork steaks, says Donna Andrews, spokesperson for the city’s visitors bureau.

Among the city’s famed ‘cue joints are
Pappy’s Smoke House
(3106 Olive St., 314-535-4340), known for its dry-rubbed, slow-smoked pork ribs;
Roper’s Ribs
(6929 W. Florissant Ave., 314-381-6200), seasoned with a secret blend of spices and smoked over hickory; and
Smoki O’s
(1545 N. Broadway, 314-621-8180), where the menu includes rib tips, crispy snoot (that would be pig and nostrils), and barbecue spaghetti.

The annual
Rib America Festival
(314-622-4550,
www.ribamerica.com
) featuring cook-offs and entertainment takes place in late May at the Soldier’s Memorial in downtown; tickets cost $5.

St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission,
800-325-7962,
www.explorestlouis.com
.

get to know thomas jefferson

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA

Educate and inform the whole mass of the people…They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.

—
THOMAS JEFFERSON (1743–1826), 3RD U.S. PRESIDENT

6 |
George Washington gets honored as the father of our country, but Thomas Jefferson authored our Declaration of Independence and then nurtured our fledgling nation and nearly doubled its size through the Louisiana Purchase.

Jefferson was the ultimate American Renaissance man: visionary thinker, diplomat, gentleman farmer, architect, connoisseur of books and wine, slave owner, and antislavery activist—and yes, the third President of the United States. It’s no small irony that Jefferson died on July 4, 1826—50 years to the day after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

If Christopher Hitchens’s biography of Jefferson and the Ken Burns PBS special only tickled your interest, head to Charlottesville, Virginia.
Monticello
(931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy., 434-984-9822,
www.monticello.org
, $22), Jefferson’s gracious plantation home, stands atop a hill outside this friendly college town.

The guided 30-minute tour of the stately 18th-century brick home won’t really give you enough time to check out the Great Clock that Jefferson himself designed, now in the Entrance Hall; the revolving bookstand in the Cabinet; or musical instruments in his Parlor. To get a fuller sense of the man, check out the visitor center, catch an architectural tour, and stroll the terraced vegetable gardens. All are included in the price of your ticket, though the two walking tours of the grounds are offered only April through October.

To continue your Jeffersonian quest, head down the hill to Charlottesville and “Mr. Jefferson’s University”—the “Academical Village” that reflected Jefferson’s passion for learning and formed the basis of the
University of Virginia
(434-924-0311,
www.virginia.edu
), which he founded in 1819. Today UVA is one of the country’s top universities and a bustling home to more than 21,000 students. Now, as during Jefferson’s day, the university’s centerpiece is the
Rotunda
(near the intersection of University Ave. & McCormick Rd.), the domed library designed to recall Rome’s Pantheon and set at the head of a lawn flanked by student quarters and classrooms. Free tours of the Rotunda are offered throughout the year except during Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. Also check out the nearby Small Special Collections Library in Harrison Institute, which holds early copies of the Declaration of Independence and other rare documents.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

One of the best places to get a sense of Thomas Jefferson is a building he never visited: the current Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. In 1814, when the British burned the Library of Congress, Jefferson owned what was said to be the largest private collection of books in the country. Despite his brilliance, Jefferson had fallen into debt, so he offered to sell his collection for whatever Congress wanted to pay; in 1815 Congress voted to buy nearly 6,500 volumes for $23,950.

Nearly two-thirds of those were destroyed in an 1851 fire; however, the records cataloging the original contents of Jefferson’s library remain and, with a private grant, the Library of Congress is attempting to reassemble the original collection. An exhibit showcases some of Jefferson’s former belongings, including a manuscript on crop rotation,
Memoirs of a Monticello Slave
by Isaac Jefferson, and the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and the desk on which Jefferson wrote it.

The Library of Congress now contains more than 145 million items, including books in Braille, movie clips, musical scores, editorial cartoons by Herblock, Spiderman comics, and taped interviews with Elvis Presley. When you visit, set aside time to take in the spectacular floors and ceilings of the Great Hall in the Thomas Jefferson Building.
Library of Congress, Independence Ave. & 1st St. SE, Washington, DC, 202-707-8000,
www.loc.gov
, closed Sun.

Be sure to save a day or evening for Charlottesville itself. Though the town’s outer flanks are now home to all-too-familiar strip malls, the center retains a small-town artsy flavor with a touch of a hippie hangover. A free trolley links the UVA campus to downtown.

East Main Street long ago was closed to traffic, and on weekends and evenings this central promenade fills with crafts people, college students, and locals checking out the beaded earrings and necklaces sold on tables under the trees and the antiques and books in the storefront shops. When you tire of sightseeing, you’ll find plenty of places to catch a coffee or a cocktail. Tuesdays, grab at three-course meal at
Maya
(633 W. Main St., 434-979-6292) for $12. On Wednesdays and Thursdays,
L’Etoile
(817 W. Main St., 434-979-7957) offers three-course dinners for $27; reservations recommended.
Miller’s
(109 W. Main St., 434-971-8511) serves affordable pitchers of beer and pub food throughout the week. For a hearty, family-friendly traditional Southern lunch, served by waiters in period costume, the 200-year-old
Michie Tavern
(683 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy., 434-977-1234), between Charlottesville and Monticello, can’t be beat. The buffet costs $16.25.

A word about lodging: Charlottesville’s loyal alumni come streaming back for football and basketball games. When that happens, lodging prices skyrocket, as they do during other major university-related events. At other times you’ll have a wide selection of bed-and-breakfasts and chain lodgings that often are a bit more atmospheric than the usual roadside stops.

If you arrive without a reservation, stop in at the Downtown Visitor Center (610 E. Main St., 434-293-6789, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.), which promises the best same-day rates from participating lodgings. One affordable option: the historic
Alexander House Inn
(1205 Monticello Rd., 434-327-6447,
www.alexanderhouse.us
), with both private and bunk lodgings. Rates run about $40 per person per night. Or try camping outside of town at
Misty Mountain Camp Resort
(888-647-8900,
www.mistymountaincampresort.com
), where rates begin at $25, or the
KOA Kampground
(434-296-9881,
www.charlottesvillekoa.com
), which operates mid-March to mid-November and has campsites from $26 and cabins from $50.

VIRGINIA PRESIDENTIAL HOMES

Virginia was birthplace to four of the first five U.S. Presidents, claiming eight Presidents in total. Several of their homes are open to the public:

 
Ash Lawn–Highland
. James Monroe, the fifth U.S. President, lived on this 535-acre plantation, which is still a working farm where cows, sheep, and peacocks are a hit with children. The farm often hosts arts performances.
Ash Lawn–Highland, 1000 James Monroe Pkwy., Charlottesville, 434-293-8000,
www.al-h.us
, $10.