In the Media
Top-Notch Southern Paddling
SUMMER 2026 -- okra. is a magazine dedicated to the makers, sounds, flavors, and places that make The South a travel destination. Their 33rd issue explores rivers and communities of the South that make a perfect summer escape, and includes both the James and Maury Rivers. The headwaters of the James begins southwest of Lexington, and the river traverses through Rockbridge County to make its way to the Chesapeake Bay. The Maury River both begins and ends in Rockbridge County, and is a tributary to the James. Together, both create the Upper James River Water Trail. okra. highlights not only the waterways but also the destinations welcoming adventurers to it. Author Eric J. Wallace chose six such Southern destinations, calling them his "favorite town-centered, float-to-stay trips," and Lexington is first up.
"A walk along the city's cobblestone downtown streets let you revel in its deep Colonial and Antebellum-era roots. Blocks of historic buildings are perched along rolling, lower Shenandoah Valley hillsides above the Maury River, which meets the James about 30 miles east of town."