An 1870s farmhouse near Lexington, Virginia, sleeping eleven

It is close enough to Lexington to be useful and far enough out to be quiet. Lexington is twenty to twenty-five minutes, Washington and Lee seventeen miles, VMI sixteen, and the Virginia Horse Center is a short drive — which is why a good share of guests are here for a parents' weekend, a graduation or a show rather than a holiday. A house that sleeps eleven does something for a family group that a block of hotel rooms cannot.

There is a full tennis court that doubles for pickleball, a basketball hoop, shuffleboard and a firepit already set to light. Goshen Pass, where the Maury River cuts through the mountains and everyone swims in summer, is about seven miles. Jump Mountain Vineyard is two. Staunton, and the best dining in the area, is half an hour north.

There is a Level 2 EV charger at the house. Pets are welcome — up to three, $50 per pet for the first week — though the cattle and the electric fence mean dogs need watching outdoors.