I will be driving to Washington D.C. (staying in Alexandria, Virginia) in April for the Cherry Blossom Festival and to see all the sights. Wanted to take a day to go into Delaware and maybe another day to visit Baltimore. Not sure what to do for a day in Delaware. Thought about just visiting the capitol city, but also would like to go to the seashore. Would anyone care to comment about this? How much time would you allow for driving, what route to take, what beach to visit, etc. Are there any other highlights in Dover besides the capitol building?
Thanks to one and all.
D.C. to Delaware and/or Baltimore
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21 responses; most recent on May 22, 13 at 01:32 PM
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Forget about the cities in Delaware. Go to the Brandywine Valley--Longwood Gardens, Winterthur Museum & Gardens, Hagley Museum, etc.--near Wilmington. Contact the Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau (302-652-4088) for a visitors guide. Also The Brandywine Valley Tourist Info Center at Longwood Gardens (800-228-2900).
Sandi, you’re a little early for the Delaware beaches (Cape Henlopen S.P., Delaware Seashore S.P), which will still be rather chilly in April. Assateague Island, however, is just three hours from Alexandria, and would combine a look at a beautiful Atlantic Ocean beach with the sight of wild horses all around. Assateague is just south of Ocean City, Maryland on the Virginia border. Far too cold for swimming, but not bad for walking. You get there be going straight out Route 50 through Annapolis and over the Cheasapeake Bay Bridge and staying with 50 almost until O.C. It’s a fun drive, suitable as a day trip.
It’s also still a bit early for the other sights of Delaware. Winterthur is the DuPont estate north of Wilmington in the Brandywine Valley. It has one of the best collections of American furniture in the world and is an interesting place to visit in its own right, but the grounds of Winterthur are part of the attraction, and they’ll be just about at the daffodil stage; hardly showy. Longwood, a few miles up the road and just over the Pennsylvania border, will be a few weeks away from its most attractive.
There’s plenty to see in Alexandria (there was a thread on the subject last year that can be found in the archives); Mt. Vernon, five miles south of Old Town, is a half-day visit and will be at its full glory with gardens in full spring bloom.
A great drive would be along the James River east of Richmond. Take I-95 South to I-295, the loop around Richmond (100 miles south of Alexandria) and get off at Route 5. There are a number of plantations along the way, each with gardens that will be at their height (the houses are very nice, too). You can take Route 5 all the way to Williamsburg, then come back via I-64.
There are several organized house and/or garden tours in Virginia that time of year, including an excellent one in Old Town. Check at the Old Town information office on Duke Street at (I think) Lee Street. The price -- $20 per person – might seem steep, but you’ll see more of Alexandria that way than any other.