Are your flights nailed down? If not, have you considered flying into DC and returning to Dublin via a different major airport? Maybe NYC, Boston or Miami? If you are set coming into/out of DC, that would be helpful info.

The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a good choice - Harpers Ferry and Antietam Battlefield are good for history buffs, Shepherdstown is the oldest town in WV and has lots of historical buildings with a nice downtown area with good restaurants and shops. The C&O Canal path runs along the Potomac River and the Appalachian Trail goes into Harpers Ferry. It's about 75 miles from DC.

Loudoun County has a few different wine trails and the countryside is beautiful. Charlottesville is also very pretty (in the mountains, at least what passes for mountains on the east coast) and historic - you've got Monticello there, for instance.

On several levels, the areas on and around the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Shenandoah Valley are very nice. It is highly scenic in a variety of ways and is chock-a-block with history from the early pre-revolution through the Civil War. You could start in the north with Harper's Ferry and Antietam as suggested above and end at Charlottesville.

If it were me with ten days and because I am a Civil War history buff, I'd take half the time on the parkway and the western side of it and the other half on the eastern side where many of the Civil War battles were fought.

Most Europeans have very little interest in the American civil war - maybe the OP is the exception.

Wow, so many replies already! We haven't booked our flights yet but we will be flying on to CA to visit family so we don't have to travel back to DC.

We are interested in history but probably wouldn't want 10 days of nothing but history, but having said that I know that the area has a huge historical value.

Laura

How about heading east to Annapolis then over the bay bridge to the eastern shore of Maryland and Delaware. If then going south through Virginia to Williamsburg area and return to DC. OR, go north along the Chesapeake bay or over to the ocean and go north (that wouldn't be my favorite) but you will end up near Wilmington, Del. then cut back to Penn., maybe visiting Longwood again and eventually end up back in DC. There is lots of scenery whichever route you take.

If you are interested in gardens, visit Ladew Topiary Garden north of Baltimore.
Margo

You could drive to California over 10 days. A bit much driving (about 35-40 hours).

Anyway, it sounds like you plan to rent a car and then fly to California from wherever you are at day 10. Correct?

I would suggest going up or down the East coast. Then flying from either Florida or Maine. Do either of these sound good?
I hate to give details on each town and attrction unitl I know your general scope.

Lived in DC for a while. My favorite trips were

-- Williamsberg (you have to go, it rocks)
-- Eastern Shore if you go see the wild ponies at Chinkateague,
-- And you might want to check out Ashville, NC.

Hi, thanks for all the replies. We don't want to do too much driving so driving to CA would be way too far - have to say if I wasn't with my Mom - I would love to, but she wouldn't. I think Miami or Maine would be stretching it. Have visited Ashville before and loved it. Also have been as far as Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA so don't want to go as far south as that. Williamsberg sounds like a must, though.

We will fly to CA from whereever we are at Day 10.

Thanks for all the advice, Laura

Having previously visited Longwood Gardens, you perhaps are acquainted with the wealth of other attractions in the Brandywine Valley.

Like Longwood, Winterthur is an estate of the DuPont family with the family home to tour, a museum of early American art and furnishings, and splendid expanses of gardens, meadows, and woodlands. (A bus from the visitors' center will take you to the house and museum; a tram from that point will take you on an exploration of the grounds.)

http://www.winterthur.org/

The nearby Hagley Museum is the site of the gunpowder works founded by E. I. du Pont in 1802; it includes restored mills, a workers' community, and the ancestral home and gardens of the du Pont family.

http://www.hagley.lib.de.us/

The Brandywine River Museum is best known for its outstanding collection of the work of three generations of the Wyeth family--N.C., Andrew, and Jamie.

http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/

These three places are probably within a 15-mile drive from Longwood Gardens.

Longwood has wheelchairs and motorized chairs for visitors' use; I'm not certain about the others.

These sites may provide more information for you--
http://www.thebrandywine.com/
http://www.brandywinecvb.org/

Another vote for the Eastern shore. It is flat! Mobility for your mom should be fine. I recommend Chestertown as a place to stay.

We were in Annapolis last night, cool little town, we dined at Aqua Terra there before heading over to Easton for a few nights. I would also suggest visiting Easton, it is full of history and charm, we also explored St. Michales today which we loved. Had great meals at Crab Claw, and just returned from an absolutely amazing meal at the Bartlett Pear Inn, a new venue that has only been open for 5 weeks. We were very impressed with the quality of food there, we're heading over to DC for the first time on Fri., can't wait. I love Maryland and the people are sooo friendly here! ***kim***