desertgirl

I am attending a conference in Richmond VA November 15-16, and decided to go out 3 days early to see some of the local attractions and historic sites. I need advice about the best way to spend the three days. I'm very interested in colonial history and in Jefferson, so I would really like to see Monticello, as well as Williamsburg and Jamestown. Would this leave me enough time to see Virginia Beach as well? Is it worth seeing? I will have all of Nov. 12, 13 and 14th to travel, and I will rent a car. Is Monticello an easy day trip to/from Richmond? Would I have time to go from Monticello to Williamsburg on the 12th?

Thanks for you help!

mrwunrfl

Monticello to Williamsburg is a 2 hour drive.

Recommend visitng Yorktown (Colonial National Historical Park).

longhorn55

As you'll see from a map, Charlottesville (location of Monticello) and Williamsburg are in opposite directions from Richmond. So, you'll be covering a lot of the same ground to make these trips, but the distances are not far. Richmond - Charlottesville is about 1.5 hours; Richmond to Williamburg is just over an hour and Charlottesville to Williamsburg is 2 - 2.5 hours.
There's so much to see and do in/around Charlottesville (Monticello, University of Virginia, etc.) and Williamsburg (Colonial Williamsburg, Historic Jamestowne and the Yorktown Battlefield), that I would just visit those two places and skip Virginia Beach. I'd allocate 1 day for Charlottesville and two days for Williamsburg.
I've been to Virginia Beach in mid-November and it was nice to walk along the beach, but it definitely was quiet there. You could visit some museums in the area, but I think, based on your interests, that your time would be better spent in Charlottesville and Williamsburg.

Vttraveler

Montpelier, James Madison's home, is also near Monticello and is very interesting.
I agree with 3 days at this time of year it would make more sense to concentrate on the historic locations and skip Virginia Beach.

Hellion

Both Monticello and Williamsburg are easy day trips from Richmond, but I wouldn't try to do them in the same day. Especially if you add in Jamestown and Yorktown to Williamsburg.

I, too, would skip Va Beach. Lots of hotels/touristy stuff, if you're after history there's a lot to keep your attention elsewhere. Plus, those are weekdays, and while traffic from Richmond to the Williamsburg area should be fine, once you get further down into the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area, you have to cross water and traffic can get bottlenecked at the bridges and tunnel, especially around rush hour, which will waste a lot of your time.

cnewplaces

I agree with Hellion. Definitely skip VA beach. Downtown Charlottesville is great too. Lots of good restaurants and shops. You will definitely need 2 days in Williamsburg/Yorktown/Jamestown.

desertgirl

Thank you, everyone! I will plan to spend one day in Charlottesville and the other two in the Williamsburg area--Maybe Friday in Charlottesville and Saturday/Sunday in Wmsburg. Thanks, too, for the tip about Madison's home in Charlottesville, I will try to fit that in as well.

Is one location or the other more likely to be crowded over the weekend? Someone also suggested I see the mansions along the James River--is that area near Colonial Williamsburg?

nytraveler

Not sure what you would do in Virginia Beach that time of year - and while a day is fine for Monticello, Williamsburg and Yorktown/jamestown will take at leest 2 days to see much.

Hellion

The mansions are actually along your way from Richmond to Williamsburg, if you take Route 5 instead of the interstate. (depending on where you're staying in Richmond, you can get to 5 just by going out Main Street towards the east, pretty much). I haven't toured them, but the road is a pretty drive.

Madison's home, Montpelier, isn't quite IN Charlottesville, but it is somewhat between there and Richmond -- in the vicinity of Gordonsville, I think. Very pretty area, but finish everything else you wanted to do in Cville before heading there.

emalloy

As Hellion said, rt 5 is the way to go Richmond to/from Williamsburg and there are several plantations along the way that are very well marked. We sometimes use this road as it is nicely shaded, much more relaxed driving than the interstate and not much longer timewise.

obxgirl

I will second the motion for Montpelier particularly if you're interested in historical restoration which this place underwent in the last 5-7 years to transition it back to its origins from the Dupont family influence.

Touring both this and Monticello in one day is doable but a long day dependent on your stamina and enthusiasm. The two are about 45 minutes apart in drive time.

Someone wrote an excellent trip report about their visit not long ago which I'm sure you can find if you search for Montpelier. He/she mentioned some aspect of visiting that only was available on weekends so, if this place is a destination for you, that might drive how you plan your time.

The mansions that you mentioned are more commonly known as the James River Plantations and, not surprisingly, their primary focus is the Civil War era. If I had to pick one to visit, I'd probably go with Berkeley or Shirley but there is info on the major ones here: http://www.jamesriverplantations.org

The drive on Route 5 from downtown Ricmond into the backdoor of the Wmburg Jamestown area is a very pretty one and will add maybe 20 minutes to the trip over the interstate route.

You've got a lot available to see in only a few days. If it were me and given your interests, I'd probably pass on the plantation homes. However, if time allows, you're within 30 minutes of getting there from the Wmbg.

Vttraveler

As others have indicated, Montpelier is in Orange, Va not Charlottesville. sorry for any confusion. I didn't drive between the two but I think the 45 minutes estimate for the trip is about right.
Here is a link to the report I wrote after a visit to Montpelier last summer
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...ndoah-park.cfm

As it indicates, I spent about 3 hours at Montpelier. The Gilman cabin part of the exhibit was not open during the week, but the main house and exhibit center were.

This is a very beautiful part of the state--lovely rolling hills and views of the Blue Ridge mountains.