cajunboy

Am thinking of a tour of Virginia, particularly Presiential homes. I know that Montpelier, home of James Madison is undergoing renovation, but is it still worth a stop? or should I wait till after work is completed. Also, has anyone ever toured the home of John Tyler, Sherwood Forest? I believe it is still a private residence but are tours allowed? Finally, is there a combination pass or ticket that might allow for the visiting several of the homes combined, i.e. Mount Vernon, Monticello, AshLawn? Guess it might be obvious I am a history buff. Of course Williamsburg and Yorktown are on the schedule.

Anonymous

I just wanted to say that we've been to most of those places and I think that's a fabulous itinerary! I'd be surprised if there were combo tickets, mostly because the places are so far apart that it takes a special itinerary to include many of them.

The Sherwood Forest web site has particulars about visiting, buried on the Directions page:

http://www.sherwoodforest.org/

Craig

We enjoyed our visit to Montpelier this past July. There is actually a "restoration tour" which we found interesting and worthwhile. There is a combination pass ("Presidents' Pass") for Monticello, Ashlawn-Highland and Michie Tavern. These places are all relatively close by. The pass can be purchased at the Monticello Visitors Center.

Anonymous

Almost forgot about the Michie Tavern! Definitely worth a stop, to see how the other half lived (that's the middle half, the regular folks who were socioeconomically in-between Monticello's owner and his staff) .

obxgirl

A visit to Sherwood Forest is well worth the trip but bear in mind it won't offer the scale of tour or info offered at the other homes you mentioned. Suggest you check out this website which summarizes the history and visiting details of the five major plantation homes along Route 5 between Richmond and Williamsburg.

http://www.jamesriverplantations.org/

Visiting 2 or 3 of the homes with a stop for lunch at Indian Fields Tavern is a very pleasant way to spend a day. It's a pretty drive, especially in the autumn or spring, and much less stressful than the I-64 interstate.

lisatravels

While in Charlottesville be sure to drop by University of Virginia and take a tour of the Rotunda, which was designed by Thomas Jefferson. Info. and tour schedule is available at http://www.virginia.edu/uvatours/rotunda

radiofanatic

I grew up in VA and I would recommend also Poplar Forest - Jefferson's summer home in Bedford, Va. It's about 45 minutes south of Roanoke - beautiful place - it's also close to the Normandy Monument in Bedford and Appomatox which is also very interesting.

TopMan

I would definitely recommend the stop at Appomattox C.H. if that is anywhere near your route of travel and if you have such interest.

cajunboy

Thanks all for the suggestions. Looks like I will have much to choose from. Topman, Appomattox C.H. is an excellent idea, I had not thought of that. One more question - has the Richmond historical district recovered to any degree from the devastating floods earlier this summer? Civil War history is also in the cards for the trip.

Craig

If visiting Richmond, be sure to visit the Museum and White House of the Confederacy. It is on higher ground than the area affected by the floods.

sinehat

cajunboy, just letting you know that the Shockoe Bottom where most of the flooding took place is for the most part open and ready for business. They did take a hit, and could use the customer traffic to recoop some of the losses.

Tandoori_Girl

There is a fabulous old historic hotel in downtown Richmond. I wish I knew the name. It has just incredible yellow marble in huge columns on the interior and stained glass domed ceilings. And it wasn't that pricey for its special B&B price. Someone must know the name of this hotel, I wish I did.

rb_travelerxATyahoo

The Jefferson?