driving from Ascoli Piceno
 

If you were in Ascoli Piceno and only had one day to do a day trip by car - where would you go?

Much would depend on the time of year, the weather that day and what else I had been seeing, doing and eating while in Italy.

However, my hope would be, if I hadn't seen it already, to have a nice enough day to drive up to the Piano Grande.

Do you know the The Marche Voyager website? It is an excellent resource for describing the little known towns throughout the region, including ones easily reached from Ascoli Piceno

An option I would probably pick for a rainy day is the town of Amatrice in the region of Lazio, which is about a 50 minute drive from Ascoli Piceno. Amatrice is the birthplace of the pasta dish, bucatini all'Amatriciana, which may be my single favorite red-sauce pasta dish in the entire Italian repertoire. I would go on a rainy day just to eat that, and I wouldn't care if the town was "cute".

the month of October....looking for history, scenic drive, architecture and quaint not necessarily the best restaurants...don't mind a good hike either

thank you for the great suggestions and the website!

There can be a big difference in weather in the first 2 weeks of October and the last 2 weeks in October in most parts of Italy. But even in warm-ish months, the Piano Grande can be much, much cooler than the lower lying river valleys. The road up there can end up getting very foggy if you pass through clouds as you ascend. Even if it is not raining, you don't want to go on an overcast day.

If you are going to have an internet connection, you can look at a weather forecast up at the Piano Grande before setting out, and even see a live webcam. There is a tiny village up there called Castellucio, with a beloved restaurant that serves the local famed lentils.

http://www.meteowebcam.it/0/meteo-Ca...Di+Norcia.html

You are also within easy reach of many interesting sights in Umbria, so you here's an equally good link to that area.

http://www.bellaumbria.net/en/valnerina/

Norcia attracts visitors for its attractive churches, its history of St. Benedict, but also for its salamis, which are prized throughout in Italy. In October, it is truffle season in that area. Norcia is not the only place to go for them (if you like them), but it is a prime spot. Be prepared for some touristy features.

In addition, that southeast area of Umbria that borders Le Marche is known for an especially good trout that comes from the Nera river. It really is exceptionally tasty, so if you like fish, and are daytripping that area, it's a real treat for lunch.

http://www.alunchboxblog.com/mountai...d-be-proud-of/