gottalovepugs

HI, My hubby is in DC for work and my daughter and I have tagged along for a trip. We have been to DC before a couple of times but have never ventured out of the city before. We are now planning to do just that after his work winds up and so we will have 4/5 day mini-vacation together over the Memorial w/e.

We are thinking it would be nice to spend some time getting a flavor for the area but we'd like to focus on the coast as we miss the sea and thought about driving out toward Chesapeake Bay and from there going on to a beach town. Do you have any recommendations of a nice laid back places to visit, for a family, but not too crazy e.g. few college students. We'd like to stay somewhere upscale, pref. with a pool but that allows kids (many inns don't sadly). We've previously visited places in New England like Cape Cod (and MV), Cape Ann (Gloucester, Rockport, Ipswich etc), Maine (Kenebunkport, Camden) and wondered if there are similar places in Maryland/Virginia/Delaware/general DC surrounds where we can experience NE-style beach towns with funky boutique shops and enjoy great seafood.

If we are completely off chart please tell us as another option was to go slightly further afield (DH fancies returning to the Outer Banks-- is Norfolk, VA similar?). Is it a mistake to rule out the many quaint towns in Virginia (Alexandria, Culpeper etc? What are the main to-dos for this area?

Any advice would be appreciated. Many thanks!

JanetKMR

If we are completely off chart please tell us as another option was to go slightly further afield (DH fancies returning to the Outer Banks-- is Norfolk, VA similar?).
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This is a horrible idea.

Holiday weekend, two areas with horrific traffic and best case scenario is 4+ hours to Norfolk and probably 6+ to Outer Banks.

I have no knowledge of how far it is to the eastern shore of Maryland or the like.

I'd focus on Alexandria (can take the Metro from DC) or Culpeper or even Charlottesville.

Dukey1

I am sorry but I very much disagree that the OBX is a "horrible idea."

If you want to go all the way to the OBX the answer is to do it on a day OTHER THAN Friday Saturday or Sunday and you will easily avoid all the traffic generated by folks moving into/out of weekly cottage rentals.

The distance from DC to Nags Head is about 285 miles and then onto the National Seashore all the way to "the bottom" at Hatteras Village means a total of about 350 miles. The beaches are incomparable.

IF, OTOH, you'd prefer something closer, Rehoboth is 120 miles or so from Washington and is probably much closer to what you are looking for than Ocean City. Again do it during the week; be aware that the Memorial Day weekend is when "the season" in Rehoboth and Ocean City begin.

nstevey

Annapolis? US Naval Academy students are not your typical college kids.

JanetKMR

I am sorry but I very much disagree that the OBX is a "horrible idea."
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I disagree with your disagreement. We have friends with a place down there and because of a family situation had to drive from Fairfax to OBX and on a mid-week night it took them 8 hours.

doug_stallings

If it were me, I'd probably have chosen to go inland rather than to the beach, especially on a busy holiday weekend. However, I don't think you'll encounter that much less traffic if you went to, say, Shenandoah National Park since it's primarily a driving park. But you should certainly spend a day in Alexandria before moving on, if you can. It's a great place.

And I've always wanted to go to Charlottesville to see both the university and Monticello.

HKP

I disagree with any disagreements ....

Siriusly:

Lived in Alex. for 13 yrs. and yes, love it and Old Town and Mt. Vernon and Pope-Leighey house, but.... with a few days to putter on our own clock?

<b>Plan A</b>:

Sure, check out the Delmarva Peninsula and go in either direction of the following circuit, just not on a Fri, Sat., or Sunday:

Follow Rte. 50 across the bay (stop in Annapolis for lunch?) and head south toward Easton and Cambridge - poke around either one or both for a nice old Chesapeake town. You could then check out Crisfield (see it before Climate Change swamps it) or poke through Salisbury or both, but your target is Chincoteague on the east side of the peninsula (tell me you've ready "Misty of Chincoteague" about a wild pony). No good tips re: motel or inn, and they're limited on the island, so you should book whatever you find available as soon as possible.

From Chincoteague you could head back the way you came, but if you want to poke for another day or two, consider continuing south toward the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which is kind of cool to do -- and then around toward Williamsburg. Up to you if you want to 'do' W'burg or explore the various plantations and historical sites in the same general area.

On your way back toward DC (again, I hope you're avoiding Fri, Sat., or Sun. and watch rush hours), you could stop in Fredericksburg -- quite a historical town -- but I'd recommend avoiding I-95 to get there unless you're now in a hurry. Rte. 17 wanders and pokes, but there's definitely a flavor to it.

From F'burg to DC, you can choose to get back on I-95 but expect a back-up at the Potomac Mills Outlet Mall

Obviously you could reverse the circuit and start south and circle around the other way.


For me, <b>Plan B</b> would be to go to Harpers' Ferry (where VA, W.Va., and Md. meet, and the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers join), about an hour+ northwest of DC. Then head down toward Winchester and the beginning of Skyline Drive -- take that toward Charlottesville and back to DC. Shorter circuit with some great scenery (everyone will tell you to eat at the Inn at Little Washington -- you can't -- need res. a year ahead and about 2% of the national debt to pay for it), but be aware that Skyline Drive only gets dramatically scenic a ways south of Winchester.

HKP

Please check back and tell us your plan and what you eventually did, K? Have good friend who's mad about pugs, too.

Dukey1

Janet, excuse me but did those friends of yours make the mistake of driving down I-95 from the Beltway to F-burg on that weekday? And was it sometime between 2:30 and 7 PM?

I am not going to get into a pissing contest with you or anyone else because you know somebody who had one probably isolated experience.

emalloy

HKP has the two trips I would take with my family.

JanetKMR

Janet, excuse me but did those friends of yours make the mistake of driving down I-95 from the Beltway to F-burg on that weekday? And was it sometime between 2:30 and 7 PM?
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No, they did not. They own a place in Nags Head and have family in NoVA. They have made the trip a number of times (as has their family members) and it is something they all dread.

I think the OP would be stressed making that journey during a "few day" vacation and it would eat up a significant part of her time.

LouisaH

HKP, your Plan A offers a lot of good options.

There is no way I would go to OBX if I only had a few days and yes, I've made the drive several times from NOVA.

Not sure why you would want to rule out Alexandria but I would definitely cross Norfolk off your list based on your limited time.

HKP

LouisaH - you read more into my advice than I intended. I love Alexandria and would always recommend poking around it, but it's not worth a full 4-5 days. I didn't recommend Norfolk as a destination, either, but you have to go through it or near it to get from the Bay Bridge/Tunnel to Williamsburg.

jamie99

I like HKP's suggstion and have spent many trips on the Eastern Shore mainly in fall and winter. Drive across from Annapolis, St. Michael's is cute and loved Chincoteague, and one trip we did drive the Cheasapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel which is really cool. That area is really nice and there are cute towns to poke around in. Never did get to Tangier Island which I wanted to visit.

LouisaH

HKP, those comments were directed at OP and what she stated there, not you.

gabriele

Annapolis to Easton to St. Michaels (the Inn at Perry Cabin) is a nice getaway. From St Michaels take the ferry to Oxford. Lots of great day trips - But the further south of Chincoteague you go, the less upscale towns become. Norfolk is as far from the Outer Banks style as you can get.

obxgirl

I think gabriele's idea is excellent. The Inn at Perry Cabin is both upscale and kid accommodating. It's not geared for for children but they're welcomed. There is a pool and the inn has bikes. There is lots to explore in that area. St. Michaels is probably a little more reminiscent of NE than most ocean or bay front towns in VA & NC. Outer Banks towns have their own character which don't remind me of NE.

The suggestions to go inland towards Charlottesville and the central part of Virginia is also a great one. Keswick Hall is a beautiful 500 acre private estate and resort near Charlottesville. Maybe head there after a day and a half in Alexandria visiting Old Town and Mount Vernon. The Lorien Hotel would be a great choice in Alexandria.

I agree with Janet that OBX is not a good idea over Memorial Day weekend or the days flanking it. Traffic on I95 and I64 will be horrendous over the holiday itself. Before and after the holiday you will find the most congested part of I95 is currently undergoing expansion which causes lane closures day and night, randomly wherever work is being done. AVOID.

Should you go to the OBX though or return at a more leisurely time, I strongly recommend the Sanderling resort in Duck. Oceanfront but with resort luxuries. And kid friendly.

flpab

Lewes Delaware is great or you could do Annapolis or the Eastern shore of Md. St Michaels is a favorite of mine.