LaurieG

My husband and I are attending a family event in Washington DC in the latter half of May and another event a week later in Baltimore. We would like suggestions for the intervening week. We thought we would stay in DC for 3 or 4 days, then rent a car and relocate our base to Williamsburg for 3 or 4 days before driving up to Baltimore. We have been to Washington before and have visited Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, National Archives, and Holocaust Museum. We do not really have a feel for which area sites are local to DC and which are local to Williamsburg. Ideas will be much appreciated.

Birdie

You can fill 3-4 days exploring Williamsburg and the surrounding areas easily but there are other choices open to you. Charlottesville, the mountains of Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, and wineries are nearby. Also, the cute towns and watermen's culture of the eastern shores of Maryland and Virginia offer other options. It depends on your tastes and what you like to see during your travels.

LaurieG

Thank you, Birdie. More specifically, we are interested in historical/cultural sites and areas in addition to Williamsburg such as Jamestown, Monticello, Montpelier, maybe the plantation homes along the James River. We do want more suggestions since we are not familiar with the area.

NewbE

Personally, I would prioritize the Charlottesville area over the Williamsburg area--they're not at all co-located, of course, so I think you really only have time for one or the other.

Around Charlottesville, you can tour three presidential homes: Monticello (Jefferson), Montpelier (Madison) and Monroe (Ash Lawn); and take a peek at the University of Virginia and its Jeffersonian architecture. And there are great hikes in the mountains, too.

Around Williamsburg, there is Colonial Williamsburg, of course--it's just too ersatz to be my cup of tea, but YMMD. Also Yorktown and Jamestown, which you could see in one day. And as you say, the plantations along the James River.

Or you could focus on the Maryland eastern shore and Baltimore, instead...

LaurieG

Birdie and NewbE: we were trying to avoid moving from hotel to hotel but it looks as though we may have to. What if we stayed a couple of days in Charlottesville and a couple of days in Williamsburg? Or, is there a central location or hub such as Richmond from which we could access both areas? Thoughts?

FrankS

My kids loved Williamsburg so much, we had to go again in a couple of years. In those trips we did DC, Arlington, Mt Vernon, Jamestown, Yorktown, Monticello, Manassass blah blah blah etc...but Williamsburg and Jamestown were their favorites

I forced them to study up on their history, so they would play parts in those two locations with the actors

Ackislander

We spend the winter in Richmond. It isn't warm, but it is warmer than Nantucket.

I was going to suggest you base in Richmond and do day trips to Williamsburg and Charlottesville, but you came up with it yourself!

It is about an hour from Richmond to both places, and we have taken many of our constant stream of visitors to each. Richmond has its own attractions -- the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (free, open every day including Christmas and New Years) is fabulous, and I am a member of the MFA in Boston. The Virginia Historical Society is next door, also free. The Valentine Museum downtown has a focus on local history and is built around a townhouse contemporary with Monticello but much more luxurious. A big art scene on Broad Street near VCU, independent bands everywhere.

Richmond has a fantastic food scene, with lots of locavore places and the best Szechuan restaurant anywhere, Peter Chang's. Add cocktails, breweries and brewpubs, cider bars, and it could take you a month to hit the top five in each category. Prices are slipping up, but they are laughably cheap by Big City standards.

Birdie

Richmond is a nice city but since you'll be visiting two other cities on this trip I'd spend a couple of days in Charlottesville, a couple in Williamsburg and then drive up the Eastern Shore to Baltimore.

Underhill

On the way to Williamsburg, stop for a few hours in the historic town of Fredericksburg. It's a good distance for a break from the car before continuing.

longhorn55

Fredericksburg is a great destination. You could spend two hours or two days there seeing the various sites connected to both George Washington and to the Civil War.

usroadman

If you decide to stay in Richmond and day trip to Williamsburg, for at least one trip I'd recommend taking Route 5. It takes a bit longer than I-64, but much prettier and much more relaxing. It's all 2-lane, but no traffic lights and very little traffic.

tomfuller

If you did not want to rent a car in DC, you could take one of the 7 daily trains south to Fredricksburg and rent your car there to go through Richmond to Williamsburg.
Coach seats range from $20 to $26 if you reserve early.
Two of those trains go through to Williamsburg (both Northeast Regionals).

Underhill

That's an excellent idea, as otherwise the choice of trains through from DC to Williamsburg is either early morning or late afternoon.

Underhill

Even better: take the train to Richmond and get the car there. Better options for rentals and a shorter drive.

LaurieG

Thank you everyone for your ideas. They were very helpful.