obxgirl

May weather is typically very pleasant (as you described) but this year it was brutal. We're all hoping spring lasts a little longer next year!

Your drive time between C'ville and Richmond is accurate for non rush hour which can be a pain in the metro Richmond area. Not like Chicago but there are some choke points. You're also good on the time from Richmond to Raleigh which takes place mostly on I85. There really isn't a better way to do it and there's not much off the beaten path. We call it the long green tunnel. V. boring drive so caffeinate ahead of time if you're subject to drowsiness.

2 days in Richmond? What do you have planned?

minette20

HI I agree with obxgirl 2 days in Richmond? Maybe a morning, or if you are into history, stop in Fredericksburg and spend more time either in Charleston or Savannah.

minette20

On seeing your last post--yes on the James River plantations!.

obxgirl

May will be a wonderful time to visit Monticello because the gardens will be beautiful. I'm a major Jefferson fan and I just love this place. Getting there at opening is smart. You will have plenty of time to explore and still make it to Richmond before rush hour. Do not be tempted to dine at the MIchie Tavern half way up (or down) the mountain. Blech. Awful. Tourist cafeteria style food.

The Valentine Richmond History Center may be of interest to you. I took one of their walking tours a couple of years ago and it was a wonderful blend of history and architecture. Here's the website:

http://www.richmondhistorycenter.com/

The Virginia Historical Society may offer something similar as well.

The James River Plantations are mostly located off Route 5/John Tyler Hway which is a very pretty drive on its own. Keep an eye out for bald eagles which have had great success in nesting along the James River. For lunch on this outing I'd recommend Indian Fields Tavern, southern cuisine in an old farm house on Rt 5. Maybe 30 miles south of Richmond.

Suki

Sounds like a fun and doable trip. My only question is, why Raleigh? It doesn't look like you are spending any real time there, and you are traveling west instead of just continuing on your southern journey.

sinehat

Sorry, but I think Richmond has more than enough to keep a history/architecture buff entertained for a couple of days. In addition to the Capitol, you might also look into the White House/Museum of the Confederacy, Tredegar Iron Works which is used as an interpretation center for the CW and the surrounding CW sites, the houses/monuments on Monument Avenue, the Fan District just south of Monument Ave (built 1900-20s)with detached townhouse-looking residences (Strawberry Street Cafe in the Fan is a good choice for lunch), the Church Hill area just east of downtown has some late 1700s houses, mostly restored, Shockoe Slip and Shockoe Bottom near the canal you mentioned are part of the restored warehouse district with shops, restaurants, and which turns more towards the younger crowd after dark. Personally, I've never seen too much with the canal tours (sorry Chamber of Commerce). Just seems kinda Disneyfied. You might also check out the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, the Va. Historical Society which was mentioned and just a block away near the Fan and on the Boulevard is the Va. Museum of Fine Arts. You might also check the schedule for the University of Richmond to see if they are putting on anything (play, music, etc) while you are here. They have nice facilites which are west of downtown, in the suburbs, really. Richmond has a lot of history. In fact: Q: How many Richmonders does it take to change a light bulb? A: Three, one to do the actual changing, and two to stand around and talk about how great the old light bulb was.

Craig

Your post caught my eye because this damn yankee from Connecticut invaded the south a couple of months ago. We took two weeks but had an ambitious agenda like yours - Richmond, Asheville, Greenville, Savannah, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Winston-Salem & Charlottesville. Rather than make recommendations, I'll tell you what worked for us in the Cities you are visiting and you can decide what works for you:
Charlottesville - very easy to get around. We arrived at mid-day and stopped at the Monticello Visitors Center. The visitors center is a couple of miles away from Monticello. There is a short introductory video that you can watch plus some interesting historical displays on Thomas Jefferson. We bought a President's Pass which gets you a discounted admission to Monticello, the fun, interactive tour of Mitchie Tavern (you don't have to eat there) and Ash-Lawn Highland (James Monroe's house). We had time to do the Ash-Lawn Highland tour (1 hour), visit some of the shops near Mitchie Tavern and head to UVA to take their Rotunda tour (45 min). The next day, we got on the first tour of the Monticello mansion, then continued on with the garden tour and the tour of the slaves quarters. That pretty much consumed most of the morning. We stopped by Mitchie Tavern and did the tour (but did not eat lunch there), did some more shopping and then headed to Montpelier (James Madison's house) currently in the midst of a complete restoration project. Montpelier is worthwhile to see anyway - there is a restoration tour which is very interesting. We finished our day doing a tasting at a nearby winery. We did all of this in a day and a half. Incidently, we stayed at the Doubletree which was ok. I would have preferred the Hampton Inn near the University, a better location for checking out the numerous fine restaurants downtown. We had a good meal at C&O.

We didn't spend a lot of time in Richmond. It was a rest stop along the way to Asheville. The traffic on I-95 at Baltimore and Washington, DC was pretty bad (even on Sunday when we were on it) - try to avoid it if you can. We did visit and highly recommend the Museum and White House of the Confederacy. We also strolled the grounds of the State Capitol. You can take a tour but we arrived too late. We stayed at the Commonwealth Park Suites which is very conveniently located to these attractions and to some good restaurants. The hotel is a little tired but the suites are huge and you get a free breakfast.

We did Charlston a long time ago so we did not visit there on this trip. There is an ongoing debate on this forum about how much time to spend between Charlston and Savannah. We spent two nights (1-1/2 days) in Savannah this year. We arrived in the early afternoon and took the trolley tour to get our bearings. We also took a tour of the Green-Meldrim house which was near our hotel, The Presidents Quarters. We had a suite on two levels - it was a good value but this hotel was a little tired also. It not as plush as some of the other upscale B&B's in Savannah. We had a terrific dinner that night at Bistro Savannah. The next day we spent wandering the squares, perusing the shops and taking tours of the Isaiah Davenport House Museum, the Owens Thomas House and the Telfair Museum of Art. We had dinner that night at the Lady & Sons which was a complete waste of time and money. Not worth waiting in line for at all.

Hope this helps - enjoy planning your trip!

dan_woodlief

I agree that Richmond has a good deal to see for two days. I go up there all the time, since I am very interested in history. Sinehat gave you a great list. However, as much as I love Charleston, I would consider either driving straight through from Richmond or taking a day from Richmond and giving it to Charleston. By then Richmond should have recovered. Yesterday, the tropical storm dumped 10 inches of rain and caused major flooding along the river. I think Raleigh is a fine place for an overnight stop, although if you are not planning on spending any time there, I would just pick anywhere along the highway when you need a break.

gail

As you make your plans, factor in that SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) commencement is Sat 5/28/05 - big presence in historic district of Savannah and fills up hotel rooms.

ncgrrl

Have fun with your trip. However, you are not a damn yankee. A damn yankee is a yankee who comes south and never leaves. So after your visit next year when you fall in love with the locations and move south, then you'll be a damn yankee, until then you're just a yankee.

obxgirl

chicgal, I've passed the Inn @ the Crossroads many times on the way to visit a friend who lives near by in North Garden VA. It's very pretty from the outside. I've also stayed in and recommend the Silver Thatch Inn. It looks very similar and is in the same price range as the Crossroads. Silver Thatch has a wonderful breakfast and serves a beautiful dinner.

Good idea to make your reservations now. The nicer places will be booked for commencement in a couple of weeks.

Gretchen

Visit one plantation--Middleton. By far the best.

dan_woodlief

I wouldn't visit all the plantations on one trip. I have been to all and favor Middleton. I think it has the best looking grounds and a nice restaurant. For people with kids, I recommend Magnolia, and for some adults it might be better depending on your goals. To get a look at a plantation, I would go with Middleton, but Magnolia has a lot of variety, with boat rides to learn about alligators and rice growing, tram rides, a petting farm for kids, and a nice swamp walk with gators. Allow 3-4 hours for Middleton, but you could do it in two. Allow 3 minimum for Magnolia if you take a boat ride or anything else extra, but it could eat up as much as 5. Drayton Hall is definitely worth a stop. Since the house is not restored but only preserved, you won't get a look at a furnished house, but the tour is great for architecture buffs and does offer insights on plantation culture. A visit here shouldn't take over 1 1/2 hours with a house tour; there isn't much to the grounds, but the house is quite attractive from the road side (actually the rear of the house). I would combine it with a visit to Middleton, and if you go out early you can finish by mid-afternoon. Boone Hall is ok - beautiful tree-lined entry and several old slave cabins - but it is my least favorite of the four. It just doesn't offer much other than those two things. Allow one hour. If you want to see old buildings, I would suggest that you pick one to two plantations and tour one to two houses in Charleston. I have visited all but one of the houses that regularly offer tours (the Manigault house); my favorites in order are Edmondston-Alston (lots of original items in the house), Nathaniel Russell, and Aiken-Rhett. The latter is a very big house that is more preserved than restored, and it has rare urban slave quarters you can tour.

dan_woodlief

I should have also told you that I have two large trip reports on my Web site about Charleston - lots of photos, since I am an avid travel photographer. I have included reports on all the plantations and house tours, together with links. The Audobon swamp walk is pretty good. You can see lots of large gators, some turtles, and probably quite a few large birds; allow half an hour if you keep a pretty steady pace. My site is at www.oneeyed.homestead.com.

Gretchen

Why would you bypass a chance to experience that sort of festival!! Cut your time in Savannah.

ARKANSASNURSE

ncgrrl, thanks for clarifying the "damn Yankee" thing, I was reading thru to make sure I didn't do it after the fact. As a definite 'damn Yankee' (moved to Arkansas in 1973 been here since) when I go to visit relatives in NY, I am the cousin from the south!!!

lisatravels

I've posted this before, but what I usually recommend for first time visitors to Charleston with an interest in plantations is the Heritage Passport. For $32.95 it includes Gibbes Museum of Art, Nathaniel Russell House, Edmondston-Alston House, Middleton Place, Drayton Hall, Rhett House. What's nice is it really gives you a full sampling of everything architecturally speaking and you get a full spectrum from no restoration to fully restoration. Drayton Hall is empty and it it has been stripped to original walls so you need to use your imagination. The Nathaniel Russell House and The Edmondston-Alston House have been beautifully restored and furnished. They are also located in the historical district of Charleston, which you really want to walk around if you haven't done so before - it is beautiful. The The Aiken-Rhett House is an example of an urban plantation. Middleton has breathtaking gardens, the original home is now ruins, though a more recently built home exists as a museum on the property. The passports are availabe at the Charleston Visitor center or
http://www.draytonhall.org/visit/passport.html - It would take you two days to do everything on the passport.

dan_woodlief

Lisa makes a good point about the passes. They are likely to be worth your while; just compare the price to the individual entry prices for what you eventually plan to see. When you get to Charleston, regardless, make the visitor center one of the first places you go. It is a very nice one. It is right across the street from the Charleston Museum if you decide to spend an hour or two there and not far from the Rhett-Aiken house.

If you have two days, I would advise starting one at The Battery and then wander around the lower historic district up as far as the market. It should be your top priority on this trip. Church Street and Meeting Street should be your top priorities after The Battery, but wander around Tradd and a few others as well or take a carriage tour. You may wish to take a lunch break near the market and browse the stalls there. My favorite times at The Battery have always been early morning, when the low sunlight gives the fronts of the old homes along the river a golden glow, and near sunset. Give day two to plantations and a little more of town. It looks like you have part of three days in Charleston. With three days, I definitely recommend a visit to the Charleston Museum. You may even wish to drive over to Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island to see another side of the area.

FauxSteMarie

I have enjoyed reading this thread with all the suggestions.

I live in Northern Virginia and also agree there is more than enough to do in Richmond for two days. My favorite stop there is the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. There are some interesting items there including some Fabrege objects.

Of the James River Plantations, the most interesting one is Sherwood Forest, which belonged to President John Tyler and has an interesting history.

I agree with the recommendation to see James Madison's home, Montpelier, in Orange, VA. The ongoing restoration is fascinating as they will show you how the know which parts of the house date from what years. It is bound to be a huge tourist site once the restoration is done although it is difficult to get to.

If you have time--and if you don't, make time--go to the Museum of the Civil War Soldier in Petersburg, VA. This museum is privately managed and pricey but it will explain the life during the Civil War as no other museum does and is worth every penny. Do not miss the fortifications outside the museum which show you how they used branches (called "abbatis&quot in place of barbed wire before there was barbed wire. The Civil War involved early instances of trench warfare--which many people do not know about. It really is what I call a "destination museum". Do not miss it even if you have to ease up on some of your other destinations.

ChelsieRandolph

When you're in Savannah make sure you go to Mrs.Wilkes Boarding House (stop by the visitors center for directions 'cause I don't believe they're listed in the phone book) for breakfast or lunch...a fabulous homelike atmosphere with great food (as much as you can eat) and a great way to meet people..you are seated at round tables first come, first served, so you end up sitting with a whole bunch of pple you don't know from all over, and you all "pass the chicken, please" ...very cool!