Charlottesville or Williamsburg for foliage?
 

We're snowbirding south from MD and thinking of taking a short detour. (We usually stop at places like Charleston or Savannah, but would like to do something different this time.) Which of those two places might have better foliage/scenery? (We've visited each, but some decades ago.)
Thank you.

I can't really imagine Williamsburg having much foliage--it's the same altitude as Maryland. Charlottesville may have more, and the routes getting there more rural perhaps.

Love both towns, but for fall foilage, I'd definitely go with Charlottesville.

Thanks!
Now: how about someplace wonderful to stay. A place where the surrounds are handsome, not just good rooms. (Don't want to go too far west though)

Going to go along with the others and say Charlottesville.... Williamsburg would be just ok....

Consider taking the Skyline Drive / Blue Ridge Parkway south from Front Royal Virginia. There is a good chance that you will be able to drive up close to the trees with colorful foliage instead of seeing them from a distance.

We'll be heading south to FL and don't want to go that far out of our way-- just don't have the time (wish we did!)

If your budget allows, look into Keswick Hall near Monticello.

Keswick is lovely. The Clifton Inn is very nice also....and both are great for dinner as well. If time permits, I'd think about touring Barboursville Winery.

When you are traveling will make a bigger difference than you think. The two towns are only two hours away but colors in Williamsburg will be later. Do you have a set day that you are traveling or is it flexible?

I have not stayed at Clifton. Every time we try it's booked. I can ditto obxgirl's recommendation. Keswick is very nice.

If you want views from high up of surrounding mountains, I would recommend Wintergreen about 45 minutes from Charlottesville. It's not luxurious but some condos are better than others.

Thanks very much for the replies and suggestions. We'll be heading that way around October 23-24. Since there's no way to know abt weather conditions and foliage color, I figured I'd not make reservations in advance. I sure wouldn't want to go several hours and more out of our way only to find nothing especially wonderful. I know that it may be diff. to get last-minute reservations, but we'll have to take that chance.

Wouldn't Wintergreen be even farther off I-95 (going south) than the other places?
Clifton seems out because several reviews mention traffic noise. That's the LAST thing we want to hear.
Keswick sounds like probably our best bet (or Wintergreen if it's as close as Keswick).

If it's to be Williamsburg (which I think is less out of the way for us), does anyone have a favorite place to stay there? Many years ago we stayed at Boars Head and liked it, but it gets some pretty awful reviews these days.

Thanks!

Williamsburg and Charlottesville are both about an hour's drive off of I-95 and Keswick is slightly east of Cville. The Boar's Head is in C'ville -- perhaps you meant another place in Wmburg?

Wintergreen is another good option but it is, as noted, about 45 minutes from Cville away from I95.

I understand you're interested in maximizing your flexibility but if Keswick is interesting to you I'd check availability for your dates. Wouldn't be surprised to hear they're already pretty heavily booked.

Having gone to college in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I would echo the sentiments about Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Parkway.

Why don't you make reservations in Charlottesville and Williamsburg? If the colors come early and you're afraid you'll be past peak in the mountains, you can switch your stay to Williamsburg.

If Keswick appeals to you, take a look at the Williamsburg Inn.
http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/...lliamsburginn/

The Williamsburg Lodge is nice too.
http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/...odge/index.cfm

You can also stay in historic buildings in Colonial Williamsburg.
http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/...uses/index.cfm

Very different but also nice is Kingsmill.
www.kingsmillresort.com

We stayed at the Inn at Meander Plantation just south of Culpeper and the scenary is lovely. My vote is still the Charlottesville area.

Just drove through recently and did you know that Yorktown has a really cute "historic" downtown riverwalk-type area now? You might find something there if Williamsburg area is your final choice.

http://www.visitwilliamsburg.com/wil...own/index.aspx

should give you some lodging info.

If Williamsburg is your choice check out the William and Mary College site. We went to Williamsburg around that time a few years ago. It was homecoming weekend. Finding a hotel may not be easy without a reservation. Luckily we had a reservation at a nearby timeshare.

You might consider James River State Park. It's in the valley just SW of Charlottesville. They have fully furnished (not rustic) cabins and you're be a part of the scenery.

You don't need to stay near I 95. You can go south thru the Shenandoah Valley on I 81, cross NC and much of SC on I 77, and rejoin 95 in SC UNLESS you are going to the west coast, where you can take I 85 from I 77 to Atlanta and connect with I 75.

Strongly recommending Charlottesville with _excursions_ on to the more scenic parts of the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway, say, around Peaks of Otter. You seem to be worried about time, and the slow speed limit will drive you nuts.

Wow, Ackislander--this is an interesting idea! Year after year, our drive down to FL (Naples) is pretty much the same. We like it because we like our stops at Charleston, Savannah, Kiawah, Hilton Head, Amelia Island, etc. Still, it'd be fun to try something entirely different, and I think we may be able to leave MD a day or two early to allow for the detours. So: After Charlottesville (unless the weather is poor, in which case we'll no doubt drive our usual route), where would you recommend to stop for the night about 6 hrs down the road? What's an interesting place where we can take a stroll, get some exercise, etc. And then the next night? Again, we like to drive about 6 hrs. Atlanta seems way out of the way, no? I'd think that after I-81, we'd want to cut over to I-77, down past Columbia and on to I-95. It's an easy hop near Jacksonville from I-95 to I-75. Is there much handsome or interesting in the Charlotte area?
THANKS!

Where are you leaving from in MD? West of Balto or east? If east, I would forget the leaves and just follow your regular route. If you really want to see the scenery, you aren't going to make it as fast as you are used to. You won't need reservations for the first night, and by the second you can be well down in your usual territory (Savannah, Fernandina Beach, whatever). I just hate 95.

Where is your place in Naples? We sold our condo their and closed two weeks before Hurricane Wanda, one of the best things my wife has ever done, though it was a wonderful place to spend the winter.