Charlottesville questions

Old Mar 14th, 2022, 01:09 PM
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yk
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Charlottesville questions

Hello, I've started a different thread about 2 weeks ago asking about Williamsburg area.
Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown etc questions

I've gotten some suggestions there too about Charlottesville but I thought I should try to start a new thread on just Charlottesville alone.

Our whole trip (flying in/out of Richmond) is 8 days/8 nights. We have 7 full days plus 2 half days. We arrive noon time on a Sunday at Richmond (pick up rental car), and will visit Charlottesville area during the first half, and CW in the second half. I'm traveling with my 9-year-old son in 3rd grade, who is a very good traveler.

I'm having a hard time deciding if we should spend 4+4 each place or 3+5 (3 in Charlottesville; 5 in Williamsburg). [For Williamsburg, I'm thinking 1 day for Yorktown, 1 day for Jamestown, and 2-3 days for CW)

For Charlottesville, we plan to visit the 3 presidential homes (Monticello, Montpelier, and James Monroe's Highland), and a quick look at UVA's academic village. My thinking is: 1 full day for Monticello, 1 day for Montpelier + Highland, and 1 day for Luray Caverns.

But I don't know if we should add another day to drive the Skyline Drive plus some hiking at the Shenandoah National Park, or use that day for Williamsburg instead. Is Luray cavern really a big tourist trap? My son has never been in a cave/cavern so I thought it would be very cool.

Another question is lodging. Since we aren't spending anytime IN downtown charlottesville, it's probably okay to stay further out where rates are lower. I'm considering the Holiday Inn Express in Ruckersville, since it's closer to Luray/Montpelier/Shenandoah?

To sum, these are my questions:
1) Should I take one day out of Williamsburg area (4d instead of 5d) and spend in Charlottesville (4d instead of 3d) in order to visit Shenandoah NP/Skyline Drive?
2) Or should I keep 5 days in Williamsburg and skip Luray Cavern in favor of Shenandoah NP?
3) Or is it possible to visit all 3 presidential homes in 1 day? or only visit Monticello and Montpelier in 1 day, but skip Monroe's?
4) Does staying in Ruckersville make sense?
5) I looked at UVA website and there doesn't seem to be tours for sightseeing visitors to visit the campus. So do we just show up and walk around (is it outside only)? Will it be an issue if we go on a Sunday (day of arrival), I don't know if we can enter buildings or buildings are locked on Sundays and or it's mostly just looking around the exterior?

Thank you in advance for your advice!
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Old Mar 15th, 2022, 03:16 AM
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I can't answer all the questions especially since many involve setting priorities about which sites are most important to see.
I do think trying to see all 3 presidential homes in one day would be too much.
for the UVa campus, this site describes access to the Rotunda and historic tours
Homepage | The Rotunda

i dont remember Ruckersville at all although i have driven through it three times en route to the Skylin drive.
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Old Mar 15th, 2022, 03:51 AM
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I wouldn’t try to do all three of the homes in one day, choosing instead to see them in more depth and allow time to explore the complexities of these figures.
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Old Mar 15th, 2022, 06:36 AM
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I would take the tour at Luray Caverns. We found it very interesting.

I am a bit different on Colonial Williamsburg. I have been there several times and find it a bit fake, kind of like Sturbridge village, perhaps knowing that it was all reconstructed by Rockefeller so not as authentic as many of the sites right near you in MA, that have been repaired, repainted etc. but not rebuilt, and still being cared for by the folks who live there. There is surely lots to learn there, but I would lose interest after a day and a half.
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Old Mar 16th, 2022, 06:44 AM
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1) Should I take one day out of Williamsburg area (4d instead of 5d) and spend in Charlottesville (4d instead of 3d) in order to visit Shenandoah NP/Skyline Drive?
2) Or should I keep 5 days in Williamsburg and skip Luray Cavern in favor of Shenandoah NP?


Yes, it's a good idea to split the time 4 and 4, especially if you're interested in mixing up the history with outdoor experiences. I mentioned on your other thread that Luray had some touristy bits. It's not a tourist trap as it definitely delivers on the wow factor. But it is more commercialized than some of the other Virginia cave experiences. I think you mentioned your son likes antique cars so I was guessing Luray would be a good fit for him.

If that is not appealing to you, consider visiting instead the caves at Grand Caverns near Grottoes, VA. Smaller but still packs a punch. That would also keep you in proximity to the Skyline Drive.

3) Or is it possible to visit all 3 presidential homes in 1 day? or only visit Monticello and Montpelier in 1 day, but skip Monroe's?

Definitely not practical if even possible . Doing Monticello and Monroe's Highland in one day is possible b/c they are co-located. All three would require 2 days.

4) Does staying in Ruckersville make sense?

Yes. It's not much to look at.

5) I looked at UVA website and there doesn't seem to be tours for sightseeing visitors to visit the campus. So do we just show up and walk around (is it outside only)? Will it be an issue if we go on a Sunday (day of arrival), I don't know if we can enter buildings or buildings are locked on Sundays and or it's mostly just looking around the exterior?

Pre-covid historic (as opposed to prospective student) tours left from the Rotunda once at day in the late morning during the regular school year. Don't know the current status of the tours but there was a contact number in a link offered here.

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Old Mar 17th, 2022, 05:22 AM
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@obxgirl, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Thanks for mentioning Grand Caverns. We don't *need* to see antique cars per se (plenty of chances to see them in New England). Just comparing the caverns alone, is one "bigger" than the other? Have you done both and what's your impression on both?

Is it doable to visit Grand Caverns in the morning and drive the Skyline drive in the afternoon? Or what would you suggest to do after Grand Caverns if I want to save Skyline Drive/Shenandoah/hiking for a full day?

Another dilemma is, given that Monroe's Highland is so near Monticello, it makse sense to visit both on the same day. If we visit Monticello first, will it be a huge disappointment to see Highland afterwards? But if I reverse the order, I worry we might not have enough time for Monticello. Yet if we separate the 2 places into 2 days, it seems silly to drive there on 2 separate days.

P.S. I found more info on the Rotunda at UVA. It does look like they offer daily tours at 11am
https://rotunda.virginia.edu

Last edited by yk; Mar 17th, 2022 at 05:35 AM.
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Old Mar 17th, 2022, 11:51 AM
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Yes, that's the link to information about tbe Rotunda i listed above. I would still call them to double check on hours the rotunda is open and tours are offered. I have a map of the university campus i could send you if you want.
also, you can get guidebooks ans maps from AAa if you are a member
.

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Old Mar 17th, 2022, 12:20 PM
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Although most articles say 3.5 hour in Monticello is average, I think five is more reasonable, especially considering the complexity of the discussions it will
surely engender.
I know I have a different style of travel than you do, so you might not agree, but my inclination would be to hike the trail in the middle or end of the visit to take time to absorb all one has seen and process it. Your son may not have actually realized before, for instance, what the lives of enslaved people were like,
or that Jefferson, so revered for many things, enslaved his own children..

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Old Mar 17th, 2022, 01:05 PM
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Although some will say it's not a stretch, I'm trying to be a third grader. Repeating, I absolutely adored all the Williamsburg workers. It stoked my imagination. The same with Monticello.... how brilliant Jefferson was for his time. Our visit was many years ago, but slavery was integrated into the tour.

Also, is Skyline Drive known more for Autumn scenery? Does it even compare to what yk sees in New England? Just asking.
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Old Mar 17th, 2022, 04:27 PM
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Originally Posted by jubilada
Although most articles say 3.5 hour in Monticello is average, I think five is more reasonable, especially considering the complexity of the discussions it will
surely engender.
Monroe's Highland, and pretty much every historical property in VA, has incorporated content that includes the story of enslaved people and contextualizes the deeply troublesome complexities associated with the founding fathers. Highland is a working farm and its history & architecture is different than Monticello. IMO, well worth a visit over the course of a day if time allows. I would prioritize Monticello of the two.
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Old Mar 18th, 2022, 02:59 AM
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[QUOTE=TDudette;17344458]Although some will say it's not a stretch, I'm trying to be a third grader. Repeating, I absolutely adored all the Williamsburg workers. It stoked my imagination. The same with Monticello.... how brilliant Jefferson was for his time. Our visit was many years ago, but slavery was integrated into the tour.

Also, is Skyline Drive known more for Autumn scenery? Does it even compare to what yk sees in New England? Just asking.[/QUOTE

Tdudette, there has been a lot of discussion in the last decade or so about how poorly the historical sights have dealt with the realities of slavery, including attempts to correct this.
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Old Mar 18th, 2022, 04:00 AM
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I haven't been to Highland so can't compare that to the other sites.

i think presenting information about slavery to a 9 year old is much more complicated than presenting it to adults. I know i struggled with this when our kids were young.
i think the newish exhibit at Monticello about sally hemings and her descendants is strange and wouldn't take your son to see it unless he expresses an interest. It is mentioned on the tour
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Old Mar 18th, 2022, 09:22 AM
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Originally Posted by yk
@obxgirl, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Thanks for mentioning Grand Caverns. We don't *need* to see antique cars per se (plenty of chances to see them in New England). Just comparing the caverns alone, is one "bigger" than the other? Have you done both and what's your impression on both?

Is it doable to visit Grand Caverns in the morning and drive the Skyline drive in the afternoon? Or what would you suggest to do after Grand Caverns if I want to save Skyline Drive/Shenandoah/hiking for a full day?
I've visited both Luray and Grand Caverns. Luray is larger than Grand Caverns but they were both good experiences for me, a non geology person. I'd probably choose Grand Caverns to return to as it is somewhat less commercialized. If you do combine a cave visit with the Skyline Drive which cavern you pick will dictate where you enter the SD. You've done research so you're probably already aware that there are only 4 entry/exit points on the SD.

It's a little harder to recommend what to pair with a cavern visit if you want to save a full day for the Skyline Drive. A lot of the history in the area is Civil War and not Revolutionary War related. You are in the countryside so there is also the issue of how much time you want to spend driving. You could pair Grand Caverns with Montpelier in a day. Ruckersville is 30-45 minutes to either place, so midway-ish between the two. I would probably give that a go b/c that is my travel style. My husband would pick one and spend the rest of the day reading a book. Sorry, wish I could be more helpful.
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Old Mar 18th, 2022, 11:34 AM
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We visited Jefferson and Monroe one day, and Madison the next.

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...residents-day/

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...nding-farmers/
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Old Mar 20th, 2022, 12:16 PM
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Thanks again on all your thoughts and inputs. Given that we will be in that area midweek, I think I can leave some leeway as to how I want to arrange our schedule. I do need to book Monticello tours, but it sounds like visiting both Monticello and Highland is doable in one day.

Originally Posted by maitaitom
maitaitom, thanks for sharing your travelog. When did you visit? I know it is spring but it was quite hot already? Also, if I'm not mistaken, you visited both Monticello AND Highland in the morning (since you said you had lunch afterwards). Did you feel rushed?
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Old Mar 22nd, 2022, 05:15 PM
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Okay I have a tentative itinerary (staying 3 nights in C'ville). It is rather all over the place but it's due to opening days/hours while trying to fit into our schedule:

Sunday arrive into Richmond at 11am, pick up rental car and drive to visit Lewis Ginter botanical Garden in richmond (I'm thinking there will be some really nice April blooms?). Check into hotel in Charlottesville (I've decided we will stay IN Charlottesville)

Monday morning – Montpelier (it is only open Thursdays-Mondays)
Monday afternoon – Grand Caverns in Grottoes (won't go to Luray as that takes a whole day with all the other attractions there)

Tuesday morning – Walking around UVA; may or may not stick around for the Rotunda tour
Tuesday midday/afternoon – Shenandoah NP/Skyline Drive/Hiking

Wednesday – Monticello in the morning, Highland in the afternoon. Drive to CW that evening

[Tuesday and Wednesday interchangeable depending on weather)

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