Married early senior female, husband with health issues, 83-year old mother lives with us, 32-year old learning disabled son lives with us also.

I need a 3 or 4 day get-away, within a couple hours flight/drive from Washington DC area. Just me...no one but ME! I like quaint little places, including shops, idyllic nature scenes, wildlife though not much into long hikes. Do not require a spa. In fact, I do not like spa indulgences. Looking for a place where I can lounge around in beautiful surroundings, read as much as I want, take walks with my camera. Temperate weather required. Also, I'm not willing to break the bank on this self-indulgence.

Suggestions?

Charleston
Asheville
Bermuda (it won't be swimming weather but you can enjoy the beaches for walking)
Naples, FL

You deserve the break, take it!

How about Amelia Island,Fl. It's off the coast of Jacksonville and a laid back nice spot. I stayed at Elizabeth Pointe Lodge and loved it.
Good restaurants in town-Fernandina Beach) and also nice shops. The breakfast at EP is great and there is a great wrtaparound deck to watch the ocean, read and chill. If you have any questions about area, just ask. You sound like you need a walk on the beach. I checked temps and it looks like hi 60's - low 70's at this time of year. I went May and it was beautiful.

Ty. You are both giving me food for thought. I did, however, fail to say that I am planning WAY ahead...won't be able to do this before May...but temp in these places will still be good. Asheville and Amelia Island are really drawing me!

polly - you have a lot on your plate. I hope you have a splendid time.

Hello pollyvw, you do have your hands full and no wonder you do need to get away for a few days by yourself.

My immediate thought was Charleston but probably by May Charleston might be a bit to hot for you. A beautiful historical city however.

I happen to love walking on a beach when I need to unwind also. Earle's suggestion regarding Amelia Is, FL although I haven't been there sounds quite good to me. Something at least I would enjoy. I would find out how far the restaurants are from the beautiful sounding Elizabeth Point Lodge but obviously earle could respond to that question.

I so hope you find the perfect spot to regroup and recoup pollyvw. My very best wishes to you.

How about Williamsburg ? Paul

Check out www.florida-inns.com for a lot of great options. Florida is a beautiful place!

Shepherdstown, WV is only a few hours drive. Cute small town, boutique-y shops, good restuarants, an independent movie theater, small independent bookstore. Nature Preserve and easy walking on the C&O canal path beside the Potomac River. Same weather as DC, generally. For lodging, there is a bed and breakfast in town and several small hotels on the outskirts of town.

Have you thought about Skyland in Shenandoah National Park? You can get a room with a balcony overlooking a beautiful view of the valley. Mid-week prices are in the $100 range. The lodge has a dining room that's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They often have a singer or a band in the lounge in the evenings. You mentioned that you don't want to do long hikes, but there are lots of beautiful short hikes nearby, as well as a variety of interesting (and free) ranger-led programs. I love Shenandoah NP. It's a beautiful and relaxing place to get away for a few days (and conveniently located).

TY all. You are giving me great food for thought as I approach my busy season. Love the ideas of Shepardstown and Skyland which I have never heard of...strange, being so close.

Asheville, Charleston and Amelia Island would all be good choices. Jekyll Island would be great too - but no shopping - or very, very little.

St. Augustine, FL!

In think Amelia Island is a good suggestion provided the heat won't bother you.

Pollyww, Restaurants are 5-10 minutes from Elizabeth Pointe Lodge. There are a ton in town and also some along the main road. You would need a car to get to them, but the driving is easy and you can't get lost.
I also love Charleston. We did a Charleston, Savannah and Amelia island trip last May and the weather was great. It was the beginning of May and not terribly hot.
Earle is my husband and I had his screen name in previous post and until now had difficulty changing to my name-in case this was confusing.
I hope you plan a great getaway!

Amelia Island has everything you are looking for. We used to live not far from there, so spent a lot of time on the beach. I am a hot weather wimp, and never had a problem there. They have a big shrimp festival in early May if you can make it for that. Lots of fun!

Hi Polly, sorry to hear about your husband and son and wish them the best and I hope you find the trip you are looking for.

I just wanted respond to " ...take walks with my camera" by asking if you have discovered Flickr
( http://flickr.com/ )
I've only recently started browsing it and I'm just overwhelmed by how many wonderful photos are there.

Also, in addition to being the best weather site I've seen, wunderground.com also has a vast collection of spectacular scenery photos.

illusory (and others)...just to clarify. My son is not a REAL problem. He has a decent job and takes care of most of the things he should take care of...it's just that it's one more person added to the list...another person to cook for. Things like that...and I help him manage his money as much as he will let me. Anyway...

And...ty for mentioning flicker. I LOVE that site since I found it late last summer. In fact, I have been posting there. Look for my photos (id=pollyvw), some of them vacation pics. Actually, flickr has me so addicted to photography, that's the reason for the 'walks with my camera' criteria.

TY all. I will get back to you when I take this get-away and I'm leaning to a couple of your suggestions.

Williamsburg would be nice. Lots to see, shopping at the outlets is fun. Pretty close to DC....
Have a great trip!