My husband and I will be visiting my son in April 2012 in Raleigh, NC., we're from California.

We want to extend our trip from there to another location. We love hiking, beaches, mountains, golf, is there anywhere we could take a train or a short flight from Raleigh in April to an interesting and beautiful location. I know there's beautiful country all over but never having been there not sure where to go. We'd want to go for about 3 days.

Drive to Asheville, NC or Boone, NC if you want mountains or to the Outer Banks (Duck, NC for example) if you want the beach. Any are within a 4 hours drive of Raleigh.

You might want to consider renting a car. And pick the mountains, or the beach.

Look at Asheville-a perennial favorite and pretty in the spring, or Wilmington, on the coast. The azaleas will be blooming in April there. Flights will be expensive and take longer than just driving.

Ah, great minds think (sort of) alike and type at the same time.

suewoo, I believe we are mutually brilliant

LOL! We did it again!

Indeed we are, dahin' lol

*dahlin*

Sounds like Ashville is the place to visit. So, if we go the first week of October would that be when the colors change?

would be close to color change in my opinion but good to watch and read when the it actually happens. eitherway, it will be nice.

Now we're thinking that Williamsburg, Virginia might make a more fun trip than Asheville, could I please get your opinions. thanks.

More fun? How?

Williamsburg is a mock up of a colonial town. If u like that sort of stuff, then u would enjoy Williamsburg.

Well, all I know about Williamsburg is that there's a lot of history but I figured there would also be a lot of other stuff to see, maybe not! More fun? Well, fun is fun, if you go visit nice sights hopefully you're having fun, else, why travel.

Should we stick to Asheville?

I'm confused.

Both are good destinations. IMO they are different, but both worthwhile. Which is more "fun"? I wouldn't even dare to attempt to answer that. "Fun" is not necessarily what comes to mind when I think of Williamsburg and I'm still not sure what is "fun" to you. So, I'll just say either is a good choice and I'm sure you'll enjoy the one you choose.

Maybe our resident Wmsburg expert will join in the conversation.
She's lot of fun too

Fun to me is having a good experience on our vacation. Traveling is not exactly cheap and I certainly don't want to end up somewhere where I'll be bored to death. I'm not really sure how to answer my version of fun, I'm certainly not meaning "fun" like going out dancing or getting together for girl's day, I'm just saying having a good experience on the destination we chose. Hey, maybe I should say that we're 60 years old but in good shape so we're able to walk mile, hike, bike etc. Maybe that makes it more clear.

I've just come down from the mountains and am still in mountain mode and you want me to talk someone out of Asheville? LOL

Of course, we need to clarify that our mountains are like your foothills. They're gentle and very green as opposed to dramatic and craggy.

Asheville is a funky, fun mountain town. It's artsy with some lovely places to stay and great food. Biltmore is fabulous and worth touring.

Williamsburg is much more than a "mock-up" of a Colonial town. There are also lovely places to stay here and great food. You'll be transported back to Colonial times touring Colonial Williamsburg, the recreated town. There is also hiking, biking, kayaking and fabulous golf.

Williamsburg is a town. Asheville is a small city. Williamsburg has a more traditional tone, Asheville's is a bit artsy. Asheville is in the mountains. Williamsburg is closer to the coast and has rivers and marshes.

Amtrak comes right into Williamsburg and is closer to Raleigh, by car, by 1/2 hour than Asheville.

We'd be happy to provide more details.

Oh wait...maybe I'm not the fun Williamsburg expert.

In addition to the restored and reconstructed buildings, Williamsburg has the Rockefeller collection of folk art, one of the best in the world. I find it a very satisying place. It is also near Jamestown and Yorktown, with Richmond nearby, if you are a history buff at all. The early history of the United States is to a very large degree the history of Virginia and of Masachusetts.

Whenever you come, you will find it very humid compared to California. The spring is glorious but filled with pollen. Consider beginning on claritin about two weeks before you get here as it takes that long to work.