I'll be spending a couple weeks in DC soon. On one of my free days, I'd love to take a little drive into the first range of blue ridge mountains and explore. Is there a good, neat town that could serve as my destination? I'm thinking I'd drive there leisurely, have lunch and take a nice walk, and then head back to DC. I'm actually staying in Northern Virginia (Tysons) so I'll already be in that direction.

Since you will be in Tysons, take route 7 west through Leesburg and Purcellvile to Berryville which is a nice little town to explore. From there continue west on 7 into Winchester. The old town area there is very interesting with nice restaurants.

If you still have time, take route 11 south out of Winchester and pass through (and maybe stop in) Stephens City and Middletown (home of route 11 potato chips) on your way to Strasburg, three more neat towns. If you want to make a day of it, continue south on 11 to Woodstock and see our 1795 courthouse which is still in use, and the Woodstock Tower which overlooks the seven bends of the Shenandoah River.

On your return trip, you could take I-81 back to Winchester and route 7 to Tysons which should take less than two hours. Enjoy your visit to Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.

Thank you.. I've been as far as Leesburg before, and am excited to venture even further out. Sounds like it is destination Woodstock.

If you'll be going through Purcellville around lunch (or dinner), you might want to stop at Magnolia's at the Mill for some great food. We also love their beer selection.

http://www.magnoliasmill.com/

If you haven't been to Charlottesville, Virginia, it's a lovely town with many attractions. Two hour drive from DC. Monticello, historic campus of University of Virginia, Madison's home. Definately worth your consideration. SusanEva

Thanks for all your great suggestions. I thought I'd refresh this thread to see if there were any additional ideas.

There is a very nice Irish Restaurant (Irish Isle) on riute ii in Middletown, just south of the little Route 11 Potato Chip factory. Excellent 6 oz. crabcakes, all crabmeat. Pub is downstairs. Has a nice menu but you need at least an hour for lunch as they have a small kitchen.
Woodstock Tower road is closed due from last snow and ice storm we had. It is too narrow for snowplows to treat it.

I'm not sure if you're into history, but Harpers Ferry is a pleasant drive and a pleasant visit, if it's not in summer amid the crowds.

Harpers Ferry sounds nice. Any others? I think you all have some great ideas. Really want to spend part of my day getting into the "guts" of the Blue Ridge Mtns, off the beaten path.

My favorite destination is Sperryville in Rappahannock County. The Sunnyside Farms Burger Shack there serves the best burgers, made from home-grown organic Kobe beef and grilled up just right.

There's some surprisingly good wineries and organic farms in the area and the Skyline Drive is just a few miles beyond.

One more try for opinions...... btw... it could be 3-4 hours from DC. 2 hrs might only limit me to the exurbs!

I think I've got it all figured out. I'm going to drive from Tysons out Purcellville, Berryville, Winchester. From there, I'll get on Skyline drive for a taste of the Park. I'll then exit out of the park so I can hit Sperryville. This burger shack sounds like a place I need to try.

Thanks all for your suggestions, and sorry I can't fit everything into this loop. Let me know if you locals would suggest I change this plan up.

I disagree with the itinerary based on the fact that none of these towns has anything of interest nor is any of them at all scenic. The drive along Route 7 offers some pretty scenery, but it would not be my first choice. Harpers Ferry and Shepherdstown, WV are true destinations, and offer beautiful scenery.

I respectfully beg to differ with Gabriele. While I agree that Shepardstown and Harper's Ferry are great choices, there are certainly things of interest in the other places he has chosen.

I happen to live in Winchester and it is true that a lot of Berryville and Winchester are residential and have their share of retail (especially Winchester with its WalMart, Staples, Circuit City, etc....).

But, that is only part of the story. The dowtown walking mall is nice with a local bookstore, several good restaurants, and some galleries. There is also the brand new Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Washington's Office, and Stonewall Jackson's headquarters.

Cargill, I will agree that you probably do not need to do Purcellville, Berryville and Winchester. Purcellville has a couple of good restaurants, but is filled with new construction going on.

I do like the idea of a ride down Skyline Drive. Sperryville is very quaint. It will be a long day, but a chance to get a good feel for the Northern Valley with the variety you have chosen.

If you would like some restaurant ideas for Winchester, let me know. Also, just off Route 7 as you are driving over the Blue Ridge, there is a piece of the AT and a fairly nice, short hike to a great view.....I think it is called Bear's Den. The parking lot for it is literally alongside Rt. 7. If you are interested, I will try to get more detailed info for you.

When will you be doing this trip?

Hope this helps. Sorry I missed this post earlier.

Have fun!