musters

I've got the oppertunity of extending a trip to Washington D.C. by 6 days with my husband. We would like to go somewhere like Shenandoah Valley and possibly Richmond. Any advice. We are from the UK so Haven't a clue of the area so will need advice about what not to miss . We like outdoor activities but also enjoy meeting people so any suggestions re guesthouse or friendly B&B accommadation would also be much appreicated. Many thanks for any suggestions

yestravel

What time of the year? U could easily do the Shenandoah Valley and Richmond with 6 additional days. If you're coming in the Fall when leaves r changing, its especially beautiful. Unless u want to spend 2-3 days devoted to hiking in the Shenandoah I might add in a night or two in Charlottesville which is a cute college town and home of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello which his quite interesting in you're into that sort of thing. U can also stay in Charlottesvile and river to Shenandoah Valley. Most of my stays in that area (Shenandoah & Charlottesville) have always been at a small cabin in Dyke, VA where we have lots of privacy and can get away from the city. One time we did stay at Belle meade Inn http://www.bellemeadeinn.com/ in Sperryville and enjoyed ourselves. They used to do communal meals made from their garden for their guests. Its been a couple years so not sure if they're still doing.

Its a great area to explore.

Gretchen

Charlottesville. Even Philadelphia. There is a LOT to do around Philadelphia/Delaware.

musters

Thank you , yestravel and Gretchen for your reply, this is just the sort of information I am looking for. we are travelling mid Oct which hopefully will be early Autumn same as here in UK. Will follow up all these leads. Many Thanks

yestravel

If its this October, u really need to nail down reservations -- very crowded time in the region with all the leaf peepers out.
While I love Phila and the Delaware area, its a bit out of the way from what u have suggested. It would be an alternate to what u suggested. Enjoy your trip!

weimarer

Go to West Virginia, the Monongahela National Forest region
in the eastern half bordering VA for the best outdoors scenery. Go on scenic drives, take a few hikes, there are some scenic railway trips as well. Best place to go, would be a no-brainer for most people I know (I live in VA) if they wanted to get out and enjoy the outdoors and scenery for a few days in mid-October.

Hellion

So presumably you'll already have seen the sights in DC and have six days to do whatever you want? Are you flying in and out of DC? Presumably you'll have a car?

Anyway, I agree that you can see some really pretty scenery in WV -- you could head out that way via 66, then loop back into Virginia on 250 to Staunton or 64 at Covington. either of those roads would put you at Staunton to pick up 64 back east, which goes directly to Charlottesville and Richmond.

As far as B&Bs go, I've never stayed at any in Richmond, but I live near this place and it looks great from the outside: http://www.mauryplace.com/site-map.htm

Old house, newly renovated, I think, and Monument Avenue is one of the prettiest streets in town. Probably pricey.

I don't know that area of WV very well, so I can't advise you on specifics there.

In Charlottesville, though, you can see Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and UVA, and it's a nice college town with good restaurants.

In the Richmond area (and elsewhere, including Fredericksburg as you head back to DC) you can see Civil War battlefields and learn some about that history. I live in Richmond, and it has some neat neighborhoods and good restaurants. If you're around Oct. 8-10, that's the weekend of the Richmond Folk Festival, which is quite neat. We had the National Folk Festival for a couple of years and the city's trying to keep it up now that the national one has moved on. They do a good mix of music from a variety of countries. And it's free!

musters

I think I have the basics pinned down to 4 nights in D.C. taking in the main sights, including the national art gallery. As we arrive on the 9th and have to be in Washington for meeting on 11th we will miss the Richmond festivel.We are staying in the Bethesda area but near a metro line so hopefully can access the main sights from there. We will hire a car on the 13th taking 2 nights in charlottesville then 2 nights in Shenandoah area. we do a lot of biking in the Uk and I am hoping to contact /find out more about possibily doing 4/5 hours biking as opposed to hiking if i can organise this for the Shenandoah Valley. I really fancy travelling up to Gettysburg and then Lancaster county. I like the look of the Inn at leola village and will book this over the next few days as well as Skyland resort at Shenandoah. Still have to do my research on Charlottesville, though Monticello looks like a must see .
Whats a good Hotel late-booking site in the US or is this just a silly idea. I want named accommadation but it would be nice not to plan this trip too tightly. Again Thanks for your input.

Rumseydog

Charlottesville -- specifically Monticello and The Grounds of the University of Virginia -- is indeed a must visit, but note there's a home football game on Saturday, October 16, so rooms will be hard to come by both on Fri Oct 15 and Sat Oct 16.

The Shenandoah Valley has lots of small towns, B&Bs, and bicycling possibilities. One of our favorite areas to bike is in Clarke County near the north end of the valley (using either Winchester or Berryville as a base). Check numerous excellent bicycle route options here: http://www.mapmyride.com/. Look for a route that takes you past Millwood and the restored and still operating Burwell-Morgan Grist Mill.

At the north end of the Valley are two other favorite spots: Shepherdstown and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The Thomas Shepherd Inn in the former is an excellent B&B, and the town features half a dozen excellent eateries. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park sits at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers just 60 miles west of Washington, DC. The town features considerable Civil War history and was the site of John Brown's 1859 Raid on the Armory and Arsenal -- which served as a spark to the American Civil War.

Lots of history and beautiful scenery. Enjoy!

GeorgeW

Charlottesville: Monticello, the University of Virginia and Monroe's house down the road from Monticello. Skyline Drive, especially when the colors of leaves change sometime in October should be a fine drive. Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, site of John Brown's rebellion and Stonewall Jackson's envelopment of the great Union base previous to Antietam is worth while. The nearby Antietam battlefield in Sharpsburg, MD, the bloodiest single day in American warfare, is a pleasant excursion of an excellently preserved Civil War site. Something to keep in mind is Highland County, Virginia, often called the Switzerland of Virginia, located west of Staunton.