Washington, DC area
 

We will likely be visiting in DC this summer (we know about the heat and humidity -- been there in all different seasons). Are there any day trips you would recommend (we've previously been to Virginia Beach, Jamestown and Yorktown, and Williamsburg). We like historic towns (like Charleston and Savannah), good strolling, poking around shops, historic areas (like the Battery in Charleston, and Fort Sumter), beach towns, good food (doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, just good, and preferably casual), art museums not so much, "thing" museums more so (like the Tenement Museum in New York, just for an example), scenic drives and views.

We've seen the "big sites" in DC a few times, so will concentrate there on the things we haven't seen before, like the Newseum, and repeat a few of the "oldies but goodies" (like the American History Museum).

TIA.

Frederick, Maryland, and Fredericksburg, Virginia. Both historic and totally awesome.

Annapolis? Harper's Ferry?

Skyline Drive at Shenandoah National Park in VA is a very scenic drive. I like the Postal Museum in DC next to Union Station. Its lesser known, less crowded, and very interesting actually. Fords Theatre is awesome, if you haven't seen that already. Thats a very historically significant place, but not always on most peoples must see list, so a lot people miss out on that.

Williamsburg is very unique in that the whole town is a historic park. I think the same is true of Harper's Ferry, but Williamsburg is larger and is operated in great detail by "interpreters" who do everything that might have been done in the town during Colonial times, like make bricks by hand, train for warfare, make shoes, run the jail, etc. Restaurants serve the food of the period, and are lit by candles. It's really an interesting experience.

I like Annapolis, and Warrenton VA

http://www.townofwarrenton.com/

Warenton has a great bakery...

Red Truck Bakery & Market www.redtruckbakery.com
22 Waterloo Street
Warrenton, VA 20186
(540) 347-2224

Oh, have you spent time in Old Town Alexandria? Historic, charming.

Charlottesville, VA

We live in Northern Virginia and are constantly entertaining friends visiting DC from overseas. A favorite with families of all ages has been Mount Vernon, which is a beautiful drive south of Washington. It has been updated and the interactive museums are really cool. I highly recommend. If you want to venture further, my kids also enjoyed Charlottesville as mentioned. Depends on how far out you want to go. Want rural beauty and a taste of a different Virginia? Then head out west. By far the most popular with our guests has been Tubing down the Potomac or Shenandoah Rivers. You can get on at Harpers Ferry area and see another side of the country. We take everyone and the kids like it a great deal (if the weather is nice). Butt's Tubes are our favorite. good luck.

Thanks all (but please keep your suggestions coming). We have been to Mount Vernon (although I know it has been updated), and we've spent quite a bit of time in Old Town Alexandria. We've been to Williamsburg, although it was a long time ago.

I've noted Frederick, MD, Fredericksburg, VA, Annapolis, Harper's Ferry, Warrenton, Shenandoah National Park.

How about the Maryland Eastern Shore?

I was going to recommend Harper's Ferry and throw in Shepherdstown which is nearby.

If you like "thing" museums, you might visit the Building Museum in Washington if you haven't been. It's really nice (and the building itself is beautiful and the site of many inaugural balls).

Eastern shore depends on your interests. To me, it's mainly a bunch of rich people with getaway homes and is boring and a PIA to get there at certain times due to the traffic.

A lot of people like St. Michaels -- a cutesy town with lots of shops to poke around in and many restaurants. It's about 2 hours from DC.

Chincoteague on the Eastern shore is popular. We did a trip to Chesapeake MD and took the ferry to Smith island which was interesting. Fabulous Maryland crabs.

Was just in Frederick and it has a nice restored area. Volt has fabulous food. The owner was the runner up on Top Chef this past season. If you're really into food, its worth it just for a meal at Volt.

Not sure where Christina gets her characterization of the Eastern shore as mainly a bunch of rich people...Its way to diverse to describe it that way. U do need to time your trip so u go over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge at non rush times.

Annapolis (charming, historic, yet simultaneously real) and Baltimore (urban with an edge, fun, easily accessible by public transit) are two of my favourite day-trip destinations from Washington, DC.