Susan,

I'm glad you enjoyed 4-square. The presentation is wonderful. And the staff know the dishes so they can make excellent recommendations.

Paul, the Seasoned Ticket is closing so I'll have to take that off the recommendations list. If you still need a hotel recommendation, let us know where the wedding is so we can put you nearby.

Old Salem is really neat if you are into history and old ways.

Thanks to everyone for the recommendations. We decided to stay all three nights at the Washington Duke Inn. Will have Thursday night available for dinner and have so many choices.

We are taking the train from New York to DC and then driving to Durham. Any recomendations on the best route and things to do on the way from DC to Durham would be appreciated. We start out of DC on Wednesday noon and have to be in Durham on Thursday noon. Thanks

Hi Paul

From a friend of mine who used to work at the Washington Duke Inn, when making a reservation they will ask if you want a 'golf' view or a 'park' view. 'Park' means parking lot.

Maybe stopping around Richmond and seeing the museum of the confederacy and/or stopping by some of the battlefields in VA. Or maybe going from DC to Virginia Beach, stopping by Norfolk/Hampton Roads area then driving on to Durham.

Certainly the most direct thing to do on the way would be time around Fredericksburg or Richmond/Petersburg. If you don't mind going a little more out of the way, you could visit Appomattox or Monticello. The problem is that traveling noon to noon will give you little time to visit much in between because of opening/closing hours.

Here is a thought: Leave DC, follow directions to Arlington Cemetery over Key Bridge - coming out on the other side going under 95 is side road that folks can stop and take pictures of the hole in the Pentagon. It is sort of a local shrine. You can't miss the Pentagon, it will be on your left heading south on 95, and it just gives you an indescribable feeling to actually see it. Leaving DC at noon I would suggest driving 95 south and follow the signs to Mount Vernon and stop for a tour and walk around the grounds. Going south to Durham I would suggest south on 95, when you get past Ashland you will see signs for 295-South, take it around Richmond. There is bridge construction on I-95 tru downtown Richmond after 6 PM that shuts 95 down to one lane either direction! Lots of places to eat and easy on/off around Hopewell/Prince George /Fort Lee exit off 295. At end of 295 you go NORTH on 95 for just a few miles to reach 85 which goes toward Durham (I think). There are NOT many places to stop off 85 until you hit Carolina, so stop to eat off 295. Have fun!

Joy is right about the directions. I have driven Durham to Washington and Richmond several times. It makes good sense to find something to do near D.C. because daylight hours are so limited. There really isn't much to see or do between Petersburg and Durham. There are a few small towns on the highway, including my birthplace, but not much else. I think you can expect an hour or just over to get to Fredericksburg, VA from D.C., so you could stop and tour part of the battlefield and the town. Richmond is another hour, and you might be able to squeeze in a visit to the Museum and White House of the Confederacy or the Battlefield Visitor Center. Petersburg is 20-30 minutes more to the south. You could possibly take a 2-hour drive through the battlefield there, which is one of my favorites. This would give you barely enough time. Durham is then about two hours farther south. Hwy 85 will take you almost as far as you need to go to get to Duke. You will need to veer left onto Hwy 15-501 after reaching northern Durham. Someone had suggested 295 to me once as a way around Richmond. You may miss seeing downtown Richmond, but it is a nice drive and actually more scenic. Actually, I think it might have been Joy who suggested it.