We'll be spending the last night of our upcoming week long trip to Virginia in Fredericksburg, but our flight doesn't leave Dulles the next day until 7:00 pm. I'm drawing a blank on what we can do our last day before we head to the airport. We're already visiting DC, Richmond, and Williamsburg this trip, and we've visited Monticello and Mount Vernon on a prior trip.

Any thoughts about how two history lovers can spend their last day of the trip (a Saturday)? Is Manassas too far out of the way/too much to cover in the time we have?

Thanks fellow Fodorites!

Appomattox

I went last month on my way to Monticello and ended up spending a lot more time there than expected. Of course, it happened to be the anniversary of the surrender so they were offering a couple of extra ranger programs - but even without them I think you'd enjoy the visit.

http://www.nps.gov/apco/index.htm

We also enjoyed our visit to Appomattox

If you have any interest in US history and the Civil War, Manassas Battlefield Park is not far from Dulles Airport. Two pivotal battles took place there, also known as Bull Run after the stream that runs through. It was family farms before the war and it was that history that took me there but the larger story would be fascinating, I think, to most and the park itself is a great place to spend the day, big enough for good walks around the places that mark events.

http://www.nps.gov/mana/index.htm

Fredericksburg has a nice historic downtown, and Warrenton, on your way to Dulles by one route, is also interesting and attractive. US 17, your route to Warrenton, is a nice, relatively rural ride after I 95 .

US Marine Corps Museum http://www.usmcmuseum.org interesting and not far from Fredericksburg on the way to Dulles.

We enjoyed our time at Manassas.

I am including a link to Day 14 of my trip report. Note that after that day I discuss with several posters the challenges of finding the battlefield. It's possible but Googlemaps has been leaving us all high and dry.

We did really enjoy the battlefield in part because our ranger was amazing. Would highly recommend you go on a tour if possible. We only did the 1st Battle.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...omment-7854188