Cool stuff to do in and around Virginia?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by SurfDoctor, Apr 21, 2011.

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  1. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    After I'm finished with a couple classes at Liberty this summer, my wife is going to join me in putzing around the east coast for a week or so. We booked a room at Keswick Hall in Charlottesville, VA for the week, a place that I hear is really nice, and will use that as our base of operations. Anyone know anything about the place?

    We thought we would hit the outer banks but have very few other ideas for interesting things to do. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
     
  2. AUTiger00

    AUTiger00 New Member

    A drive to the outerbanks from Charlottesville is still several hours (five, I believe). If you like history there is a ton to see in Richmond, the Confederate White House and Museum of the Confederacy are both interesting, as is Hollywood Cemetary. In Charlottesville, go to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home. If you like wine check out some of the wineries in the area. Drive out to Lexington, VA and check out Washington & Lee University. Robert E. Lee is buried there along with his horse, Traveler. And of course you can always make the two hour drive into DC.
     
  3. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    Virginia Beach.
     
  4. friartuck

    friartuck New Member

    We were in VA last year around this time-late May actually. We stayed in VA Beach at a nice Fairfield Inn and Suites. The boardwalk area is pretty nice with some very good restaurants. We went to Colonial Williamsburg, that's one day, it was fine. Busch Gardens we thought was a rip off. One day we went to a bunch of plantations and civil war battle sites south of Richmond, that can kill a day. There's Jamestown colony and Yorktown. In Norfolk we went on a little sailing ship around the harbor area, that was fun. One day we went up the Eastern Shore of MD, another day we went to the Outer Banks. We were kind of disappointed in the OB, it seemed shabby and run down, not too scenic. A few lighthouses, Kitty Hawk. All in all there are quite a few things to see. Nothing to knock your socks off though.

    If you have time try to go a bit further south, Wilmington, NC beach area, Charleston, Hilton Head, Savannah, we had more fun during our trips to those areas.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 21, 2011
  5. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I wouldn't use Charlottesville as a base of operations if you have to go to Lynchburg every day for a week. That's at least an hour each way.

    If colonial history interests you, then I'd spend a day in Charlottesville to do Monticello, then spend a day at Colonial Williamsburg, then come up to Northern Virginia to see Mount Vernon (George Washington's plantation house). But D.C. has a lot of stuff for tourists, with all the Smithsonian museums, National Cathedral, the White House, Capitol, and monuments on the Mall, you could easily do a week here if not more.

    -=Steve=-
     
  6. -kevin-

    -kevin- Resident Redneck

    Make a day trip to here (we did OBX last year):

    Howard's Pub - Home

    Enjoy the ferry ride and make sure you take a college pennant for the walls. We stayed until the sun was going down and managed to record it setting while we ferried back to Hatteras, made for a nice ending to the day.

    Steve has hit on a good side trip to Monticello.

    You can also make a day trip to Gettysburg, PA, take the driving tour and take pictures in front of your state's monument (we did).

    This year we're headed to Key West and taking the Fast Cat out to the Dry Tortugas and then Canada in the Fall.
     
  7. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Looking at MapQuest it looks like over an hour between Charlottesville and Lynchburg, you are right, too far. I'm actually staying with one of the professors at Liberty when I'm taking classes. My good friend's dad is a professor there. When I 'm done, I'm picking my wife up at the airport in Charlottsville and will not go back to Lynchburg until next summer to take more classes.
     
  8. jaer57

    jaer57 New Member

    If you're going to be starting from Charlottesville, and especially if you love the outdoors, head an hour north to Shenandoah National park. I recommend driving Skyline drive for some beautiful Appalachian views.
     
  9. LaceyLady

    LaceyLady New Member

    I agree with several of the other posters. In Charlottesville, I would suggest visiting Monticello and maybe a winery if that interests you. Then drive north and take Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National park. The views of the Shenandoah valley and the Appalachians are beautiful. I would make it a day trip and hike in Shenandoah National park (if you like hiking). Alternatively you can make a loop: drive north all the way on Skyline then south through the Shenandoah valley and east back to Charlottesville. Then take a trip to Richmond and see the historical sites already mentioned. In order to explore the eastern part of the state, I would suggest staying somewhere farther east like Richmond or Norfolk. Then I would visit Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. I would leave Washington DC and Northern VA for another trip - there is so much to see there.

    Let me add that I am not very familiar with Virginia - I was only there for less than a week, but I research each place I visit before I go there. I went from northern VA, south through Shenandoah National park, stayed in Charlottesville and visited Monticello, then visited Richmond, before going back north. I really enjoyed Shenandoah N P and Monticello. I didn't get to visit much in Richmond (just one historic plantation) or anything east of Richmond because of time constraint.
     

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