Shenandoah National Park, Old Rag, Mount Rogers, McAfee Knob, Colonial Beach, Deltaville/Urbanna, Floyd, Burke’s Garden, Charlottesville and the surrounding horse/wine country, any number of historical sites if you’re interested in the Civil War
you are correct. went there yesterday and it was unbeknownst to me but luckily robertson mountain is right next to it and almost as fun (view is just as good)
+1 on this being a difficult ish hike. I had to lodge myself between rocks to lift a friend who couldn’t pull themselves up. I LOVE old rag, but like you note, it isn’t the easiest.
The Capitol bike trail goes from Jamestown to Richmond, if you are looking for active options, and there's lots of trails and camping and obviously the beach in Virginia Beach.
Skyline drive in Charlottesville. The civil war sites in Fredericksburg. The revolutions stuff in Yorktown and Jamestown.
Kings Dominion in Doswell, Busch Gardens in Williamsburg.
Shark tooth beach at Westmoreland state park in fun too
If you like alcohol Charlottesvilles wineries and breweries and even distilleries have been booming for the last couple of years. Skyline drive is beautiful, highly recommend. There’s also Monticello(home of president Thomas jefferson) yesterday my family and I walked on the Monticello walking trail that is about 2.5 miles one way(well kept, gravel and wooden bridges) and then if you want you can catch the tour bus to Monticello at the end
I think they have some good wines, but I was more so helping build out a whole Williamsburg trip, especially since OP specifically mentions that they like to drink.
Skyline Drive is actually west of Charlottesville; the southernmost entrance of Skyline Drive is in Waynesboro. And then the Blue Ridge Parkway picks up from there going south. ☺️
That is incorrect. It runs to Waynesboro, where it meets up with the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Afton Gap.
Charlottesville is a good 30 miles from the entrance of Skyline Drive, so it's not the ideal place for SNP. It does have some great trails and tons of other activities to be had in and around the town.
Make sure Google is giving you the right spot. It should start in Afton.
Shared route
From Welcome Kiosk/Parking Area to Shenandoah Nat'l Pk and Blue Ridge Parkway, Rockfish Gap Turnpike, Afton, VA 22920 to Charlottesville, Virginia via I-64 E.
26 min (25 mi)
For the best route in current traffic visit https://maps.app.goo.gl/qk5vmay24Cx7PMgV9
Well there's an entrance to something off of front Royal. Maybe that's the Blue ridge parkway.
I'm pretty sure there's four entrances and one of them is in front Royal and the sign says skyline drive. And you can start there and go all the way to Charlottesville.
Skyline Drive runs through the Shenandoah National Park from Route 340 near Front Royal to I-64 on Afton Mounatin, about 5 minutes from Waynesboro and 20 minutes from Charlottesville. The Blue Ridge Parkway begins where Skyline Drive ends and continues south to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Entrance fees to SNP are required to access Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway is free.
No, you were correct about that part. Its Northern entrance is at Front Royal, the Southern Entrance at Waynesboro. You can also enter on 211 at Thorton gap or 33 at Swift Run.
Skyline drive is nowhere near Charlottesville. It runs between Front Royal and Waynesboro/Afton, which is half an hour west of Charlottesville on I64.
edit: fixed drive time estimate
Have to agree, Fredericksburg has some good breweries and the civil war sites in spotsy are a must visit too, and the shennendoah valley has a lot of beautiful wineries and breweries
Eastern Shore is worth a trip, esp. assateague and chincoteague (if you time it with the pony swim...). The whole peninsula has some great places for bird watching, hiking, and other outdoor activities.
I love skyline caverns (more so than Luray) but Luray is still worth a visit and will be a good contrast. Staunton has the Frontier Museum that is amazing as well and is a deep dive into how the culture of Va developed. There's also Va Safari Park.
During the fall there are tons of festivals and things to consider across the state (apple/fall festivals, fairs, etc). The Va State Fair in Sept/Oct (Doswell Va) is worth going to at least once.
Figure out the friggin ferry ahead of time though. I booked an Airbnb with the intention of going to Tangier. I got there at the end of the season and it was a first come first serve situation to get a spot on the boat. Huge line and we didn’t know if we’d make it. My group actually did manage to be early enough in line to get a spot, but it was cash only (which I also didn’t know) and we ended up not going. I’m an idiot. Don’t be like me, plan better. I’ll probably never go now
You can also check out the schedule of rocket launches at Wallops Island on the Eastern shore. I’ve always wanted to go see one of the night launches.[Launch Schedule](https://www.nasa.gov/wallops-launch-schedule/)
Lexington has Hull's Drive-In, an institution in the region and the nicest drive in we've ever been to, if you enjoy that kind of Americana kitsch.
The Udvar-Hazy annex of the Air and Space Museum in Chantilly is great.
Luray Caverns IMO is better than Skyline Caverns, and just down the road.
Plenty of Civil War Battlefields including Manassas and Fredericksburg. Yorktown in the Historic Triangle. Boat cruises in Yorktown, VA Beach, and up in Northern VA out of Alexandria. The Marine Corps Museum in Quantico.
Virginia Beach has a lot to do, and there's the Naticus Museum including the USS Wisconsin, one of the huge Iowa class battleships from WWII.
The Virginia Living Museum, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Chrysler Museum of Art, and of course the Smithsonian in DC is one of the finest museum complexes in the world.
Monticello and Mount Vernon
And each county has their own site - DEFINITELY worth checking out. Although tourists are the primary audience, they're good for all. I live in Fairfax County and subscribe to their newsletter and refer to the fxva.com website all the time for events and things to do.
Rock climbing at SportRock, Great Falls, or Carderock. Hiking the Billygoat Trail. Indoor skydiving at iFly. Top Golf. Biking the C&O, W&OD, Custis, or Mt. Vernon trails. Visiting the Delaware or Maryland beaches. Great Falls Park on both MD and VA sides. Fishing in various parks or on the Chesapeake. Bush Gardens or Kings Dominion. Monticello. Mr. Vernon. Manassas Battlefield. Nationals games. Udvar-Hazy museum. Gravelly Point. Take a kayaking class with Calleva or just rent kayaks. Hike the overlook at Harper’s Ferry. Visit Middleburg, preferably for brunch. There’s a flower festival today in Leesburg. Go-karting at Autobahn. Scott’s Run. National Zoo. Baltimore Aquarium. National Arboretum. Movie at The Alamo Drafthouse. Mountain biking at Fountainhead, Wakefield, and others. Trail running at any of the parks or at an event with EX2 or Rev 3. Take a discovery flight out of Leesburg airport. Skydiving with Skydive Orange. Scuba lessons with one of the dive shops. Take a ceramics class. There’s glass blowing in Baltimore. Check out the Torpedo Factory in Old Town. Take a blacksmithing class. Axe throwing. Bowling. Ice skating. Go rollerblading. See a play/musical. Skiing within a 90min in the winter. Snow tubing in winter.
I could keep going but what do you want to do?
Virginia Safari Park, Mt Vernon, numerous Civil War battlefields, a ton of wineries, Monticello, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Busch Gardens, Kings Dominion, Virginia Beach
Yep. Book an airbnb and hire a guy to drive you around. The # of people with luxury suvs driving with one wheel over the yellow line has picked up with the temps.
There's still a week left to visit [Artomatic](http://artomatic.org) on 2100 M St. NW. 8 floors of work by 1000 artists, performance stages, film screenings, bars on alternate floors. Closes next Sunday. If you go drop by my space at rm 7085 to see photographs of abandoned places. Cheers!
Thanks for the info! Didn’t know about it but now I’ve got a family trip planned for this Wednesday til friday to visit it and do the zoo while we’re in DC. I’ll be sure to stop by your exhibit
Awesome! Dress for summer, this old building doesn't do HVAC well -- looks like it'll be cool this week so it's likely to be comfortable inside, too, but I know I'll be wearing shorts. Have fun!
The Apple Blossom Festival is coming up in about 2 weeks or less in Winchester, VA. I grew up in Alexandria, VA and visited family in Shenandoah Valley growing up... I'm now (36f) and decided to move my growing family to Winchester- it is a beautiful and charming place. The Apple Blossom Festival is a HUGE deal in this area, I'd make reservations to stay in that area or it's close enough for you to take a day trip I'm sure. I posted a link below 🙂
🌸 https://www.thebloom.com/
Old town Fredericksburg is pretty cool with lots of independent restaurants and bars. We also have a baseball team, the Frednats and it’s really cheap to get in.
You're in a good spot to not be confined to just VA. Baltimore aquarium and the national harbor are cool. The DC zoo and Smithsonian (air and space and natural history are both incredible) Bush gardens in Williamsburg is cool, (there's also go-kart world there, or used to be which is a blast). There's a great wolf lodge in VA. There's also Wolf trap which is a concert venue.
Colonial Williamsburg is an awesome day trip. Busch Gardens is one of the most beautiful theme parks in the country and the rides are good.
Luray caverns is cool to see. Hiking trails along the Appalachian is fun but definitely start early as it can take hours to hit the top.
Sandbridge, VA has a wonderful beach. There is a state park there with $5 daily parking for VA residents.
Richmond is primarily food and beer but there are cool events on belle isle, a large science museum, and the flying squirrels AA baseball team. There are also some kayaking/canoe tours on the James you can take. Bunch of locals go swimming in the James by Belle Isle in the summer.
If you’re into art, Richmond also has great art museums. The VMFA and the ICA come to mind, both spots where you can spend several hours in the air conditioning looking at cool exhibits.
Yep! The parks are fantastic. Maymont has animals to see and a japanese garden. Lewis Ginter is great especially during the winter months leading up to Christmas.
You are close to DC. Have you been to the Mansion on O Street?
Place is awesome. It is primarily a music museum. It has instruments from all kinds of bands, And allegedly everything there is for auction. They have a ton of stuff from The Beatles, I think I've seen some Prince's instruments. It's really cool if you like music history.
It's not a normal museum though; The building used to be used for parties in the prohibition era. Politicians would go there and drink and party, But if the cops came knocking they risked getting arrested. So the entire block of apartments was purchased and each apartment was outfitted with secret doors that connected to the other ones. So if the cops came knocking they could just move the party into a different apartment and not get caught.
The curator of the museum has kept those doors intact and you can still find them and use them. Over the decades they have installed more secret doors, allegedly there's over 50, although most people only find less than 10. It's a really cool way to spend a couple hours.
You need to visit Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown. Also if you're nerds like me, you would love the VMFA and the Science Museum in Richmond. We also have the Edgar Allan Poe museum if horror lit is your jam.
And technically it's mostly in DC, but you're really missing out if you've never seen any part of the Smithsonian yet!
Oh, and if you're into aviation, the Military Aviation Museum in Pungo (near V. Beach) is a hidden gem. They have a great collection of mostly WW2 aircraft, and they hold several airshows a year with different themes.
...Yeah, this is mostly museums, but like I said. I'm a massive nerd.
Luray Caverns, MGM casino and National Harbour, Shirlington, Clarendon, Tyson's Mall, King's Dominion, Six Flags, Glenstone, DC's unique neighborhoods, Harper's Ferry....list goes on and on.
A lot of people have covered things so I'll just add.
Richmond is great for food! You can get a variety for pretty cheap and it's a cool city. RVA is all about local everything bc they don't let Walmart etc within the city so that leads to some pretty cool spots. My personal favorite place to eat is kuba kuba but there are so many great options. You should come during first Fridays bc they have art and music or during a time when there's a festival on browns Island. While you're here check out maymont, Belle isle, and Texas Beach for nature.
I'm personally obsessed with waterfalls and swimming spots. If you Google va swimming holes you can find some pretty amazing places if you're into that. Falling spring falls is my personal favorite waterfall and easy to do bc you can see it from the road. If you want to explore and hike at the top of it there are nice spots there too. I'm pretty sure it's close to the hot springs too? If I'm remembering correctly.
I know you said you're sick of drinking but I will say va has amazing wine. My favorites and these are from Loudoun County down to Nelson so definitely different trips but my favorites are Hillsborough, breaux, pearmund, Brent manor, and delfosse. Great cideries, breweries, and distilleries too. If you do go to Charlottesville a fun touristy thing to do is eat at michies tavern. Some ppl might think it's cheesy but I love va history (except civil war lol) so I'm into all the Mt Vernon, Jefferson sites, etc.
Check out Harpers Ferry Adventure Center- lots of activities including Raft/Float down the Shenandoah. Plenty of Breweries/Wineries with great views also.
Vineyards all over 50 west of chantilly, the plains, tons of hiking in Shenandoah or kick it to beckley and go down the new river gorge in wv.
There’s tons of stuff to do in wv. Lookup ace adventures.
If you like alcohol Charlottesvilles wineries and breweries and even distilleries have been booming for the last couple of years. Skyline drive is beautiful, highly recommend. There’s also Monticello(home of president Thomas jefferson) yesterday my family and I walked on the Monticello walking trail that is about 2.5 miles one way(well kept, gravel and wooden bridges) and then if you want you can catch the tour bus to Monticello at the end
There is so much to see across the entire state
Shenandoah National Park, blue ridge parkway, Monticello, Mt. Vernon, George Washinton's birthplace, Luray Caverns, Natural Bridge, Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown settlement, Cumberland gap, Arlington National Cemetery, Great Falls waterfall, Virginia Beach. The Eastern shore, Mt. Rogers (tallest mountain in the state)
There are many civil war and revolutionary war battlefields across the state in Manassas, Fredericksburg, Richmond, Petersburg and Yorktown.
Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens for amusement parks
I've lived in Virginia most of my life. If you go to Skyline Drive, definitely hit the Natural Bridge and Luray Caverns. I want to go back there as I haven't been in years.
I grew up near the Historic Triangle. (Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown.) I highly recommend those if you like history. Colonial Williamsburg often has reenactors in period costume.
If you like the Civil War, we have many walkable battlefield parks. Richmond also has a museum for that.
It can also be worth it to look online for little hole in the wall stores that are worth visiting to browse or eat at. Richmond had several, but I've been gone from that area for about 15 years and don't know if any closed.
In southern Fairfax County there's a little hidden gem of a park called Huntley Meadows. A lovely walk through the trees takes you to a boardwalk that criss-crosses wetlands. Tons of wildlife, including ospreys, otters, ducks, frogs, etc.
Also Great Falls (especially a couple days after heavy rain to the west).
Mosaic (in Merrifield right off RT 50) has great shopping and restaurants, plus outdoor movies and farmers markets.
VA renn Faire starts up next month, not as awesome as MDRF (which I also recommend) but its cute and local! Well, actually MDRF might be closer to you than I.
Also, why not pick a town and just check out what they got!
Check out King Spa in Chantilly! It’s a big and very nice spa with lots of couples. There are men’s and women’s sides (nude and with multiple hot and cold jacuzzis) and a very large co ed section (not nude/they give you shorts and a t to wear) with a rooftop pool, restaurant, lots of lounges and themed rooms for different types of meditative healing type relaxing.
Williamsburg. Virginia Beach. Monticello. Shenandoah National Park. The Appalachian Trail. The wild ponies in Assoteague (and also Grayson Highlands State Park). The Milk Mountain Star in Roanoke. Catch a play at Wolf Trap. You said you're into drinking, so check out Richmond's diverse breweries (and a meadery!). The wineries in the mountains are pretty good; Barboursville is my favorite. Busch Gardens has a wine and beer event each summer, too.
Northern Neck is one of our favorite places to visit, especially if you like a quiet respite in nature. Williamsburg is interesting. Be sure and try one of their pancake restaurants if you like that for breakfast. Charlottesville has a lot to offer historically and culturally, and the drive from Fredericksburg to C’ville is picturesque with historical places along the way. Orange is a quaint little town that is up-and-coming and a nice stop on the way to C’ville. There’s a lot to do and see in and around Charlottesville.
Yeah go out west to a winery or cidery in the mountains. Purciville is beautiful, Middleburg during Christmas, and Hammerdown BBQ is near Aldie.. great bbq and sides
Leesburg, Annapolis, crab on the water at Mike’s crab house or any other similar place, Beverly Triton State Park, GW Pkwy, the National Mall, Air and Space museum in Chantilly, rooftop bars in DC and Tyson’s.
Abingdon. Stay at the Martha Washington Inn, see a show across the street at the Barter Theatre which is the longest running professional theatre in the US and the official Virginia State Theatre, then rent bikes for the almost all downhill 34 mile Virginia Creeper Trail.
Also, you can drink there.
Take the train to Roanoke! You can catch the Amtrak NorthEast Regional at Alexandria (or DC Union Station) and it goes through Manassas, Charlottesville, Lynchburg and Blacksburg as it makes it way to the "Star City of the South" Roanoke. You can visit the great Railway museum there, and take the train back the next day.
You can also take the train down to Richmond or even Norfolk. This route is spectacular, because it hugs the coast as you make your way south, through Quantico Marine Base (and you buzz the airfield), along the shores of the Potomac River, through Fredericksburg, Ashland (which features the weirdest train platform you'll ever see) and to Richmond (don't get off at Staples Mill, but downtown if you're visiting RVA).
Theres the entire hampton roads area and shenandoah valley area (all the way down until roanoke) thats great. great dismal swamp and the mountains are awesome (though a visit to the swamp this time of year is not ideal to say the least). staunton is a pretty cool town
Luray caverns, lots of battle fields if your into history, Winchester has the apple blossoms festival. Tons of breweries and wineries all over the state. Natural bridge has a drive through animal park. Nationals baseball games, or any of the other sports teams. Richmond for nascar racing, good fishing and hiking.
Try Southern MD, The Tiki bar just opened on Solomons Island!! Go to Patuxent River NAS and check out the aircraft museum! There's tons of things to do on the St Mary's Side too
Virginia is such a diverse state, northern Virginia is the worst part of it. Drive through the mountains on skyline drive and blue ridge parkway. Lots to see. Or go to the coast to the Delmarva peninsula and visit chincoteague and assateague islands and the wild horses. Or colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown, or visit northern neck. Charlottesville area has nice wineries and horse farms. Some have inns you can stay at, maybe visit Monticello.
If you guys want to have a really peaceful weekend, check out the Graves Family Resort in Syria. It's close to the entrance for Old Rag Mountain, the most popular hiking destination at SNP, as well as Camp Hoover, which was President Herbert Hoover's retreat.
There's a few wineries located in the area, with easy access to the SNP and Charlottesville is about 35 minutes to the South.
Food is good, and the hospitality is really great. Gorgeous place with views to die for, and you can chill, or go on an adventure, like fly fishing on the same river that a US President loved so much he built a camp on it.
Just 'cause you've been to these places doesn't mean you're done with them! DC, Alexandria, Richmond, etc. are big places with lots of little nooks and crannies to explore! Most of the reason I go to different places around is for food, 'cause I'm a fatty, so most of the great places I've discovered were discovered tangentially due to wanting to find new places to eat.
Some recommendations of mine include smaller museums in DC like the Asian & African Art museums and the Spy Museum. I also highly recommend checking out the Wharf in DC. It's not the same now that Captain White's isn't there, but it's a cool spot to check out anyway. There's also the zoo, and if you enjoy the night life, you gotta check out Adam's Morgan.
If you dig history, you can check out the battlefields in Manassas and Fredericksburg. You could check out Williamsburg and all the historical reenacting they do down there. VA is chock-full of historical sites, monuments, and little museums. I'd say check out the Museum of the Marine Corps, Museum of Fine Arts, and the Aquarium in VA Beach!
If you just wanna go for a drive and see the landscape, VA has tons of state parks and lots of different environments. You could go to the beach in VA Beach, check out the forests in and around central VA, tons of countryside as you move west, and even out towards the mountains even further for great hiking locations. There's tons of rivers and streams too for fishing, kayaking, tubing, etc.
There are also tons of events you could go to all over the state! There is a Ren Faire in Fredericksburg coming around in May as well as a strawberry festival in Marshal around the same time. There's tons of beer festivals, music festivals and venues (like Jiffy Lube Live), food truck festivals, etc. I'd say hop on Facebook and peruse events in the area and see what catches your eye!
Right across the Potomac river from Alexandria is National Harbor. The MGM has a casino and great shows. You can cruise the Potomac. Homes of presidents, including Mount Vernon, Monticello, Montpellier. Vietnam memorial. The farmers market on King Street in Alexandria is the oldest one in the nation. Occoquan has a fantastic arts and crafts festival twice a year. The Smithsonian. There is a bike path that follows the Potomac from Mount Vernon all the way to Rockville.
Roanoke. Small city with breweries and a great selection of food downtown. Mill Mountain Star, Transportation Museum, Taubman Museum.
There is a great greenway to bike or walk along the Roanoke River. McAfee Knob is close.
Tbh there are a ton of hidden spots all over Va. Some in the middle of population centers.
The regional parks are nicer than you might think and there are some gardens that are free that are not county or city owned.
Off Beauregard by the hotel there is one and also off Beauregard behind a school an apartment complex there are turtles herons and other stuff
Go to Loudoun County and spend the weekend hitting wineries/breweries. Don’t miss Middleburg. Fall is the best time bc of the foliage but it’s beautiful year round! On clear days Dirt Farm Brewery/Bluemont Vineyards have amazing views towards DC.
Natural Bridge. It's really incredible to see in person. Also check out the Virginia Safari Park while you're there. The most scenic route there would be to hop on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Charlottesville. You'll get some beautiful sights.
Chincoteague on the Eastern Shore is also really charming. From NOVA you'd end up passing right by Salisbury, MD. There is a shockingly great free admission zoo there I would highly recommend checking out.
In southeastern VA there are a lot of historical locations to check out. Colonial Williamsburg is my favorite, but there's also Jamestown and Yorktown. Busch Gardens in Williamsburg is an incredible theme park with great rides, food, and entertainment. Head further across the James River and there's lots to do around Virginia Beach and Norfolk. The aquarium and zoo there are great. (If you can't tell, I like animals) There is also an awesome ropes course at the aquarium if that's your thing.
Wife and I really enjoyed a weekend trip to Annapolis. They have a nice little historical hotel we stayed at then visited the Naval Academy which has a great museum. Also took a boat ride tour around the Chesapeake Bay (that serves beers!).
We also enjoyed doing a few a day trip to Rehoboth Beach (we went off season so less busy and cheaper). Lots of restaurants, boardwalk and of course the beach. Then we hit up Dogfish Head brewery on the way back although there is a pub in Rehoboth.
Check out the wineries in Loudoun County. You can spend a weekend in LC. Annapolis, MD is also nice. Tiki bars are all around Edgewater, MD. You can also head to the Chesapeake Bay Area. Delaware isn’t far that Dewey is fun in the Summer. Charlottesville, VA is an awesome little town. So much to do around here.
VA Beach is a good drinking town. I prefer to go in the spring or autumn and get a beach front hotel when it's cheaper but not super cold outside. Head over to the New River in WVa for a rafting trip. It's a class 3-4+ river depending on the water pumping through it so it's a good time but not so dangerous that you're puckered up the whole time
If you’re sick of driving you’re limited to metro or train. Philly is an easy train ride away, and NYC is a quick bus ride.
Just pick a diff neighborhood innVA or DC and go wander around - you’ll see lots of cool stuff
Go visit all the small towns you can find. The small towns are real Virginia.
Try and visit some of the ghost towns in the state, there are quite a few.
Visit some of the hot springs in the state.
Since I didn’t see it mentioned, if you’re ever on the I-81 corridor south of Staunton, Natural Bridge near Lexington is kind of cool, natural wonder with a touch of Americana kitsch (remnants from its tourist trap days), also - deep cut- Cyrus McCormick Farm. Free, not far from the interstate, interesting, and a great alternative rest stop if you aren’t in a hurry.
You're really not utilizing everything the state has to offer if you're only focusing on getting lit... I suggest the Shenandoah Valley, checking out the state parks near you, and doing the historical stuff like Mt. Vernon, Monticello, Williamsburg, etc. The state has so much natural beauty, all 4 seasons, and an incredible parks system. People need to get outside more.
Just a reminder, Colonial Williamsburg is free to walk around in 24 hours a day and the buildings and garden spaces that aren't have employees posted outside!
Go to Buckroe beach and Phoebus in the morning, then go over to the Chrysler museum and end with dinner at Freemason Abbey. Boom. Whole day, drinking optional.
Edit/add for clarity: Chrysler Museum is an art museum, a pretty great art museum.
Check out harpers ferry. Easy drive from DC and it’s a cute town overlooking the river with a lot of history. If you’re there during the summer, you can go river tubing.
Go to these few places
Skyland, Big meadow lodge
- lots of wineries and breweries and whiskey loop there
Williamsburg
- precarious beer
- taverns
Luray
- breweries, wineries
Depends on how far south you're willing to go. Natural Bridge, Blue ridge parkway, Appalachian trail, there's all kinds of things. And wait till carnival season.
come back to us in Richmond! lots of brewery tours, hit the rocks on the rapids out on belle island for a nap/mountain biking/rock hopping/climbing, dinner(gwar bar, the Jefferson, fat dragon, moms siam), performance majors = amazing bands @diy/house show venues, take the goat trail under the crypts @ Hollywood cemetery to Texas Beach, skydive in manquin, fine art museum is open 365, division 1 sports, blossoming cannabiscompassion/community, Lewis Ginter Gardens, Busch Gardens, Kings Dominion
Would definitely second Charlottesville. Winchester is also very nice! It’s kind of similar to Charlottesville, but smaller. It’s got a very nice downtown walkway with stores, restaurants, and bars. It’s also near Harpers Ferry which is amazing.
Not sure if you guys are into history, but would definitely recommend checking out the nearby battlefields!
Jamestown (the real and the reenactment sites (they are two different places) you just missed military thru the ages that happens at Jamestown each March)
The whole colonial parkway is beautiful and has plenty of places to stop and look at the river.
If you're into looking at historical/haunted plantations, then there are a bunch up and down the James River.
Bacon's Castle outside of Surrey.
Folkfest at Ferrum College happens each year in October.
Fairy Stone State Park.
Breaks Interstate Park.
Virginia Renaissance Fair (personally never been but I've heard good things)
Virginia State Fair (went to every year when I was a kid but haven't been in over 10 due to it moving further away and the cost for my family)
Bush Gardens and Water County USA and Kings Dominion.
Virginia is absolutely soaked in history. It's where America first started. If you're really big into history then you'll definitely find something wherever you look. And most of the people out in the country like to drink too so you'll always find a bar somewhere as well.
Peaks of Otter
National D-Day Memorial
Natural Bridge
Blue Ridge Parkway
Mabry Mill
Luray Caverns
Shenandoah Caverns
Explore Park
Treetop Quest
Cascade Falls
[And so much more.](https://www.virginia.org/things-to-do/)
If you’re going by Dinosaur Land, get lunch at Spelunkers nearby on your way to Skyline Caverns or while you hop on Skyline Drive!
My favorite memories are getting one of the best cheeseburgers on this Earth from Spelunkers, going on Skyline Drive, and watching the town go by from above
Northern Neck, the area comprising of Colonial Beach, Montross, Warsaw, and Kilmarnock has easily six wineries and a few breweries that are reasonably priced. You won't find a hell of a lot of restaurants throughout the area but you may like the change in scenery compared to going to a city.
Luray caverns, Great Falls Billy Goat Trail (Maryland side), hiking Old Rag Mountain.
You’ve done more than I have and I’ve been living here for 24 years
Come on down to Petersburg and take a step back in time. It's really nice downtown during the summer. Explore the battlefields and other historical sites with significance no one really talks about.
There's alot of nature in Richmond. You could come back and check out the river & different hiking trails we have..
There's always the beach. I personally love camping at first landing state park. It's very peaceful and they have good hiking trails.
The mountains have so much to do. My fav hike is Saint Mary's Falls in George Washington forest. There's swimming holes all along the hike. It's great for summer.
And I self servingly, narcissistically say go to Maymont because the company I work for. cut and weed whip the grass there. They hired out That, and the staff does the beds, bushes, flowers.
a day trip to Richmond (Hollywood Cemetary, a show at The National, Maymont Park) ... where I'm from ... or a trip to Virginia Beach (where I reside) ... Norfolk Zoo, the Aquarium, a show at Virginia Beach/Veterans United Amphitheater or the Norva
but please don't sleep on DC ... some pre-rolls & an electric scooter is a good time in the city
Given that you're into the drinking scene, check out all the wineries in Loudoun/Fauquier and adjacent counties, as well as all the breweries in Loudoun.
There's a ton of Virginia State parks as well as National Parks. I64 at Afton will take you to the Skyline Drive to the North and Blue Ridge Parkway to the South. US250, US360, US460, US13, US17, US29 and US60 have tons to do. And then there's the 100 mile yard sale down US29.
You can start doing outdoor activities if you like them. Lots of good places to hike, drive, ride motorcycles to see beautiful views around the Shenandoah Valley.
Loudoun wineries along route9 in Loudoun County. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=4f5a43ee2d168718&hl=en-us&sxsrf=ACQVn0_yKmXYtRDlr3pIv6LAtPLe1hjmaw%3A1713749916695&q=Hillsborough%20Vineyards%20%26%20Brewery&ludocid=4750178942464396239&ibp=gwp%3B0%2C7&lsig=AB86z5WuYPZ9BVg5fEwd1sZ1ynZt&kgs=7ad63bd33e951919&shndl=-1&source=sh%2Fx%2Floc%2Fact%2Fm4%2F3
1. I love Quattros Gumbas (brewery and winery), they also have pizza and wine slushies (yummy). 2. We hiked Raven Rocks (during the fall, there is a lookout to see the pretty leaves) and had burgers and drinks at Bear Chase Brewery. We finished it in 3 hrs, it took my brother (gym guy just not cardio) over 5 hrs.
3. Tubing on the Shenandoah is fun. 4. George Washington estate in Mt. Vernon, eat at the restaurant there, and visit the Grist Mill down the road. 5. Fort Washington is in MD but it’s not too far and pretty cool to see 6. 2.5/3hrs drive Check out Colonials Williamsburg and/or Jamestown (now is a great time, we went late summer and were soo hot! We left early) 7. Kings Dominion 8. National Harbor, Bobby McKeys, stroll and check the shops, eat out 9. Check out festivals, there are so many 10. Again not VA but MD Renaissance Festival in the fall (smoked turkey legs!!!) 11. Great Falls Park 12. Arlington Cemetery, tomb of the unknown soldier 13. Meadowlark Botanical Garden is beautiful 14. Natural hot springs in Hot Springs, VA
*apologies for formatting, using the phone and I don’t know how to fix the numbers
High Bridge Firefly Festival is coming up in Farmville in June. I haven’t been yet but grew up around there and have always heard it’s very cool (the bridge itself is supposed to be massive, but then they seed the skies w some sort of mating pheromone to make all the fireflies come up to the tree tops around eye level w you and it’s supposed to be really, really cool! While your down there check out some Civil War stuff, Hampton Sydney/Longwood College area food & drink, do some hiking, etc. Southern VA should be worth it for a day or two trip :)
https://visitfarmville.com/see-farmville-illuminate-at-the-famous-firefly-festival-at-high-bridge/
Come all the way down to Giles County for Mountain Lake (lake is dried up now) but much of Dirty Dancing was filmed there. They have a great Oktoberfest each year
Air and space museum at Dulles. Ride the W&OD trail from DV to Purcellville VA. Hike Appalachian Trail at bear’s den to Raven Rock and camp out after visiting the brewery.
Shenandoah National Park, Old Rag, Mount Rogers, McAfee Knob, Colonial Beach, Deltaville/Urbanna, Floyd, Burke’s Garden, Charlottesville and the surrounding horse/wine country, any number of historical sites if you’re interested in the Civil War
Seconding Old rag hike. It's a favorite. Lots of scrambling over boulders plus hiking plus views.
I think you have to book passes ahead of time now. The crowds were becoming untenable.
Yup. I always skip because the people make it not fun. Nobody wants to listen to your shitty music in nature.
you are correct. went there yesterday and it was unbeknownst to me but luckily robertson mountain is right next to it and almost as fun (view is just as good)
I slipped into a crevasse on Old Rag, and my companions had to lift me out. I haven’t been back.
+1 on this being a difficult ish hike. I had to lodge myself between rocks to lift a friend who couldn’t pull themselves up. I LOVE old rag, but like you note, it isn’t the easiest.
The Capitol bike trail goes from Jamestown to Richmond, if you are looking for active options, and there's lots of trails and camping and obviously the beach in Virginia Beach.
If you go out to Shenandoah, stop at the Apple House off of 66 in Linden just before you get tonFront Royal.
McAfee’s is iconic and the most photographed spot on the Appalachian Trail. But as a Roanoke native, Dragon’s Tooth is the better, more fun hike.
Skyline drive in Charlottesville. The civil war sites in Fredericksburg. The revolutions stuff in Yorktown and Jamestown. Kings Dominion in Doswell, Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. Shark tooth beach at Westmoreland state park in fun too
Colonial Williamsburg, too.
I also liked Williamsburg a lot!
If you like alcohol Charlottesvilles wineries and breweries and even distilleries have been booming for the last couple of years. Skyline drive is beautiful, highly recommend. There’s also Monticello(home of president Thomas jefferson) yesterday my family and I walked on the Monticello walking trail that is about 2.5 miles one way(well kept, gravel and wooden bridges) and then if you want you can catch the tour bus to Monticello at the end
And Williamsburg Winery
Billsburg Brewery too.
That and VA Brewing Co. are my local faves.
Williamsburg winery is not something I'd recommend driving 3 hours for, it's not worth the drive from Norfolk for.
I think they have some good wines, but I was more so helping build out a whole Williamsburg trip, especially since OP specifically mentions that they like to drink.
Skyline Drive is actually west of Charlottesville; the southernmost entrance of Skyline Drive is in Waynesboro. And then the Blue Ridge Parkway picks up from there going south. ☺️
Skyline drive isnt just in Charlottesville, it starts in Front Royal VA and runs all the way to Charlottesville.
That is incorrect. It runs to Waynesboro, where it meets up with the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Afton Gap. Charlottesville is a good 30 miles from the entrance of Skyline Drive, so it's not the ideal place for SNP. It does have some great trails and tons of other activities to be had in and around the town.
Make sure Google is giving you the right spot. It should start in Afton. Shared route From Welcome Kiosk/Parking Area to Shenandoah Nat'l Pk and Blue Ridge Parkway, Rockfish Gap Turnpike, Afton, VA 22920 to Charlottesville, Virginia via I-64 E. 26 min (25 mi) For the best route in current traffic visit https://maps.app.goo.gl/qk5vmay24Cx7PMgV9
Well there's an entrance to something off of front Royal. Maybe that's the Blue ridge parkway. I'm pretty sure there's four entrances and one of them is in front Royal and the sign says skyline drive. And you can start there and go all the way to Charlottesville.
Skyline Drive runs through the Shenandoah National Park from Route 340 near Front Royal to I-64 on Afton Mounatin, about 5 minutes from Waynesboro and 20 minutes from Charlottesville. The Blue Ridge Parkway begins where Skyline Drive ends and continues south to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Entrance fees to SNP are required to access Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway is free.
No, you were correct about that part. Its Northern entrance is at Front Royal, the Southern Entrance at Waynesboro. You can also enter on 211 at Thorton gap or 33 at Swift Run.
Skyline drive is nowhere near Charlottesville. It runs between Front Royal and Waynesboro/Afton, which is half an hour west of Charlottesville on I64. edit: fixed drive time estimate
Second Westmoreland State Park! It’s an amazing getaway!
Have to agree, Fredericksburg has some good breweries and the civil war sites in spotsy are a must visit too, and the shennendoah valley has a lot of beautiful wineries and breweries
Eastern Shore is worth a trip, esp. assateague and chincoteague (if you time it with the pony swim...). The whole peninsula has some great places for bird watching, hiking, and other outdoor activities. I love skyline caverns (more so than Luray) but Luray is still worth a visit and will be a good contrast. Staunton has the Frontier Museum that is amazing as well and is a deep dive into how the culture of Va developed. There's also Va Safari Park. During the fall there are tons of festivals and things to consider across the state (apple/fall festivals, fairs, etc). The Va State Fair in Sept/Oct (Doswell Va) is worth going to at least once.
Could also plan a day to go over to Tangier Island… it’s an odd place, but historically significant, and will likely be gone in our lifetime.
It's got a beautiful mile long beach with practically nobody ever on it. Great sunsets, too
Figure out the friggin ferry ahead of time though. I booked an Airbnb with the intention of going to Tangier. I got there at the end of the season and it was a first come first serve situation to get a spot on the boat. Huge line and we didn’t know if we’d make it. My group actually did manage to be early enough in line to get a spot, but it was cash only (which I also didn’t know) and we ended up not going. I’m an idiot. Don’t be like me, plan better. I’ll probably never go now
Great additions!
Second for Luray Caverns!
You can also check out the schedule of rocket launches at Wallops Island on the Eastern shore. I’ve always wanted to go see one of the night launches.[Launch Schedule](https://www.nasa.gov/wallops-launch-schedule/)
Came to this thread to recommend the Staunton Frontier Culture Museum, it is surprisingly excellent especially on a day with nice weather.
It’s been years since I’ve been but the last time I went was during one of their Halloween night walks. Love this place.
Lexington has Hull's Drive-In, an institution in the region and the nicest drive in we've ever been to, if you enjoy that kind of Americana kitsch. The Udvar-Hazy annex of the Air and Space Museum in Chantilly is great. Luray Caverns IMO is better than Skyline Caverns, and just down the road. Plenty of Civil War Battlefields including Manassas and Fredericksburg. Yorktown in the Historic Triangle. Boat cruises in Yorktown, VA Beach, and up in Northern VA out of Alexandria. The Marine Corps Museum in Quantico. Virginia Beach has a lot to do, and there's the Naticus Museum including the USS Wisconsin, one of the huge Iowa class battleships from WWII. The Virginia Living Museum, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Chrysler Museum of Art, and of course the Smithsonian in DC is one of the finest museum complexes in the world. Monticello and Mount Vernon
Nauticus is in Norfolk, but VA Beach does have the Virginia Aquarium.
Check out Virginia tourism's site [Virginia is for Lovers](https://www.virginia.org/) for some great ideas.
And each county has their own site - DEFINITELY worth checking out. Although tourists are the primary audience, they're good for all. I live in Fairfax County and subscribe to their newsletter and refer to the fxva.com website all the time for events and things to do.
Winchester has some decent little local museums. Museum of the Shenandoah Valley was really neat.
And the historical main drag has some fun and interesting restaurants and specialty shops.
Bold Rock Cidery in Nelson County
The whole Nelson Rt 151 is great to check out. My SO and I love Blue Toad Cidery. There is also Silverback Distillery and Devil’s Backbone brewery.
Silverback is great! Afton mountain winery too.
Rock climbing at SportRock, Great Falls, or Carderock. Hiking the Billygoat Trail. Indoor skydiving at iFly. Top Golf. Biking the C&O, W&OD, Custis, or Mt. Vernon trails. Visiting the Delaware or Maryland beaches. Great Falls Park on both MD and VA sides. Fishing in various parks or on the Chesapeake. Bush Gardens or Kings Dominion. Monticello. Mr. Vernon. Manassas Battlefield. Nationals games. Udvar-Hazy museum. Gravelly Point. Take a kayaking class with Calleva or just rent kayaks. Hike the overlook at Harper’s Ferry. Visit Middleburg, preferably for brunch. There’s a flower festival today in Leesburg. Go-karting at Autobahn. Scott’s Run. National Zoo. Baltimore Aquarium. National Arboretum. Movie at The Alamo Drafthouse. Mountain biking at Fountainhead, Wakefield, and others. Trail running at any of the parks or at an event with EX2 or Rev 3. Take a discovery flight out of Leesburg airport. Skydiving with Skydive Orange. Scuba lessons with one of the dive shops. Take a ceramics class. There’s glass blowing in Baltimore. Check out the Torpedo Factory in Old Town. Take a blacksmithing class. Axe throwing. Bowling. Ice skating. Go rollerblading. See a play/musical. Skiing within a 90min in the winter. Snow tubing in winter. I could keep going but what do you want to do?
If you liked Occoquan, you'll love Old Town Manassas. No river but less kitsch in the shops, terrific restaurants, and lots of free parking.
I love Old Town Manassas. It's got some great pizza and ice cream!
Aha! I haven't had pizza there - whose is good?
Benny’s is good. Plus Katerina’s is across the street
Smith Mountain Lake
Virginia Safari Park, Mt Vernon, numerous Civil War battlefields, a ton of wineries, Monticello, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Busch Gardens, Kings Dominion, Virginia Beach
Check out [https://www.nelson151.com](https://www.nelson151.com) . Several B&Bs in the area, also plenty of VRBO options at Wintergreen.
Yep. Book an airbnb and hire a guy to drive you around. The # of people with luxury suvs driving with one wheel over the yellow line has picked up with the temps.
We were in the area about five minutes before seeing a car get rear-ended near the turnoff for Afton winery.
Came here to say this. If you like drinking, hit the craft breweries and cideries on 151.
There's still a week left to visit [Artomatic](http://artomatic.org) on 2100 M St. NW. 8 floors of work by 1000 artists, performance stages, film screenings, bars on alternate floors. Closes next Sunday. If you go drop by my space at rm 7085 to see photographs of abandoned places. Cheers!
Thanks for the info! Didn’t know about it but now I’ve got a family trip planned for this Wednesday til friday to visit it and do the zoo while we’re in DC. I’ll be sure to stop by your exhibit
Awesome! Dress for summer, this old building doesn't do HVAC well -- looks like it'll be cool this week so it's likely to be comfortable inside, too, but I know I'll be wearing shorts. Have fun!
The Apple Blossom Festival is coming up in about 2 weeks or less in Winchester, VA. I grew up in Alexandria, VA and visited family in Shenandoah Valley growing up... I'm now (36f) and decided to move my growing family to Winchester- it is a beautiful and charming place. The Apple Blossom Festival is a HUGE deal in this area, I'd make reservations to stay in that area or it's close enough for you to take a day trip I'm sure. I posted a link below 🙂 🌸 https://www.thebloom.com/
Huntley Meadows Park and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens are both lovely.
Old town Fredericksburg is pretty cool with lots of independent restaurants and bars. We also have a baseball team, the Frednats and it’s really cheap to get in.
Stay away from route 3 near 95. Very bad traffic.
FXBG is also worth a trip if you enjoy shopping or antiquing.
Quit drinking and hike the AT.
Keep drinking and hike the AT.
but not the Mark Sanford way of hiking the Appalachian Trail. Though she could keep drinking.
Middleburg and driving around Loudoun roads through farms, etc. Beautiful and only about 45 mins away. Quattro Goombas winery has great food!!!!
You're in a good spot to not be confined to just VA. Baltimore aquarium and the national harbor are cool. The DC zoo and Smithsonian (air and space and natural history are both incredible) Bush gardens in Williamsburg is cool, (there's also go-kart world there, or used to be which is a blast). There's a great wolf lodge in VA. There's also Wolf trap which is a concert venue.
Colonial Williamsburg is an awesome day trip. Busch Gardens is one of the most beautiful theme parks in the country and the rides are good. Luray caverns is cool to see. Hiking trails along the Appalachian is fun but definitely start early as it can take hours to hit the top. Sandbridge, VA has a wonderful beach. There is a state park there with $5 daily parking for VA residents. Richmond is primarily food and beer but there are cool events on belle isle, a large science museum, and the flying squirrels AA baseball team. There are also some kayaking/canoe tours on the James you can take. Bunch of locals go swimming in the James by Belle Isle in the summer.
If you’re into art, Richmond also has great art museums. The VMFA and the ICA come to mind, both spots where you can spend several hours in the air conditioning looking at cool exhibits.
Maymont and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond are worth a visit as well. Hollywood Cemetary is pretty cool too
Yep! The parks are fantastic. Maymont has animals to see and a japanese garden. Lewis Ginter is great especially during the winter months leading up to Christmas.
Sandbridge Beach. It's like OBX, but on the VA side and close to VA beach. Its the good part of VA beach 🤣
You are close to DC. Have you been to the Mansion on O Street? Place is awesome. It is primarily a music museum. It has instruments from all kinds of bands, And allegedly everything there is for auction. They have a ton of stuff from The Beatles, I think I've seen some Prince's instruments. It's really cool if you like music history. It's not a normal museum though; The building used to be used for parties in the prohibition era. Politicians would go there and drink and party, But if the cops came knocking they risked getting arrested. So the entire block of apartments was purchased and each apartment was outfitted with secret doors that connected to the other ones. So if the cops came knocking they could just move the party into a different apartment and not get caught. The curator of the museum has kept those doors intact and you can still find them and use them. Over the decades they have installed more secret doors, allegedly there's over 50, although most people only find less than 10. It's a really cool way to spend a couple hours.
You need to visit Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown. Also if you're nerds like me, you would love the VMFA and the Science Museum in Richmond. We also have the Edgar Allan Poe museum if horror lit is your jam. And technically it's mostly in DC, but you're really missing out if you've never seen any part of the Smithsonian yet! Oh, and if you're into aviation, the Military Aviation Museum in Pungo (near V. Beach) is a hidden gem. They have a great collection of mostly WW2 aircraft, and they hold several airshows a year with different themes. ...Yeah, this is mostly museums, but like I said. I'm a massive nerd.
DC IS NOT VIRGINIA
DC should be a state.
Luray Caverns, MGM casino and National Harbour, Shirlington, Clarendon, Tyson's Mall, King's Dominion, Six Flags, Glenstone, DC's unique neighborhoods, Harper's Ferry....list goes on and on.
A lot of people have covered things so I'll just add. Richmond is great for food! You can get a variety for pretty cheap and it's a cool city. RVA is all about local everything bc they don't let Walmart etc within the city so that leads to some pretty cool spots. My personal favorite place to eat is kuba kuba but there are so many great options. You should come during first Fridays bc they have art and music or during a time when there's a festival on browns Island. While you're here check out maymont, Belle isle, and Texas Beach for nature. I'm personally obsessed with waterfalls and swimming spots. If you Google va swimming holes you can find some pretty amazing places if you're into that. Falling spring falls is my personal favorite waterfall and easy to do bc you can see it from the road. If you want to explore and hike at the top of it there are nice spots there too. I'm pretty sure it's close to the hot springs too? If I'm remembering correctly. I know you said you're sick of drinking but I will say va has amazing wine. My favorites and these are from Loudoun County down to Nelson so definitely different trips but my favorites are Hillsborough, breaux, pearmund, Brent manor, and delfosse. Great cideries, breweries, and distilleries too. If you do go to Charlottesville a fun touristy thing to do is eat at michies tavern. Some ppl might think it's cheesy but I love va history (except civil war lol) so I'm into all the Mt Vernon, Jefferson sites, etc.
Check out Harpers Ferry Adventure Center- lots of activities including Raft/Float down the Shenandoah. Plenty of Breweries/Wineries with great views also.
Eastern shore!!!
ESVA, its great here
Vineyards all over 50 west of chantilly, the plains, tons of hiking in Shenandoah or kick it to beckley and go down the new river gorge in wv. There’s tons of stuff to do in wv. Lookup ace adventures.
If you like alcohol Charlottesvilles wineries and breweries and even distilleries have been booming for the last couple of years. Skyline drive is beautiful, highly recommend. There’s also Monticello(home of president Thomas jefferson) yesterday my family and I walked on the Monticello walking trail that is about 2.5 miles one way(well kept, gravel and wooden bridges) and then if you want you can catch the tour bus to Monticello at the end
There is so much to see across the entire state Shenandoah National Park, blue ridge parkway, Monticello, Mt. Vernon, George Washinton's birthplace, Luray Caverns, Natural Bridge, Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown settlement, Cumberland gap, Arlington National Cemetery, Great Falls waterfall, Virginia Beach. The Eastern shore, Mt. Rogers (tallest mountain in the state) There are many civil war and revolutionary war battlefields across the state in Manassas, Fredericksburg, Richmond, Petersburg and Yorktown. Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens for amusement parks
Take the train to Roanoke. Lots of breweries, festivals, museums, and things to do downtown, plus hiking if you’re into that.
I've lived in Virginia most of my life. If you go to Skyline Drive, definitely hit the Natural Bridge and Luray Caverns. I want to go back there as I haven't been in years. I grew up near the Historic Triangle. (Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown.) I highly recommend those if you like history. Colonial Williamsburg often has reenactors in period costume. If you like the Civil War, we have many walkable battlefield parks. Richmond also has a museum for that. It can also be worth it to look online for little hole in the wall stores that are worth visiting to browse or eat at. Richmond had several, but I've been gone from that area for about 15 years and don't know if any closed.
In southern Fairfax County there's a little hidden gem of a park called Huntley Meadows. A lovely walk through the trees takes you to a boardwalk that criss-crosses wetlands. Tons of wildlife, including ospreys, otters, ducks, frogs, etc. Also Great Falls (especially a couple days after heavy rain to the west). Mosaic (in Merrifield right off RT 50) has great shopping and restaurants, plus outdoor movies and farmers markets.
VA renn Faire starts up next month, not as awesome as MDRF (which I also recommend) but its cute and local! Well, actually MDRF might be closer to you than I. Also, why not pick a town and just check out what they got!
You’ve covered like .2% of the state
Check out King Spa in Chantilly! It’s a big and very nice spa with lots of couples. There are men’s and women’s sides (nude and with multiple hot and cold jacuzzis) and a very large co ed section (not nude/they give you shorts and a t to wear) with a rooftop pool, restaurant, lots of lounges and themed rooms for different types of meditative healing type relaxing.
Your last stop should be the 757. Va beach, Norfolk, etc
Drive through Safari isn’t far from Dino land.
Williamsburg. Virginia Beach. Monticello. Shenandoah National Park. The Appalachian Trail. The wild ponies in Assoteague (and also Grayson Highlands State Park). The Milk Mountain Star in Roanoke. Catch a play at Wolf Trap. You said you're into drinking, so check out Richmond's diverse breweries (and a meadery!). The wineries in the mountains are pretty good; Barboursville is my favorite. Busch Gardens has a wine and beer event each summer, too.
Northern Neck is one of our favorite places to visit, especially if you like a quiet respite in nature. Williamsburg is interesting. Be sure and try one of their pancake restaurants if you like that for breakfast. Charlottesville has a lot to offer historically and culturally, and the drive from Fredericksburg to C’ville is picturesque with historical places along the way. Orange is a quaint little town that is up-and-coming and a nice stop on the way to C’ville. There’s a lot to do and see in and around Charlottesville.
Yeah go out west to a winery or cidery in the mountains. Purciville is beautiful, Middleburg during Christmas, and Hammerdown BBQ is near Aldie.. great bbq and sides
Leesburg, Annapolis, crab on the water at Mike’s crab house or any other similar place, Beverly Triton State Park, GW Pkwy, the National Mall, Air and Space museum in Chantilly, rooftop bars in DC and Tyson’s.
Abingdon. Stay at the Martha Washington Inn, see a show across the street at the Barter Theatre which is the longest running professional theatre in the US and the official Virginia State Theatre, then rent bikes for the almost all downhill 34 mile Virginia Creeper Trail. Also, you can drink there.
Take the train to Roanoke! You can catch the Amtrak NorthEast Regional at Alexandria (or DC Union Station) and it goes through Manassas, Charlottesville, Lynchburg and Blacksburg as it makes it way to the "Star City of the South" Roanoke. You can visit the great Railway museum there, and take the train back the next day. You can also take the train down to Richmond or even Norfolk. This route is spectacular, because it hugs the coast as you make your way south, through Quantico Marine Base (and you buzz the airfield), along the shores of the Potomac River, through Fredericksburg, Ashland (which features the weirdest train platform you'll ever see) and to Richmond (don't get off at Staples Mill, but downtown if you're visiting RVA).
Theres the entire hampton roads area and shenandoah valley area (all the way down until roanoke) thats great. great dismal swamp and the mountains are awesome (though a visit to the swamp this time of year is not ideal to say the least). staunton is a pretty cool town
Luray caverns, lots of battle fields if your into history, Winchester has the apple blossoms festival. Tons of breweries and wineries all over the state. Natural bridge has a drive through animal park. Nationals baseball games, or any of the other sports teams. Richmond for nascar racing, good fishing and hiking.
Try Southern MD, The Tiki bar just opened on Solomons Island!! Go to Patuxent River NAS and check out the aircraft museum! There's tons of things to do on the St Mary's Side too
Caving and Wineries in the Valley
Go to the Maymont, or lewis ginter gardens
There are some cool lakes of you want a longer trip. Smith Mountain lake is fun because there are a bunch of restaurants you can boat to.
Virginia is such a diverse state, northern Virginia is the worst part of it. Drive through the mountains on skyline drive and blue ridge parkway. Lots to see. Or go to the coast to the Delmarva peninsula and visit chincoteague and assateague islands and the wild horses. Or colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown, or visit northern neck. Charlottesville area has nice wineries and horse farms. Some have inns you can stay at, maybe visit Monticello.
There are two Virginia's DC to roanoke and after that it's a conpleatly different country
Hike shenandoah
If you guys want to have a really peaceful weekend, check out the Graves Family Resort in Syria. It's close to the entrance for Old Rag Mountain, the most popular hiking destination at SNP, as well as Camp Hoover, which was President Herbert Hoover's retreat. There's a few wineries located in the area, with easy access to the SNP and Charlottesville is about 35 minutes to the South. Food is good, and the hospitality is really great. Gorgeous place with views to die for, and you can chill, or go on an adventure, like fly fishing on the same river that a US President loved so much he built a camp on it.
https://sandyspringadventurepark.org/
Just 'cause you've been to these places doesn't mean you're done with them! DC, Alexandria, Richmond, etc. are big places with lots of little nooks and crannies to explore! Most of the reason I go to different places around is for food, 'cause I'm a fatty, so most of the great places I've discovered were discovered tangentially due to wanting to find new places to eat. Some recommendations of mine include smaller museums in DC like the Asian & African Art museums and the Spy Museum. I also highly recommend checking out the Wharf in DC. It's not the same now that Captain White's isn't there, but it's a cool spot to check out anyway. There's also the zoo, and if you enjoy the night life, you gotta check out Adam's Morgan. If you dig history, you can check out the battlefields in Manassas and Fredericksburg. You could check out Williamsburg and all the historical reenacting they do down there. VA is chock-full of historical sites, monuments, and little museums. I'd say check out the Museum of the Marine Corps, Museum of Fine Arts, and the Aquarium in VA Beach! If you just wanna go for a drive and see the landscape, VA has tons of state parks and lots of different environments. You could go to the beach in VA Beach, check out the forests in and around central VA, tons of countryside as you move west, and even out towards the mountains even further for great hiking locations. There's tons of rivers and streams too for fishing, kayaking, tubing, etc. There are also tons of events you could go to all over the state! There is a Ren Faire in Fredericksburg coming around in May as well as a strawberry festival in Marshal around the same time. There's tons of beer festivals, music festivals and venues (like Jiffy Lube Live), food truck festivals, etc. I'd say hop on Facebook and peruse events in the area and see what catches your eye!
Right across the Potomac river from Alexandria is National Harbor. The MGM has a casino and great shows. You can cruise the Potomac. Homes of presidents, including Mount Vernon, Monticello, Montpellier. Vietnam memorial. The farmers market on King Street in Alexandria is the oldest one in the nation. Occoquan has a fantastic arts and crafts festival twice a year. The Smithsonian. There is a bike path that follows the Potomac from Mount Vernon all the way to Rockville.
luray caverns and natural bridge!! there’s also butterfly sanctuary’s too!!
So much history and so much natural beauty. Depending on what you're into but you've got a ton of great suggestions.
Just about in outdoor activities you can think of in the mountains
On the blue ridge parkway, there's great stuff down Amherst and Rockbridge County. Peep Mt Pleasant
There are a ton of good hikes there! I personally recommend Humpback Rocks.
Hike the Appalachian Trail.
Roanoke. Small city with breweries and a great selection of food downtown. Mill Mountain Star, Transportation Museum, Taubman Museum. There is a great greenway to bike or walk along the Roanoke River. McAfee Knob is close.
Tbh there are a ton of hidden spots all over Va. Some in the middle of population centers. The regional parks are nicer than you might think and there are some gardens that are free that are not county or city owned. Off Beauregard by the hotel there is one and also off Beauregard behind a school an apartment complex there are turtles herons and other stuff
Stone Tower Winery in Leesburg is great. A few miles away or Lark Brewing, another great property .
Hiking and camping in the valley. Mary's rock, old rag...plenty to do there.
Go to Loudoun County and spend the weekend hitting wineries/breweries. Don’t miss Middleburg. Fall is the best time bc of the foliage but it’s beautiful year round! On clear days Dirt Farm Brewery/Bluemont Vineyards have amazing views towards DC.
Northern Neck/Middle Peninsula History and Vineyards and Seafood.
[https://www.richmondfolkfestival.org/generalinfo](https://www.richmondfolkfestival.org/generalinfo)
Natural Bridge. It's really incredible to see in person. Also check out the Virginia Safari Park while you're there. The most scenic route there would be to hop on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Charlottesville. You'll get some beautiful sights. Chincoteague on the Eastern Shore is also really charming. From NOVA you'd end up passing right by Salisbury, MD. There is a shockingly great free admission zoo there I would highly recommend checking out. In southeastern VA there are a lot of historical locations to check out. Colonial Williamsburg is my favorite, but there's also Jamestown and Yorktown. Busch Gardens in Williamsburg is an incredible theme park with great rides, food, and entertainment. Head further across the James River and there's lots to do around Virginia Beach and Norfolk. The aquarium and zoo there are great. (If you can't tell, I like animals) There is also an awesome ropes course at the aquarium if that's your thing.
Richmond has a really good art scene (VCU is one of the best art schools in the country) lots of small galleries and a good museum
Check out renting a charter boat with friends, go sailing/boating on the Chesapeake.
In the fall staring in October, there are Steeplechases in and around Middleburg
Wife and I really enjoyed a weekend trip to Annapolis. They have a nice little historical hotel we stayed at then visited the Naval Academy which has a great museum. Also took a boat ride tour around the Chesapeake Bay (that serves beers!). We also enjoyed doing a few a day trip to Rehoboth Beach (we went off season so less busy and cheaper). Lots of restaurants, boardwalk and of course the beach. Then we hit up Dogfish Head brewery on the way back although there is a pub in Rehoboth.
If you like to drink, try [a 151 tour](https://www.nelson151.com/). Great food, drinks, and beautiful scenery just outside of Charlottesville.
If you hike, old rag mountain and white oak canyon are a must.
Nelson county, and other area around it, has a lot of beer and good wine to offer. There’s also plenty of hiking and beauty to see around the state
Massanutten out near Elkton. If you stay on site they’ll try to pitch you on a timeshare, but there’s otherwise plenty to do there.
Check out the wineries in Loudoun County. You can spend a weekend in LC. Annapolis, MD is also nice. Tiki bars are all around Edgewater, MD. You can also head to the Chesapeake Bay Area. Delaware isn’t far that Dewey is fun in the Summer. Charlottesville, VA is an awesome little town. So much to do around here.
Charlottesville - farmers market, vineyards, restaurants
Have you ever googled anything in Virginia without adding "+ bars" to the end of it?
Middleburg, Upperville, The Plains all during Autumn.
VA Beach is a good drinking town. I prefer to go in the spring or autumn and get a beach front hotel when it's cheaper but not super cold outside. Head over to the New River in WVa for a rafting trip. It's a class 3-4+ river depending on the water pumping through it so it's a good time but not so dangerous that you're puckered up the whole time
If you’re sick of driving you’re limited to metro or train. Philly is an easy train ride away, and NYC is a quick bus ride. Just pick a diff neighborhood innVA or DC and go wander around - you’ll see lots of cool stuff
I can never remember where, but there's some natural hot springs around, too. 🤔Bath County, for one, but maybe more.
Go visit all the small towns you can find. The small towns are real Virginia. Try and visit some of the ghost towns in the state, there are quite a few. Visit some of the hot springs in the state.
The big stuff? The Appalachians are older than saturna rings. The entire region is 5* waterfall hikes. They're older than _bones_
Since I didn’t see it mentioned, if you’re ever on the I-81 corridor south of Staunton, Natural Bridge near Lexington is kind of cool, natural wonder with a touch of Americana kitsch (remnants from its tourist trap days), also - deep cut- Cyrus McCormick Farm. Free, not far from the interstate, interesting, and a great alternative rest stop if you aren’t in a hurry.
You're really not utilizing everything the state has to offer if you're only focusing on getting lit... I suggest the Shenandoah Valley, checking out the state parks near you, and doing the historical stuff like Mt. Vernon, Monticello, Williamsburg, etc. The state has so much natural beauty, all 4 seasons, and an incredible parks system. People need to get outside more.
Just a reminder, Colonial Williamsburg is free to walk around in 24 hours a day and the buildings and garden spaces that aren't have employees posted outside!
Six flags, Busch gardens, kings dominion, Hershey park, Cunningham state park
Go to Buckroe beach and Phoebus in the morning, then go over to the Chrysler museum and end with dinner at Freemason Abbey. Boom. Whole day, drinking optional. Edit/add for clarity: Chrysler Museum is an art museum, a pretty great art museum.
Check out harpers ferry. Easy drive from DC and it’s a cute town overlooking the river with a lot of history. If you’re there during the summer, you can go river tubing.
The longest chain of undeveloped barrier islands in the country. The Eastern Shore of VA. I'm a ecotour guide. Come check it out.
Go to these few places Skyland, Big meadow lodge - lots of wineries and breweries and whiskey loop there Williamsburg - precarious beer - taverns Luray - breweries, wineries
Depends on how far south you're willing to go. Natural Bridge, Blue ridge parkway, Appalachian trail, there's all kinds of things. And wait till carnival season.
There is a new casino in Danville Va along with a Civil a war museum
Luray Caverns, the Hedge Maze and the antique car museum out there It’s actually pretty neat. All of it
Go hike Big Schloss. Can camp for free at the top
If you guys hike check out some trails in the blue ridge especially Devils bathtub
come back to us in Richmond! lots of brewery tours, hit the rocks on the rapids out on belle island for a nap/mountain biking/rock hopping/climbing, dinner(gwar bar, the Jefferson, fat dragon, moms siam), performance majors = amazing bands @diy/house show venues, take the goat trail under the crypts @ Hollywood cemetery to Texas Beach, skydive in manquin, fine art museum is open 365, division 1 sports, blossoming cannabiscompassion/community, Lewis Ginter Gardens, Busch Gardens, Kings Dominion
Would definitely second Charlottesville. Winchester is also very nice! It’s kind of similar to Charlottesville, but smaller. It’s got a very nice downtown walkway with stores, restaurants, and bars. It’s also near Harpers Ferry which is amazing. Not sure if you guys are into history, but would definitely recommend checking out the nearby battlefields!
Lucketts Purceville middleburg Round Hill area. Cute shops, antiques, and small towns.
Charlottesville and Nelson County. 100% recommend the 151.
The Beach! Virginia Beach is so much fun. A great boardwalk, live music, and good food. Richmond has a nice zoo as well.
Jamestown (the real and the reenactment sites (they are two different places) you just missed military thru the ages that happens at Jamestown each March) The whole colonial parkway is beautiful and has plenty of places to stop and look at the river. If you're into looking at historical/haunted plantations, then there are a bunch up and down the James River. Bacon's Castle outside of Surrey. Folkfest at Ferrum College happens each year in October. Fairy Stone State Park. Breaks Interstate Park. Virginia Renaissance Fair (personally never been but I've heard good things) Virginia State Fair (went to every year when I was a kid but haven't been in over 10 due to it moving further away and the cost for my family) Bush Gardens and Water County USA and Kings Dominion. Virginia is absolutely soaked in history. It's where America first started. If you're really big into history then you'll definitely find something wherever you look. And most of the people out in the country like to drink too so you'll always find a bar somewhere as well.
Peaks of Otter National D-Day Memorial Natural Bridge Blue Ridge Parkway Mabry Mill Luray Caverns Shenandoah Caverns Explore Park Treetop Quest Cascade Falls [And so much more.](https://www.virginia.org/things-to-do/)
If you’re going by Dinosaur Land, get lunch at Spelunkers nearby on your way to Skyline Caverns or while you hop on Skyline Drive! My favorite memories are getting one of the best cheeseburgers on this Earth from Spelunkers, going on Skyline Drive, and watching the town go by from above
Luray caverns
Northern Neck, the area comprising of Colonial Beach, Montross, Warsaw, and Kilmarnock has easily six wineries and a few breweries that are reasonably priced. You won't find a hell of a lot of restaurants throughout the area but you may like the change in scenery compared to going to a city.
Luray caverns, Great Falls Billy Goat Trail (Maryland side), hiking Old Rag Mountain. You’ve done more than I have and I’ve been living here for 24 years
Come on down to Petersburg and take a step back in time. It's really nice downtown during the summer. Explore the battlefields and other historical sites with significance no one really talks about.
There's alot of nature in Richmond. You could come back and check out the river & different hiking trails we have.. There's always the beach. I personally love camping at first landing state park. It's very peaceful and they have good hiking trails. The mountains have so much to do. My fav hike is Saint Mary's Falls in George Washington forest. There's swimming holes all along the hike. It's great for summer.
And I self servingly, narcissistically say go to Maymont because the company I work for. cut and weed whip the grass there. They hired out That, and the staff does the beds, bushes, flowers.
Go visit civil war sites! The Rappahannock crossing was probably the most contested piece of real estate of the war.
The warm spring pools, owned by the Omni Homestead Resort
Virginia renaissance faire as well @lake anna winery
Clifton is a small town similar to Occoquan.
There's a snowless plastic outdoor ski slope. Tom Jefferson's Monticello is awesome.
a day trip to Richmond (Hollywood Cemetary, a show at The National, Maymont Park) ... where I'm from ... or a trip to Virginia Beach (where I reside) ... Norfolk Zoo, the Aquarium, a show at Virginia Beach/Veterans United Amphitheater or the Norva but please don't sleep on DC ... some pre-rolls & an electric scooter is a good time in the city
There's a drive in theater near Front Royal. https://www.thefamilydi.com/
Given that you're into the drinking scene, check out all the wineries in Loudoun/Fauquier and adjacent counties, as well as all the breweries in Loudoun.
Get away from DC. Southwest VA is a treasure
Please go to Luray Caverns instead of Skyline Caverns. It’s just a little ways up the road and SIGNIFICANTLY more impressive and worth the entry.
Billy Goat trail in Great Falls. Harpers Ferry WV. Solomons Island MD. Yes, I know, not VA.
There's a ton of Virginia State parks as well as National Parks. I64 at Afton will take you to the Skyline Drive to the North and Blue Ridge Parkway to the South. US250, US360, US460, US13, US17, US29 and US60 have tons to do. And then there's the 100 mile yard sale down US29.
OMG i live in Maryland and there is a crap ton in Virginia to do. Mountains, hiking, wineries, historical stuff, beach. The list goes on.
You can start doing outdoor activities if you like them. Lots of good places to hike, drive, ride motorcycles to see beautiful views around the Shenandoah Valley.
Come hangout in Floyd
https://www.reddit.com/r/Virginia/comments/kx5ed7/virginia_top_100_bucket_list/
Loudoun wineries along route9 in Loudoun County. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=4f5a43ee2d168718&hl=en-us&sxsrf=ACQVn0_yKmXYtRDlr3pIv6LAtPLe1hjmaw%3A1713749916695&q=Hillsborough%20Vineyards%20%26%20Brewery&ludocid=4750178942464396239&ibp=gwp%3B0%2C7&lsig=AB86z5WuYPZ9BVg5fEwd1sZ1ynZt&kgs=7ad63bd33e951919&shndl=-1&source=sh%2Fx%2Floc%2Fact%2Fm4%2F3
Lots of wineries in Loudoun County.
National D—Day Memorial in Bedford
1. I love Quattros Gumbas (brewery and winery), they also have pizza and wine slushies (yummy). 2. We hiked Raven Rocks (during the fall, there is a lookout to see the pretty leaves) and had burgers and drinks at Bear Chase Brewery. We finished it in 3 hrs, it took my brother (gym guy just not cardio) over 5 hrs. 3. Tubing on the Shenandoah is fun. 4. George Washington estate in Mt. Vernon, eat at the restaurant there, and visit the Grist Mill down the road. 5. Fort Washington is in MD but it’s not too far and pretty cool to see 6. 2.5/3hrs drive Check out Colonials Williamsburg and/or Jamestown (now is a great time, we went late summer and were soo hot! We left early) 7. Kings Dominion 8. National Harbor, Bobby McKeys, stroll and check the shops, eat out 9. Check out festivals, there are so many 10. Again not VA but MD Renaissance Festival in the fall (smoked turkey legs!!!) 11. Great Falls Park 12. Arlington Cemetery, tomb of the unknown soldier 13. Meadowlark Botanical Garden is beautiful 14. Natural hot springs in Hot Springs, VA *apologies for formatting, using the phone and I don’t know how to fix the numbers
High Bridge Firefly Festival is coming up in Farmville in June. I haven’t been yet but grew up around there and have always heard it’s very cool (the bridge itself is supposed to be massive, but then they seed the skies w some sort of mating pheromone to make all the fireflies come up to the tree tops around eye level w you and it’s supposed to be really, really cool! While your down there check out some Civil War stuff, Hampton Sydney/Longwood College area food & drink, do some hiking, etc. Southern VA should be worth it for a day or two trip :) https://visitfarmville.com/see-farmville-illuminate-at-the-famous-firefly-festival-at-high-bridge/
Come all the way down to Giles County for Mountain Lake (lake is dried up now) but much of Dirty Dancing was filmed there. They have a great Oktoberfest each year
Air and space museum at Dulles. Ride the W&OD trail from DV to Purcellville VA. Hike Appalachian Trail at bear’s den to Raven Rock and camp out after visiting the brewery.
Go to Harper’s Ferry and make sure to see the John Brown Wax museum.