Short road trips from the DC area

[dinesh75]

Hello all, we are in the DC area, and circumstances dictate that we can't go very far from DC for the next 4-5 months, so we were thinking of doing short trips, but take only the local roads, and see the sights.

For example, one of the trips I had in mind was to drive on 301-S, go into VA from MD, go towards Richmond, visit the civil war battlefield, then head towards Norfolk (maybe 60E or 460E), visit the Naval museum, then head up towards MD's eastern shore. Visit a few of the historic towns and then head back home. So this can easily be for a few days, but if we need to get back, we can be back to the DC area within a few hrs.

Could folks suggest something similar into WV, PA etc.? As always we prefer scenic routes, with quirky stops and interesting museums.

Thanks.

[AZBuck]

There are several great, relatively short RoadTrips that you can take from the DC area. I won't go into a lot of detail just yet, but just broadly outline a few of my favorites, starting with:

The Eastern Shore: Annapolis (great walking town, Naval Academy), Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Chestertown and the Schooner Sultana, Assateague Island National Seashore, Chincoteague Island NWF, NASA launch facility at Wallops Island, Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay, and a couple of small ferries.

Revolution and 'Northern' Civil War: Harpers Ferry, Antietem, Gettysburg, Amish country, Catoctin Mountain National Park, Philadelphia (Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross' House, Elfreth's Alley).

Founding Fathers and 'Southern' Civil War: Manasas, Fredericksburg, Wilderness Campaign Sites, Richmond/Petersburg, Monticello, Ash Lawn-Highland, Montpelier, Mount Vernon, Historic Triangle.

National Road: Fort Frederick, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Fort Necessity.

Appalachians: Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park, caves, Mount Rogers National Recreation Area.

And of course, there are also numerous state parks and smaller museums in each of those areas.

AZBuck

[dinesh75]

Thanks! This is exactly what I need. I am sure I can refine those ideas further and come up with something custom.

Thanks again.

[Smiling_Tiger]

Check out Harper's Ferry, WV. Really cool area and a very scenic road trip.