momee Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 We live in Cville near Monticello and have an assignment to visit 3 cities in our state. We go to Va. Beach and Norfolk all the time so I'm looking for somewhere different to visit. We've also been to Williamsburg/Yorktown too many times to count. It would preferrably be a day trip for us and the children doing this project are 5th and 2nd grades. I'll also have a 9th grader and 3 month old baby in tow. Where would you go??? One is definitely Richmond to see the capitol building and all the statues on Monument Avenue I would also like to see a neat, small country type town with exciting kid friendly stuff to round out the trip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 We live in Cville near Monticello and have an assignment to visit 3 cities in our state. We go to Va. Beach and Norfolk all the time so I'm looking for somewhere different to visit. It would preferrably be a day trip for us and the children doing this project are 5th and 2nd grades. I'll also have a 9th grader and 3 month old baby in tow. Where would you go??? One is definitely Richmond to see the capitol building and all the statues on Monument Avenue I would also like to see a neat, small country type town with exciting kid friendly stuff to round out the trip Since you go to VA Beach and Norfolk, I'm assuming you've already done the Williamsburg/Yorktown/Jamestown thing. If not, those are musts. Staunton is pretty close by you, too, so I'm guessing that's already been done. If not, you might want to go there and see the Frontier Museum. Woodrow Wilson's birthplace museum is there as well. Winchester is a beautiful town rich in Civil War history and they have an Apple Blossom Festival each spring that is lots of fun. That's a straight shot up I-81. Fredericksburg is full of both Revolutionary War History and Civil War history and is quaint and cute as well. Right across the river is Ferry Farm, George Washington's boyhood home. I've always wanted to visit Tangier Island - not exactly a city, but very interesting nonetheless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 This may show my ignorance of Virginian geography, but... One of my favorite childhood trips was Chincotegue Island. Cute towns, wild ponies, neat lighthouse, great food. Lots of horseflies, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readwithem Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 You're probably about 2 hours from DC so I would go to the battlefield at Mannassas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSMP Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Staunton is pretty close by you, too, so I'm guessing that's already been done. If not, you might want to go there and see the Frontier Museum. Woodrow Wilson's birthplace museum is there as well. Winchester is a beautiful town rich in Civil War history and they have an Apple Blossom Festival each spring that is lots of fun. That's a straight shot up I-81. Fredericksburg is full of both Revolutionary War History and Civil War history and is quaint and cute as well. Right across the river is Ferry Farm, George Washington's boyhood home. I've always wanted to visit Tangier Island - not exactly a city, but very interesting nonetheless. Good choices. Fredericksburg is awesome. We did this even though we live here and took the trolly tour. A little pricey we thought, but worth it. This may show my ignorance of Virginian geography, but... One of my favorite childhood trips was Chincotegue Island. Cute towns, wild ponies, neat lighthouse, great food. Lots of horseflies, though! You're probably about 2 hours from DC so I would go to the battlefield at Mannassas. Chincoteague is great. Off season is a little better. We have spent eveery summer there since the kids were born. The Civil War Battlefield at Manassas is a great choice also. Petersburg is wonderful to do also. The Civil War tours are great. There is a church there that you must see if you do Petersburg. It is Blandford Church. This Church is one of the jewels of the Country. It is one of only 18 buildings in the world, I believe, that have all Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass windows. I have spent quite a few times in that church and walking through the cemetery when I was in Bible College down that way. Alexandria and Arlington are also great cities to visit. Especially with the cemetary. If you come up this way...Fredericksburg/Mannassas area...we would be willing to meet up with you...that would be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in FL Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Staunton is pretty close by you, too, so I'm guessing that's already been done. If not, you might want to go there and see the Frontier Museum. Woodrow Wilson's birthplace museum is there as well. My sister is in Staunton. Its a cute little town. You could go to the railway station and visit some of the shops near by. They have a great toy store (I believe you can see it from the station, it has a name that reminds me of a Wiggles song but I can't remember it) and the book section is awesome. The owner is a former librarian and I saw some books there that I had not seen before that looked really good. My son likes the hobby store and they have one store front with nothing but model kits at really, really good prices and a huge selection. There's a living history museum nearby - it might be the above Frontier museum. There are several historical farms from different places and times to visit. Very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pata Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Lexington! This one is usually off the radar, but we had so much fun. You can see Stonewall Jackson's house, the graveyard where he's buried and the church he went to. It's also neat to tour VMI and see the George C. Marshall museum. Near Lexington there is a farm, the name escapes me know, but you can see an old blacksmith shop and mill, it's really neat. There were other things to do there, the city of Lexington has a great website that tells all about it. We also really enjoyed Manassas and then you could go into DC from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 I want to visit Bedford to see the D-Day memorial. http://www.visitbedford.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Readsalot Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 This would be really different. Getting to and visiting Tangier is very interesting, although don't expect a lot to do there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Tangier Island is definitely different. Just be prepared to be flexible with your time. My husband and I had to stay an extra day because they weren't running a boat back to the mainland since there weren't enough people needing to get back. This was during October -- their off-season. Another off-season issue there is that most places close early or aren't even open, so look into this to make sure you can eat. We live in Virginia, and plan to visit Chincoteague sometime. Read some Marguerite Henry books first. ;) I know you mentioned Va Beach and Norfolk, but I wasn't sure about Newport News/Hampton. There are nice museums there like the Living Museum and Air and Space. My husband and I spend most of our anniversaries in the Shenandoah Valley area. There are fabulous cabins to rent and trails to hike. This is where we're staying this year -- with the whole family this time: http://www.lurayva.com/rockyretreat.htm There are a lot of things to do during the warm months, but I prefer visiting in the cool seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieAir Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 We visited the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton about 9 or 10 years ago and loved it. The kids probably enjoyed that more than Williamsburg, though Williamsburg was fun, too. We were staying in Charlottesville and visiting friends there, so of course we went to Monticello and the University of Virginia. Charlottesville is such a lovely town. It's one place I would consider moving to--if we ever moved away from here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 I wanted to mention that the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton with its recreated Black Friars Theater is worth a visit! Last spring we saw Henry V there--most impressive. There is great birding to be done at Chincoteague. Bring binoculars and bug spray. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laylamcb Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Another vote for Old Town Alexandria. I took a walking tour of the city when I was in 5th grade, and I remember LOVING it. The waterfront, the old buildings--great fun. And of course it's just a hop, skip, and a jump down Route 1 to Mount Vernon. Great spot--prettiest spot on the Potomac, IMHO. They also have a new, fancy interpretive center there now. And there's also the inn there for lunch--only if you've done The Burg, don't waste your time on the peanut soup at Mount Vernon. Nothing beats the Kings Arms Tavern. ;) We live just down the road from the Manassas battlefields, and I took my sister's kids there recently (ages 5-10). I was surprised that they all REALLY LOVED it--especially a guy in period dress doing a musket demonstration. The movie they show is not to be missed--even the 5yo was really moved by it and kept mentioning it. If you do go to Staunton, the best thing there--again, IMHO--is the American Shakespeare Center. Your 2nd grader is probably too young (depends on the play, of course), but your 5th grader might well enjoy the show. It's a blast seeing The Bard the way they do him there. You can call them ahead and ask about the appropriateness of the particular show for a younger viewer. :001_smile: Arlington National Cemetary is really, really moving, but I think that it depends on the child. My sister's kids didn't "get it" yet, for whatever reason.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoplayer Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Richmond - state capital, lots of state history, history of the confederacy Williamsburg - relive colonial days Lexington - Confederate history, Lee Memorial, Stonewall Jackson house, VMI Alexandria - Old Town Alexandria (Christ Church, lots of other stuff); Mount Vernon Arlington - Arlington National Cemetery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Ok, I've got one for you, a real slice of VA life, and I'll bet you've never been there: Courtland! Hehe, it's in the middle of peanut fields (can't get more VA than that), hog farms, etc. We lived there for many years when my dad was in the Navy (yes, it was a long drive, which was the point). The farmers would let you go through the fields and pull peanuts after they had harvested, so that would be interesting and different for your kids. Back then there was a store called the Peanut Patch that had touristy stuff and the factory up the road that processed the peanuts and sold special salts, etc. Have you been to Surry County? You have the Surry House restaurant and whatnot there. Bacon's Castle, Smith Fort Plantation. My mom used to drag us around to all these historical places. I guess you could say my idea of traveling revolves around finding good food, lol. Some of those places weren't even listed in my Fodor's Guide for VA, which I found to be really deficient, frankly. I think if you google them though, you'll find them. Yup, I just googled and the Peanut Patch is still there. :) I think you'll be able to keep busy, if you're adventurous. Don't mean to be tacky, but you might find it interesting to go to a church there. I'm white, so I was pretty surprised at how different black churches were, much more lively. And there are those fields to explore and old, old houses to see that make you wonder how far back they date and whether people really still live in them. It would be more something to do on the way to somewhere, kwim? Have fun with your explorations! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laylamcb Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Have you been to Surry County? Holy time warp, Batman! :001_huh: We used to pick up bread ends and "house" dressing at The Cheese Shop in Williamsburg, jump on the ferry, and cruise on over to Surry County. I remember some amazing peanut butter and banana sandwich at The Surrey House.... Wow. It was all about the food for me, wasn't it? What can I say--college! Yes, another vote for Surry County. Very...classic Vuhginyuh. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom to Aly Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Another vote for Lexington here--I went there years ago, before dd, and it was sooo amazing!! Stonewall Jackson is one of my ancestors, and, even though he was on the wrong side, I am still a bit prejudiced because of that ;). But I adored Lexington, and his house--I still remember the wavy glass in the windows--the first time I'd seen that in person. And the town is so beautiful, cobblestone streets, etc. Chincoteague is wonderful, and off season is the best, but if you don't want to go that far, Natural Bridge is actually my second choice. And there are the Natural Chimneys, I think they are called, right near there. I think there is supposed to be a zoo near Natural Bridge that is wonderful as well. And, what about Luray, or one of the other towns near there? If it can be for sightseeing and not just seeing the town, the caverns are amazing. All of these places would be day trips for you, except Chincoteague. I live Richmond, and I really don't feel it is the best place to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Holy time warp, Batman! :001_huh: We used to pick up bread ends and "house" dressing at The Cheese Shop in Williamsburg, jump on the ferry, and cruise on over to Surry County. I remember some amazing peanut butter and banana sandwich at The Surrey House.... Wow. It was all about the food for me, wasn't it? What can I say--college! Yes, another vote for Surry County. Very...classic Vuhginyuh. :001_smile: I've taken that ferry to Surry, too, and I ate peanut soup while I was there at a cutesy little restaurant - can't remember the name - but it was "down home" to be sure. This might have been it because I remember the slogan, "The Peanut Capital of the World." http://www.vadiner.com/history.asp?SID=18419 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSMP Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 The restaurant sounds like it was the Surrey House. Cute little restaurant. That area is big for the Currey country hams also. I always went down through Hopewell/Petersburg. Hit the Surrey House for Lunch. Then took the ferry across to Jamestown. It is a wonderful 20-30 minute ride. You will pass the original Jamestown settlement and come pass the fort and boats docked. Gives you a great view of the fort if you haven't seen it. Appomatox if you haven't been there. Oh and thanks for the compliment, that was very nice.....:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laylamcb Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Then took the ferry across to Jamestown. It is a wonderful 20-30 minute ride. You will pass the original Jamestown settlement and come pass the fort and boats docked. Gives you a great view of the fort if you haven't seen it. Yes, we loved just cruising on the ferry as students--and it was free at the time! Perhaps it still is. Very nice little jaunt right past Jamestown. ETA: Oh! I should've mentioned that one thing that many folks miss in The Burg but that's one of my favorite places down there is Carter's Grove. Really cool, and the drive back to town through the woods is magical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSMP Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Here are a couple of links to help you narrow down what you might want to do based on location..... http://www.censusfinder.com/virginia-historical-museums.htm http://marg.mhost.com/vahistory.html I think we have certainly given you lots of food for thought....:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Ok, I've got one for you, a real slice of VA life, and I'll bet you've never been there: Courtland! Hehe, it's in the middle of peanut fields (can't get more VA than that), hog farms, etc. We lived there for many years when my dad was in the Navy (yes, it was a long drive, which was the point). Oh Elizabeth, actually a good friend of mine grew up there. She used to work in the peanut fields. Her maiden name was Beale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Yes, we loved just cruising on the ferry as students--and it was free at the time! Perhaps it still is. Very nice little jaunt right past Jamestown. ETA: Oh! I should've mentioned that one thing that many folks miss in The Burg but that's one of my favorite places down there is Carter's Grove. Really cool, and the drive back to town through the woods is magical. Dh and I visited Carter's Grove on our honeymoon in 1986 - it was lovely - an eclectic mix of several decorating styles since it was privately owned until the 1960s. Unfortunately they closed it to visitors in 2003. They are planning to reopen it, but have not announced a date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kissy Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 I grew up in southside VA..some of my favorite places are Mabry Mill and lover's leap in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I also really like Shenandoah Valley to the Natural Bridge and Caverns..they have the deepest caverns in the east..here is a link: http://www.naturalbridgeva.com/caverns.html I have also always loved the city of Roanoke, they have a small zoo that rehabilitates animals and then releases them back into the wild and I think they still have trains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Yes, another vote for Surry County. Very...classic Vuhginyuh. :001_smile: Hmm. I wonder what I've been missing for the last 10 years. Do cross the ferry, but when you get to the traffic light (the only traffc light for miles around), turn left and go to Smithfield instead. Trust me. You will have a much better time in Smithfield than Surry. They have an old time main street with antique shops and other unique stores, many housed in beautifully painted orginal Victorian homes. Smithfield Station is a popular destination restaurant, much better than the Surry House IMO. The best places in Surry are Anna's Pizza and Farmer Joe's Greenhouse. Surry is real big on scenery. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted September 9, 2008 Share Posted September 9, 2008 Oh, I forgot about Natural Bridge! The drive-through Safari was a total blast! I cannot wait to go back again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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