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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2015 18:11:58 GMT -5
Okay, dear online peeps. My BFF and I are headed to the state of Virginia early October for our annual "get away from the DH's" week. Flying into and out of Raleigh-Durham. We are definitely planning on Monticello, Montpelier, Southern Living 2015 Idea House in Charlottesville, etc. We love history, wine, scenery, history, good food, vineyards, shopping, more history, more wine, yada-yada. I need ideas about a loop from Roanoke/Charlottesville to about mid-state or a bit farther east and back. Next year we will do the whole Eastern side of Virginia from a base in New Jersey (yeah, free beach house and car courtesy of her boss!)
I can't wait to hear your ideas.
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geenamercile
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Post by geenamercile on Aug 23, 2015 19:12:21 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2015 19:19:35 GMT -5
Looooved Monticello. Want to go back there some day.
Williamsburg is ok.
Have fun!
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Aug 23, 2015 19:54:08 GMT -5
You probably won't enjoy Virginia because according to the Virginia Tourist Board, Virginia Is For Lovers.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Aug 23, 2015 20:03:32 GMT -5
Depending upon when in October you are going to be in Virginia, you might consider traveling on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2015 21:18:46 GMT -5
Flying in and out of Raleigh-Durham and will be there 8 days. And, yes, we do love vineyards  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2015 21:21:55 GMT -5
You probably won't enjoy Virginia because according to the Virginia Tourist Board, Virginia Is For Lovers.We are lovers - wine lovers, antique lovers, food lovers, history lovers.......  And we love to have a week without the spousal units and our jobs/volunteer commitments to talk smack about our friends and neighbors and solve ALL the world's problems, usually over a glass of wine (plastic cup from motel bathroom actually) while sitting cross-legged in our jammies. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2015 21:28:30 GMT -5
Depending upon when in October you are going to be in Virginia, you might consider traveling on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Did the parkway through NC several years. I am terrified of heights but did open my eyes just long enough to realize it was spectacular. This time I was pleasantly relieved to find that most of Virginia is just charmingly hilly. |
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Aug 24, 2015 21:31:37 GMT -5
You probably won't enjoy Virginia because according to the Virginia Tourist Board, Virginia Is For Lovers.We are lovers - wine lovers, antique lovers, food lovers, history lovers....... And we love to have a week without the spousal units and our jobs/volunteer commitments to talk smack about our friends and neighbors and solve ALL the world's problems, usually over a glass of wine (plastic cup from motel bathroom actually) while sitting cross-legged in our jammies. Sounds like you are going to have a good time. Enjoy. |
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Aug 25, 2015 6:28:22 GMT -5
Depending upon when in October you are going to be in Virginia, you might consider traveling on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Did the parkway through NC several years. I am terrified of heights but did open my eyes just long enough to realize it was spectacular. This time I was pleasantly relieved to find that most of Virginia is just charmingly hilly. Then, whatever you do, stay away from West Virginia!!! I didn't think I was afraid of heights until I drove around Wheeling. OMG!!! You could drive off the road and fall into the center of the earth and never be seen again!!!! |
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Aug 25, 2015 7:34:58 GMT -5
You probably won't enjoy Virginia because according to the Virginia Tourist Board, Virginia Is For Lovers.We are lovers - wine lovers, antique lovers, food lovers, history lovers....... And we love to have a week without the spousal units and our jobs/volunteer commitments to talk smack about our friends and neighbors and solve ALL the world's problems, usually over a glass of wine (plastic cup from motel bathroom actually) while sitting cross-legged in our jammies. Typing (speaking) of antiques, if you ever get up to Massachusetts for a visit, try and time it in May, July, or September. You will want to go to the Brimfield Antique Show, an outdoor antique show with 2-3,000 antique vendors spread out over the size of 8-10 football fields selling their goods. It takes several days to see it all.  |
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Aug 25, 2015 9:28:47 GMT -5
Did the parkway through NC several years. I am terrified of heights but did open my eyes just long enough to realize it was spectacular. This time I was pleasantly relieved to find that most of Virginia is just charmingly hilly. Then, whatever you do, stay away from West Virginia!!! I didn't think I was afraid of heights until I drove around Wheeling. OMG!!! You could drive off the road and fall into the center of the earth and never be seen again!!!! LOL, then don't ever visit Yosemite or the Sierras; those are some SERIOUS heights. 
I thought West Virginia was charming. So rural compared to N. Virginia (where we lived for three years).
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 14:14:06 GMT -5
Put Graves Mountain Apple Festival, Luray Falls, Crabtree Falls, Culpepper on list for this trip. Put VMI and Harpers Ferry on next year's list. We realized we can't do all of VA in one year, so next year we will focus on the eastern side from Washington down to Norfolk so can hit Mt. Vernon and Arlington and all of Richmond. I heard from another friend that Richmond has a pretty good contemporary music scene, lots of small venue jazz. Thanks for your help! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 14:18:38 GMT -5
We are lovers - wine lovers, antique lovers, food lovers, history lovers....... And we love to have a week without the spousal units and our jobs/volunteer commitments to talk smack about our friends and neighbors and solve ALL the world's problems, usually over a glass of wine (plastic cup from motel bathroom actually) while sitting cross-legged in our jammies. Typing (speaking) of antiques, if you ever get up to Massachusetts for a visit, try and time it in May, July, or September. You will want to go to the Brimfield Antique Show, an outdoor antique show with 2-3,000 antique vendors spread out over the size of 8-10 football fields selling their goods. It takes several days to see it all. I haven't done Brimfield but my BFF did. We have done Massachusetts along with Connecticut and Rhode Island a couple of years ago. That's when I started taking charge of some trip aspects. She found a B&B in Ct. that said "sleeps three" We had her mom with us and that seemed fine until we got there and I discovered that one of the three spaces was an antique rope-slung trundle bed about six inches from the floor. My BFF has severe arthritis and her mom is in her late 70's so guess who got the trundle. We didn't speak for six weeks after that trip  |
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lexxy703
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Post by lexxy703 on Aug 25, 2015 14:41:54 GMT -5
VA is lovely in October. The weather is great & leaves are turning. Enjoy.
I don't have anything to add for your trip since I'm in the NE part of the state.
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gacpa
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Post by gacpa on Aug 25, 2015 15:32:56 GMT -5
I am jealous, because this sounds like so much fun. I love the mountains. You are going to have a great time.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 16:04:09 GMT -5
I am jealous, because this sounds like so much fun. I love the mountains. You are going to have a great time. It is fun and a lot cheaper than shrinks and marriage counselors. Over the last 15 years we've done Arkansas, Missouri, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina (the Carolinas three times!). Our motto is "If Southwest flies there, we can go there!" We  Hampton Inn with their breakfasts included at very reasonable rates, are signed up for every discount card/reward plan there is and are 100% open to adventure. When we did the Arkansas/Missouri adventure with a 3rd neighbor, we had no lodging reservations - we just stopped where we stopped and trusted in human kindness. Our trips are truly journeys, journeys within ourselves and into the greater world around us. Hurtling along unknown mountain roads in the pre-dawn darkness to make a flight creates something meaningful if you survive it, and so far we have. Sometimes it's easier to face one's own interior darkness while staring out a motel or car window at the sky's darkness, unable to see your own face or that of your traveling companion. |
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Aug 25, 2015 16:16:39 GMT -5
If you are into blues music, you can do the blues trail from Memphis (where I live) on down (or up from New Orleans) through the Mississippi Delta area. My brother and his girlfriend did that trip 5 years ago and had a good time. They started in New Orleans and worked their way north. They hit a lot of small Mississippi towns with little bars and really good blues music. Mississippi Blues Trail |
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Anne_in_VA
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Post by Anne_in_VA on Aug 25, 2015 16:33:33 GMT -5
I'm in SE VA so I don't have any suggestions that you haven't already gotten. I love all the wineries in the Charlottesville area as well as Williamsburg. I like antiques so I tend to stop at antique shops all the time and you can find some good ones in both areas?
Good luck and have fun!
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geenamercile
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Post by geenamercile on Aug 25, 2015 18:38:15 GMT -5
Put Graves Mountain Apple Festival, Luray Falls, Crabtree Falls, Culpepper on list for this trip. Put VMI and Harpers Ferry on next year's list. We realized we can't do all of VA in one year, so next year we will focus on the eastern side from Washington down to Norfolk so can hit Mt. Vernon and Arlington and all of Richmond. I heard from another friend that Richmond has a pretty good contemporary music scene, lots of small venue jazz. Thanks for your help! Maybe another fun place. Just a heads up VMI and Harpers Ferry are not close to the coast area at all if that is your plan for next year. |
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geenamercile
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Post by geenamercile on Aug 25, 2015 18:41:29 GMT -5
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Post by Jaguar on Aug 25, 2015 19:38:09 GMT -5
I really hope to be heading to Faber, Virginia next Fall sometime to do The Gateway Voyage program at The Monroe Institute.
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simser
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Post by simser on Aug 25, 2015 20:05:27 GMT -5
I grew up in Richmond and I think it's awesome. So much history in the area, it would almost be helpful to know what era of history you like  richmond is great for civil war, c'ville and the burg for revolutionary. You should also consider mount Vernon on the "old president house" tour. PM me and I will see if I can get some contacts for some of the things you mentioned- my roommate for college is an archeologist in that area. |
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motherto2
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Post by motherto2 on Aug 27, 2015 19:49:26 GMT -5
My son graduated from VMI last May. I love that area! They have a quaint downtown area, and they also have a brewery there now. And it's no where near Harper's Ferry. Fredericksburg is a great place to visit - maybe an hour away from Charlottesville depending on where you are staying. Lots of history, things to do in and around. They have a nice historical area downtown. Tourist trolley and carriage ride with narrator's telling you about the area. George Washington's boyhood home and his mother's home are located there. A lot of neat shops and antique places. Sometime in October they have a wine festival at the celebrate VA Live - it's an outdoor place that has concerts all summer (big names too). Going about an hour North of Charlottesville up 29N is Gainesville area that has tons of wineries. My ex and I spent a long anniversary weekend in that area just staying at a neat B&B and visiting the local wineries and all. You'd have to check on the dates, but sometime around that timeframe is the state fair. They do that in Caroline county now instead of Richmond. And did I mention there are so many wineries around that you might even get tired of drinking it? Well, maybe not, but you sure will be put to the test! I'm not sure how far you want to venture from Charlottesville, but Westmoreland county is home to Robert E. Lee's boyhood home and George Washington's birthplace. The area has a winery where we got married that has some great wine also  Have fun! |
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richmond is great for civil war, c'ville and the burg for revolutionary. You should also consider mount Vernon on the "old president house" tour. 
