Taking a trip to Monticello, Yorktown, DC

(If you want to move this from History to General Chit-Chat I understand)

I'll be spending 9 to 10 days in Virginia and DC very soon and plan to hit some of the major spots. Yorktown, Monticello, and the sites in DC. I have a White House tour set up, I get to watch Congress debate for a short time, etc.

I am a big fan of Revolutionary War history and I'm looking for any suggestions about lesser known stuff that I can see while I'm there. I'll probably see Jamestown or Williamsburg but not both.

Any cool ideas, ATS?

I wonder if Corruption is catchy? Be careful not to get politician disease

a reply to: Excallibacca

Have you considered a side trip to Gettysburg? It's less than 2 hours away.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: Excallibacca

Have you considered a side trip to Gettysburg? It's less than 2 hours away.

I was in Gettysburg back in the mid sixties with my parents. I was about ten at the time. All the cannons firing really impressed me back then. Boy did we walk a lot that day. I remember my feet feeling like they were going to fall off. I used to do a lot of hiking back then and stream fishing and snowshoeing, but we must have walked eight miles that day. I saw all sorts of people riding on those buses from place to place, we walked and ran. Maybe my parents didn't walk two miles, but us kids were running all over the place. I think they made us kids walk so we would be too tired to argue in the car after that.

a reply to: rickymouse

Imagine how the guys fighting there must have felt.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: rickymouse

Imagine how the guys fighting there must have felt.

They said it rained there almost everyday when they were blasting each others with cannons. I guess the noise was thought to create the rainy weather for many moons after that. But the booming does not make clouds, it can only rain if it is already cloudy.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I did Gettysburg when I was much younger. I tend to stay away from Civil War sites nowadays as I've seen hundreds (living in New England, PA, and now the South.)

I focus on Revolutionary War now. I've seen Bunker Hill, Lower Manhattan, Philadelphia, pretty much all of Boston including Paul Revere's house, etc.

I've lived in VA for 40 years and there is TONS of civil war sites. Revolutionary war not so much. Monticello is great, 1 hour south is Jefferson's summer home Poplar Forest. From there you can get on the Blue Ridge Parkway if want a scenic cruise North. You can also pick up the parkway easily from Charlottesville. D.C is very pricey (motels) and best way to see it is to stay outside town and ride the metro in. Lots of walking in D.C can't be avoided.

Hope you have a great trip!

a reply to: Asktheanimals

Great advice. I got a hotel 20 miles outside of DC and didn't plan on driving into the city.

a reply to: Excallibacca

one word of advice: Anywhere around D.C., I-95 or I-64 get crazy at rush hours. If you do your driving between 9am and 4pm you'll experience less headache. Tons o' traffic. Also, if you in Yorktown and are tempted to go to Va Beach it isn't far on the map but can take a long time to get there and back due to Ches-bay tunnel.

You need to go the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria. You'll see things there you'll never forget!
a reply to: Excallibacca

a reply to: Excallibacca

Hi.
I live here.
In Yorktown you are minutes away from Jamestown. The very first English speaking settlement in the new land in 1406. The remains of the original settlement are being excavated and preserved. There's a two walled church held up with tinder. And a site where the remains of two soldiers were found. . There is also a recreated village depicting this earliest civilization and their relationship to Keoghoutan and his daughter Pocahontas and the indigenous people of this region.

In the other direction is colonial Williamsburg. A recreation city of early colonial life. Markets, gardens, courthouses and even a palace are there for touring. There's a livery a blacksmith a printer. And of course the actors who bring colonial life to well life for the twenty first century.
There is also a tavern serving authentic colonial fare and mead.

This is a big tourist area. Lots of hotels and restaurants in all price ranges.

Williamsburg is also home to Busch Gardens. A world class amusement park with themed rides dedicated to the various cultures that settled early America. Lots of amazing coasters. Water rides. It's hot here. Very hot. Down the road from Busch Gardens is Water Country USA a water park themed to early rock and roll of the 1950s and 60s. And for the dare devil there are race cars and motocross tracks.
Fishing the James River along colonial parkway is a serene way to spend a summer day.
There are many song birds and sea birds that live along the shores and it's protected wet lands and low country woodland. Beautiful.

Welcome.
I hope you enjoy your stay.
If you need info on hotels I can help.
Yorktown is less than three hours south of D.C..
And Charlottesville, home of Monticello is about two and change hours to the west towards the Shenandoah valley and mountains. Another sight to see but you'd need another week at least. Caves and natural stone structures like bridges formed my ancient rivers and stone chimneys carved by water.
I could go on. And on

a reply to: SecretsoftheBlueApples

The library of congress is a better sight for cool interiors. All that marble. You can't really tour the temple. It's a cool building none the less. Very Greek looking.
DC And it's monuments and museums could take the better part of his nine days. There is so much to see.
There's even a zoo if he's so inclined. History museums and cultural museums and air and space and fine art museums. The American history museum which is more a pop culture museum had Dorothy red shoes from the Wizard of Oz, Supermans costume from the original 1950s tv show and Archie Bunkers precious arm chair.
In the air and space museum you can touch a piece of the moon and see the original Mercury, Gemini And Appollo capsules.

Outside the Vietnam memorial that runs along the Mall is heart breaking.

You can't miss Mr Lincoln looking just like he does on the penny only colossal. LOL.
The Egyptian obelisk dedicated to George Washington that dominates the land scape and that white marble dome that glows and is a symbol of freedom.

It's an amazing city.

Surrounded by the most blighted of impoverished neighborhoods where they sell alcohol through a barred window at the ABC stores. That's to the north east. To the south is Alexandria a pretty city of quiet stately homes.
Note the hotels here just outside the capitol region are much cheaper than in DC proper.
It's still right there. Spitting distance.
Restaurants too. McDonald's prices go back to normal. They are high in the city.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I didn't realize it was so close! but I went to Gettysburg from long island . With two kids in the back seat and that took eons. With potty breaks.

originally posted by: Sillyolme
I didn't realize it was so close! but I went to Gettysburg from long island . With two kids in the back seat and that took eons. With potty breaks.

You shouldn't have drank so much soda.

originally posted by: Sillyolme
a reply to: ExcallibaccaIt's hot here. Very hot.

This made me chuckle, having lived in Arizona about 10 miles from Mexico and now residing in extreme South Georgia in an area which can only be described as the Devil's sweaty "something".

Well, I've now got dinner reservations at Mount Vernon, hotels everywhere, tickets for Monticello, tickets for museums, and Senate gallery passes on hold.

No word from the White House so tomorrow I call my Congressman's office again.

a reply to: Excallibacca

Oh wait. Did I say hot.. It's hot and sticky and the air weighs you down.
We call it Africa hot. Jungle hot.

I've only ever been in the desert in the fall and winter. Never in the summer.
I don't know that kind of hot.

When are you coming?

a reply to: Excallibacca

The redoubts built by George Washington's army are still there.
There's a dirt road that goes up through the areas where the colonists were and Lafayette troops. It's a nice little drive with lots of signs and paintings on boards depicting the final battle against the British.
Yorktown museum is brand new. They just rebuilt the whole waterfront area.

a reply to: Asktheanimals

Yeah we stay in Alexandria if we stay overnight but it's really only two and a half hours with good traffic. So most times it's a day trip.