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Virginia is located
along the Chesapeake Bay and is one of the most historic regions in the United
States. Williamsburg is one of the
more popular sites for visitors. This
city is actually a restored eighteenth–century town with
horse-drawn carriages, small taverns, and a standing militia.
One of the oldest colleges in the country is the College of William and
Mary, an immaculately preserved structure designed by Christopher Wren.
Jamestown was the first permanent settlement in America.
Some of the local attractions include the Jamestown Festival Park, which
harbors the three ships that brought John Smith across the ocean in 1607,
Yorktown Battlefield, where the final battle of the Revolutionary War took
place, and Busch Gardens “Old Country” which is a large amusement park. Shenandoah National Park is located about seventy-five miles from Washington D.C. and lies between the Shenandoah River to the west and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east. The Appalachian Trail runs through the park, as well as the 105 mile skyline drive. This area is the busiest during the fall months when the forest colors are stunning. Located nearby are the famous Luray Caverns, which contain remarkable stalagmites and stalactites.
Several day trips in
Virginia include a visit to Newport News and Norfolk.
Newport News houses the famous Mariners Museum, and Norfolk contains
NASA’s Langley Research Center, which showcases fascinating aeronautical
artifacts. Just south of these
cities is Virginia Beach and its popular summer resorts.
Visiting this fantastic area could merit a longer stay!
Another day trip available would be to the state capitol of Richmond.
Here you will encounter St. Johns Church (where Patrick Henry cried,
“Give me liberty, or give me death”), and Monticello (once the capitol of
the Confederacy and Thomas Jefferson’s mansion home).
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Virginia
Mount
Vernon Plantation, the home and final resting place of George and Martha
Washington, is located on the Potomac River just outside Alexandria and is often
visited as a day trip from Washington, D.C. The original furnishings and
the wall and fabric colors used have been carefully matched to the original
furnishings used by the President and his First Lady many years ago.
Try a Bean Pie!