Looking for the right location?

I am in the early stages of planning a trip to Virginia in June 2009, but can%26#39;t decide on the location and accommodation.

We will be flying into Washington DC from the UK, but we have visited this city before so don%26#39;t want to stay more than one night.

After our stay in Virginia we will drive to New York for a few days before returning home by QM2.

We are an early 50%26#39;s couple who enjoy easy to moderate walking on holiday, in attractive countryside. So would like to be within about an hour or so of marked trails.

Would prefer accomodation to be in a rural setting, with either a good onsite restaurant or a selection close by.

We would also like to visit one or two historical cities or sites and also some of the local natural attractions.

Looking for the right location?

Maybe you%26#39;d like parts of Southwest Virginia. Look at my Go List - it%26#39;s still one of our favorite vacations because it was so relaxing and varied. I have described bicycling on the Creeper Trail, but you can walk it if you prefer. tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i802-Life_in_th…

If you don%26#39;t want to stay in a B%26amp;B, the town of Abingdon has many hotels. The Martha Washington Inn has a popular restaurant onsite. This option sounds more like what you mentioned in your post http://marthawashingtoninn.com

Looking for the right location?

Shenandoah National Park is only about an hour from DC (Front Royal entrance). SNP has beautiful trails, 2 lodges (Skyland and Big Meadows), and 105 miles of scenic driving via the Skyline Drive from Front Royal to Waynesboro (where the Blue Ridge Parkway begins, another on of a kind drive). There are many towns close to Skyline Dr such as Luray (Luray Caverns, 50 degrees in June in the caverns) and Charlottesville (Monticello) is less than an hour east of the southern end of The Drive. If you go to Charlottesville, there is a great 2 mi trail called Saunders-Monticello Trail that ends at the shuttle site for Monticello tours. Check www.nps.gov/shen for park info and there are several websites for the Skyline Drive. Enjoy your time in Virginia.