DS has a 10 week internship in Richmond VA. Any ideas on short trips to take? Can’t miss sites? He often has 3 day wknds and can work remotely. He’s 21 and may be able to rent a car. Public transportation works too. The corporate shuttle can take him to the main office near DC where train travel seems more plentiful.
This is his first time on the east coast. We are completely unfamiliar with the area. He will fly to NYC on 4th of July wknd.
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Virginia/North Carolina have wonderful beaches. I also LOVE the Bay/Bridge tunnel complex as an architectural marvel and is near Virginia Beach.
Assateague Island off VA/MD is a national seashore with a great history and herds of wild ponies (read the children’s book Misty of Chincoteague for fun).
Kitty Hawk, NC is where the Wright Brothers built and flew the first airplanes – and you can hang glide off the sand dunes there.
Philly is a fairly easy train ride from DC and is often overlooked - but is wonderful, especially if he has an interest in history. But late summer can be brutally humid. My CA-born and raised kid almost melted in the late-morning heat one time (and to be honest, so did I, even though I’m from there).
Blue Ridge mountains are gorgeous – if he can rent a car, Skyline Drive is fantastic (especially in the Autumn, but summer is nice too). Re: a car – Hertz will waive the young-driver surcharge if he is a AAA member and books through them. It’s a significant savings. Costco rental is also good, but not sure if they have a young-driver surcharge.
Of course, DC is an amazing place for a 2 or 3-day weekend. The museums are free and world-class and have something for everyone – fine art, history, aviation, minerals, etc. It’s an entire complex of many, many sites. The monuments too – especially the Vietnam Veteran’s memorial, in my opinion, with the names of the fallen engraved in the order of death. Just shook me to the core when I visited it the first time.
Monticello in Charlottesville; Mount Vernon outside of DC.
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Williamsburg is close and has tons to do. Historic Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown are very interesting. Also Busch Gardens and Water Country if he would like that type of activity.
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Oh absolutely! The historic sites are great. I thought Jamestown was really interesting.
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@norcal2 – I sent you a DM
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If he goes to Philly, he should definitely walk around the historic core and see the main historic sites – Betsy Ross House, Liberty Bell, Independence Hall. (I recommend watching the movie 1776 prior to the trip). He can tour the Philadelphia Mint – I really enjoyed that too.
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What does your son like to do?
We are into bicycling, and I know there is a great path that goes from Richmond to Jamestown. Water Country USA and Busch Gardens are not too far away (Williamsburg area) and Virginia Beach is fun for a weekend.
ETA - assuming he’s coming from Northern CA, he may find the heat and humidity oppressive around Richmond and NoVa.
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My Vernon
Hiking in Shenandoah Natl Park
Richmond itself has a lot to do depending on interest
Williamsburg touring and amusement
DC - could spend every weekend it has so much. And still not hit it all.
If he has a car and few days Asheville is 5 hours. Can see the Biltmore and hike.
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I thinks he’s open to adventure and general exploring. He’s a curious learner. So a little of everything.
He went river rafting yesterday - near downtown I think.
The humidity has stunned him! What a spoiled CA kid.
Definitely the sweaty coast in the east.
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The National Battlefields around Richmond are great to visit. The Cold Harbor and Malvern Hill units are 2 of my favorites.
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Charlottesville isn’t too far, with Monticello and the University of Virginia worth a visit. Highland (James Monroe) is also nearby.
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Most of my ideas have been given. First thoughts are DC (I love DC!) & Williamsburg/Jamestown/Yorktown. We are big amusement park people, and one year we spent a week in Williamsburg. We did the history stuff during the day and Busch gardens/water park at night. Kings dominion is also close to Richmond toward dc.
I prefer the Carolina beaches, but VA beach is better than it used to be.
Hiking the blue ridge - I recommend peaks of otter area and hiking sharp top. Roanoke isn’t bad either. You have mcafee’s knob and dragon tooth. (All 3 are iconic hikes) The cascades past Blackburg are pretty too, about an hour from Roanoke and you can tube down the New River. Of course I cracked my tailbone doing it.
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Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson’s house in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, is right outside of Lynchburg, VA: https://www.poplarforest.org/; I thought that it was a very interesting site. Perhaps doing both Monticello (outside of Charlottesville) and Poplar Forest in a weekend; if you want to stay in Charlottesville, you should consider the Boar’s Head Resort, https://www.boarsheadresort.com/, especially if you golf or play tennis.
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I was at Poplar Forest a few months ago! Appomattox is also near Lynchburg as I recall. It is perfectly preserved as it was in 1865, and is a national park. I am pretty sure we saw both in 1 day. That said, I am a Mom in my 60’s and what I find appealing might not be what a young man does.
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I am from NC and went to visit VCU with my daughter when we were looking at colleges. Richmond is another level of swampy hot!! Definitely hotter and more humid than where we are in the middle of NC (near Raleigh). That was a surprise for us!
I’d recommend DC for sure. Charlottesville should be fun since it’s a college town. And from Charlottesville it’s just a quick hop over to Shenandoah National Park where it will be a good bit cooler.
Beaches are good, but it is high season now so you can run into some traffic, especially on Saturday which is traditionally the busiest turnover day for weekly rentals.
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I’m just going to apologize for the weather. This week is beyond miserable. At least for this week, tell him to stay inside in the AC. The weather should break by the weekend, but if it doesn’t, then someplace with AC - go to DC to see museums (the train isn’t bad from Richmond) - or hit the mountains where it should be more bearable (if he’s used to the mountains out west, these are smaller, kinder, gentler mountains, but still excellent for hiking.) Busch Gardens is an amusement park and it’s much cooler (temperature wise) than Kings Dominion because it has trees and is in the woods with much less pavement - if he had to pick one, I’d probably pick Busch Gardens just because I can’t do the heat radiating off the blacktop at Kings Dominion in the summer.
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Luray Caverns in/near Shenandoah National Park is amazing!
Monticello, Jefferson’s home, is can’t miss.
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And 54 degrees year round (luray)
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Great suggestions in this thread. Most everything I would mention has been covered. 
@norcal2 I am sending you a DM. My kid went to school in the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia and was involved with the outing club. There are many outdoor activites that will give one a break from the heat and humidity. If your son is interested, let me know.
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