Harpers Ferry, Mt Vernon, and Shanandoah in 3 days?

We will be in washington dc for 4 days and then visitng surrounding areas. Looking at Harpers Ferry, Mt Vernon, and Shanandoah. Do you think all three of those are doable in 3 days? And any recomendations on lodging at either one base area/hotel or multiple cities and lodging?

Harpers Ferry, Mt Vernon, and Shanandoah in 3 days?

While it is possible to do all three in three days, franckly, it would be exhausting. You don%26#39;t say what time of tyear you are planning your visit, and this may impact your decisions.

Mt. Vernon could take your entire day depending upon how much you enjoy history and what the crowds are like. Often, there is a long line to go through the house, but the new museum there is terrific. Summertime can be hot and humid, so carry lots of water!

Harper%26#39;s Ferry is a very nice place to visit too. Mostly, you will be outdoors walking around the town from building to building. The town is hilly. If it is summertime and you don%26#39;t enjoy the heat, beware. If it is fall, it%26#39;s a great day and the views of the rivers and mountains are wonderful.

Shenandoah is beautiful during all parts of the year. Do you plan to hike or just drive around the area. Caverns? Wineries? What are your interests?

Harpers Ferry, Mt Vernon, and Shanandoah in 3 days?

Yes, when you go to Mt. Vernon you could ostensibly stay in your accommodations for DC. Are you staying in Alexandria or DC? At any rate there are bus trips out to Mt. Vernon along that Parkway route. Yes, tons to do. I remember discussing it a while ago...maybe on the Alexandria forum. Go there anyway...the alexandria forum. While all Va city/town forums come up on the Virginia forum, Va Forum topics don%26#39;t go on other forums and people who frequent the Alexandria forum get just Alexandria I believe. So check on Alexandria...even Washington DC. Do a word search using Mt. Vernon in the little empty box directly above these posts for lots of ideas.

If you can, it would be great if you could go to the Washington Grist Mill and on to Woodlawn Plantation, which Washington gave his...I believe she was his step daughter...on her marriage. Neat house and on the property is the Pope-Leighey House, a Frank Lloyd Write built home. It was moved there. He designed the furniture and all.

But...that could be one day for Mt. V and back to the hotel and another for the rest in south Alexandria area.

If you are driving, that would be handy because coming from the south you could do one of the other two places and then the last one on the way out.

For Harpers Ferry, there is actually a commuter train but that brings people in to Union Station for work in the a.m. and home in the p.m. You could use Amtrak though.

Shenandoah...are you envisioning driving the Blue Ridge Mountains for photos and views or mornings of bird watching, wildflower hunting on a guided ranger tour and afternoon or horseback riding and hiking?

I think, first let us know if you%26#39;re driving to and from Fl. That would be helpful.

Otherwise, it would be tricky.

We fly to Dulles on 7/1 and will be staying in Downtown DC until 7/5 visiting the monuments, a few museums, and then going with all the other gazillion opeople to see the fireworks on the mall. OUr flight home isn%26#39;t until 7/8 in the evening. Originally, we envisioned white water rafting 7/5 - 7/7 on the New River, but on a forum post, people indicated that is too far of a drive, thus my post here to find things to fill up the 3 days of 7/5 - 7/8. All we do in year round in Florida is go to all the Disney theme parks, Seaworld, and Universal Studios. And occaisionally beach trips to the east coast beaches. So, really any activity other than those, would be interesting to us. Thanks for any suggestions you have. :D

Okay. Hopefully you can walk to the fireworks. Roads can become parking lots. And be flexible. Vast crowds but a great memorable time.

So 7/4 is your last night concentrating on DC? On 7/5 you could stay in your hotel and do Mt. Vernon. No need to spend time checking out and in anywhere else. (In fact, if you taxi to the hotel you won%26#39;t really need a car for a while. Walk/public transportation is great. Take a tour bus to Mt. Vernon.) Check out all there is to do at Mt. Vernon and the Grist Mill and Woodlawn Plantation and Pope Leighey. It might be that...well, if the kids are doing the theme parks they may be young enough so that Woodlawn, etc. is just more of the same. So if you like Mt. Vernon perhaps a day there is enough for them. And maybe the nearby Grist Mill. (It%26#39;s not really walking distance from Mt. Vernon.)

I suggest Mt. Vernon first because that way you won%26#39;t have to change accommodations.

You will by then have done a lot of two things....walking and looking at museum type things/buildings using careful eyes and minds. It would be great to go to the mountains, especially since you%26#39;re from Florida, for a leisurely drive to a location, leisurely hike, nature, amazing views, just sort of vegging out with nature. It%26#39;ll be cooler too. That%26#39;ll be 7/6. Stay over one or two nights. If you want to look at Harper%26#39;s Ferry you can do that on the 8th on the drive back towards the airport.

CheNop, to clarify....I thought of the %26#39;no car%26#39; option near the end of my post and inserted it. So to be clear, as I said, you wouldn%26#39;t want to walk to the Grist Mill....but also Woodlawn is even further. I know about the tour buses to Mt. Vernon but you%26#39;d have to research if there are ones that continue to Woodlawn. You might call them and ask what tour buses go there: http://woodlawn1805.org/

And...it may be that Mt. Vernon is enough before you hit the mountains!