Need advice for things to do around Richmond-4th of July w/e

Hello Folks,

My husband and I with 4 other friends will be visiting DC/Richmond area over 4th July weekend (2nd - 6th July).

We needed suggestions for things to do. Here is a rough itinerary:

2nd July (Afternoon) - Thursday - Spend in DC, the government buildings, monuments etc. We need a suggestion for a restaurant for dinner for an informal baby shower for a friend. 2nd evening drive to Richmond.

3rd July - Friday - We were planning to go to Kings Dominion , since it is like a college reunion thing and we always wanted to explore an amusement park together which we couldnt, so thot that might be fun.

4th July - Saturday - We wanted to do something outdoorsy, like hiking/rafting within abt 2 hrs drive from Richmond. We need to be back in Richmond by 8-9 pm to celebrate a friend%26#39;s bday at midnight for a little surprise. Need suggestions for a place we could go to ...Shenandoah valley or any other place that would have good rafting/kayaking options.

- Suggestions for a good hangout bar/club thats open late in Richmond will be good....live music even better....we want to have the DJ or the band countdown our friend%26#39;s bday at the club.

5th July - Sunday - Can go anywhere with 2 hrs drive from Richmond, again something outdoorsy could be fun, Few things we thought of Williamsburg/Staunton/Charlottesville. Need to go back to DC by 10 pm again to celebrate another friend%26#39;s bday.

6th July - Monday - Finish rest of the things in DC to do (whatever we can), we fly out at 6 pm.

Suggestions on the itinerary/order etc will be great.

We are trying to chalk things out about a week before the trip so we are pretty open to changes for the VA area, the DC area would have to be 2nd and 6th.

Thanks a lot in advance!

KP.

Need advice for things to do around Richmond-4th of July w/e

The best rafting and kayaking within 2 hours of Richmond is right in downtown Richmond. The city is situated right at the Falls of the James River. Riverside Outfitters offers guided raft trips and kayak rentals:

http://www.riversideoutfitters.net/

Plenty of great hiking in Richmond also. Most of the riverfront is dedicated to a riverfront park, which except for trails, has been left in its wild state. I hike Belle Isle and the Buttermilk trail regularly.

http://www.jamesriverpark.org/

http://www.ci.richmond.va.us/parks/james.aspx

The area bounded by Franklin St, Canal St, 14th to 19th Streets is called Shockoe Bottom and is full of bars and nightclubs, many with live music. To see what%26#39;s going on on a weekly basis, check out Style Weekly or Brick:

http://www.styleweekly.com

http://www.brickweekly.com

Black Finn is a popular place near that area (actually at 10th and Byrd) that may meet your needs. They do a lot of informal parties.

http://www.blackfinnrichmond.com/

For Sunday, there%26#39;s great stuff in every direction. If your day will end up in DC, maybe you should head west and drive north on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. There%26#39;s plenty of hikes, and things to do there, and then at the end, you%26#39;ll come out at Front Royal, about 1 hour west of DC.

www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/directions.htm

Sounds like a great trip. Let me know if you need any additional information or ideas.

Need advice for things to do around Richmond-4th of July w/e

Just a quick FYI -- a lot of us locals prefer Busch Gardens over Kings Dominion. More trees, nicer atmosphere. Busch Gardens is in Williamsburg area, about an hour east of Richmond, between Richmond and Norfolk.

Does sound like a wonderful trip! Have fun and hope you find our city of Richmond a great place to visit!

I agree with the above comment about amusement parks. If you have the extra time, go to Busch Gardens instead of Kings Dominion. It%26#39;s worth an extra hour drive east, to Williamsburg.

Busch Gardens is a much nicer attraction, it has lots of ';green space,'; a variety of food types, and offers more than just rides. The park is separated into areas representing European countries -- England, France, Italy, Germany, and Canada.

The website is:

http://www.buschgardens.com/BGW2/

Kings Dominion is almost all rides and has the same food (hot dogs, burgers, fries) throughout the park. In my opinion, it does not offer much.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

So here is our latest version of the itinerary.

2nd July- We will in DC around 11. See some major sites, monuments etc. until evening, drive to Richmond.

3rd-4th july - Leave from Richmond, exploring Charlottesville, Staunton, stay overnight in Shenandoah Valley. Activities we would like to do in Shenandoah national park, Rafting/kayaking/Canoeing, natural bridge, Luray caverns, Shenandoah caverns, Moderate to low hiking. Main idea is to be outdoor and with the nature. Suggestions for the order, things to do etc. will be great. Also need suggestions for moderately priced cabins to rent/lodging in Shenandoah valley region for 6 people. 4th evening drive back to Richmond.

5 th July - Williamsburg/Jamestown, suggestions of things to in the area or on the way to Williamsburg will be great!

6 th July- Drive from Richmond to DC, explore some more DC until 3 pm and fly out at 6pm.

Please let us any suggestions/comments on this itinerary.

Thanks a lot again!