I am near Charlottesville. While in the area you can see Jefferson's home Monticello. We are in Orange which is home to Montpellier, Madison's home and near the Battle of Chancellorsville and Battle of the WIlderness. A national park pass or maybe just teacher id will get you in here. Before you get to us you will cross the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah National Park. Watch the movies on the CCC boys and the park when Roosevelt set up the national park system. If you arrange it ahead of time you can get the park van/ranger to take you down to Camp Hoover in the park, Presiden Hoovers retreat...would have been the original "Camp David".

In Richmond enjoy Tredagar Iron Works National Park site of CIvil war battles (free) and hike across the river (walking bridge below the road) to Belle Island, Civil war open air prison. There is a brand new CIvil war museum there as well (pay). Near here in Petersburg is a fantastic living history museum on the civil war...Pamplin Park...there is a huge weekend there the first of April usually, lots of reinactors. Near here is The Crater...another free civil war site.

Also near Fredericksburg is the Battle of WIlderness and Chancellorsville..here in my hometown of Gordonsville is the Exchange Hotel, a living history museum on an intermediary hospital (between field and true hospital) during civil war...and Montpellier, home to president James Madison.

We are just north of Charlottesville, and Monticello, home to Thomas Jefferson and Ashlawn, home to Hmmmm Monroe?

Down near Jamestown and Williamsburg you might also enjoy the Yorktown Battle site.

Up north is Manassas where the CIvil war began and in Appomatox find appomatox courthouse where it ended.

Also their is Natural Bridge, surveyed by Washington, purchased by Jefferson. housing a Monoccan indian village.

National Parks - are you aware their are free, or nearly free activity books/programs called Junior ranger programs? Kids complete the activities and earn free patches and pins..great free souveniers of learning.

ok...you could spend a year in VA alone...have fun.

Becky

We are aware of the Jr Ranger program...have done it at other national parks while camping near home. I'm sure we'll take advantage of that - free souveniers are good (plus they learn a little something while they're at it)
Wow - so much to see, so little time. I think we have 2 weeks in the Richmond area. We'll try to focus on colonial history while we're there and hit civil war history at the end of the trip. Now we just have to decide what makes the "must see" list and what goes on the "nice to see" list.
Jennifer