As a brilliant display of reds, oranges and yellows descends on Virginia's Thomas Jefferson Country this month, getting lost while driving might be the best blunder you could make.
Imagine miles of white-painted fences on either side of you as rolling acres of horse farms, woodlands and vineyards unfold while you explore the Piedmont region. Imagine the morning mist lifting from dewy fields or an evening fog enveloping the mountains.
All across the Mid-Atlantic, similar colorful scenes will be occurring, which makes autumn an ideal time for a getaway. We've chosen four nearby destinations that make for great weekend trips. Whether you love hiking, biking, boating, festivals, historic sites or just splendid scenery, there's something for everyone at the destinations below.
The motorist with wanderlust will surely fall in love with Virginia's long, winding roads. Each seems to lead to some worthy exploration, whether it's downtown Charlottesville and the University of Virginia, the Blue Ridge Mountains or sites like Jefferson's Monticello and James Madison's Montpelier.
Virginia has "natural beauty no matter what time of year you come, but fall is especially beautiful," says Judy Geary, innkeeper at the Holladay House B&B in Orange, Va., near Charlottesville.
"You go out any of those rural roads, and it's just the most peaceful and relaxing drive you'll experience. With all the historic aspects of the area, the farms, apple orchards and walking trails, the fall foliage is just the icing on the cake. You'll feel like you're in a different place and time," Geary says.
Although many visitors to the region head straight to Albemarle County, where Monticello is, bypassing Orange County is not advised. This is where Madison, the fourth president, resided. Virginia Route 20 takes you to Montpelier, the 2,700-acre estate that Madison described as "a squirrel's jump from Heaven."
Don't let a four-year, $30 million renovation of the estate discourage you from visiting. The project actually offers a rare opportunity to see what the bare bones of an 18th-century mansion looked like in construction.
Guided tours show the original wood floors in the house and a chimney in Dolley Madison's chambers. Walking through the barren library, you can imagine Madison sitting beside a fire as he considered ideas for the Virginia Plan, which would become the foundation for the U.S. Constitution.
