Washington-Charleston- Savannah?

lennyloulou

thinking of a fly drive holiday 2014- need to save and research this year. we did new Orleans- Nashville already-loved it
my plan maybe-fly into Washington- do the museums and historic stuff. love museums, places of interest
stay in Washington 3 or 4 nights- would you get to see most of the museums and sights in this time frame- is Washington a fab place?
Than maybe take 8 nights to do a drive southwards of Washington ( hope I have my geography correct)
any ideas or hints would be appreciated! cheers!

Jarrod

Hey OP,

I spent 7 nights in DC last September and didn't get to see everything I wanted to and I'm currently back again. If you're into museums and history then I'd highly recommend it. It's a great city, lots to do and see and it's fairly easy to get around. There's a museum for just about everything and a lot of them are free, which helps if like me, you're on a budget.

ProudDUB

Don't know a ton about DC, but Savannah and Charleston are absolutely gorgeous and very, very well worth a visit imo. When are you going? They will be brutally hot and humid in the summer time. Every where indoors will be air conditioned, but the glory of the cities is out doors, where AC won't help you, so be prepared for that. ( But sure, if you've already been to New Orleans & Nashville, you probably know that already.) A couple of days each, would be enough to see what Savannah & Charleston have to offer. If it's very hot, do one of the carriage rides. They will take you around the main spots. Then you can decide which ones you want to check out on foot.

Deffo get out on foot, and do a walk around some of Savannah's main squares & The Battery in Charleston. They are absolutely gorgeous, draped in Spanish Moss as they are, and with homes that will just take the sight out of your eyes. It's a real slice of the Old South. Quite a few of these old homes are available to stay in on a B&B basis, or operate as small boutique hotels. If your budget will stretch to it, consider staying in one of them instead of a traditional hotel. They will give you a much better feel for the place over all. They will have features such as outdoor patios, courtyards with fountains and balconies overlooking the squares, that you really won't get in standard chain hotels. Eating and drinking out can be a bit hit and miss imo. Trip Advisor is a good site to get restaurant tips, but I found even the best rated ones to be a bit touristy and over priced.

Dunno if you will have enough time, but if you do, the Golden Isles just a bit further down the coast from Savannah, are very well worth a day trip at the very least. Most of them are uninhabited National Parks, They have a wild, unspoilt beauty that you don't often see on the Atlantic Coast in that part of the world. Cumberland Island in particular is spectacular. It's one of the few with over night accommodation. JFK Jr got married there.

InTheTrees

I've been to DC but never south and i've heard Charleston and Savannah are really beautiful cities. A co-worker went to college in Savannah and loved it, its further south and a bit more lush than Charleston which is bigger and a little more like Georgetown in DC.

But thats hearsay...

InTheTrees

I've been in Georgia in August and it was something else as regards Heat. Something to bear in mind.

The South is best in the months either side of "high" summer when the whole region swelters. Washington DC is part of that heat belt too.

InTheTrees

lennyloulou wrote: »

is Washington a fab place?

LOL. "Fab" may be pushing it a little... the place is a museum really.

Incredibly interesting, museums and monuments all over the place. You can certainly use up 3-4 days easily. The Air and Space museum, The Smithsonian, Congress, the FBI museum, Arlington Cemetery, etc.

Museums rather than shopping in other words, but you'll have plenty of time for shopping elsewhere.

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=38.888695,-77.019889&spn=0.01261,0.023475&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=38.889628,-77.021911&panoid=XBv578g6qlgJziEm85A3Pw&cbp=12,333.22,,0,-3.87

lennyloulou

thank you one and all for your advice!

Munstermissy

I will second that about the heat, sweltering is on the only word for it in the summer. I have family in Georgia so head over there regularly. Was in Charleston July 2011 and had a brilliant time, beautiful place but hot, hot, hot... Definitely take in a plantation tour, we went to Magnolia and was gorgeous.

Have a great time:-)

okiss

I have been in Washington twice.
The Natural History museum is worth a visit and so is the museum of America.
If you go to Arlington cemetery I would take the tour bus as it will tell you the history of the various graves there. When I was there I manged to see the changing of the guard at the grave of the unknown solder.

Another place I liked was George Washington Mount Vernon Estate. Take the metro rail out to Huntington. When you come out of this station you can get a bus that drops you at the front of Mount Vernon. You need to have change for this bus as the Washington travel tickets are not valid here.
The bus I think leaves here every 30 mins and you can get another bus back to Huntington. You can see a film about George Washington then do a tour of the house and then you can walk around the farm and grounds.

Just be aware that if you travel at peak time on the metro it is slightly more expensive. If you under pay the fair you will have to add money to your ticket to get out of the station. There are machines do this. It happen to me I got a return ticket in the morning but came back at a peak time.

If you want to do some shopping Washington does not have a shopping area or streets like Dublin. If you take the metro out to Metro Centre there is a big mall here on 2 sides of the street. There is a Macy's in the mall along with a lot of other shops. In the shops the other side there is a Marshalls ( like tk max shop). It has good value in things but you need to root.
Have a nice holiday.

MayoForSam

I'm off to Virginia in May for some training through work and I will have a day to spend in DC on my way out. Hopefully that will be sufficient time to have a good look around the Mall and surrounding area (museums, monuments, White House).

On my way back up from Virginia (I'm staying in Staunton, another historic town), I am considering taking the Sky Drive through Shenandoah National Park, a 3-4 hour leisurely drive along mountain ridges and through forest, apparently you have a good chance of spotting brown bears and other wildlife along the way.

cabla

I lived in Charleston for 3 months. Well worth it. Again, extremely hot and humid so be prepared for that. A lot of history there and a really friendly Southern feel. Quite "touristy" now of course but I think it's a classy touristy. It's not Disney and it's mainly US tourists.

Bars/clubs close early but a relaxed feel, you can wear shorts etc. Reasonably priced and some unbelievable food. Try Coast just off King Street and Rue De Jean's burgers are unbelievable. Also try Toast for your brunch and get the momosas. Plenty of plantations and beaches to visit. I'd go back in a heartbeat. It's actually quite a college town but less so during the summer.

SHOVELLER

In terms of capital cities DC has to be one of the best for a tourist. It is hard to think of anything they dont have to be honest. The Smithsonian is very impressive as are the FBI, Pentagon, Arlington etc etc.

I lived in Savannah for 3 months and would certainly recommend it for its history and beauty. There was a free trolley service around the city centre back then.........

But as mentioned try not to go in the summer as the heat can be brutal.

Walk around Forsyth Park, the squares and soak in the beauty of the old historic homes. Check out SCAD.

Down south is a totally different world to the fast living east. If so inclined you can drink in the streets!