Page 159 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Washington, DC

EX CURSIONS BEY OND W ASHINGT ON , DC  157

EXCURSIONS BEYOND

WASHINGTON, DC

Within a half-day’s drive of Washington lies enough history and natural beauty
to satisfy the most insatiable sightseer. Alexandria and Williamsburg are a must
for history buffs, while Chesapeake Bay and the islands of Chincoteague and
Assateague offer a wealth of natural beauty. This area of Virginia and Maryland,
along with parts of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, has been at the center
of 400 years of turbulent American history.

Founded in 1623, Jamestown was the first Annapolis, for example, is a pleasant
permanent English settlement in America. Colonial and naval port city. Baltimore
In the 18th century, Williamsburg became also has a diverse charm, combining
the capital of Virginia and the first colony working-class neighborhoods and
to declare independence from England. Old World character, and the town
Today, Williamsburg is a living museum of Richmond blends the Old South’s
of the Colonial era. Victorian gentility with the luxuries
The cultural influence of Europe is of modern life.
clearly seen in the archi tecture of this Civil War battlefields are spread over
region. The two presidents largely the map as far as Gettysburg and tell
responsible for crafting the character the war’s painful story with monuments,
of the early republic lived in Virginia – museums, cemeteries, and the very
George Washington at Mount Vernon, contours of the land itself.
and Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. These The 105-mile (170-km) Skyline Drive
homes reveal the lives their occupants through Shenandoah National Park,

led, at once imaginative, agrarian, inventive, situated west of DC, makes the beautiful
comfortable – and, like many wealthy Blue Ridge Mountains accessible to hikers,
landowners, relying on slavery. cyclists, and drivers alike. To the east of the
Cities and towns throughout the area city, the Chesapeake Bay region attracts
have attractive historic districts that are sailors and fishermen, as well as seafood
a welcome contrast to the modern lovers who can indulge in the delicious
commercial strips on their outskirts. local specialty – blue crabs.

Mount Vernon Bike Trail
Colorful clapboard house in Annapolis, Maryland

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