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Charlottesville, Virginia with its historical attractions, wineries, and downtown shopping district is a great place for a weekend visit.  The historical attractions are within a few miles of each other and include Monticello, Michie Tavern, and Ash-Lawn.  Monticello is Jefferson’s magnificent home and tours of the mansion and grounds are offered daily.  Michie Tavern Museum takes you back in time to when stagecoach travelers stopped at the inn for food, drink and lodging.  The Tavern dining room (the Ordinary restaurant), serves a daily buffet lunch and the wait staff is dressed in period clothing. There’s also some outbuildings, small shops (one’s an interesting clothing store), and the General Store.  A few miles down the road is Ash Lawn-Highland, the plantation home of the nation’s fifth president, James Monroe.  It’s a nice, quiet tour -- compared to the crowds at Monticello – and provides a good glimpse of 19^th century life.    You can purchase a “President’s Pass”  - a discount combination ticket that includes admission to all three sites – at http://www.monticello.org/visit/pres_pass.html

There are over 20 wineries in the area.  Most have Tasting Rooms and some offer tours. Here’s a good website with different area “wine trails” and a map: http://www.monticellowinetrail.com/sections/winetrails.html

Historic Downtown Charlottesville is a pedestrian walking mall.  It’s closed to traffic and has 9 blocks of more than 100 unique, locally owned shops and about 30 restaurants and sidewalk cafes.  The Omni Hotel anchors one end of the promenade and the Virginia Discovery Museum is on the other. There’s a good mix of street vendors selling handbags, jewelry, and clothing.  You won’t see any chain stores or restaurants downtown.  It’s a great place to spend an afternoon or evening.

A few miles from Downtown Charlottesville is the University of Virginia, which was designed and founded by Thomas Jefferson.  Guided tours of the Rotunda and grounds are free and available every day: http://www.virginia.edu/uvatours/rotunda/

Charlottesville has a variety of lodging options – from resorts to inexpensive, budget hotels -- plus lots of good, local restaurants. 

It’s about 100 miles southwest of Washington DC.

I have visited Charlottesville, VA several times.  It is a nice historic town.  I have been out to see Monticello, and that is also a very interesting historical attraction. 

One other attraction not mentioned is Skyline Drive or the Blueridge Mountain Parkway.  Just a 30 minute drive to the west takes you to the top of the Blueridge Mountain chain.  This single ridge of mountains seperated from the main cordillera of the Appalachian Mountains divides the Eastern Seaboard plains from the broad Shenandoah Valley at the foot of the Appalachians.  Skyline Drive along the summit provides great vistas both east over the coastal plains and west over the Shenandoah Valley and to the Appalachians beyond.

I have even visited some of the wineries in the area.  I am not a big fan of the East Coast wines, but I did find some nice vintages in the region.  Unfortunately, the price of the good East Coast vintages usually is much higher than a similar quality West Coast wine.

Excellent that you both have lots of information about Virginia. I am getting many help from yours conversation.

Highly appreciated.