Nearby vacation spots

[juniperbleu]

It's a long drive, but have you thought about Lake Placid, NY? The Golden Arrow hotel has decent prices and is right in the middle of town. If you plan it right, you might be able to catch a competition (ski jumping at the Flaming Leaves Festival is fun). You could also go to Saratoga Springs or somewhere in the Catskills or Fingerlakes for something a bit closer.

Or fly to Montreal. I only went for a daytrip, but really liked it and felt like I was much further from home than I really was. I also know people who really liked Charleston, SC and Wilmington, NC. They said that both are cute walkable towns.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by cdmurphy

Ooh, Jim Thorpe! My sister-in-law lived there for several years, right in the cute historic area. My husband and I went to a murder mystery weekend at The Inn at Jim Thorpe and it was a lot of fun. There is lots of opportunity for outdoorsy activities - rafting, kayaking, biking, hiking trails, etc.

Jim Thorpe sounds intriguing, especially if we can find some sort of special event like a murder mystery weekend. I'd never heard of this town before. Of we go up there for 4-5 days are there other things to do nearby that you'd recommend? Thanks everyone!

[cdmurphy]

Originally Posted by FromVAtoNC

Jim Thorpe sounds intriguing, especially if we can find some sort of special event like a murder mystery weekend. I'd never heard of this town before. Of we go up there for 4-5 days are there other things to do nearby that you'd recommend? Thanks everyone!

There are two different groups running murder mystery weekends in Jim Thorpe. The first, Keith & Margo's Murdery Mystery Weekends, is the one we did at the Inn. The other is at the Packer Mansion, which is high up overlooking the town. I don't know anything about that one but the house is beautiful. The mansion's Web site has a page about the weekends. The Jim Thorpe site has information about other activities.

[michgc]

Funny that some of you mentioned Cape May. I just got back from my yearly trip to Cape May. We've been going every summer since I was a kid. That's a great place. If you want something similar, try New Hope, PA. It is very quaint - on the Delaware River. There are a bunch of B&Bs, stores, restaurants, and the Bucks County Playhouse if you want to see a show. Everything is walkable. Just over the river into NJ is Lambertville, NJ. You can also stay there and walk over the bridge. It's a beautiful area - about 3 to 3 1/2 hours from here.

We also like Berkeley Springs, WV. It's a little more rustic/rural, but is a cute walkable town and is only about 1 1/2 hours away. The Eastern Shore like St. Michaels is nice, too. If I think of some other places, I'll post again. But definitely look into New Hope.

[goozer]

Originally Posted by mdcrim

If you wanted to fly, Jetblue is offering $89 each way tickets to Cancun (direct from Dulles). Picked up 3 tickets for $762 yesterday for August...

Great prices. I think the swine flu and the drug violence are totally overblown. 99% of americans are petrified to travel to Mexico right now, but there are some GREAT bargains to be had.

If the OP is interested in staying local though, I would recommend a B&B in St. Michael's for the Eastern Shore experience, or book a cabin in Shenanadoah national park--there are plenty of small towns just outside the park for an occasional nice meal or shopping, but you still get to spend most of your time in the park itself.