Considering a short vacation in the Ashland Va area (Richmond: homes, neighborhoods)

[renrenbri]

Is there a lot to do in this area? We are not city people. We enjoy walking quaint towns, breweries/wineries, museums, unique shops, etc. If so, how many days would be sufficient. Once there, we wouldn't want to drive much more than 1 hr in any direction for any entertainment. The closer the better. Thanks!

[CraigCreek]

Ashland is a lovely and historic little town, on the outskirts of Richmond, but given your interests, I'd suggest heading down the road to Williamsburg, which has almost all of the things you list plus interesting activities and a wide range of programs and performances available on a daily basis via Colonial Williamsburg. Winter is a quieter season, but there is still plenty to keep you pleasantly occupied.

There is a convenient shuttle bus that circles the historic district (which is also quite walkable), so you don't have to drive once you get there, a variety of overnight accommodations and Williamsburg certainly takes the cake when it comes to scenic and quaint.

Not sure about breweries or wineries, but those closer to the area can fill you in. The very scenic Colonial Parkway connects Williamsburg with Jamestown and Yorktown, also worth visiing.

[renrenbri]

Thanks! We have actually been to Williamsburg, and went to Jamestown and Yorktown. It was lovely. We will be camping and have been looking at Americamps in Ashland, but are open to suggestions.

[choff5]

Ashland is a cute little place just outside Richmond. I’m sure you can find a lot to do within a hours drive. There are several wineries in the area and not far away. Check out https://www.virginiawine.org/guide. Also, The Valentine in Richmond offers various historical tours in the city. Check their schedule, https://thevalentine.org/richmond-history-tours-2/. We did the downtown walking tour and found it interesting. Jakes Place is a local great restaurant in an old filling station. May not look like much outside but is excellent. I know my friend who lives near there also mentioned bother restaurant downtown by the railroad. I hadn’t thought of it as a designation place but if it’s due to a campground nearby and you want a get away it could be a nice place to relax. Have fun!

[VA Yankee]

Ashland is a small town with a college campus and a small (traditional) main street with some stores, regular shopping is just a few blocks away. There is a nice collection of vintage homes along the RR tracks and a vintage Amtrak station in town. I could see it as a day trip in the spring but not a weekend destination you would be better to visit Richmond and use that as your base camp for various excursions.

[spencer114]

Ashland would make a fine base camp. The campground is close to Center of the Universe, a local brewery. An hour’s drive will allow you to go into Richmond (15 minutes away), Petersburg, Fredericksburg or Charlottesville.

I know you aren’t “city people” but Richmond is very quaint. The art museum is suppurb and free, so is the Virginia Historical Society (next door to the VMFA). All of the downtown neighborhoods are pretty and walkable with notable architecture, restaurants and retail. A Carytown/VMFA combo would make for a very nice day and you won’t be more than 20-25 minutes from your campground in Ashland.

Richmond has about 30 breweries. There are three nice wineries to the east of downtown (lunch at Upper Shirley Vineyards is great and Shirley Plantation is very pretty). If you drive closer to Charlottesville there are dozens of vineyards.