The D.C. area is a daytripper’s paradise. Two hours or less in a car, on a bus or on a train will get you to dozens of charming towns and hamlets, each seemingly tailor-made for your particular interests. If you’re into history, fine food, boutique shopping, sinning or all things nautical, we have the perfect, themed daytrip itinerary just for you.
Winchester, Va. for food-lovers
The best time to visit is in the fall, when apples — Winchester’s king crop — are in season. The rural town is a playground of edibles year-round, however, as the surrounding farms mean fresh meals made from just-plucked ingredients. You’ll need a car, but once you park in the center of town, everything is nearby. H.S.
10 a.m. Stop at the Virginia Farm Market (1881 N. Frederick Pike) for a just-fried apple cider doughnut.
11 a.m. Hopscotch Coffee Roasters (250 Millwood Ave.) toasts all of its beans on-site on the lower level of its rustic space. Upstairs, browse old and new records as you sip your cappuccino.
NOON: If the biscuits at Bonnie Blue Southern Market and Bakery (334 W. Boscawen St.) aren’t sold out, nab one. This and other treats from chef Brian Pellatt are made with Virginia-grown ingredients.
1 p.m. The 50,000-square-foot Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (901 Amherst St.) is surrounded by six acres of gardens. (Perhaps enjoy your biscuit picnic-style?) In addition to classic and modern art, the museum holds replica kitchens from the 1830s and 1930s to emphasize Virginia’s rural roots. Closed Mondays.
2:30 p.m. Grab a late lunch at Village Square (103 N. Loundoun St.), an American restaurant in the Old Town district. Locals rave about the martinis and farm-fresh dishes; we’re partial to the fried green tomato BLT.
4 p.m. Escutcheon Brewing Co. (142 Commercial St.) distributes lagers, IPAs and more in an industrial, maritime-inspired taproom. The best time to visit is on a Saturday, during the cornhole tournaments. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Sundays.
6 p.m. You remember how to get to Village Square, right? Great, because Em (19 E. Boscawen St.), is just around the corner. The American restaurant puts international touches on many dishes, such as the jerk pork chop with pineapple salsa. Closed Mondays.
Charles Town, W.Va. for vices
West Virginia is the Nevada of the mid-Atlantic — a seemingly lawless wilderness fringed with strip clubs, racetracks and fireworks stands. Here’s how to indulge in a variety of vices just over the Maryland or Virginia border. Enlist a designated driver and get going. S.D.
10:30 a.m. Gorge on rugelach and chewy, New York-style bagels at Royalicious Bagel Bakery (126 Patrick Henry Way), next to the Wal-Mart.
NOON: Buy a stogie at Charlies Too (835 E. Washington St.), and save it for later.
2 p.m. Refresh with a liquid lunch at Bloomery Plantation Distillery (16357 Charles Town Road). The farm-to-glass distillery pours free samples of artisanal hooch in their tasting room, or pick up a bottle of the award-winning limoncello ($27) and picnic on the lawn. Closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays.
4 p.m. Be first in line for the epic buffet at the Epic Buffet (750 Hollywood Drive, Ranson, W.Va., $18-$35) and pile up your plate with just about everything you can think of, including all-you-can-eat crab legs on Fridays and rib roast on Saturdays. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
7 p.m. Bet on a pretty filly Wednesday through Saturday at the Charles Town Races (750 Hollywood Drive, Ranson, W.Va.), where J. Edgar Hoover used to make regular appearances.
9 p.m. Get out that stogie from Charles Too, because you can smoke while you gamble at the Hollywood Casino (750 Hollywood Drive, Ranson, W.Va.), which features 50 poker tables, 2,700 slot machines and table games. Best of all, the drinks are free.
Annapolis, Md. for seaside fun
Even if you’re not a beach person, it’s still soothing to take to the water in the summer heat. Sailing-centric Annapolis offers plenty of ways to feel the sea (OK, bay) wind in your hair. The carless can get there via the YTS bus from the New Carrollton Metro station. K.P.K.
10 a.m. Walk around City Dock (at the east end of Main Street), also known as Ego Alley for the incredibly insane boats you will never, ever be able to afford.
11:30 a.m. Walk across Spa Creek Bridge and brunch at the Boatyard Bar & Grill (Severn Avenue and Fourth Street). Start with one of the four types of oyster shooters.
12:30 p.m. Overcome your jealousy of Ego Alley’s boats on the $41-$44 Schooner Woodwind cruise (Annapolis Marriott, 80 Compromise St.). This sailing ship takes you around the Naval Academy, the Annapolis Harbor and down the Severn River. You can even get in on the action and hoist the sails. (To ensure a spot, buy your tickets in advance.)
2 p.m. Head back to City Dock and take the water taxi to the Naval Anchorage stop; that’ll put you right in front of the Naval Academy. Refrain from shouting “AHOY,” no matter how much you want to.
3 p.m. The U.S. Naval Academy (121 Blake Road) — home to future Navy and Marine Corps officers — does offer tours, but it’s also fun to just walk around the campus and museum by yourself. The chapel includes the crypt of John Paul Jones, whom you may know as Father of the Navy but more likely know as the “I have not yet begun to fight!” guy.
5 p.m. It’s time to eat again. Dry 85 (193B Main St.) serves burgers, bourbon, bourbon and bourbon. The seafood mac and cheese is worth stabbing your companion to get the last bite, and make sure you get their house-made sriracha ketchup with your fries.
7 p.m. Stroll Main Street, which isn’t technically a boardwalk, but the abundance of T-shirt shops makes it feel like one.
Fredericksburg, Va. for history buffs
In D.C., you can’t throw a White House snow globe without hitting something important to America. Hie thee to Fredericksburg and realize that we aren’t the only ones who walk in the shadows of our forefathers. Drive, or take a VRE or Amtrak train. K.P.K.
8 a.m. Wander the campus of the University of Mary Washington (1301 College Ave.). Named for George Washington’s mom, it’s the only public university in Virginia named solely for a woman.
9 a.m. Breakfast at the Battlefield Restaurant (1018 Lafayette Blvd.), which gets its name from …
9:30 a.m. … the Fredericksburg Battlefield (1013 Lafayette Blvd.), where some of the bloodiest fighting in the Civil War went down. Contemplate the site of the 1862 battle considered one of the Confederacy’s greatest victories.
11 a.m. Six generals and 3,300 soldiers are buried in the Fredericksburg Confederate Cemetery on Washington Avenue.
Noon: Hustle down to the Fredericksburg Visitor Center (706 Caroline St.) and grab a ticket ($15) for one of the horse-drawn carriage tours that give an overview of the town’s history.
1 p.m. Goolrick’s Pharmacy’s (901 Caroline St.) old-school soda fountain has been in operation since 1912. Closed Sundays.
1:30 p.m. Time for some of Fredericksburg’s historic homes and businesses. The Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop (1020 Caroline St.) is a museum about 18th-century medicine that will make you happy you live in the 21st century; the Mary Washington House (1200 Charles St.) was bought by George for his mom, who lived there for her last 17 years; the Rising Sun Tavern (1304 Caroline St.) was George Washington’s youngest brother’s home before it became a tavern in 1792.
4 p.m. Take the $10 tour of Kenmore Plantation (1201 Washington Ave.), once home to George Washington’s sister Betty.
Richmond, Va. for fashionistas
All aboard Amtrak to Richmond, where it’s not all Civil War battlefields. Virginia’s state capital is swarming with young talent who are opening some of the city’s leading boutiques, including a cutting-edge (pun very much intended) taxidermy shop. H.S.
11 a.m. W. Hirsch Oriental Rugs (3117 W. Cary St.) touts the elaborate carpets in its name. Browse the shop’s Turkish weaves at prices that are kind to your wallet. Closed Sundays.
noon For the oddity lover there’s Rest in Pieces (1 S. Stafford Ave.), a taxidermy shop that sells ethically obtained specimens as well as novelties such as black skull candles and arrowhead necklaces. Closed Mondays.
1 p.m. Glam vintage hounds will appreciate Halcyon Vintage Clothing (117 N. Robinson St.), a shoebox of a store stocked with pristine ball gowns, house dresses, lace nighties and more.
2 p.m. Yes, some of the prices at Na Nin (101 S. Addison St.) may make you balk, in which case the women’s wear shop is best seen as a gallery where one-of-a-kind clothing and fragrances are on display.
3 p.m. Need Supply Co. (3100 W. Cary St.) is a minimalistic clothing store that spawned the popular Web shop of the same name. What began as a vintage Levi’s shop in 1996 now carries modern basics and sleek accessories.
4 p.m. Quirk Gallery is a home-goods boutique-meets-gift shop-meets-art studio (311 W. Broad St.). Wares from local jewelry designers are sold alongside cheeky greeting cards like the one that reads, “My wife made me send this card.” Closed Sundays.
5 p.m. Just across the street from Quirk is Steady Sounds (322 W. Broad St.), a record shop that sells new and used albums. It shares space with Blue Bones Vintage, a secondhand clothing store that carries threads from every decade, though the ’70s wear is of particular note. Closes at 5 p.m. on Sundays.
An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the cigar shop Charlies Too. We regret the error.
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