Mid-Atlantic · A day worth getting out for.

Out of the capital.
Into the Blue Ridge.

Drive Shenandoah’s Skyline Drive through the Blue Ridge, walk Lower Town Harpers Ferry and the fields of Antietam, tour the Naval Academy in Annapolis, stand on Little Round Top at Gettysburg or spend a day at Mount Vernon and Old Town Alexandria. We’ve put the stops, routes and practical details together so your day out of Washington, DC is easier to plan.

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Skyline Drive curving through a forest of gold, orange and red trees under a partly cloudy blue sky, with a low stone wall along the left shoulder
THE MID-ATLANTIC COLLECTIONMountains. Battlefields. Harbor towns.Skyline Drive, Virginia
BLUE
RIDGE
DAYS
✓ No ads. No pop-ups.✓ A day that actually fits✓ Routes ready for your phone✓ Rules, fees & things to watch for✓ A weather backup plan✓ Best-time advice for every trip
Small price. A whole day of possibilities.

Where will your Mid-Atlantic day take you?

From the Blue Ridge to the Chesapeake.
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Skyline Drive curving through a forest of gold, orange and red trees under a partly cloudy blue sky, with a low stone wall along the left shoulderScenic drive & short hikes
Washington, DC → Front Royal → Dickey Ridge → Range View Overlook → Stony Man and Skyland → Dark Hollow Falls → Big Meadows → Thornton Gap

Shenandoah's Skyline Drive

A full day from Washington, DC along the north and central Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park: the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, the long view from Range View Overlook, the short climb up Stony Man with lunch at Skyland, the steep walk down to Dark Hollow Falls and an afternoon at Big Meadows before heading home through Thornton Gap.

11–12 hour day·About 5–6 hours of driving in total, including about 70 miles of Skyline Drive at 35 mph
Best: Late September to early November
$4 USD
Harpers Ferry seen from a rocky cliff high above the Potomac: two railroad bridges cross the wide river toward the old brick town on its wooded point, with the Shenandoah curving in from the leftHistory & heritage
Washington, DC → Harpers Ferry Visitor Center → Lower Town → Jefferson Rock → Shepherdstown → Antietam Visitor Center → Bloody Lane → Burnside Bridge

Harpers Ferry & Antietam

A Civil War history day out of Washington: the shuttle down to Harpers Ferry's Lower Town for John Brown's Fort and the meeting of the Potomac and Shenandoah, the Appalachian Trail steps to Jefferson Rock, lunch in Shepherdstown, then the Antietam battlefield from the Dunker Church to Bloody Lane and Burnside Bridge.

10–11 hour day·About 3½–4 hours of driving in total, including the 8½-mile Antietam tour road
Best: All year; best late September to early November
$4 USD
Sunset over a calm Annapolis harbor, with moored boats and sailboat masts along the shore, a church spire against an orange and blue sky, and a small boat in the foreground waterHistory & waterfront
Washington, DC → Maryland State House → William Paca House & Garden → U.S. Naval Academy → City Dock and Main Street → Harbor cruise → Sandy Point State Park

Annapolis

A day in Maryland's small colonial capital, about an hour east of Washington: the State House where George Washington resigned his commission, a 1760s mansion and terraced garden, the Naval Academy's chapel and noon formation, crab cakes by Ego Alley, a short harbor cruise and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge at dusk.

9–10 hour day·About 2–2½ hours of driving in total, most of it on US 50
Best: All year; best April–May and September–October
$4 USD
A Civil War-era cannon behind a low stone wall on Cemetery Ridge, aimed across a mile of open fields and fences toward a distant tree line and blue ridges under a clear skyHistory & heritage
Washington, DC → Museum & Visitor Center → McPherson Ridge → Lincoln Square → Little Round Top → High Water Mark → National Cemetery

Gettysburg

A full day from Washington to Gettysburg: the film, Cyclorama and museum, then the battle in order across three days of ground, from McPherson Ridge to Little Round Top and the field of Pickett's Charge, with lunch on Lincoln Square and a quiet end at the cemetery where Lincoln spoke.

11–12 hour day·About 4 hours of round-trip driving from DC, plus about an hour on the battlefield roads
Best: All year; best April–June and September–October
$4 USD
The long white mansion at Mount Vernon with its red roof, cupola and tall two-storey columned piazza, seen across a sloping green lawn under a blue sky with white cloudsHistory & heritage
Washington, DC → Mount Vernon → Washington's Gristmill → Carlyle House → Alexandria waterfront → King Street → Gravelly Point

Mount Vernon & Old Town Alexandria

A history day down the George Washington Memorial Parkway: Washington's Mount Vernon at opening time, his rebuilt gristmill and distillery on weekends in season, then an afternoon in Old Town Alexandria for Carlyle House, the river and King Street, with plane-watching at Gravelly Point on the drive home.

9–10 hour day·About 1–1½ hours of driving in total on the George Washington Memorial Parkway
Best: All year; best April–May and October
$4 USD

Every guide lists the date and time it was last updated and when the trip is best experienced, from a single week to all year. Each includes official links to verify roads, tides, hours, fees and closures for your travel date. Buy once and the guide is yours forever: read it online any time from your account, always in its latest version, or keep it offline in the Greg’s Guides app for iPhone and iPad, which updates it for you.

A little preparation goes a long way.

All the useful stuff.
In one little guide.

No juggling a dozen tabs or guessing how much you can squeeze into a day. Get a realistic starting plan, then make the day your own.

  • No ads. Just your next great day.You’ll never see ads popping up in your face to ruin your experience. Our website, app and guides are ad-free, so you can focus on planning and enjoying your trip.
  • Your day, laid outA timed itinerary, worthwhile stops, and honest driving estimates.
  • Your route, readyA route overview plus Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps links. Open a route to use your app’s latest available road closures, detours and traffic information.
  • The details that save a headacheParking, park rules, seasonal closures, packing tips, and what to skip.
  • A plan for the unexpectedWeather alternatives and flexible stops when the day runs long.
  • Dated, seasonal and yours to keepEvery guide shows when it was last updated and when the trip is best experienced. You own your guide forever: read the latest version online any time, or keep it offline in our iPhone app.
GREG’S GUIDES IN EVERY GUIDE
One guide.
A better starting point.
01
Trip guideRead online or in the app
✓
02
Route overviewSchematic route map
✓
03
Navigation linksGoogle Maps · Waze · Apple Maps
✓
04
Offline in the appiPhone & iPad, no signal needed
✓

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Guides in the app work offline. Navigation needs a connection or maps saved in your navigation app.

From “we should go somewhere” to out the door.

Your next good day in three steps.

01

Pick your escape

A relaxed beach day, a mountain outing, or a bigger coastal adventure. Choose what fits your time.

02

Get your guide

Pay once and read it online right away, or open it in the Greg’s Guides app to keep it on your phone.

03

Make a day of it

Check current conditions, open your route, and head out. Linger where you like. Skip what you don’t.

Good questions.

A few things
before you go.

What exactly am I buying?

A digital guide with a timed itinerary, stop-by-stop details, a schematic route map, navigation links and a plain-text plan. This is a self-guided plan; attraction admission, parking, food, and transport are separate. We update trips regularly, and you’ll always have access to the latest information: you own your guide forever, so you can read the latest version online any time or keep it up to date in the app.

Do I need an account?

No, but it’s worth having. Tell us your home city and we’ll unlock a free guide to a day trip, event or activity near you. Your account also keeps every guide you buy, so you can read it online any time and use it in the Greg’s Guides app.

Will it work on my phone?

Yes. Read it online in your phone’s browser: sign in to My account and open your guide. Or, as we recommend on iPhone and iPad, use the Greg’s Guides app: sign in with the same account and your guides are saved on your phone, so they work without cell service. Navigation links open in the relevant app or browser when supported.

Can I use the guide without cell service?

In the Greg’s Guides app, yes: your guides and route maps are saved on your phone. Reading online needs a connection. Guides don’t include offline road maps or turn-by-turn navigation, so save the area in your navigation app and prepare your route while connected.

Will my route include current closures and detours?

Route links open in Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze, which calculate directions using their latest available road, traffic, closure and detour information. This information depends on your app, coverage and connection and may not include every restriction. Check official road alerts, review the route before leaving and obey posted closures. The guide’s route map is a saved overview.

Are these trips suitable for everyone?

Each preview tells you the time commitment and activities. Beach sand, stairs, steep paths, weather, and road access can affect suitability. Choose shorter options and check accessibility at the stops you want to visit.

How current is the information?

Each guide shows the date and time it was last updated and the time of year it is best experienced; some stops also note their own best season. Roads, services, prices, tides and rules can change, so every guide includes official sources to check before departure. Online, you always see the latest version, and the app updates the guides on your phone. You own your guide forever.

How do I get my guide after paying?

Stripe returns you to an order page with links to read each guide online as soon as payment is verified. Bookmark that page and reopen it any time for fresh links. Sign in or create a free account to keep your guides together and use them in the Greg’s Guides app. No subscription is required. Please keep the order link private.

Who is Greg?

I’m Greg Pasquariello, a software engineer living in the Pacific Northwest and the owner of Tecnicl LLC. I love a good day trip, and I host a lot of out-of-town visitors who want to know what they can do while they’re here. Greg’s Guides began as the plans I kept putting together for them. Now anyone can use them.

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