Newport News or surrounding area question

[sailusvi]

Bought my wife a new BMW for her 50th birthday, they have a very cool program where you fly out to Greenville SC and pick up your car at the PDC (Performance Delivery Center). Once you arrive they put you up in a hotel for the night and the next day they take you out on their own private track and give you instruction on driving and your car functions.
The question to my fellow east coast sailors is where is a cool town and hotel to spend a couple of nights on our way up to Washington DC. We have a family friend getting married up there so after getting the car we will drive on up. What is Newport News like? I see it's kinda on the way.
From DC we "get" to drive back to Texas

Thanks

[artbyjody]

Take the scenic route (hwy 17) and stop out at Nags Head - on the beach, small town - great food.

Or instead of Newport News (used to live there). Stay in Yorktown - a better relaxing fair - view of the harbor, and the tavern there is great food and atmosphere.

[sailusvi]

Thanks Jody, time to do some homework.

[camaraderie]

Nags head and Newport News are WAY out of the way from the direct route through Raleigh and up 85 to Peterburg and route 95 to DC which is 5 hours from Raleigh.

It will take you 3.5 hours from Raleigh to the outer banks and then once you are on the outer banks it is 2 hours to Newport News and 4 hours to DC from Newport News.

So...those are the driving issues. BUT ...if you have never seen the outerbanks and Cape Hatteras Seashore...you are missing something! There's a reason we chose to settle here! If you have time to take the really scenic route check out crossing to the outer banks around Ocracoke by ferry and then giving that Beamer a run in the salt air!
NCDOT Ferry Division: Home

Have fun!

[sailusvi]

Yes, I thought about the drive being out of the way. We have never been in that area, or any area on the east coast except the cape. Thanks for the input cam.

[PBzeer]

If you do go through Newport News, stay in Downtown Hampton. There's a couple of museums right there.

I'd take I-85 to Raleigh, then east through Greenville, NC to Washington and Bath, then the ferry from Swanquarter to Orkacoke, up the Outer Banks, across to Manteo. Depends on how much time you have.

[vabuckeye]

Newport News has the Mariners Museum and Hampton has the Air and Space Museum. I would visit both and stay in Williamsburg. Here you can visit all the colonial history you want. Williamsburg is also between Yorktown and Jamestown.

[Zanshin]

Williamsburg - I went to skool there Lots of things to see, plus Jamestown and Yorktown as vabuckeye mentioned.

[xort]

On the way back south from DC you have to run that car on the blue ridge parkway at least through Va.

[sailusvi]

Thank you all for the great tips and info, it's just what I was looking for!