I'd avoid the Inner Harbor of Baltimore myself. I personally just prefer Fells Point more, along with Fort McHenry. 

Also check out the DelMarVa (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) peninsula. Great for driving, especially if you head out to Assateague to see the shore and the wild ponies. 

And the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia is great as well.

And I can't recommend Harper's Ferry enough. Take the back roads for a nice drive, then go there for some great hiking, nice food, excellent views, etc. 

Posted Aug 19, 2011

If you go to Baltimore, you should also check out the Hampden area, which has great restaurants (Soup's On, Golden West, Holy Frijoles, Cafe Hon), thrift stores/boutiques (Decades, Double Dutch), and record shops (The True Vine). It's pretty quirky, but an unbeatable taste of 1960's Baltimore "Hon" culture.

Posted Aug 22, 2011

Mt. Vernon is a must.  I just went for the first time in about 15 years and they've added a great new museum, films, and in the summer, the boat ride (45 min) is great.  They have their own dock.  Snack bar on board or bring your own.  Beer and wine, too.  Only about $8 for adults/$5 for kids I think.  There is a Tourmobile bus that takes you there from DC.  (Fee) Also, Manassas Battlefield has a new visitor center and it's the 150th of the Civil War, so a good time to go.

Posted Aug 25, 2011

Lots to do in the city in November. Great driving to Baltimore and hanging out at the Harbor. Also there is another Inner Harbor in MD just outside of DC that is beautiful as well. Driving to Virginia and doing the Skyline trail is fun.

check out dcist.com for daily/weekly events for the city also washingtoncitypaper.com

Posted Aug 18, 2011

Driving to Mt. Vernon is fine, but take the Metro to Alexandria. Charlottesville is doable in a day, but overnight would be better. Annapolis should be on your list. Middleburg, Virginia, is nice, too--it is horse and wine country.

Posted Aug 18, 2011

I would definitely see Annapolis, or even Harpers Ferry, WV. Such a quick drive from DC and it can be beautiful with the leaves changing! 

Posted Aug 19, 2011

These are good suggestions.  As far as Baltimore, I'd agree about giving the Inner Harbor a miss in favor of Fells Point.  One of my very favorite places to take people in Baltimore is Lexington Market, and if you're in town on a Sunday morning, the main downtown farmers market is not to be missed. 

Posted Aug 21, 2011

Annapolis is a great trip, Skyline drive in Shenandoah, a longer trip to Monticello and UVA (Jefferson's family estate), various battlefields within 90 mins - Manassas, Gettysburgh...

Posted Aug 22, 2011

I would definitely consider Annapolis, MD.  It will be cold and a little late in the sailing season, but certainly a worthwhile place to visit.  The bay is beautiful especially driving over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Lots of great boats to see and the seafood is phenomenal, especially the crab!
May also consider some vineyards in Virginia, I recall there being fantastic views and a warm cozy lodge at Bluemont Vineyards.

Posted Aug 31, 2011

I just went to Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center (http://www.annmariegarden.org/) in Solomons, MD. It's a lovely place to go for an easy nature walk and see sculptures; many of which are on loan from the Hirshhorn Museum and National Gallery of Art. This is a great little hidden gem. The drive is really pretty once you get past the beltway. It's near the Chesapeake Bay and takes about 1 hr. 45 min. to get there. In Baltimore, I love the American Visionary Art Museum (http://www.avam.org/) which houses an amazing collection of works by artists who were not formally trained. Amazing and cool stuff. Enjoy!

Posted Sep 05, 2011

DC in november with weather is iffy....it could be in the 60s or low 70s or it could be in the low 40s.
  Outiside DC....

With Baltimore I would say do the aquarium.  It is a top 3 in the nation in terms of aquariums.  I would also check out little itally which is right near the aquarium.

At Dulles airport you have a second part of the smithsonian air and space museum that consits of a few hangers where they display various aircraft, a space shuttle, and have an IMAX theater.  

Other locations...it depends on your interest...

Civil War sites...90 minutes north there is gettysburg, harpers ferry, and Antetum battle sitean hr south are 4 in Fredericksburg (wilderness, chancelorsville, fredericksburg, spotsylvania),

You also have Annapolis about 45 min outside DC where the naval academy is based.  On the other side of the bridge from Annaplos there are a bunch of chesapeake bay coastal towns that have their own individual character.  The most favorite is St Michaels.

Posted Sep 07, 2011

I little farther afield is Charlottesville, VA - home of the beautiful University of Virginia and some unique Federalist architecture.  It has a sweet little town center with a lot of local shops and restaurants.  It is a 2 hour drive along the Shenandoah mountains.  And if you travel back on Route 81 there is the Heritage Farm Museum near Staunton and some other beautiful Civil War error towns right off the highway.

Posted Sep 18, 2011

If you are into the Civil War, I'd suggested Fredericksburg.  A number of sites/museums here.  Also will find the sight of George Washington's boyhood home in nearby Ferry Farms.  Also James Monroe's law office in downtown Fredericksburg.

Posted Sep 30, 2011

I second the motion of visiting Hampden in Baltimore for some local, unique flavor. In November, there's Miracle on 36th Street in Hampden. It's a residential block full of fun and kitschy holiday displays. A fun thing to experience as it gets dark!

I would drive up Charles Street through the city to get to Hampden. The Charles Street corridor between Mt Vernon and John Hopkins is a fun place to explore with some cute restaurants and shops. The Walters Art Gallery and Baltimore Museum of Art are there. There's also the quirky Amermican Visionary Art Museum near Federal Hill.  

Check out the Baltimore City Paper (http://citypaper.com/) to read up on events that will take place when you visit. It is only an hour drive away from DC without traffic. Just make sure you know where you're heading as some neighborhoods can be a little sketchy. DC has a great City Paper too that lists local things to do as well as the Washingtonian and Washington Post: http://www.washingtonian.com/sections/travel/index.html

Posted Dec 03, 2011