Washington to Virginia Beach road trip: 24 stops worth the detour

Strantz conjured windswept Ireland out of inland Virginia with fescue-cloaked mounds, vast bunkers, and severe contours. Renovated and reopened in 2019.

A sister act to Royal New Kent, Stonehouse tumbles through dramatic elevation change and namesake stone outcroppings. Heavily mounded with ravine carries and big greens.

Del Ray institution since 1985 serving authentic Louisiana Creole and Cajun, a Washingtonian Top 100 regular. Order: Crawfish etouffee.

Trackside country bake shop and lunchroom since 1982, beloved for homemade breads, deli plates, and legendary pies. Order: Chocolate silk pie.

A Pete Dye course along the James River.

Farm-to-table Southern kitchen in a historic downtown bank building, prized for locally sourced seasonal plates and biscuits. Order: Shrimp and grits.

A well-regarded daily-fee track near Fredericksburg.

45 paved miles from D.C.’s suburbs into Virginia horse country

Potomac/Aquia Creek peninsula park with a visitor center, canoe-kayak and motorboat launches, and paddle-in camping.

the first lighthouse authorized by the U.S. government (1792), at the mouth of the Chesapeake

Laid-back waterside clam-shack on Lynnhaven, serving the freshest local seafood from its deck for 25-plus years. Order: Steamed oysters.

Church Hill institution of untraditional Southern cooking; chef Leah Branch is a 2026 James Beard semifinalist. Order: Shrimp and grits.

A 72-foot bronze-look giant, buried to the elbows, appears to be clawing his way out of the earth on a man-made beach beside the Potomac. J. Seward Johnson Jr.'s 1980 sculpture spent 28 years at DC's Hains Point before a National Harbor developer bought it for $700,000 in 2007 and moved it across the river to Maryland in 2008 -- so the giant now technically

Lines-down-the-street Texas-style smokehouse in Scott's Addition, named Best BBQ in Virginia by Food & Wine. Order: Brisket.

Eclectic, playfully-named Oregon Hill fine-dining room blending Southern flavors with French technique. Order: Seared scallops and pork belly.

A Rees Jones course carved through coastal pines.

Modern Indian kitchen called one of the finest in America by Forbes, with two James Beard semifinalist nods. Order: Butter chicken.

a paved 52-mile route between Richmond and Williamsburg