Claire--
Your total drive is pretty short--it's about 20-some miles from Dulles into the DC Beltway, it's about 20-some miles around the beltway, and it's about 20-some miles from the Beltway to West River. If there were no traffic problems, the whole journey would be less than an hour and a half. Yeah, right! Traffic along most of the route is subject to potential rush hour delays between 3:30 am and 11:30 pm. Therefore, any zigzagging to avoid the Beltway increases your mileage, but not necessarily your time.

The distances are so short, however, that you might just stare at a map and figure out where you'd most like to do your shunpiking. Then pick a nice hotel or B&B in a scenic place along your route. In general, the farther out in the country you get, the lower the lodging prices, though there probably aren't any true bargains in the region. The distances involved are so small that progress to the East isn't really required.

Possible interesting places to visit in the area that aren't DC: Great Falls of the Potomac (MD or VA), Harpers Ferry WV, Shepherdstown WV, Antietam MD, Frederick MD, Annapolis, MD, Waterford VA, Fredericksburg, VA, Shenandoah National Park VA, the Eastern Shore...

Or just maybe, someone will volunteer about a pre-Getaway party at their home on Thursday, with crash space included...

--Charlie Baum