Fredericksburg, Va., offers 300 years of history, charm and interesting things to do, including visits to Civil War battlefields, antiques shops, boutiques, trolley and horse-drawn buggy sightseeing tours, and down-home comfort of services and stores run by the neighbor next door.

Combined with forays into Spotsylvania and Stafford counties, you can also be part of a vibrant community offering such diverse activities as free lunchtime or evening summer concerts, first Friday art exhibits, birding tours, the only Welsh festival on the East Coast, a yellow plastic duck race and an Itty Bitty City Scavenger hunt. All is not old, by any means, for a new Wegman's grocery store opened in late June.

And, to think, it's only about 70 miles down Interstate 95 from Howard County or an Amtrak ride that starts at less than $30 each way. Either way, all its charm, history, attractions, meals and lodging can be yours for under $200 a day for a family of four.

When the area tourism people say they are "bringing families together," however, they may not be considering the debate over who has the best ice cream. Is it Carl's Ice Cream and Frozen Custard, Goolrick's Drug Store or Wally's Home Made Ice Cream?

Carl Sponseller opened his ice cream shop in 1947 with three 120-gallon Electro-Freeze ice cream machines (still in use) and nary a cash register (still none). Give your order, and faster than your pocket calculator you have the cost. Choose chocolate, vanilla or strawberry and add toppings to make a super dessert. Do it soon, though, for Carl's is closed from mid-November through mid-February.

Wally's is a former Lee's Ice Cream outlet (for 11 years) that owner and chief ice cream scooper Jeff Fults converted this past summer. It's been said that he has 100 flavors of ice cream, although not necessarily at the same time, so just think of that wonderful ice cream treat that no one else has ever made and Jeff might have it.

Goolrick's Drug Store opened in 1863 and added the soda fountain with nine barstools in 1912. The sandwiches are fresh and tasty and, yes, you can order such comfort food as a grilled cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The tab for a sandwich runs about $3. Then, make your taste buds really happy with a milkshake worth its name or some fresh lemonade with the lemon halves in your glass.

We travel on food, and our recollections are based on tasty meals, so La Petite Auberge, with early bird four-course specials from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, is an excellent place to create a memory. Whether you dine outdoors or in (and the décor may make you think you're outdoors anyway), try the fresh fish offerings or the sweetbreads, and definitely leave room for dessert. Chef Raymond Renault -- the son of the original owner, who opened the restaurant in 1981 -- takes pride in making sure your visit is worth your time and travels.

When Italian fare is your preference, stop by the Poppy Hill Tuscan Kitchen, a great farm-to-table restaurant featuring, of course, fresh local ingredients. Chef Scott Mahar changes the menu seasonally, and makes the pasta daily. Scott says his wine list focuses on small production and chemical-free vintners of Italy and California. Brunch entrees run about $10 and dinner entrees average $20.

For a complete change of décor, atmosphere and menu, try Amy's Café on the Stafford County side of the Rappahannock River. The restaurant is new-ish, set in a 200-year-old building that oozes charm and hospitality. For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, children and adults, indoors and out, this eatery offers food the way you wish your mother had made it. Even the catfish, which isn't local, is superb. If you've never had sweet potato fries, then this is the place to try them.

Battlefield Central

With your tummy full, it's time for a little sightseeing. Start at the Fredericksburg Visitor Center, formerly a candy factory, to watch a video production about the area, pick up brochures and buy a Timeless Ticket. For $32 for adults ($52 individually, so it's a 40 percent savings) and $10 for children 17 and younger, you have admission to the Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop, Rising Sun Tavern, Mary Washington House and George Washington's Boyhood Home at Ferry Farm.

You can catch the Fredericksburg Trolley Tour at the center for a 75-minute guided tour to hear about the history of the town and some anecdotes about the earlier residents that you probably have never heard anywhere else. The tour helps you put things in geographical order so you know where buildings and sites are located.

Along the way you'll see the Fredericksburg Area Museum (located in a former bank) and the Annex across the street. Discount admissions are available to members of AAA, AARP and the armed forces. Just show your identification. Check the Web site for upcoming special programs and exhibits.

The Fredericksburg and National Military Park is the second largest military park on earth. It's got four major Civil War battlefields -- Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse -- and you can stop by the visitor center to view the exhibits and pick up information about hiking, driving and participating in numerous activities. Go in the spring, summer and fall, when there are more options and more visitors, or wait until the season is over for a more self-guided visit. There's no admission charge to any of the battlefields.

When the family can't agree on beach, hiking, fishing or other activity, simply drive to Lake Anna State Park for all of them. The park has more than 15 miles of trails for hiking, biking or horseback riding; rental boats; fishing; guarded beach (during the season); and camping (cabin rental or standard camping). Seasonal activities include nature and history programs from canoe trips to panning for gold to geocaching.

Oenophiles can sample some of the better Virginia wines and experience events at the Lake Anna Winery, where the tasting room, gift shop and the business part of the winery are housed in an old barn on the Heidig farm that was originally built for housing dairy cows in the 1940s. Jeff and Eric Heidig are the genial (this is Southern hospitality at its best) hosts at the winery, which started when father Bill realized the climate and soils of the part of France he was visiting were similar to those of his Spotsylvania farm. Tours are provided when there is sufficient staff. It may seem oxymoronic to enjoy a countryside outing that has WiFi on the premises, but Lake Anna Winery has the connection if you must stay attached to the outside world. For those who can't stay away from the vines and the grapes, sign up to volunteer at events at the winery or offsite.

You may see signs everywhere that say "George Washington Slept Here," and he may or may not have done so. You have to go to Chatham, a Georgian-style mansion to find the place that was visited by Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. Used as Union headquarters during the Battle of Fredericksburg, it includes a replica of a pontoon boat that is modeled after those used to cross the Rappahannock River during the war.

A visit to Belmont is a visually tasty way to end a sightseeing visit. Gari and Corinne Melchers were the center of a true romance in the early 1900s. She was an art student on a cruise to France when she learned that the world-famous artist was also on board. She arranged an introduction and the rest, as they say, is history, for they married in 1903. They purchased Belmont in 1916, and you can visit their home, the artist studio, formal gardens and wood hiking trails. Art works by Melchers and other artists of his time are on exhibit regularly or in special shows.

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