Fredericksburg is a really delightful and historic little city. Jess went to college there, and she and Jay have spent some lovely times there together as a couple as well. Her parents also live not too far away, and so do Jay’s parents, making it a great wedding location.

Note: In addition to the information below, the city has a great visitor’s guide website.

Top 10 Things to do in Fredericksburg, According to Jess

1. Get a coffee at the adorable Hyperion Espresso, where Jess and her maid of honor, Jaclyn, spent many hours during college.
2. Feel like a walk? Mary Washington’s campus (where Jess went to school) is a perfect spot for a stroll.
3. See some of Virginia’s awesome wineries (or a brewery!). Here is a list of a few of the ones closest.
4. Eat ice cream at Carl’s — best in town and super historic (often listed in the top ten places in the country to get ice cream!).
5. Downtown Fredericksburg has some lovely little local shops worth checking out, and if you feel like venturing out a bit further (or you still need to find something to wear/bobby pins/lipstick/greeting cards/a book/a new lamp), a sprawling area called Central Park has about everything you could possibly want to shop for.
6. Still energetic? Walk around the Fredericksburg battlefield — tons of history and beautiful scenery.
7. Go antiquing. Fredericksburg has more antique shops than you can imagine, and each one is fun to poke around whether you’re a serious collector or not.
8. Want to work off that wedding cake? Take a hike down along the Rhappahannock River (or a swim or tube if you’re feeling daring!).
9. If you’re interested in getting out of town, Fredericksburg is about an hour south of Washington, DC, and an hour north of Richmond, VA. (Note that with Northern Virginia’s notorious traffic that “hour” sometimes becomes two or three…)
10. Have a meal at Sammy T’s, a delightful little restaurant and sandwich shop just a half-block from one of Jess’ college apartments. (She highly recommends the apple and cheddar sandwich.)

Best Places to Eat and Drink in Fredericksburg

As mentioned above, we love Hyperion Espresso for coffee, Sammy T’s for sandwiches and beer, and Carl’s for ice cream. In addition, you might want to check out:

• J Brian’s Tap Room — great burgers and beer, and directly across the street from Jess’ college apartment.
• Bangkok Thai — people drive down from DC to eat this Thai food; it’s that good!
• The Virginia Deli — cute little place where Jess has shared many turkey pitas with her dad.
• Foode — newish local, organic place; absolutely tasty!
• La Petite Auberge — a little fancier; a pretty little place with great French food and wine.

We also recently ran across this article on great outdoor spaces in and around town.