Hi Dave, welcome to the board. In terms of freshwater areas relatively close to you there are four that I'm aware of which might be suitable: Millbrook Quarry, Dutch Springs Quarry, Lake Rawlings, and Mt. Storm, W.VA. I live in Arlington across from the Pentagon, so drive times may vary from your location, but (given potential traffic delays) Millbrook is the most convenient time-wise at approximately 1 hour (1 way), so you can be out there Saturday morning, do two dives and still be home by 1 or so to do something else the rest of the day. It's fine for practicing skills, and if you go in the afternoon after the classes have gone you can grill burgers or something and enjoy a nice afternoon - even if its all kicked up from the morning classes.
Lake Rawlings is approximately 3.5 hours south, Dutch Springs approximately 3.5 hours north. Either one is a nice destination, I generally go to Rawlings. It would be a nice place to take your son, but at 7 hours round trip its either a very long day or an overnight. I'm seldom up for 7 hours of driving or more + a couple dives anymore, so we generally camp there - sitting around a fire in the evening and doing the tent thing is quite pleasant unless its the dog days of late summer. Plus you can do a night dive if you're so inclined! (Millbrook also offers camping, but given that I'm an hour from home, a hot shower and nicer accommodations, I've not tried it.)
Mt. Storm is also nice according to those who have been there, about a 3 hour drive, perhaps a bit more, but the vis has suffered recently - its seldom further than 10' and often less. Given the comparative 40' vis in Rawlings, for example, for that sort of drive I'd just as soon head to Rawlings - which is what I've elected to do. The one benefit of Mt. Storm is that during the winter when most other places are closed, Mt. Storm is open. We dive year 'round, so thats a plus - the water is heated by virtue of being used to cool a power generating plant, so its generally in the 60's year 'round. (You can also dive at Rawlings through the winter, so long as you call in advance and tell them you're coming down. They will show up to let you in, etc. It can get a bit brisk - its drysuit diving no matter where you go during the winter here.) (The water is warm enough for wetsuits in winter at Mt. Storm, but changing into and out of them afterwards can be adventurous. There are hardy souls, however, up there in wetsuits in the winter, slogging through the snow. Dalton has pictures!
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The freshwater diving isn't spectacular diving, but its completely adequate as confined water diving to work on communications, bouyancy and trim, skills involving reels and SMBs, navigation, rescue, running line, lifting objects, out of gas response drills, and the myriad other activities that your son is going to want to be exposed to.
For the more impressive dive destinations, we like VA Beach, Outer Banks diving, Hatteras, and Morehead City/Beaufort. The further south you drive, generally speaking, the warmer the water and better the vis. Morehead City is world-class diving. Plan twice as many trips as you intend to make, and lock on the slots on the charter boats and hotel reservations in January to March for the season. Walk-ons are possible, but availability is nonpredictable. Expect to get blown out about 50% of the time or more...it can get frustrating. OTOH, after getting blown out you generally find other things to do that had to be done anyway. And then, there's always Rawlings!
Best of luck getting back into diving with your son.
Doc
