ukfriends

we are planning a trip from england we will be landing at washington dc we plan to drive to nashville and back the trip to take two weeks can anyone reccommend places of intrest and the best route to take we have a special intrest in the civil war thanks for any help. jean and steve connor england.

ronkala

freetrip.com will give time, milage and hotels from the airport to TN.
Suggestion, before heading south on I-81, go noth to Winchester to see the Civil war sites there. Then head south on route 11 and visit the battlefields at Cedar Creek, Strasburg, Toms Brook and New Market. After New Market, you can continue south on I-81. The two hiways parallel each other.
Sorry, I forgot to mention Bull Run Battlefield off I-66 in Manassas.

JoyinVirginia

www.civilwartrails.org has maps of Maryland & Virginia scenic driving tours to Civil War sites. check it out, you may be able to see quite a few sites during your drive. Also I would highly recommend a stop in Richmond VA at the Museum of the Confederacy and White House of the Confederacy www.moc.org

sinehat

If you come down I-81 or I-64, you will pass by Staunton, Va. where those two interstates meet. There is a family style restaurant right off the interstate called Mrs. Rowe's that has some pretty good southern style dishes. Everything from fried chicken, spoon bread, turnip greens, stewed tomatoes to homemade pies. It's been in business since 1947, which for the States is a pretty long time for an independant restaurant (unlike some of your pubs). Inexpensive, casual atmosphere.
I believe they even have a website. You might also check out www.chowhound.com which is an excellent site for restaurant recommendations.

wsoxrebel

You already have some good suggestions. I know more about the Mississipi area which is a treasure in Civil War history. Could you extend your trip slightly and go to Vicksburg cemetary and Natchez to see the homes? Twice a year, Natchez opens its antebellum mansions for tours which are fantastic. There are activities at night in period costumes. I think you would like it.

Billee

Hi Jean and Steve,
While in Nashville, you may want to visit Franklin (30 minute drive south of Nash.). Carter House and Carnton Plantation are two Civil War sights worthy of a visit. The town of Franklin is very lovely. I will be glad to help if you have any interest in this area!

ukfriends

thankyou to all for help and information with our forthcoming trip we have still got lots of planning to do thankyou once again it is most helpful and cant wait to get on the web sites,Jean and steve. England.

dan_woodlief

While it is not quite a direct drive on the route to Tennessee, I would consider driving west from Washington to Antietam Battlefield at Sharpsburg, Maryland. While the Virginia Civil War sites are very interesting, none can match Antietam, only surpassed by Gettysburg in the eastern part of the country. Actually, Gettysburg is only an hour north of Sharpsburg, but this might be too much of a detour for you. From Anietam drive south a few miles to Harpers Ferry, a historic old town situated at a river juncture and surrounded by bluffs - very attactive and worth a few hours. Then you can head south through the Shenandoah Valley on the way to Tennessee. Along the way, you will pass many historic sites - Winchester, New Market, etc. In Lexington, you can see the final resting places of Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee, Jackson's house, and VMI (where Jackson taught). While in Tennessee, you may wish to visit Shiloh Battlefield. If you want to see photos of Antietam, you can find lots on my Web site at www.oneeyed.homestead.com.

Chicgal made a great recommendation about checking for reenactments. They are all over the place in this part of the country. If you do head south from Washington, Fredericksburg and Richmond/Petersburg should be your primary targets. Petersburg has my favorite Virginia battlefield, and you can visit Pamplin Park, a private park combining real trenches at the site of the Union breakthrough in 1865, a terrific museum, and reenactors. The Museum of the Confederacy and White House of the Confederacy are fantastic (the are right beside one another). Fredericksburg has four major battlefields within about a 25 mile radius. You could spend two whole days to see all four or just a few hours at the Marye's Heights location in town.