I'm trying to plan a road trip in May on the US East Coast. my main interest are Architecture, History, untouristy places (mass tourism makes me want to die), rural America, local communities (with different ethnic and or religious groups), quirkiness. I don't like streets full of shops and restaurants, even when the buildings are quaint.
I already know Vermont, Boston, NYC, Florida and I'm going to Philadelphia and Washington DC. other places would likely be :

1/ Annapolis and Williamsburg but : aren't these places not a little too polished, touristy and lacking character today (and full of tourist shops) ?

2/ same question for Savannah and Charleston if I want to push a little more South.

3/ Lancaster (Amish) county : is it ridiculously touristy or can I find villages/communities there (or not too far) that retain their original character ?

4/ any recommendation for other places inland ? I'm not a fan of the coast (again because it can get really crowded) and I want to see more of rural America (I loved the ghost towns of Montana and Wyoming, small towns in Idaho, covered bridges in Tennessee and Kentucky, the forest in Vermont...).

5/ I love architecture so much that I might consider driving all the way to Colombus Indiana so any recommendation between there and the coast (inland Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia would also be appreciated).

I have a hard time finding off the beaten track places. please, helppp !

thank you

Baltimore sounds like the place for you. The only city with a facetious nickname. If you are familiar with the films of John Waters, you might already know what I'm talking about. If not, then never mind.

I suggest you read American Ramble by the late Neil King Jr.
King walked from DC to NYC, often on rural roads, and stopped at several little known but significant places. Could almost be a guidebook for you. A thoughtful book, whether or no.

For a fan of architecture, visiting Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater and his other sties in westerm PA would seem worth considering.

shelemm I love John Waters, I saw his movies ages ago and I don't know what you're talking about (is it my memory that fails me or wasn't I concentrated enough or just totally stupid, I don't know) but I'm seriously interested.

kja thanks, if I go all the way to Columbus, I'll definitely check some of Wright's houses !

Might I suggest either or both Charlottesville and Richmond to see the VA State Capitol in Richmond designed by Thomas Jefferson as well as the buildings on the University of Virginia campus designed by Jefferson with the additional time needed for a visit to Monticello, Jefferson's home. In Charlottesville or nearby you can also visit both Madison and Monroe's historic homes. In Richmond you can also visit the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, free 365 days a year apart from special exhibits. Awesome permanent collection and outdoor sculpture garden,

Savannah and Charleston are both so outstanding to visit and tour the historic houses as well as enjoy fine dining in both cities.

If you want to see great historical architecture, do go ahead and visit Charleston.Some of the buildings and nearby plantations date from the 1700s.

I will second a visit to Fallingwater and Pittsburgh in general is a great city with so much to offer, perhaps for a different trip as it is a drive to get there even from Philly. I will add that when my husband and I visited Fallingwater and Pittsburgh over a long weekend pre-pandemic, we stopped at the 9/11 memorial site in Shanksville, so well done and so moving.

i lived in Baltimore the year that Polyester came out. It was done in Smell-o-Vision, and I both saw and smelled the premiere at the Charles Theatre. They handed out scratch n sniff cards that corresponded to certain moments in the movie, but the odors were decidedly unpleasant, like gym socks. And that was the nicest one. That is Baltimore for you. I remember when you could see Edie, one of his Fells Point Irregulars tending bar at the Half Moon Saloon.

These days there are some very interesting stretches of road that pass by crab houses, the Bromo Seltzer Tower, the unique presence of Formstone, Brewery Hill, the perpetually weird Hampden neighborhood, African-American murals in the Greenpoint neighborhoood, and the Great Blacks in Wax Museum. The Visionary Art Museum displays art by untrained artists. Go see a show at the Black Cherry Puppet Theatre, the Creative Alliance, or the Theatre Project..You can eat at Pioneer Pit Beef, which is literally a shack underneath a highway. If you want to get off the tourist path, this is it.

Hi possopo

There is so much to discover in the region you’re looking at, plenty to do over multiple trips. I partially grew up in the DC area and still find new things in the Mid Atlantic even now in my 50s, even though I have sought out trips like yours over the years . I agree with others about Baltimore (Charm City &#128522, Charlottesville and Richmond— Fredericksburg VA is also worth checking out with far fewer tourists than other regional hotspots but plenty of charm. If you want more historic areas while in Baltimore, make sure to get away from the Inner Harbor and check out Fells Point or even less touristy Federal Hill, being sure to go to a market! Annapolis didn’t feel overwhelmed by tourists or fake to me, mind you when I visited it was winter. I went to college in Williamsburg and while the costumed colonial aspect it is “for the tourists”, it still is lovely and the history interesting. Philly and DC I think you will like too. I like the look of the Manayunk area of Philly out in the burbs. Yes, they’re tourist popular cities but have areas where you can just admire the architecture and history where you feel like you have the city practically to yourself. Alexandria VA has well-done history walking tours across the Potomac River from DC that I have enjoyed.

if you head west toward Columbus IN, German Village in the Columbus Ohio namesake has some interesting architecture as does the Over the Rhine area in Cincinnati.

Wishing you a great trip!

Daniel

I second the recommendation to read American Ramble by Neil King for ideas. He walked through and wrote a lot about the Amish and Mennonite communities near Lancaster.

Our family spent time in Lancaster over Thanksgiving. There are a lot of tourists but I'd still encourage you to go there. The countryside is beautiful.

In addition to the Amish country chapter in American Ramble mentioned above, I thought the author's visit to this monument to eccentricity might appeal. https://www.mercermuseum.org/collections/mercer-museum/

Welcome, possopo. I can second Fallingwater, Amish country, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Monticello (and Va. vineyards), and my almost home town, Annapolis.

Do you have a year? lol

You'll find many trip reports here to look for ideas.

Oh, the du Pont homes in the Wilmington Del. area are fabulous. Brandywine Art Museum very special with Wyeth works.

Please let everyone know about your trip.

Maybe I missed it...but how long is the trip? How many days, weeks, months, do you have? Do you live in the USA? Or you will be flying here for the trip?

thank you, very informative !

I'm a little confused by your itinerary as some of these places are not near the coast. Like the recommendations for Monticello and Richmond. And almost all of these are hotspots of tourism. I detest Baltimore myself, and don't think it is remotely charming. It is full of crime and not that attractive in the downtown area. Traffic is horrendous. My car (and me in it) was attacked by a gang there in broad daylight in the inner harbor area when I got stuck in traffic. The Inner Harbor isn't charming, it's a new built-up tourist area with chain restaurants and modern buildings. Actually I got stuck in traffic there just yesterday, coming back from Winterthur near Wilmington, DE. IF interested in history, you could visit Valley Forge not far from there (very interesting) and the Brandywine Museum of Art near Brandywine battlefield (Chadds Ford), Andrew Wyeth was from there and of course, that is the focus.

AMish country isn't all that exciting, of course, but it isn't quite as heavily touristed exactly. There are tourist-sold things, as usual, such a buggy rides. Ugh. But the Amish people are mainly rural and work on their farms, they don't live in villages that much. Some have crafts or food they sell, I think probably though a coop or store around there. I drive through that area quite a bit and yes, you do seem them in their buggies on the road, but I've never been in an Amish village, if there is such a thing now. There is a tourist attraction called that, though. There is a railroad museum nearby.

I did like that book mentioned by Neil King, it's a good idea.

Fredericksburg has some historical sites of interest, related to George Washington mainly. They have a Madison museum with some interesting stuff on Thomas Paine.

Now if you want off the beaten track, visit Patrick Henry's house (Scotchtown) a bit NW of Ashland VA. I find him very interesting, they have a house tour, but not that many people go there. It's kind of hard to find, actually, poor road signage but possible. Also, Madison's museum in Orange VA isn't that touristed.

Places in Maryland (Eastern Shore) are sort of rural, but a couple heavily touristed areas. There is the Harriett Tubman Underground RR museum there and you can follow a route related to her history. https://www.nps.gov/hatu/index.htm

Are looking for an article to write?

You write that you want it "all:" "Architecture, History, untouristy places (mass tourism makes me want to die ), rural America, local communities (with different ethnic and or religious groups), quirkiness."

"(M)ass tourism makes me want to die." If you have Philly and DC on your list, you're "going to die."

Annapolis and Williamsburg do have their share of touristy shops.

You're "not a fan of the coast." Whatever does that mean if you're considering Savannah and Charleston?

I could go on."

Madam397 thank you very much, I will definitely ggo to Monticello and I might take a peek at the two other mansions.
Daniel_Williams thanks, it ggives a better sense of what things actually are in real !
suze I'll be flying in from France. my trip will last as long as necessary but probably about two weeks.

fourfortravel
" Annapolis and Williamsburg do have their share of touristy shops."
I disagree. it's very hard to rate how authentic a place really is without asking questions and the answers here are helping me a lot. youtube videos, blogs, guidebooks are not enough (most of the time, they're over enthusiastic about everything). everything else you're saying is rude but I can understand.

Christina
I'm a little confused myself and I don't see much on the internet about this region of the world. I will visit Philadelphia and Washington DC because yes, they're touristy but they're big enough to absorb tourists and I do want to see them. from there, I want to see rurality and historic towns not turned into an entertainment park (I presume that Williamsburg looks a bit like that). and the coast itself is always more touristy. the recommendation for Appalachia is probably a great one.

Washington, DC; Philadelphia; Baltimore or Annapolis and some of the sights in and around these areas, well, you've already got more than enough for two weeks.

I urge you to consult a decent guidebook or two.