Driving from DC to Nashville - suggestions for route, highlights?
 

I will be driving from DC to Nashville (and back) in mid-June with my two sons (8 & 10). Any suggestions for one route there and a different one back? I'm hoping to make each leg in 2 days with a couple of stops. Is this reasonable? We've been advised to try and stop at Monticello & Biltmore.

Thanks!

We drove to Nashville from the Richmond VA area. We stopped in Knoxville to sleep and straight thru to Nashville. On the way home, we stopped in Chattanooga. If your boys like trains, it is all about trains there. :) We stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn in Chattanooga and walked to the Aquarium, movies, restaurants and a AAA baseball park located behind the hotel.
In Nashville, we stayed at the Gaylord Opryland hotel.
My DH had business in Nashville so it was get there on the quickest route.

That's quite a lot of driving for two days but can be done. We once drove from Memphis to Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville, staying overnight in each city, then through Virginia (stopping overnight in Charlottesville) and then up to Washington DC. Near Chattanooga is Ruby Falls which the kids might enjoy more. We also did whitewater rafting just outside of Chattanooga. Along the way we stopped at Monticello, Montpelier, the Natural Bridge, and Mount Vernon. The Biltmore is in Asheville, NC. I would save that for another trip when you have more time.

DC to Nashville is 666 miles, 10:07
per freetrip.com. To Knoxville without stops is 475 miles, 7:21.

Going use I-66 west to I-81 south toI-40 west. Suggested stops:

New Market Battlefield and Museum I-81 New Market, VA

Frontier Culture Museum I-81 Staunton, VA

Eli Whitney museum I-81 in the Wytheville area.

Depending on how many stops you make,stayover between Kingsport TN and Knoxville. Return trip, Chattanooga and Ashville.

There are some great roads in Virginia that you can use as an alternative to the Interstate, if you like that kind of thing. Virginia publishes a map of scenic highways. You can pick that up at any welcome center or order it online and use it to pick routes.

The Blue Ridge Parkway parallels I-81 for much of the way through Virginia, so it's somewhat easy to jump on and off of that it you want. If I have them time I will get on the Parkway and drive as long as I can until it's dark, and then just hit the Interstate.

You could even couple the Blue Ridge Parkway with the Biltmore, since the parkway is routed near Asheville. For the return trip, simply take I-40 to Asheville and then you can take the Parkway back into Virginia.

I'm not sure how Chattanooga entered into this conversation, but it's out of the way for this trip.

If the Blue Ridge Parkway isn't for you, You can still take I-40 into Asheville and then take I-26 into Tennessee and rejoin I-81. The Newport-Asheville leg of I-40 and Asheville-Johnson City leg of I-26 are some of the prettiest mountaintop Interstates I've driven.

If your sons enjoy military things, you could stop in Lexington, Va., and tour the town. There are 2-3 colleges and the grave of Robert E. Lee.

If you like wineries, it may take you a week to drive through Virginia. :)

Both Monticello and Biltmore House are half-day to full-day attractions. And as much as Biltmore costs for admission, I would take my time and get my money's worth. If you want to tour each, you may need to adjust your trip or stick to just the Interstates and forego smaller highways. Between the two, I prefer Monticello.

If you or your kids like NASCAR, you can stop in Bristol, Tenn., and tour the speedway. There are also two caverns you can tour in the Bristol area that your sons may enjoy (Bristol Caverns and Appalachian Caverns).

Less than an hour off I-81 near Duffield, Va., is Natural Tunnel State Park. It's very unique. The tunnel is so large the railroads use it. The park has hiking trails, a chairlift, and a really nice pool. It would be a relaxing way to kill 3-4 hours.

Knoxville has a few things, but it's not a great tourist city. There is a one-hour riverboat ride downtown, and also a train excursion.

Thank you for all the attraction and route suggestions. I guess I need to pick up a map and make some decisions! I think I may try to add a 3rd travel day on at least the trip out to Nashville from DC. I hate to do all that driving and have no time for a couple of stops on the way.

You can go I-81/40 for one way, and then I-65/BG Pkwy/64/79/68 back.

Adds 80 miles, but you can visit a few more places.