History Themed Vacation
 

My husband is a history buff and we like to center our vacations around places rich with US history. We are planning a 7-10 day trip in July. What are some suggestions for a fun vacation spot but filled with history? We live in Michigan and would like it to be a driving trip. We don't have kids. Thanks for your help!!

My vote would be for the Boston area. If you go there, make sure to visit Plimoth Plantation. Incredible place! Their website is plimothplantation.com

The Boston area is chock full of historic places -- the Freedom Trail, Lexington and Concord, Salem, etc., etc. But there are also lots of other fun things to do. Like seeing a Red Sox game!

It takes us two days (about 14 to 16 hours on the road, depending on how much we stop, how long it takes us to eat, etc.) when we take our daughter to school in western Massachusetts from Chicago. So if you figure two days out, two days back, you'd still have plenty of time to explore the area.

I'd suggest a drive through Virginia, D.C. suburbs, Alexandria, Mt. Vernon, Gunston Hall, (then a day in Baltimore to Ft. McHenry & I believe their is Antienam and Gettysburg, PA) Of course you could drive up to Philadelphia which is 2-3 hrs from Baltimore not far from the D.C. area, Monticello, Williamsburg, 50 miles south of D.C. to Fredericksburg. I know that there is a northern Virginia town somewhere around Rt 40 that had 12 major civil war battles, can't think of the name. You might also want to do some research on the Underground Railroad there may be historic sites about buildings where slaves were kept finding their way north and into Canada. I'm sure there are some in Virginia.

I have never been to Philadelphia before and was considering that as part or all of the trip. Can anyone make any suggestions about the Philadelphia area? Thanks CAPH52 and Stephanie. I will look into the places you've listed and try to build off of that!

Historic travel is so exciting to plan. Wow I am excited for your aeventrue. Please keep us posted. It can include a wide variety of interests. Does military history interest your husband? Revolutionary or Civil Wars? Historic Trails, as suggested above, Freedom Trail, Natchez Trace, Lewis & Clark? Architecture? I start to search at http://historictraveler.away.com/pri...tary/index.adp
and also for general info http://www.historytravel.com/
If you enjoy historic hotels try
http://www.historichotels.org/.
Good luck with your planning

rbw....thank you sooo much. Those websites sound great. I'm going to go and check them out now!!!

In Philadelphia you should start at the Visitors Center to get tickets to go to Independence Hall. They are free, but give you a specific time to visit. The Liberty Bell and the Constitution Center are all in the same area. In fact, most of the historic sites are in the same area. There are some bus tours and walking tours available also.
Go to www.gophila.com for a lot of great info.
While you're in the Phila. area you could also visit Valley Forge Park for even more history.

Thanks Schmerl - how many days should I plan for Philly?

It depends on how much you want to see. I know you're doing a mainly "historic" tour, but Phila.'a Art Museum is fantastic. As is the Franklin Institute. If you want to see Valley Forge, that's about a 40 minute drive from the city (can be much more during high traffic hours). The historic district of Phila. can probably be done in two days or so. Some people can spend most of the day at the Constitution Center--others just rush through.

If you happen to end up in Fredricksburg, VA..check out the battlefields in the area, especially the sunken road, absolutely fascinating. Have a great trip.

I'm really not clear on whether you're looking to stay in one central location, "a fun vacation spot...filled with history" or a road trip, but you will be able to find both options along the east coast. If you choose to spend most of your time in a major US city....Philadelphia, Boston, or DC, expect those destinations to be very warm and crowded with tourists in July. If your heart is set on Philadelphia, you may want to extend the scope of your trip a bit by stopping at Gettysburg PA and touring the Civil War battlefield there. I'd also recommend the Lancaster PA area for its Amish connections and the Strasburg RR Museum. You might also want to visit Longwood Gardens and the Brandywine Battlefield (American Rev) in PA as well as Winterthur Museum & Gardens in Deleware which are all located SW of Philadelphia within a two hour drive time of the historic area. The Germantown area which is northwest of the historic area might be of interest as this was the location of Washington's 'summer home' when the government was located in Philadelphia. Germantown's also the site of an American Rev battle. The historic Chew House still stands from that time period and is being renovated.

In addition to the wonderful road trip suggestions listed by <b>rbw</b>, you might also want to consider driving the Shenandoah Valley, scenic 'bread basket of the Confederacy' and site of many Civil War battles. Before entering the valley, visit the CW medical museum in Fredrick and the Antietan Battlefield, both in MD. Then stop at the historic town of Harpers Ferry W VA, site of John Brown's capture by Lieutenant Robert E Lee before heading south to Winchester VA , a town that changed hands over 70 times during the CW. Stay off the interstate, stopping at the New Market Battlefield, Lexington with its connections to Jackson &amp; Lee, and Natural Bridge to Roanoke. You may also want to include side trips to Jefferson's home near Charottesville and the D Day Memorial in Beford.

Take a look at the recent book Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. She traces paths related to four presidential assassinations (Lincoln, McKinley and i'm not awake enough at the moment to remember the others!) - Even if it doesn't serve as a roadmap for your upcoming trip, it's an entertaining - (that's right!)- read that packs in a whole lot of history.

If you visit Gettysburg, you might want to include Harper's Ferry which is just about an hour or two southeast and well worth an afternoon visit.

Tdmort,

The suggestions you have so far are excellent... the Eastern seaboard is awash with 13-colonies time period history. In order to keep your trip relatively relaxed, I'd recommend focusing your attention on a particular corner of the eastern seaboard.

LOWER MID-ATLANTIC. Williamsburg, Richmond, Washington DC and in-between (old town Alexandria, Manassas, Jamestown, Fredericksburg). This trip would give a nice taste of early-13-colonies history, and Civil War times with a South-North balance.

UPPER MID-ATLANTIC. DC, Baltimore, Annapolis, Philadelphia (Antietam and Gettysburg if Civil War is of interest). Even though below the Mason-Dixon Line, this is Yankee history and more urban-focused than my first suggestion, could be combined with lots of good eating &amp; preserved neighborhood exploring.

NEW ENGLAND. I know this area the least having only visited Boston &amp; Vermont years back, definitely awash in history though from Salem to Plymouth to Boston. You'll have no trouble keeping busy.

Not US history per se, but definitely tied in would be...

QUEBEC/ONTARIO. Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Kingston. Rich, historic, puts US history in a different perspective... esp. with the colliding French &amp; English powers at Plains of Abraham. Modern Quebec is a living reminder of the evolution of patterns of colonization that are not visible from much of the USA.

All doable in a 7-10 day trip.

I would go to DC and see the Smithsonian and the sights surrounding. Then head down to Richmond and Williamsburg and surrounding Yorktown and Jamestown. Busch Gardens is in Williamsburg which is a nice day off from history,but also a nice walking park with all of the countries. You can also hit Virginia Beach for a beach day or two. Then, I would drive home heading west into the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is a very pretty drive.
There is so much history in Virginia between the civil war and revolutionary war sites.

I can also suggest you consider Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The original Moravian settlement, Old Salem, has been refurbished and is an excellent place to see living American history. www.oldsalem.org

I have a historical correction for the post by retired_teacher (I love being able to correct teachers!). Robert E. Lee was a Lieutenant Colonel, not a Lieutenant when he commanded the US troops that ended John Brown's &quot;invasion&quot; of the Harper's Ferry Arsenal.

I second his/her suggestions regarding the Shenendoah Valley, both for its history and its beauty. I also agree with the suggestions for visits to Harper's Ferry and the Antietam Battlefield.

It may be too far to travel but our country's oldest city, St. Augustine, (founded in 1565) is a great place for history buffs.

http://www.staugustinelinks.com/st-a...ne-history.asp

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/staugustine/intro.htm

Wow....this is awesome!! Thank you all so much!! I can't wait to show my husband all of the wonderful suggestions. I welcome any more suggestions. Thanks Retired_Teacher for your Shenandoah Valley suggestion. I'll have to go google it now! :)

Great suggestions!

If you come to Shenandoah Valley area, as suggested by retired teacher, Winchester also has the brand new Museum of the Shenandoah Valley which would be a great stop before heading south through the Valley. As mentioned, it changed hands over 70 times during the Civil War and Stonewall Jackson had his headquarters' here for a while. As a young man, George Washington spent time in the area as a surveyor.

Gettysburg, Harper's Ferry, New Market, Charlottesville and more make this area great for history buffs.

So many great choices...have fun whatever you do! Happy travels.

Oh man, <font color="blue">dwooddon</font>, I guess that I'm going to have to change my screen name.... At least you didn't correct my spelling errors: Del<font color="red">e</font>ware, Char<font color="red">l</font>ottesville, and Be<font color="red">d</font>ford and for that I thank you! (Proofread kids, proofread!)

As you seem to be familiar with the area, however, let me ask you a question. There's a small museum in Dayton VA that has an excellent electronic battle map of Jackson's campaign in the valley. Do you know the name of that facility? That would be in the Shen<font color="red">e</font>ndoah Valley ;;)

Or...

Black Hills SD - see Wild Bill and Calamity Jane's graves in the Deadwood cemetery, then see Mt Rushmore, then head west to the Little Big Horn Battlefield in eastern Montana, via Sheridan WY and numerous other places that combine history and scenic beauty. Plus in July you won't need to wring out your clothes a few times a day.

Retired_Teacher: I'd guess you are talking about the Shenandoah Valley Heritage Museum in Dayton. There is (was?) also a similar map at the Gettysburg Battlefied Visitor's Center that allowed visitors to see the progression of the battle over its three days. Twenty minutes looking at that put Gettysburg in more perspective for me than all the reading I had ever done about the battle.

Never fear, I would never correct anyone's spelling on a forum. No matter how much I proof read, I always seem to let at least one &quot;fat-finger&quot; mistake slip through, often more.

girlonthego - your suggestions sound wonderful. Having never been to any of these places before...how long would you stay at each place? Thanks!

My husband, too, is a Civil War buff. About 10 years ago we did a driving trip from Ohio to Colonial Williamsburg (4 days), the Outer Banks (for me!), various battlefields in Virgina and ending up at Appotomatox Court House. Here is my comment, thank goodness for A/C in the car! We did this in August with 95% humidity and 95 degree heat. He was very disappointed I wouldn't tramp the battlefields. ACH had a visitor center but no cold soda machine let alone an ice cream to cool you off. Williamsburg was great, stay on the property if you go and definitely make a trip to the Trellis restaurant (it's the chef who created the Death by Chocolate dessert)

tdmort: I would plan to spend a few days in Washington DC. You will just get an overview. There is simply too much to see, but you can get a taste of the Smithsonian.
I would head down 95 amnd make a brief stop in Richmond (maybe a day and night). (I live in the suburbs of Richmond and there isn't too much to see here although I am not a history buff!) Next I would drive down Rt 5 west towards Williamsburg. You can stop and have lunch at a plantation. I would plan to spend a 3-4 days in Colonial Williamsburg. Busch Gardens is here and you can visit Jamestown and Yorktown from here. Head west to Virginia Beach and spend a couple of days on the ocean!! Head back westbound on Rt 64. There are civil war trails all over Virginia!!
Have fun!

How could y'all leave out New York City?

George Washington was sworn in as our first President of the United States at The Federal Building in the Financial District. There is tons of history in NYC!

What a fun trip (whatever you decide on). There are so many options, I wouldn't know where to start. I recently made a trip to Boston and Phildalphia, primarily to see historical sites. If you are interested in the details, my trip blog is at www.lostinfounders.blogspot.com. I had a great time in both cities. My only real regret was not going to Valley Forge while I was in Philly.

Since you are going in July, I think I would recommend somewhere in New Englad. DC and places south will be hot...unless you are in the mountains.

Wherever you go, let us know how it went!

Thanks girlonthego. I think I'm about to overload. There are so many places to choose from....we are so lucky to live here in the good ole US of A. My husband read all the posts and decided on the Boston area. We were planning on going the last week of June. The HarborFest starts on June 28th - July 4th. Will we still be able to get a room? Will it be a zoo? Our vacation time isn't carved in stone - maybe we should go earlier in June? Although the HarborFest might be fun. Any suggestions? Thanks again to all!

I have been to Boston and it is a great town! You will most likely be cooler in June in Boston than down here in the sweltering south!! Good luck on your plans.

I want to second the suggestions for St. Augustine - it is wonderful.

We love the Black Hills although it is not strictly historical.

Winchester - that is the town where there were 12 battles during the Civil War. Knew someone would mention the name and it would come back to me. By the way if you are planning to stay in the greater d.c. area, md, and pa and if you want a beach you might consider Chincoteague, VA (sp). In July they round up the wild ponies of the island and I've never seen this but that would be a great site to see if you want something to do with nature.

If your not set on a date, look at hotel room cost. They can be very high, especailly if there are any graduations going on. Priceline is good for discounts, but sometimes you can get a small room.

Plan on walking and subways once you are in Boston, not driving. Red Sox tickets are VERY hard to get.

By far my most FAVORITE history trip I ever took was to Monticello in Charlottesville VA. You will be AMAZED at the things Thomas Jefferson did.
Architecture
Horticulture
Ice cream
Politics
Slavery
Inventions.
Really, you will want to see this in your lifetime. He was an amazing person...and the grounds and history are wonderful.
I learned while visiting Monticello Thomas Jeferson took a trip to France and barged down the Canal Du Midi..an engineeering feat itself.. 3 years ago for my 50th I followed in my historical heros footsteps and barged down the Canal Du MIdi too.
Check out www.Monticello.org.

Thank you <font color="Blue">dwooddon</font>, the Shenandoah Valley Heritage Museum <b>is</b> the name of the facility I was inquiring about! Actually, my husband is the Wargamer and CW buff, but I've learned a lot about military history through his eyes. Electronic maps such as the two that have been mentioned in our dialogue are very helpful to me before touring a battlefield as I don't have much background in regimental strengths, line of sight, flanking maneuvers/manoeuvers (Don't you just love the various spelling options available to us in the English language), range and accuracy of weaponry, etc. While at Gettysburg, did you view the Gettysburg Miniature Battlefield Diorama? It's privately owned and is located along Artillery Ridge at a campground facility.

No, I did not see that diorama - I'm sorry I missed it. Maybe next time. I also like the electronic maps and I wish more of the battlefields had them.

Your comment about spelling variations reminds me of Churchill's comparison of the English and Americans: Two peoples separated by a common language.

I haven't gone back through the replies so this may have been mentioned previously. Compared to Michigan, you are going to find the areas we have been discussing hotter and more humid than you are used to. Keeping hydrated, wearing sun hats and glasses and doing early morning and evening tours will help you enjoy the expereince.

Have a wonderful trip.

You have received so many good suggestions that you can make lots of trips already, but I want to add Kentucky to your list. We have the Cumberland Gap that the first hunters and settlers came through. There is Fort Boonesborough and Fort Harrod, two Shaker villages, the Perryville Civil War battle site, Lincoln's birthplace, and Mammoth Cave National Park among other things.

Also, one of my friends drove the Lewis and Clark trail from St. Louis to Oregon. I think that sounds fascinating, especially since I read the Stephen Ambrose book <i>Undaunted Courage</i>.

Have fun in Boston, and have a clam roll for me.