Al

The correct spelling is "scalawag." A scalawag was a white Southerner acting as a Republican during the Reconstruction. In other words, a collaborator.

dan woodlief

Interesting geography correction, considering that I never said exactly where Ft. Sumter is. Given that I went there about 5 months ago, I can assure you I know very well where it is located. In addition, I would challenge you to a geography game anytime. As far as the scalawag comment goes, I would may have fought for the South if I had lived during that time. Who knows? However, I didn't grow up in those times. My opinions and ideals have been shaped by my own time. I am a Democrat now, so if I had the same ideals then, I guess I could have been a Republican. I am very well aware of the complexities of the war. I try not to simplify history, considering that I studied history in grad school for three years. I don't remember discussing the causes, except to say that the South fired the first shots. Since it was not in self-defense, I would think that began the war. I will hold to my belief that the South has been better off due to losing the war. I am glad to have grown up in the U.S. rather than the Confederate States. No honor to my ancestors. They were not slave holders and came from a small farm community, and I believe they fought simply for North Carolina (there goes your understanding of complexities).

dan woodlief

Before you correct me again, I know there are a couple of typos in my message. It is late, and I have to put my daughter to bed.

John

Thanks everyone. You are giving me some great information! Just one thing: being from the West, I'm traveling to the South WITHOUT any preconceptions or biases. I have about as an open a mind about this as I have ever had about anything (and, yes, I have studied American history and know all the basics). But I feel that I really have to travel in the South to understand what it is all about (something neither de Tocquecille's journals nor History Channel documentaries can give me). And, darn it, I AM curious!

undecided

listen if you all want to debate the civil war,go to a civil war chat room and knock yourselves out.please keep fodors a travel advice site!!!!!

AMS

O.K. Dan, I can now better understand your views. I guess there are some individuals with Southern Ancestors who believe as you do as there are some Northerners who believe the North was wrong. However, in comparing the U.S. with what might have been, we really have nothing to compare it to. The Confederate States of America existed only for 4 years. Had the dynasty of the Confederate States lasted 10 to 30 years, perhaps, a valid comparison could have been made.

Joy in VA

After reading prior posts & now knowing where you are from - I once again HIGHLY RECOMMEND "Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War" by Tony Horwitz. I pulled out my copy again to make sure it was as good as I recall, & it WILL help plan your journey. The best chapter is about the author & an acquaintance, a very committed reenactor, as they tour battlefields in search of the perfect "Civil Wargasm." Read the book, it's great.
Sincerely - a woman who lives in a state where Robert E. Lee's birthday, Stonewall Jackson's birthday, & Martin Luther King Day are all celebrated enthusiastically on the same day!

John

Thanks again, Joy, for the book recommendation. I've ordered it from that jungle outfit.
But "Undecided" is right. There's more to this trip than the Civil War (though it is quite definitely the leitmotif).
What are the distances involved? Can we do Georgia, the Carolinas, and western Tennessee in one trip? Or should we plan on two? Will we be traveling by Interstate freeway or by rural roads?
How about lodging? Or food? (I guess we don't have to worry about Atlanta, Charleston, and Savannah, since there are enough postings on this forum already.)
How about the countryside. I've vaguely heard people talk about "Low-country cooking." Is there such a thing, and if so, where do we find it?
Are there any coastal areas not yet overrun by condominiums? ? ? ?

dan woodlief

John, I don't know how long you are going to be here. In a 1 1/2 week trip, I would think you could do all that. There is a good highway system throughout that area. I have traveled to Charleston, but that was from NC, and I have traveled to western Tenn, but that was from NC and from the Kentucky side, so I don't know much about specifics in regards to the highways from other directions. To give you an idea of travel times, Asheville, NC to Charleston is supposed to be about 5 hours, so I would add an hour or so to get to the Tennessee border. Atlanta to Charleston is about 6 hours. It would be a lot of driving, but you would get a chance to see a lot of southern landscapes while doing it: the mountains, coastal plain, and inland areas. Low country cooking is available in abundance in places like Charleston. I am not an expert on it, so I will leave that for someone else. I don't think anyone answered your question about the weather. July and August are very very hot. Here in NC, from the first of October it is pretty comfortable and maybe not too bad in mid to late September. It will be cooler in the mountains of course, and I have heard that it is pretty toasty in Charleston as late as October (when it can easily be in the 80s). I would pick mid to late October for Fall. It would be more comfortable then, and the leaves in the mountains are gorgeous at that time. Accomodations are plentiful. In most places, you can get a motel for as low as 30-40 a night, and there are certainly options at higher prices too. In Charleston, you have the option of a quaint old inn at $200 and up, a chain hotel in the historic section, or a cheaper chain motel outside (eg., Mt. Pleasant - do not stay at the Red Roof Inn there).

To Undecided: I agree that these posts in abundance can be annoying. That is one reason for my original post. It seems that everytime questions on the South, and especially the Civil War, come up, someone trys to make it political. I was just trying to say that peoples' stereotypes of the South are not always true, and that we should not run from our history, but instead study it and learn from it. Actually, to a degree, these posts have everything to do with travel.

xxxx

If you are in the Atlanta area and interested in Civil War history, you may want to check out the Cyclorama. This museum is devoted to this particular era and has a unique presentation and theatre build specifically to present this history. Seeing the whole place only takes an hour or two, but it might be worth checking out. The Atlanta Historical Society might also be able to help you -- I don't know how to contact them, but perhaps you could find them on the web.

John

Thanks you guys. This is really great advice! I do appreciate it. I am also beginning to get a whiff of what true Southern Hospitality is all about!
It looks like we'll have to split this trip into two parts: a short one-week get-acquainted trip in late April, limited to Atlanta and the southern mountains (including a visit to Georgia's Stone Mountain Theme Park), and then a longer return trip in late October or early November, to travel through Virginia and the Carolinas.
I had thought of visiting England in the fall, but I've been there; this Southern Heritage trip is beginning to sound a lot more exciting than Europe.

Brian in Atlanta

John, welcome to Atlanta. Take the word "Theme" out of Stone Mountain Park and you'll get a better picture. It's really more of a state park with a couple of attractions.

If you need hotel or restaurant recommendations (I owe you) please post back with what you're looking for.

John

Thanks, Brian. I'll take you up on that as soon as I have the exact dates.

Jedediah Hoosier

Yep. Jist as I thawed. Some of the rebs is still alife an' doin' good.

noname

And I still say, if I wanted to participate in some living history about the Civil War, I sure as hell would not pick Stone Mountain, where there is so much else to see in the entire South!