I will be travelling from Maine to South Carolina via I-81 in the Spring. I am wondering if you all ahve any ideas of places to tostop and strech that would be fun for the kids...even a little attraction on teh sice of the road or 15-20 minutes out of the way...Thanks

Natural Bridge Virginia to start.

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Meems Bottom
Covered Bridge south of Mt. Jackson and continue through the bridge to the Route 11 Potato Chip Factory. See the chips being made and enjoy the samples.

In Stauntonthere is the Museum of Frontier Culture. I'll try to find the link

WWW.frontiermuseum.org

How old are the kids?

They will be 7 and 8. They are very curious kids that love to learn and love the outdoors, beaches, nature, animals, parks,and crazy things like the Giant "Pedro" in South Carolina. Pretty much anything new for them to experience... WE went to SC last year, but we went 95 and will NEVER do that again NY and NJ were not fun to drive through when you are from the country.

Skip the museum in Winhester They may enjoy the New Market Battlefield and Museum in New Market, VA. It is right off I-81 and you can see the grounds as you approach the NM exit

Meems Bridge, Potato chip factory, and NM Battlefield all very near each other.

Luray Caverns aren't too far off the hwy.

By all means, stop at New Market, then visit Washington and Lee University in Lexington, burial place of Robert E Lee, and Virginia Military Institute.

Though many famous generals have graduated from VMI, its finest hour may have been the Battle of New Market where a fixed bayonet charge by cadets as young as 15 years old rallied the Confederates, broke the Union line, and forced them to retreat. However you feel about the Confederacy, it was one of the great acts of group courage in military history.

Thanks ya'll! These are some great ideas! I think we will be making a night stop over in VA so we can enjoy some of these sites. Keep them coming!

Then there is the Woodstock Toweoutside of Woodstock on top of Massanutten MT. It overlooks the seven bends of the Shenandoah River and in the distance, traffic on I-81 look like match boxes.

One other thing in Woodstock....a hot air ballon ride over the Shenandoah Valley.

that's Woodstock Tower outside of Woostock