Travelpack has a 16-day self-drive Civil Rights Civil War and Scenery Galore tour that takes clients to key sites in the nation’s history, scenic lookouts and a Presidential Library.
After arriving in Washington D.C. and checking into the Mayflower Renaissance, they can explore the capital, visiting sites such as Dupont Circle neighbourhood, Capitol Hill, Library of Congress, Washington Monument, the White House, and the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials before heading to Arlington National Cemetery and Georgetown, an affluent section of the city filled with luxury retail shops and restaurants.
Into Virginia, Manassas National Battlefield Park is the site of the Battle of Bull Run, the first major battle of the Civil War. The park’s visitor centre offers fascinating electronic battle maps, displays of equipment, battle memorabilia, and interpretative presentations of the battlefield’s history by a U.S. Parks guide.
Other highlights in Virginia include a visit to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the U.S. and the author of the Declaration of Independence.
En route to Roanoke, visit Appomattox and its Court House National Historical Park, where Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union general Ulysses S. Grant to end the U.S. Civil War (1865).
Travel along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville, North Carolina, en route to Blowing Rock, an immense cliff overhanging Johns River Gorge 3,000 feet below.
Further along the parkway visit Grandfather Mountain, designated by the United Nations as an International Biosphere Reserve. Here, cross the Swinging Bridge, a 228-foot suspension bridge that spans an 80-foot chasm.
Asheville’s highlights include the Biltmore Estate, the largest home in the U.S. where you can take a self-guided tour of this 250-room French chateau. Asheville’s funky downtown has vibrant restaurant and craft brewing scenes.
It is 226 miles between Asheville and Chattanooga, where the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo, a 1909 train station is located.
Birmingham, Alabama, is best known for its prominent role in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, a story told at The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
Also in Alabama, Selma played a pivotal role in the Selma to Montgomery marches that helped lead to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a story told by the movie of the same name. Clients stay for two nights in Montgomery, at Courtyard by Mariott.
In Atlanta, options include the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum and the World of Coca-Cola.
As the tour nears its end, days 14 and 15 are spent in Charlotte and Virginia Beach before heading north through Virginia to Dulles International Airport for the return flight.
Contact Travelpack for tour prices.
