Two Weeks

The Eastern Crescent

15 days · ~1800 miles · from Washington, DC

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Start
Washington, DC
Days
15
Distance
~1800 miles
Length
Two Weeks
Themes
🏛️ History · 🎶 Music · 🏞️ Outdoors

Mountains down, coast back: the Civil War quadrilateral, the Valley Pike, Virginia's music road, the Parkway's whole southern half, Georgia's 441 spine — returning up the Lowcountry's oyster route.

This trip chains: Bull Run to the Bloody Angle · The Valley Pike · The Crooked Road · Blue Ridge Parkway & the Smokies · Sherman to the Swamp · Kings Highway & the Lowcountry

Day by day

Day 1: DC → Warrenton

Manassas and Mosby's US 50 — into cavalry country.

Day 2: The Quadrilateral

Brandy Station, Wilderness, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg's stone wall.

Day 3: Over to the Valley

Spotsylvania and Guinea Station, then US 17/50 west to Winchester: Patsy Cline's town.

Day 4: The Valley Pike

Cedar Creek, New Market's cadets, Luray's stone organ — Staunton for Shakespeare by candlelight.

Day 5: Lexington → Roanoke

Lee, Jackson and Little Sorrel; Natural Bridge and the dinosaur war; Texas Tavern nightcap.

Day 6: Roanoke → Floyd (Friday)

Parkway plateau to the Friday Night Jamboree — planned that way, obviously.

Day 7: Crooked Road → Bristol (Saturday)

Galax, Grayson ponies, Damascus — Carter Fold Saturday night.

Day 8: Bristol → Blowing Rock

Sessions museum, then the high Parkway: Doughton, frescoes, the Rock.

Day 9: High country → Asheville

Oz ruins, Linn Cove, Mount Mitchell's roof — Asheville evening.

Day 10: Pisgah → Cherokee → Tallulah

MP 469, the Museum of the Cherokee People, then US 441 south past goats-on-roof to the gorge.

Day 11: Athens → Milledgeville

R.E.M.'s steeple, the self-owning tree, Madison's columns, O'Connor's peacocks.

Day 12: 441 south → Okefenokee

King's first speech in Dublin, Little Liberty, blackwater sunset boat at Stephen Foster.

Day 13: Folkston → Savannah

Train-watching breakfast at the Funnel, Golden Isles northbound: Jekyll's driftwood, Midway church — Savannah squares by evening.

Day 14: Savannah → Charleston

US 17 north: Penn Center & Beaufort spur, Old Sheldon ruins, Bowens Island oysters at five.

Day 15: Charleston → home

Sweetgrass stands, Georgetown's rice tower, Pawleys hammock — and north with the windows down (South of the Border for the true believers).

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