thescrappyhomeschooler Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 First, I'd like to say that this trip is purely theoretical at this point. Unless we get some unexpected windfall, I can't afford to do anything like this. But, I have this fantasy of taking a month next late summer/early fall and traveling around with the boys and visiting Civil War sites while we are learning about this era of American history. So, if you could make this theoretical journey, where would you go and why? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca VA Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Where would you be starting from? What direction would you like to go (north or south)? Can you give some areas that you'd *especially* like to see? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted August 22, 2011 Author Share Posted August 22, 2011 I'm starting in Northeast Ohio. I got this idea when I was traveling south to Louisiana to visit my sister about a year and a half ago. I remember seeing many signs in TN for Civil War sites, and I thought it would be very cool to go visit these places instead of just learning about them in a book. I also saw signs in VA this summer as we drove down to the Outer Banks. I could really go anywhere and see anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Vicksburg? Haven't been there, but I have a friend whose children are in a fancy pants classical Christian school in TX and they take a grade (maybe 8th) there every year for a field trip! Told ya' it was fancy. My point is - they could choose anywhere (11th graders take a field trip to Europe, 12th graders to D.C.), and this is the place they choose to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula in MS Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 There is a national park in Vicksburg, MS right across the river from LA. http://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm. There are also several bed and breakfast houses there from that time period that give tours. The last one we stayed in still had a cannonball in the floor from the war. Paula Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Here is a list of places I would pick. I have been to some, but not all, of these. This list is only in the order I thought about them: 1. Fort Sumter and Charleston, SC 2. Manassas, VA 3. St Petersburg and Richmond, VA 4. Appomattox, VA 5. Shiloh, TN 6. Gettysburg, PA 7. Antietam, MD There are a ton of Civil War sites in DC; you can find several walking tours on the net to take you through them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Charleston, SC! My friends and I took a road trip Jr year of college, and that was one of our stops. It is beautiful! Lots of plantation homes. We went to the one they used for the outdoor scenes of John Jakes North and South tv mini series. I think it was used in roots as well. It is gorgeous. They had lots of great things to look at inside. We took a ghost tour the night we were there. That was fun. They told historical stories about different areas of town as you walked past and through buildings that were "haunted." It was a fun way to learn some history. They took us through a graveyard where a bell is still set up for someone to ring if they were buried alive. I can't remember if it was Macon or Savannah, GA...we took a Civil War tour and saw "cannonball house." It was a long time ago....Savannah and Charleston were great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcgonczi Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Stone Mountain Park in Georgia. Includes a plantation you can tour, museum, laser show on the mountain, and lots of other things. Also Tybee Island, Georgia has a great CW fort and lighthouse. Drawing a blank on the name of the fort right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Shiloh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVA Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 We live just north of the Manassas/Bull Run Battlefield. It just celebrated the 150th Anniversary- which was great with re-enactments, historical camp-outs etc....There is SO much to see here in VA and since this was where the first battles were, I'd definitely come here. Check out this website: http://www.civilwartraveler.com/EAST/VA/index.html A cool thing for kids is learning about the people: Check out: Thomas Stonewall Jackson (he got that nickname at 1st Manassas battle) Robert E. Lee (you can visit his home at Arlington Cemetary and learn about the story about how he turned down Pres. Lincoln's offer to lead the Union troops.) John Mosby (raided and pilfered Union supply trains- near Manasass) John Wilkes Booth- ended up in MD- great history Have fun planning and I hope you get to travel to some places.:) And- don't miss DC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Did you ever read Confederates in the Attic? It is an interesting book about the Civil War and its place in the US today. The author visits many battlefields. It might give you some ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Did you ever read Confederates in the Attic? It is an interesting book about the Civil War and its place in the US today. The author visits many battlefields. It might give you some ideas. :iagree:I just finished that and it is a great book. It may be one that I eventually add to my personal library. I would also think about beginning at the states closet to you. Call their historical societies and ask what they recommend. I know in Arkansas we have one large Civil War site but we also have a lesser known town that has more or less remained unchanged since the late 1800s and is used for all types of historical tours and reinactments, especially around Civil War events. It is like a smaller Williamsburg. Some Civil War sites are just graves with plaques or open fields. Other have more to offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted August 22, 2011 Author Share Posted August 22, 2011 Okay, apparently I'll need more than a month! Wow. What a lot of great suggestions! I'll definitely have to read Confederates in the Attic. Maybe I can do some budget version of this trip. I'd really like to go to a couple of places, at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Okay, apparently I'll need more than a month! Wow. What a lot of great suggestions! I'll definitely have to read Confederates in the Attic. Maybe I can do some budget version of this trip. I'd really like to go to a couple of places, at least. You will definately want to read the book if you want a budget tour. The author describes a trip he made with a friend (a fanatic friend) of the major sites in a week. I wouldn't necessarily recommend a trip that fast myself although theirs was very interesting. The books also discusses lots about why we still talk about the Civil War, those who do reinactments, how attitudes have changed, neo nasty groups, and so on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Stone Mountain Park in Georgia. Includes a plantation you can tour, museum, laser show on the mountain, and lots of other things. Also Tybee Island, Georgia has a great CW fort and lighthouse. Drawing a blank on the name of the fort right now. Fort Pulaski Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 4. Appomattox, VA We went to Appomattox last week! I was half expecting to see just courthouse steps with a plaque next to it. It wasn't like that at all, in fact "court house" doesn't refer to the courthouse, it was the name of the small little town center. It was extremely well done. One of the park rangers is a retired local high school history teacher. We talked with her in depth about many different topics pertaining to the site, and she was fabulous. There were other areas within the park that were also interesting. We tend to fly through things quickly, and we were there about three hours (including a picnic lunch that we'd brought). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 I'm starting in Northeast Ohio. I got this idea when I was traveling south to Louisiana to visit my sister about a year and a half ago. I remember seeing many signs in TN for Civil War sites, and I thought it would be very cool to go visit these places instead of just learning about them in a book. I also saw signs in VA this summer as we drove down to the Outer Banks. I could really go anywhere and see anything. Come to my home town of Franklin, TN where the bloodiest battle of the Civil War occurred. Also a couple miles north in Nashville is the Belle Meade Mansion which has a fascinating history. You are welcome to stay at our house :). A couple of interesting books to read on this area/era: Nashville: 1864 by Madison Jones, and The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 (edited) I've been to most of these (Mrs Mungo's list) and they are good sites. We've also enjoyed state sites like the forts on Mobile Bay. Mariner's Museum in Newport News Va has a big new center on the Merimac. Dh and I enjoyed Ft Scott Ks a few years ago. It is near John Brown's home area and near to Pottotawamie Creek, which I wish we'd visited. Harper's Ferry was interesting. There is a driving route in Va called Road to Appomattox that is on our list for this year. Eta: Arlington National Cemetery was built on Lee's estate and has a lot of symbolism and Civil War graves. Lee's home is there and is open (national park site). They were doing a lot of work on if in the spring but it should be better next year. There are junior ranger activities for the Lee House. Eta: It's Lee's Retreat not Road to Appomattox. See varetreat.com Also try searching for Virginia Civil War Trails for lots of routes and sites to see. We also enjoyed New Market Battlefield. It gives a sense of why the war holds the mystique in Va that it does. Edited August 22, 2011 by Sebastian (a lady) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted August 22, 2011 Author Share Posted August 22, 2011 Come to my home town of Franklin, TN where the bloodiest battle of the Civil War occurred. Also a couple miles north in Nashville is the Belle Meade Mansion which has a fascinating history. You are welcome to stay at our house :). A couple of interesting books to read on this area/era: Nashville: 1864 by Madison Jones, and The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks Aww, you're so sweet! Thanks, again, everyone. I have lots of research to do now for my theoretical/maybe possible trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.