Day 3 - Head 53-miles south towards the Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland. On this historic ground the Union army repulsed the first attempt by Confederate forces to invade northern territory on September 17, 1862, the bloodiest single day of the war. At the visitors center you can browse through the museum and store, and view an hour long “Antietam Documentary.” The best way to view the battlefield is to take a self-guided auto tour that brings you to 11 points of interest. Guides are available for 2-hour personalized tours. Admission: $6 per person. Guided tour: $50. Following the visit to Antietam travel another 30-miles south, this time to Frederick, Maryland for a previously booked overnight hotel stay.
Day 4 - The itinerary this morning is a short 3-mile drive to the Monocacy National Battlefield. It was here in July of 1864 that Confederate forces marching towards Washington D.C. were delayed long enough by the Union army to strengthen the defenses of the Capital. Since then the fight that occurred here is called “The Battle that saved Washington.” At the visitors center there are interactive and multimedia exhibits, shops, electronic maps, artifacts, and memorabilia for sale. You can also pick up a map highlighting points of interest for your 6-mile self-guided tour of the battlefield. Optional walking trails that interpret the different phases of the battle are also available. Admission is free. Later in the afternoon drive 57-miles to Manassas, Virginia for a one night sleepover before heading to the Manassas National Battlefield.
Day 5 - It was on the Manassas battlefield that Union and Confederate forces met for the first time in July 1861, a battle that saw the Union soldiers driven off the field. After browsing in the visitors’ center and the museum, take a self-guided driving tour of the battlefield or follow a Park Ranger for a hiking tour. Admission is $3 per person. The next stop is 3-nights in Fredericksburg, Virginia, only 40-miles to the south.
Day 6 & 7 - Today and tomorrow, visit the last four of the eight battlefields. They are the Fredericksburg, the Chancellorsville, the Spotsylvania, and the Wilderness Battlefields. All four are located within the second largest military park in the country, the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefield Memorial. Like all the others, begin the tour at each of the two visitors’ centers, take the self-guided auto tours, and visit the many historical buildings and monuments. Park admission is free.
Day 8 - The vacation is over and it’s time to drive the 300-miles back to New York.
Estimated Cost - $1,970
- $800 - Four hotels/7 nights (inc. tax)
- $750 - Meals (8 days)
- $120 - Gas/tolls (800 miles)
- $300 - Tours/misc.
If anyone was not a bonafide Civil War buff at the beginning of such a vacation, chances are they will be by the time they head home.